Humor writing

in nonfiction articles
 When do people laugh
When they are surprised
At the misfortune of others
Publications’ use of humor
Some publications specialize in humor
Some use it along with other content
Some use humor as spot features
Some as a regular item in columns
 Some humor writers
Dave Barry, Calvin Trillin, Garrison
Keillor, Ian Frazier, Alice Kahn, Patrick
McManus, Roy Blount Jr., Al Franken,
Art Buchwald, James Lileks …
 Where do they write
Miami Herald, New Yorker, Time, The
Nation, Arizona Republic, The Atlantic
Monthly, Playboy, Sports Illustrated,
Lose Angeles Times, Minneapolis Star
Tribune …
Stand-up comedians/ celebs
Tim Allen, David Letterman, Chris Rock,
Ellen DeGeneres, Cathy Guisewite,
Matt Groening, Scott Adams …
 Humorous ideas
Kelso - what happens on a daily basis
Russell, Ivins, Lileks - politics
Art Buchwald - his daily newspaper
Lind - asks readers to send stories
Blum - depends on friend for ideas
 Humor writer’s ability
To form images and word pictures,
Surprise or unexpected finish or
resolution of the story
Build up to the end by taking a small
step at a time to tell the story
Allow momentum to grow
Combination of jokes, break punch line
 Four elements needed
A funny opening
Colorful narration
Colorful characters
A concise plot
What good publications avoid
Do not want off-color or sexist humor
Do not want taking shots at others
Do not want ethnic jokes
 Tips for good writing
Idea should be covered by a single
theme
Develop the characters in the story
List the bits of humor - the jokes
Start writing and rewriting frequently
 How humor columnists
make humor work
Exaggeration
Understatement
Surprise
Life’s little problems
 How humor columnists
make humor work
Humor in the news
Constructing a comic reality
Attractive beginnings and endings
Puns and word play
 Humor writing techniques

Satire: Ridicule a subject’s vices,

excesses, abuses, follies, stupidities
(Britney Spears: Oops I did it again)
… Dave Barry is an example
 Humor writing techniques
Parody: Opportunity to imitate style of
an individual, place, object or institution
Must study subject well. Takes
nonsensical approach. Latin playboy
 Humor writing techniques
Exaggeration: Overemphasize, enlarge,
distort, to make a point. Must have a
reason for overstatement. Must know
when to stop. (“Doing research” =
flipping TV channels)
 Humor writing techniques
Contrast: Incongruity. Show
unreasonable & unsuitable situations.
Something expected and routine
becomes unexpected/ non-routine.
(Planned holiday becomes a mess)
 Humor writing technique
Understatement: Works to create
emphasis and reaction on the part of
the reader. An intentional, softer
comment will draw attention when it is
contrasted with the expected. (95
degree temperature: “A little warm
outside”)
 Humor writing techniques
Asides: Short messages in parentheses
or other form to communicate on a
quasi-private level. Used in acting or
footnotes. Dave Barry, again, an
example
 Humor writing techniques
Irony: Employs contradictions through
writing tone and subject. Focuses on
the direct opposite of what is usual or
expected. Outcome of story is different
from what is expected by readers.
Distance between what happened and
what should have happened or what is
said and what is intended.
 Humor writing techniques
Grammatical and Typographic
Emphasis: Intentionally overusing and
abusing English grammar and over
usage. !!!!! @$#$#%%
Trick draws readers’ attention to certain
words and terms in an extreme fashion
and help place focus where writer wants
 Humor writing techniques
Puns: Play on words to provide double
meaning. Unless it’s original, this
doesn’t work well
 Humor writing techniques
Logic and Consistency: Correct
reasoning through induction or
deduction. Crazy behavior and absurd
conduct makes much of American
humor. But humor must maintain
internal logic. Continue absurd premise.
Don’t change focus in middle of story