Employing Wit in Tales: A Guideline for Writers
Tackling humor in literature can be a real challenge since what tickles one's funny bone might leave another stone-cold. To appeal to the masses, you'll likely need to write bland, safe content - guaranteeing a smirk at best, but a guffaw? Maybe not! But, I firmly believe that any author ducking the humor terrain is short-changing their readers.
So, what exactly is humor? Dictionary-wise, it's that quality which brings forth a sense of the ridiculous or absurdly improbable. For me, a milder synonym might be 'whimsy' – something that can easily spark a smile. Similarly, satire and irony fall under the umbrella of humor though they may not always generate laughter.
Take the peculiar Christmas pageant scene in 'A Prayer for Owen Meany,' authored by John Irving. On the surface, it's a sacred religious setting where parents watch their children perform. But the girl playing 'Mary' harbors a different ambition – one that involves expressing her salacious feelings towards 'Baby Jesus'! The resulting mess is chaotic, hilarious, and mostly due to the contrast between the holy atmosphere, the kids pretending to be wise men, shepherds, and the naughty Mary going off-script!
In my own writing, I've applied this technique. For example, in 'Betwixt and Between' – a story about a woman attending her own funeral – I had the fairies conjure a spell to help her relax. However, things didn't go as planned, resulting in our deceased protagonist appearing drunk and tearfully extolling her virtues in the middle of a funeral. Such incongruity between solemnity and absurdity creates an enjoyable reading experience.
Slapstick humor, usually associated with film and stage performances, can sometimes find its way into stories. For instance, in car chase scenes, injecting a dash of silly cartoon-like antics can lighten the tension temporarily, allowing the author to build it up again later on. But, beware! Using too much slapstick can make the content look shallow and uninspired. Over time, clown characters might lose their charm!
Exaggeration is another common technique, often resulting in excellent consequences. In a fantasy story, a novice witch unleashing powerful magic in the wrong circumstances can be entertaining. In one of my stories, a high school girl named Janet – a new witch in need of a job – is asked to lift boxes in a warehouse. To make things easier for herself, she casts a levitation spell. Consequently, the box flies somewhere near its destination, almost hitting an employee in the process. The fun part? Her employer only needed her to hand the boxes over, not hurl them!
Satire – my personal favorite – involves poking fun at people or institutions to highlight their flaws. During the time of former U.S. President Trump, satirists had a field day with his policies and mannerisms. Editorial cartoonists often depicted him as an infant or a buffoon. Online publications like The Onion and The Babylon Bee have built their reputation on satirical news stories, sometimes incurring the ire of politically-sensitive readers. Proceed with caution when writing satire – if you dare!
There are numerous other literary devices for humor such as farce, metaphors, reframing, timing, and puns – but I'll save them for another day.
Writing humor is a journey, full of twists and turns. It requires an open mind, experimentation, and a willingness to take risks. Don't shy away from the humor realm, dear writers – let loose and entertain your audience!
Doug Lewars – not a young buck anymore, but still going strong – enjoys writing, reading, fishing, and sugary treats. He has penned 13 books available on Smashwords.com.
In Doug Lewars' collection of books, one might find a fusion of lifestyles, as he delves into the absurd through tales that blend fashion-and-beauty with a touch of whimsy and humor. For instance, in 'Betwixt and Between', fairies serve up a horribly miscast spell that leaves the protagonist in a highly intoxicated and embarrassing state at her own funeral.
Whether it's the satire behind The Onion and The Babylon Bee's online publications or the farcical scenes in John Irving's 'A Prayer for Owen Meany', Doug Lewars' books, like entertainment as a whole, offer readers a delightful escape into different worlds, where unexpected jokes and amusing predicaments serve as a pleasant break from reality.
