I think all writing at some point can use a little comic relief. Think when your cooking that special meal and nothing is going right. Come to think of it something always funny happens in the kitchen.
Comic relief is a way to release tension. Think Die Hard movies. Bruce Willis and his wise cracks during a crisis.
Or how about an intense love scene? Think romantic comedies. Harry met Sally.
Funny or ridiculous situations and our human response can ease the pace in our writing. And take the pressure off of the reader.
Weave a running gag throughout the story, and lead the reader down the proverbial path. I mean who doesn’t love a quirky character.
I’m not good at writing humor. So, I’m gonna work on that some today.
If you’d like to add more humor to your writing, head over and read Darcy Pattison’s post 5 More Ways to Add Humor, at Fiction Notes.
Do you add humor to your writing for a little comic relief?
If so tell us how you manage to get the timing right.
Take a paragraph you’ve written and see if it would benefit from a little humor. Or rewrite the paragraph from a humorous viewpoint.
Writing Exercise: One paragraph, any subject or WIP (50 – 150 words) Paste your’s in the comments section.
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My attempt at writing a paragraph with humor:
I trembled as the cold rain-soaked my shirt. No umbrella and no coat. I just lost my scout status. After a few minutes of walking, a red Ford pickup added mud to my waterlogged shoes as he pulled to a stop. Wet hair plastered to my skull and mascara streaked down my face was not how I wanted to meet the office hunk. Mitch worked in the mail room. All the girls loved his Elvis grin and smoky eyes. My dreams of getting his attention did not include looking like a drowned rat. When his passenger door popped open and he asked if I needed a lift, I wanted to disappear. Since my silent plea for a bolt of lightning drop from the sky failed. I muttered a weak thanks and climbed in.
Jean's Writing 