Tricks for Writing Humor? Anyone? http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/satire-humor-parody/threads/38707 ModestTreasure252 I have always wanted to write a humorous book. When I do find the time to watch television I mostly watch cartoons and humorous late night shows. I'm great when it comes to having funny conversations with people. I can say something witty rather quickly and I can write some very hilarious radio commercials. However, when I try to sit down and think of something funny to write about for a novel, nothing flows out. Even when I think of funny situations that have happened to me, I can't think of a way to alter it into an interesting plot. Any tips? Fri, 18 Nov 2011 00:36:53 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/satire-humor-parody/threads/38707?page=1#forum_thread_comment_750437 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/satire-humor-parody/threads/38707?page=1#forum_thread_comment_750437 creatorx2 Make a humorous situation but don't play it up as humorous. Like let's say a giant bust of Ben Stiller from Zoolander must be thrown into a wood-chipper in order to obtain some MacGuffin for your story. That's kinda funny on its own but it's better if you make the entire affair this huge tearful goodbye, ending with a selfless heroic sacrifice, and then later hold a solemn funeral. Play it straight. Sat, 19 Nov 2011 22:52:08 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/satire-humor-parody/threads/38707?page=1#forum_thread_comment_775034 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/satire-humor-parody/threads/38707?page=1#forum_thread_comment_775034 Lynne M-S Don't look for a humorous plot. Be aware of the difference between 'humour' and 'wit' - the latter can be caustic and unpleasant. And, (quoting the character of chief comedian at the BBC parody show "Hi-de-Hi!" based on Butlions holiday camp - "Spike, if you're going to be funny - keep the reality in it. It's not funny of there's no reality!" (Spike being the camp's junior comedian. Sun, 20 Nov 2011 18:29:13 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/satire-humor-parody/threads/38707?page=1#forum_thread_comment_784920 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/satire-humor-parody/threads/38707?page=1#forum_thread_comment_784920 FictionHeart I like breaking the 4th wall in my humourous books on occasion. Mostly characters don't know they're in books, after all. Sun, 20 Nov 2011 22:17:06 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/satire-humor-parody/threads/38707?page=1#forum_thread_comment_787841 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/satire-humor-parody/threads/38707?page=1#forum_thread_comment_787841 C-Ling All the time! This is one of my favorite things to do Mon, 21 Nov 2011 20:45:29 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/satire-humor-parody/threads/38707?page=1#forum_thread_comment_798924 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/satire-humor-parody/threads/38707?page=1#forum_thread_comment_798924 AnAgelessTime Be absurd. Why not go for the gusto with some poor rhyming butt bros? Sat, 26 Nov 2011 20:46:15 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/satire-humor-parody/threads/38707?page=1#forum_thread_comment_857482 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/satire-humor-parody/threads/38707?page=1#forum_thread_comment_857482 jordan.williams42 Come up with a plot that's not funny and is just a plot, then you can add all the humour in with the characters and the crazy situations they find themselves in. Write a list of the funny things you've said in conversations and try to fit them into the story somehow. the more random the better. Hope that helps Wed, 30 Nov 2011 03:53:23 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/satire-humor-parody/threads/38707?page=1#forum_thread_comment_898117 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/satire-humor-parody/threads/38707?page=1#forum_thread_comment_898117 helltank I often mix Breaking the Fourth Wall and Genre Savvy in my stories:My characters encounter cliches named after TV Tropes articles. [Inspired by the dare to have a gun belonging to someone called Chekov.] For example, someone called MacGuffin injects basilisk poison into a dragon's tooth to create a twisted bone shard that will turn anything it touches to dust, except ice. The protagonist and antagonist treat MacGuffin's creation as a MacGuffin, racing to reach the chest made of ice its held in. During the course of the book, a tyrant overlord mentions that he found a battered copy of the Evil Overlord List in another dimension. Someone gains a new superpower just as the clock strikes eleven(my personal favorite because it's subtle). Wed, 01 Feb 2012 01:58:07 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/satire-humor-parody/threads/38707?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1107039 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/satire-humor-parody/threads/38707?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1107039