Writing Humor
Authentic humor can be an elusive thing to nail down in a manuscript. We want one of our characters to be funny—we KNOW it’s part of their whole shtick—but when we actually sit down to pen with their witty dialogue, our minds go blank. It can be discouraging, to say the least.
Here’s the good news! There are a number of simple ways we can set up our characters—and the contexts they find themselves in—that will allow humor to flow more naturally from scene to scene.
Don’t set out to make a character “funny.” Instead, explore their worldview.
In one of my favourite fiction podcasts, Victoriocity, the listeners follow a detective as he solves complex cases in a steampunk version of Victorian London. This detective’s very nature—pessimistic, cynical, practical—is the source of his many witty one-liners. His humor is then amplified when he is placed in situations or set alongside characters that challenge his nature. For instance, his partner is a boundlessly optimistic and trusting young journalist—a perfect foil.
Think of the funniest characters you’ve come across in books or film. What are their personalities like? What are the qualities that drive their humor? Identifying these traits might give you some ideas for developing your own characters.
Here are a few qualities that come to mind when I think of my favorite “funny” characters:
Honesty/transparency/lack of filter: This one applies to a lot of humorous characters. Their kneejerk thoughts and reactions are hilarious because they haven’t been set to fit with social standards.
Confidence: Funny characters typically come across as confident, even if they’re just pretending to be.
Cynicism: A lot of funny characters don’t naturally trust other people.
Intelligence: This is one that may not seem obvious at first, but once you start thinking through your favourite characters, you may find that many of them are actually quite smart.
A quick temper: This only really works if the character means well and doesn’t become frightening in their anger. That being said, reading or watching characters who get easily riled up can be hilarious—and actually rather cathartic for those of us used to tamping down on our emotions.
Unexpected qualities can also be made humorous if they are given the right twist. Take Spider-Man. In the older comics, Peter Parker confides that his relentless wisecracks actually stem from his attempt to put on a brave face when he is feeling out of his depth. His humor emerges not from his self-confidence, but rather out of his fear and insecurity. It allows Peter Parker to fool his opponents—and himself—into thinking that he has a handle on situations that would otherwise seem insurmountable.
2. Humor doesn’t always have to come through dialogue.
Often, humor can come from the way in which the story is told (think: word choice, imagery, and the inner commentary of the main character).
Here are a few examples:
I looked over the party. The magus I had already studied. On my right was the soldier who warned me about pulling on the reins. His profession was obvious, as was the sword tucked under the flap of one of his saddlebags. I guessed that he was the Pol that the magus had shouted to in the courtyard, because the other two members of the group were certainly the boys. The older one had a sword in his scabbard, and with coaching he could probably chop up a straw man, but the younger one looked to be completely useless.
– From The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner
Notice the way the narrator’s tone and use of imagery in the last sentence serves not only to provide a humorous introduction to these characters, but also helps to communicate our protagonist’s superior attitude.
I found my dad standing by a half-constructed infinity pool that looked over the abyss of the Hudson Canyon. I wasn’t sure what the point of an infinity pool was when you were already underwater, but I knew better than to ask. My dad was pretty chill most of the time, but you didn’t want to question his stylistic choices.
His clothes for instance.
Some of the Greek gods I’d met liked to morph their appearance on a daily basis. They could do that, being, you know, gods. But Poseidon seemed to have settled on a look that worked for him, even if it didn’t work for anyone else.
Today, he wore rumpled cargo shorts that matched his Crocs and socks. His camp shirt looked like it had been targeted in a paintball war between Team Purple and Team Hello Kitty. His fishing cap was fringed with spinnerbait lures. In his hand, a Celestial bronze trident thrummed with power, making the water boil around its wicked points…
“Percy,” he said.
“Hey.”
We have deep conversations like that.
- From Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Chalice of the Gods by Rick Riordan
Notice the way Percy describes the scene—the images he chooses and his sarcasm in the final line—make his meeting with Poseidon a humorous scene from the outset.
I was reading as I walked—which I’d vowed to stop doing because I’d nearly caused a bike accident doing so weeks earlier—when suddenly, a warm breeze caught the hat’s brim. It lifted off my head and swooped over an azalea bush. Right to a tall, handsome blond man’s feet…
If it was fate, then it’s reasonable to assume fate a little bit hates me, because when he bent to retrieve the hat, another gust swept it into the air, and I chased after it right into a trash can.
The metal kind, bolted to the ground.
My hat landed atop a pile of discarded lo mein, the lip of the can smashed into my rib cage, and I did a wheezing pratfall into the grass. Peter described this as “adorably clumsy.”
He left out the part where I screamed a string of expletives.
- From Funny Story by Emily Henry
Notice how in this passage, the text treatment, syntax, and paragraph structure are the unsung heroes that allow the dry humor to come zinging through. The use of italics in Line 4 adds to the emotional tone. The short, one-sentence paragraphs (Lines 6 & 9) also add to the self-deprecating humor of this passage because the images they communicate stand out from the rest. Finally, the series of events portrayed in Lines 7–8 are especially funny because of their positioning in a series separated by commas. Incredibly, it is the technical choices made by the author that allows the character’s sense of humor to shine through.
3. If you want to write funny characters, you need to read funny characters.
Be a sponge. Find authors whose writing styles you admire and learn from them. What techniques are these authors using to create humor in their scenes? How do they set up their dialogue? What sort of wording and vocabulary do they use? Do they employ figurative language or imagery to help drive home funny moments? Remember, even something as mundane as sentence structure can be wielded to create a humorous effect.
Pay special attention to the parts of books that make you smile or laugh. When you notice yourself chuckling (even if it’s just an inner chuckle), stop and ask yourself what about that moment is tickling your fancy. Chances are, there is a technique hiding in the humor. Once you spot it, you can practice applying it to your own work.
A final thought: Characters are often funny because they are looking for humor around them. They are the sort of people who want to be amused. In order to really get inside their heads, keep a lookout for humor in your own life. If you are willing to look for the lighter side of life, you might be surprised just how much joy is out there for you to uncover.