Putting Humor In Your Writing – Guest Post by Clar Bowman -Jahn

This picture reminds me of Harry Potter

 

Clara Bowman –Jahn is a children’s book writer. Her picture book, (“Annie’s Special Day” -by Clarike Bowman -Jahn), is scheduled for publication by E-Treasures later this year. The exact date it becomes available will be announced with great joy on this blog. In the meantime, please enjoy her blog on humor writing.

Tips on How to Put Humor in Your Writing
“It is my belief; you cannot deal with the most serious things in the world unless you understand the most amusing.” – Winston Churchill
We have all heard how important it is to connect with the reader. We as authors try to do that through all kinds of ways. One of the most successful is through their emotions including humor. Here are four tips on how to make the reader laugh by inserting humor into your writing.
I stole these ideas from humorist and author of “Is your Glass Laugh Full”, Ronald P. Culberson, MSN. ESP.
1—Keep a humor journal
Whenever you hear or think of something funny, write it down before you forget it.
2—Take notes from around your life
At the end of the day think about what’s been haappening, look for the funny parts.Write them down.
3—Write funny material and make it funnier
Insert opposites, exaggerate, add ridiculous images.
4—Write serious material and make it funnier
Remember in Harry Potter, when the giant spider was going to eat the wizard child, by a wave of the magic wand he suddenly got roller skates on all his feet and started floppin around the floor. Scary to hilarious with just a magic word!
Two things to do to up your humor radar
1—Watch funny shows
Watch shows like Jon Stewart and Comedy Central, and movies with Charlie Chaplin, Eddie Murphy and Grouch Marx and other funny actors in them.
2—Read Humor writers
David Sedaris and Bill Cosby, Paul Harvey, Allen Klein, Art Buchwald, Al Franken, Steven Wright come to mind. Read cartoons and comic strips.
Humor is one of the basic ways authors connect with the reader. If an author can use emotion to appeal to the reader you are one step closer to getting him to suspend disbelief and continue to read your masterpiece.
What are some ways you have used humor to connect with the reader? What are some tips and tricks you have used to find humor in your life?
Related articles
For the love of Laughter ;Describe the sound of your laugh ; Why We Laugh ; A Funnier Fix ; Laugh ;Laugh Your Way Out

Thank you Bobbi for the honor of being a guest on the Schizophrenicwriter.com. I hope all of you reading this guest post will find yourself welcome on my blog

Tags: Al Franken, Allen Klein, Bobbi Carducci, creative writing, David Sedaris, Eddie Murphy, Humor, Humour, Steven Wright, Winston Churchill