So I taught my (first) class at a writer’s conference yesterday.
Yea! It was good.
It was about using humor in your writing.
And Yea! People laughed.
And I got to introduce a few people to a few books.
And Yea! for CLEMENTINE and ZIPPY and also Mo.
I am in possession of a rather unfunny book called “HOW TO SPEAK AND WRITE WITH HUMOR” (I am not making that up) which turns out to be several hundred pages of ideas from the 1950s about how to work a joke into public speaking. Side note: Did you know that comedy is generational? Some of it just doesn’t translate. But here are some of the things I talked about, summed up nicely by Mr. Percy H. Whiting (at least his name is funny):
* The Humorous Catalogue (which means, to you and me, Lists)
* Exaggeration
* Double-cross (juxtaposition)
* Anticlimax
* Understatement
* Asides
* Irreverence
* Pomposities (- making fun of them, not cultivating them, although that is also funny sometimes, right?)
* Insults (but I disagree – I’m more inclined to think insults are… insulting)
* Humorous similes (as opposed to the less-humorous similes?)
* Topicals (that’s like news items, Late-Night-Intro monologue stuff)
* Over-ornate language
* Mutilated quotes and mangled cliches (yeah, I kinda like this one, too)
* Word play (generational)
* Humorous definitions
So Percy goes on to tell you how to use all these things to work a joke into your speech, but see, the thing is, I use a lot of these things in my writing. I just would have made the list funnier (see first bullet).
We talked about silly humor (Stooges) and situational humor (because life is funny) and sophisticated humor (for which, I fear, you need to be British). And how the best comedy in writing, well, it somehow combines all of those.
And I told them right away that if they weren’t funny, I couldn’t make them funny. And they laughed at that, and I was soothed.
Here’s what it boils down to: If you love funny books, and you are relatively funny yourself, you can get funnier by reading lots of funny books. And I brought some. And I didn’t even have to pimp my own (this is an unreasonable fear of mine – perhaps bordering on pathological). And I hope I get to do that again, because it was great. And I got to see friends. And meet new ones. And eat really good catered lunch (this is reason enough to attend UVU Book Academy in the future, I believe). And attend great, informative classes. So, if you get the chance, go to a writer’s conference and soak up the vibes. It makes me want to be a better writer – and it gave me tools to go ahead and try.
(*Also, as a bonus – sometimes there are crazy people at writers’ conferences. This is awesome for material. And there was some material at that conference, let me tell you.)
(14) Comments for this blog
Congrats on your class! I bet you were awesome! I wish I could have been there. (I had no idea humor was generational, but it makes sense.)
Congrats on your class! I bet you were awesome! I wish I could have been there. (I had no idea humor was generational, but it makes sense.)
LOL! Well…if this post is any indication…you were hilarious! 😉 Great work!
LOL! Well…if this post is any indication…you were hilarious! 😉 Great work!
Sounds like fun. I have no doubts it was awesome.
Sounds like fun. I have no doubts it was awesome.
I’m almost glad I didn’t go, because otherwise I’d neurotically be thinking that crazy people = me.
Almost.
Sounds like such a blast – so glad your class went so well!
I’m almost glad I didn’t go, because otherwise I’d neurotically be thinking that crazy people = me.
Almost.
Sounds like such a blast – so glad your class went so well!
Sounds like a great event.
We love Clementine at our house- it has me laughing while we read it.
Sometime, you should do a post about your favorite children’s books. We’ve gotten into a bit of a rut lately, and I’m always looking for new ideas.
Sounds like a great event.
We love Clementine at our house- it has me laughing while we read it.
Sometime, you should do a post about your favorite children’s books. We’ve gotten into a bit of a rut lately, and I’m always looking for new ideas.
Props to you for tackling a humor class. You’re so right to say that if someone isn’t funny that you can’t make them funny. I’ve always thought that would be the hardest class to teach but I have no doubt you did it brilliantly. And hilariously. I love writing conferences. I get to present at Storymakers, btw. On dialogue. Yay!
Props to you for tackling a humor class. You’re so right to say that if someone isn’t funny that you can’t make them funny. I’ve always thought that would be the hardest class to teach but I have no doubt you did it brilliantly. And hilariously. I love writing conferences. I get to present at Storymakers, btw. On dialogue. Yay!
Did you see that, everyone? Melanie J is teaching a dialog class. You must go. You must. Melanie is brilliant and sparkling and wonderful, and her dialog is good, too. Yea!
Did you see that, everyone? Melanie J is teaching a dialog class. You must go. You must. Melanie is brilliant and sparkling and wonderful, and her dialog is good, too. Yea!