No one wants to see the innocent child beaten down, but most of us do like too see the tables turned on the bully, so he or finally gets his or her comeuppance. The general population also has some common, shared, arch-enemies: violent criminals, corrupt government officials, the dictator, “boss,” and more; they’ve become too comfortable with their position or privilage. There are also cultural stereotypes that certain demographics may see as overly “comfortable” antagonists: members of the opposing political party, of a certain race, gender, or religion, or of the rival school or sports team or gang.
Your first step is often to establish the two characters. What makes Mr. Green unfairly Comfortable and Ms. Pink unfairly Afflicted. Having taken that important step, you’ve positioned yourself to get some laughs by lifting the Ms. Pink while Mr. Green becomes more afflicted. It’s not the affliction or the reversal that gets the laughs, but by using some of the other causes of laughter effectively with these character, you’re more likely to get those grins and chuckles.
I’ve been reading–and attempting to write–funny. The former is easier than the latter, though it is surprisingly rare to find a book that makes you laugh out loud. It takes more time to set-up the joke in literature than it does using quick visuals or physical humor seen in film and television. Scott Dikker’s book How to Write Funny attempts to offer a recipe. (Dikkers is the founder of The Onion.) In his book, Dikkers’ mentions a quote from E/B. White: “Humor can be dissected as a frog can, but the thing dies in the process.” Dikkers is correct that his book isn’t funny, but there were a few interesting tips I’ll share. You can learn more about Dikkers and his writing in GoodReads. And if you know of any books that made you laugh out loud, let me know!
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