I’m nearly done with my comic thriller, The Worst Thing About Sam, so I wanted to re-post some of these “Writing Funny” tips I pulled together along the way:
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 s/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.
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