Dann Hurlbert

Writing Funny: It’s all about the…

Re-visiting Writing Funny text on white background with white Hungarian Puli dog named Boris leaping in the air.

… timing.

Got a few more of these “Writing Funny” tips that stood out:

Truly, I think this this is what makes writing funny more difficult than performing funny. In a performance, you can hold for a split-second to be sure the audience is following before hitting them with the punchline. Then, you can stop, start, speed up, slow-down, repeat, change your inflection, or pull the escape hatch with your joke based on the immediate feedback you’re audience gives you. With prose in print, you’ve given up that control–leaving you only two weapons: word choice and punctuation . . . and you have almost no control over when or how it will hit your reader.

Scott Dikkers acknowledges that in How to Write Funny, and offered a few tips. Don’t be afraid to PUSH or stress for emphasis. It’s OK to break. things–up–with punctuation. Even offering points of elipsis. One. Word. Sentences. Or using

Bullet Points
for
Clarity
or Emphasis.

Because timing . . . is everything. And you’ve got a limited weapons cache with prose.

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The Scent of a Good Story (Peter and the Star Catchers)

peter pan silhouette flying over a typewriter on which Captain Hook is typing

Peter and the Star Catchers, by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson is a treat, especially for those who fell in love with the story of Peter Pan years ago. It’s the first of their prequal novels, and the Pearson/Barry combination expertly weave all of the magic and playfulness into a story that explains the magic and playfulness of Peter Pan, itself. I’ll post a few of my favorite quotes from the book here, and in future posts.

“The carriage interior, hot and stuffy, smelled of five smallish boys and one largish man, none of whom was keen on bathing.”

The book itself deals with unkempt boys, London, (before plumbing and air conditioning), and long days at sea. Smells play an important part. Frequently, the aromas become obstacles all by themselves:

“He fell back, momentarily staggered by the odor, then scrunched up his face and forced himself forward into the cabin, like a man walking against a gale.”

At times, those smells hinted at something pleasant, the memory of a mother for example, foreshadowing the reader’s introduction to a beautiful girl.

“But there was more: there was a . . . smell. It was flowers. New grass in a meadow right after a spring rain. A fresh orange being peeled. It was cinnamon and honey, and bread just baked and pulled from the oven. And another smell even more wonderful than all the others, though Alf couldn’t place it.”

And, that cleanliness helped create divisions in class and between characters.

“She was perhaps an inch taller than Peter, and by the look of her she took baths. At St. Norbert’s, Peter took one back a month, unless he could get out of it.”

If you recall Peter Pan fondly, you’ll love Peter and the Star Catchers . . . and the over books in the series. You can find more about the novels and authors on Goodreads.

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Writing Funny: Horror Stories are Easy

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:

Sad and scary things are universal. Evolution and Emotion have teamed up to make the dark-and-unknown scary and death-and-dying sad. Things that make us laugh is more nuanced and varies more from culture to culture, person to person . . . and political party to political party. (Memes featuring cats and ducks with guns wearing MAGA hats is currently making some conservatives chuckle and many liberals roll their eyes.)

In the quote below, Scott Dikkers poses the question that The Onion and the Babylon Bee take a stab at daily: “What if you want to make Readers laugh?”

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Writing Funny: Surprise People

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:

Twists and Reversals are great ways to get laughs–and to scare the daylights out of folks. For the grin, let the underdog overcome the Goliath or make the cute and cuddly pull off the caper. Even a sudden scare can often lead to a laugh, especially if the audience knows it hasn’t truly harmed their favorite character. It includes things like a goofy side-kick jumping out of a closet or a confetti cannon birthday surprise.

Surprise is a great tool in your “How to Write Funny” toolbox. Just remember that if like the likable character is hurt, the humor is often lost.

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Writing Funny: Comfort & Affliction

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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Writing Funny: Traits of Comedic Characters

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:

Stereotypes are real. We all carry them and we represent that remark. If we’re wise or well-disciplined, we don’t take action on them–moving from stereotyping to discriminating. Stereotypes are often ignorant and unfair, but they can be funny. Playing off them–or creating them–effectively can help you get some laughs. You’ve seen it a thousand times: “Dumb Blonde” jokes, “What do you call a Lawyer,” jokes, and for those of us in Minnesota, the “Sven and Ole” jokes. The simple character descriptions make the characters simple-minded, removes their humanity, and makes them easy and funny targets.

Scott Dikkers says your comedic characters should be limited to just a couple traits. Well-developed characters can be funny, too, but it’s easier to get a light-hearted laugh if the audience isn’t also processing the character’s life-long baggage. Heavy stuff isn’t funny–except Chris Farley, John Belushi, and John Candy. They were heavy and HILARIOUS.

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“Her heart and smile… “from The Red Texts Club, by Andrea VanRyken

The Red Text Club starts with real and quirky characters who draw you in…much like this quote does.” Who doesn’t love someone with a heart and smile as big as all outdoors? I do, and I liked this description.

The Red Texts Club digs deeply and creatively into the teenage mind—more specifically the minds of teens dealing with depression. I struggled a little with some repetitive descriptive phrases, but overall enjoyed the read. Andrea VanRyken creates a diverse cast of colorful, talented, yet insecure teens that converge in a sci-fi world designed by and fitting for a person experiencing depression: bland landscape, murky shadows, faceless monsters, and more. The author also ties in characters that teens are bound to love, a curious puzzle-solver, a talented gamer, and a handsome athlete, all whom excel at something, but still question their worth. It featured kid-sized horror coupled with big-time creativity, and the story cleverly addresses depression, a real-life issues facing many of our young people today. (If that’s doesn’t describe most teens—and many adults—I don’t know what does.) You can learn more about Andrea and her work in GoodReads.

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Father Elijah: “Social Law vs Natural Law”

When social laws do not obey natural law, society will fight it. It’s why absurdities like suggesting that biological males who “live as” a woman have actually become a woman. Those who honor natural law and understand the importance of applying them to societal laws will, naturally, push back. Two societal examples of that require us to push back against unnatural societal laws include #savewomenssports and being #prolife. It’s why this quote popped out to me:

“In theology, we maintain that social law must be grounded in natural law–the principles God has written into creation…”

Unfortunately, many of our teachers, politicians, and church leaders are actively teaching a contradictory, social, construct. However you feel, at any given moment, should be the law. That position leads to societal discord and perhaps societal destruction. Father Elijah captured the importance of honoring Natural Law, the principles God has written into creation, or face the consequences. May we work together to return to respecting all lives, and to protecting and creating equal opportunities for women and girls in sports–and beyond.

To catch more quotes from what I’m reading, be sure to subscribe! And, to learn more about my first novel, co-written with my talented daughter, visit https://dannhurlbert.com/suddenly-rural-girl/

Book cover of 'Suddenly Rural Girl' featuring a girl with braided hair and a scenic background, alongside authors Dann and Kennedy Hurlbert smiling together.

Suddenly Rural Girl is available lots of places, including dannhurlbert.com, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Christianbook, and it’s an easy add for libraries and bookstores because it’s also available on Ingram and Bookshop! (ISBN 978-1-959681-33-5). And after you read it . . . don’t forget to write a review!

Father Elijah: “Within time and beyond…”

This is insightful reminder comes from two characters seated deep within the Roman catacombs. We’re reminded that “time on earth” does not equivocate with the amount of time left for us. For me, it is incredibly freeing. When the end comes, it simply means a new beginning.

“A Christian lives both within time and beyond it. I’m closer [to the latter] than most of those walking and talking up there on the surface.”

To catch more quotes from what I’m reading, be sure to subscribe! And, to learn more about my first novel, co-written with my talented daughter, visit https://dannhurlbert.com/suddenly-rural-girl/

Father Elijah: His voice . . .

There were only a few passages in this novel that caught my attention for their descriptive nature. The book was good, thoughtful, and well-written, but there was little use of expressive parts of speech or flowery language. One effective comparison did stick, though, the author described the voice of a wise and aging pope:

“His voice was deep, modulated with that hint of age which denotes dignity, rather than decline.”

Somehow, I knew exactly how that voice sounded. Perhaps I had heard that tone before. Perhaps I could just imagine the difference between dignified and declining. Either way, that description, the comparison of an aging gentleman’s voice, was simple and perfect.

To catch more quotes from what I’m reading, be sure to subscribe! And, to learn more about my first novel, co-written with my talented daughter, visit https://dannhurlbert.com/suddenly-rural-girl/

Father Elijah

A friend recommend this “Apocalypse” book to me, and it was the sweetest, most innocent, and least terrifying book about end times I’ve encountered.

Don’t get me wrong, the prophecies surrounding the end times are scary, but this journey of Father Elijah captures one honest man’s point-of-view of how the end begins: a global governing body and its captivating president successfully position itself as the authority on moral and societal law. Religious groups are quietly displaced–many willingly.

As always, I tend to pull a few quotes from each book I read and share them. Either the passage is beautifully or descriptively written . . . or there is some human truth captured in just a sentence or two. Here’s one that struck me as honest and real.

“It’s the disease of the century. C.S. Lewis called these people Late Western Man. They’re educated, affluent, restless, and unfulfilled.”

The unwritten questions the author challenges us with is “What will fulfill them–and what are they willing to do to achieve what they believe will bring fulfillment?” This 1996 novel explores one path. It’s an easy and intriguing read. It’s also not too difficult to see this playing out in today’s world.

To catch more quotes from what I’m reading, be sure to subscribe! And, to learn more about my first novel, co-written with my talented daughter, visit https://dannhurlbert.com/suddenly-rural-girl/

Lunatics: Two Authors & A Ludicrous Story

Dave Barry and Alan Zweibel tag-teamed in 2012 for this novel, and it was a fun one . . . if you can suspend your disbelief again and again and again. I can. I enjoyed the repeated and unbelievable twists and turns. As I outlined in some previous posts, writing funny involves exaggeration, grotesqueness, shock, and sometimes being offensive. Lunatics effectively uses all of those strategies. It was especially fun seeing each author embody a different character and chapter. If you’re looking for an unbelievable storyline and two highly entertaining antagonists (I’m not sure if there was a protagonist), this might be a book for you. This quote hooks the reader from page one:

I also apologize to all three branches of government, Arnie and Sue Kogen, and to both the General Assembly and Security Council of the United Nations for any role we may have played–and I assure you it wsa completely inadvertent–in exacerbating world tensions.”

I’ve been reading–and working on writing a funny thriller. The humor is easier for me than the action thriller aspect. You can learn more about Barry, Zweibel, and Lunatics on GoodReads. And if you know of any action or thriller books that made you laugh out loud, let me know!

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