Humor Writers’ SAP Formula & the Magic of Three
Many jokes and humor pieces rely on the SAP formula: S= the set up; A= building anticipation; P=delivering the punch.
A trilogy usually helps the SAP flow. Three is a magic number, you know. Maybe because it fits well with short attention spans. Or maybe it’s because of the historical precedent for the mystical power of three.
Here’s how it works—and you’ve seen other countless examples: Three witches swish into a bar for Happy Hour. One orders scotch and soda; One orders a vodka martini. The third orders a Shirley Temple.
“Why a Shirley Temple?” asks the bartender.
“Because,” says the witch, “I’m the designated flyer.”
Okay. Not funny, funny. But it demonstrates the comedic beat. Why not two beats? Why not four? Because they just don’t work as well as three. Can you imagine “The Four Little Piggy’s; Goldilocks and the Four Bears; Two Coins in the Fountain?”
If you want to get technical, the trilogy is also called a tricolon. A tricolon is a series of three parallel words, phrases, or clauses. (No! A tricolon is not a triple bowel.)
Julius Caesar said, “I came. I saw. I conquered.” He didn’t get a lot of laughs, but his pal, Mark Antony earned a smile when he admitted, “I charmed. I conquered. I came—prematurely.”
The triple is a powerful device used over and over by emperors, speech writers, humorist, and powerful hitters.
Three has a comedic beat, a rhythm that works. Four is too long. Four can be boring. Two is too short. Not enough time to build anticipation for the twist or surprise.
Here’s a triple: You can tell your chance of getting properly laid is good when you pickup a lady and she tells you she finds you very attractive, loves your sense of humor, and that she’s a funeral director.
And another…You can tell you’re getting to first base when your date asked you in for coffee, puts on a negligee, and dusts your bag.
And another…Three things I can’t stand: egotists, braggarts, and those who can’t see that I’m a modest genius.
Oh, that’s enough! There are three things a humor writer needs: the ability to tell well; the ability to write well; and material that sells well. And it helps if you can count to three.
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Filed under: Writing Technique