Humorous Story Guidelines
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We all know how to tell stories. We do it all the time, but when it comes to writing them down we sometimes wander off the road and neglect certain elements. When we write we don’t have the advantage of live feedback and revision. When you’re not face to face you can’t see when somebody gets it. And that’s why you need to follow some guidelines to make sure your reader does get it.
Here are a few ways to help you tell your funny tale:
Think like a reporter: Who, what, where, when and how did it happen? Who did what to whom, to them or to it? How and why did your main character make it happen?
Structure: How does it start? Where does it go? How does it end? It’s not as simple as A, B, C. Your structure may call for the story to start in the middle, or in medias as they say in Latin. You may start with a glimpse of the denouement without giving it away, and then jump back to the lead or start of the story. The important thing is that you make it easy for your reader to follow what you’re building.
That doesn’t mean it can’t be challenging for your readers. After all, as humorists we’re trying to trick or surprise them. Don’t make it too easy, though, for them to predict where you’re headed.
Plot: Shakespeare, according to some scholars, said there were only nine basic plots. In the 1800’s Georges Polti listed thirty-six. Ronald B. Tobias in Master Plots and How to Build Them, (1993) discusses 20 plots. So who you gonna believe? That’s not important. But plot is. Plot is the where are you going with this story and why what happens, happens. Maybe you hate outlines; so do it in you head. Just know where you’re heading.
The Juice: Who is the hero of heroine that squeezes the emotion from your story and makes things happen? What does he/she want? .Is this character right for the role you’ve assigned? Your protagonist puts the power in your tale.
Dialogue: If the characters in your story speak, how do you want them to sound? If they don’t speak, how do you want their internal dialogue to sound? Good dialogue makes your characters come to life and helps set the tempo of your tale.
Most humorists don’t need a detailed framework for their writing because they have it in their heads. But if outlining and copious notes work for you, do it. It’s your work. Just do whatever it takes to make folks laugh.
Here’s a shot little piece that illustrates some of the above: Teddy’s Spin Doctor.
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Filed under: Writing Technique
