All art is about personal taste; so is the art of humor
In What Are You Laughing At, author Brad Schreiber says, “By being safe, by creating pieces reminiscent of other humorous works, the writer does a disservice to him/herself.”
Inevitably, people are going to think “That’s funny” or “That’s funny?” Not every one will love your work. So don’t try to mimic others in an attempt to please everyone. Develop your own voice which reflects your view of things and show it through your characters.
Your unique voice is one of your most valuable assets as a writer of humor. You might also call it your attitude, not attitude like smart-ass, but the way you express what you feel. But then again, maybe a little smart-ass will work for you if that’s the way you see things.
Les Edgerton’s book, Finding Your Voice, will point you in the right direction, but you’ll still have to find it yourself. It’s an excellent work packed with practical advice and exercises.
I like to write slightly raunchy material without using dirty words. Sometimes the vulgar word works best; but usually I can show the funny in my normal voice which doesn’t use a lot crude words. Here’s a recent example from my portfolio: The Short Way to Tipperary.
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