Tips for adding humor to your writing

You’ve seen it in movies. You’ve seen it in books. You’ve seen it everywhere and perhaps never noticed it. It’s a humor device called “Irony” and it’s one trick that authors use to make their characters and plot lines interesting and funny. Irony is, to quote Webster’s, “a method of humorous or subtly sarcastic expression in which the intended meaning of the words used is the direct opposite of their usual sense,” for example, when someone calls a stupid plan, “clever.” That is considered irony.

When used subtly, irony can make your work more saleable, because it makes the characters more interesting and fun to read about. It makes the characters more likeable because it gives them a fault that people can relate to. Who hasn’t thought of himself as something he is really not? It also gives your work more depth. An example from my recent reading is Jonathon Stroud’s Bartimeaus Series. His genie talks like an all powerful, ferocious, intimidating, godlike creature, when all his actions indicate that he is cowardly, and not as strong or smart as he thinks he is. This makes for some hilarious and clever situations that are very fun to read about. Another example from a very popular work is Diary of a Wimpy Kid. The “wimpy kid’s” dialogue is laced with irony, making us laugh and fall in love with the character. Even the Berenstein Bears has irony. The Papa Bear is always setting himself up as an expert and he is really klutzy and not very knowledgeable. In the movie, “G-Force,” a dainty, sweet little girl tells someone if they try to put a bow in her hair they will lose a finger. This is funny.

You’ll notice irony everywhere in popular fiction and movies because it makes fiction and movies popular, and it makes the author seem clever. One caution though. It can be overused, and then it makes the author look like he is trying too hard to be funny or sarcastic.

To add irony to your work, take a good look at your character. Is he a body guard? What would be the last thing a buff and burly dude would say or do? You need to surprise your audience. Make him a germaphobe who loves decorating, or have him love something sweet and cute. In the Amelia Peabody series by Elizabeth Peters, the very intelligent and mature sounding boy uses his intelligence to invent things that cause all sorts of hilarious trouble for everyone, making us realize he is not as grown up as he thinks he is. This is the type of interesting character that leaves readers clamoring for more. Author Janette Rallison has made a name for herself lacing her character’s dialogue with irony to make what they say humorous and clever. Read some of her books to study how she does it. As you study other authors who use this device it will begin to make sense to you and you will become an expert yourself.

Kersten Campbell, author of "Confessions of a Completely Insane Mother"
humor blog: www.kersten4.blogspot.com
website: www.kerstencampbell.com

Introducing . . . Rebecca Talley

by Rebecca Talley

I live in rural Colorado on a small ranch with a spoiled horse, a new kitten named Jane, goats, and a llama named Tina. We have a baby goat that was born a few weks ago.

I have 10 children. Yes, I actually birthed all of them myself. I asked my husband to at least take a turn or two, but somehow that didn't work and I ended up birthing all of them.

I used to do flamenco dancing when I was a teenager. I was also on the drill team and played basketball in high school.

I love swimming in the ocean, collecting shells, and laying on the beach. I wanted to live in Hawaii, my husband wanted to live in Alaska, so we settled in Colorado (he got beautiful mountains, wildlife, and snow, but I didn't end up with any beach--hmmm).

I love chocolate and ice cream. I dance to disco music while I clean the house--go Bee Gees.

I'm the author of a children's picture book, Grasshopper Pie (WindRiver 2003), an LDS novel, Heaven Scent (Cedar Fort 2008), an LDS romance, Altared Plans (Cedar Fort--due out this month), and numerous children's stories in online and print magazines.

When someone asks me what I do I reply that I'm a nurse, doctor, linguist, maid, baker, gourmet cook, laundress, scientist (someone has to figure out what's growing under my kids' beds), teacher, counselor, actress (comes in handy when trying to convince my children that eating cooked vegetables is good for them), cheerleader, diaper-changer, booger-wiper, musician, referee, juggler, writer, and magician. Or the short title: Mom.

Welcome to our new blog--come back and visit often!