Today’s #AtoZChallenge: Humor Genre

A to Z Challenge asks bloggers to post every day except Sundays during the month of April on a thematic topic–nothing else. This year, I’ll be covering writing genres.

Today’s genre:

Humor

Definition

A comic novel is usually a work of fiction in which the writer seeks to amuse the reader, sometimes with subtlety and as part of a carefully woven narrative, sometimes above all other considerations.

Tips

• Words with K and G are the funniest. Start using names like Kristy and George, or doing stuff that starts with K and G (klutzy, gyroscoping)
• Establish a pattern and misdirect readers with the last one:

I wish you happiness, wealth, and that you can get the lid off the mayo jar the next time you make a sandwich.

• Rather than scattering jokes around like confetti, use them strategically.
• Don’t worry about what others think. Use your voice and deliver the joke. It’ll work.
• Let readers know it’s OK to laugh at you (or with you).
• Start with a well-known cliche, but change the ending, i.e., “You can lead a horse to water… but a pencil must be lead.”
• Use funny anecdotes or stories.
• Use comparisons:
  • like saying Noah was a shipbuilder
  • like the difference between being thrown from the 15th and 16th floor–they both kill you
  • as stupid as a chocolate teapot
• Avoid sarcasm. It’s as likely to annoy people as entertain.
• Rework an old cliche; you might start with the standard, but change the ending.

A bird in hand is in danger of being crushed

Popular Books

1. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
2. Sh*t My Dad Says by Justin Halpern
3. The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
4. The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson
5. Three Men in a Boat by Jerome Jerome
6. Catch 22 by Joseph Heller
7. Portnoy’s Complaint by Philip Roth
8. Without Feathers by Woody Allen

More H Genres

• Historic
• Horror

Click for complete list of genres

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Jacqui Murray is the author of the popular Building a Midshipman, the story of her daughter’s journey from high school to United States Naval Academy, and the thriller, To Hunt a Sub. She is also the author/editor of over a hundred books on integrating tech into education, adjunct professor of technology in education, webmaster for four blogs, an Amazon Vine Voice book reviewer,  a columnist for TeachHUB, monthly contributor to Today’s Author and a freelance journalist on tech ed topics. You can find her books at her publisher’s website, Structured Learning. The sequel to To Hunt a Sub, Twenty-four Days, is scheduled for May 2017. Click to follow its progress.