Comments on: Make ‘em Laugh http://www.sfnovelists.com/2008/01/15/make-em-laugh/ A mutual support group for SF/F Novelists Thu, 20 Nov 2008 16:48:25 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.1 By: cyn http://www.sfnovelists.com/2008/01/15/make-em-laugh/#comment-1690 cyn Sun, 20 Jan 2008 16:27:29 +0000 http://www.sfnovelists.com/2008/01/15/make-em-laugh/#comment-1690 s.c. -- i'm def willing to try, when it's appropriate. i worried my novel was over serious. consider this line from my sidekick : "and the next thing i knew, there was a monster between my legs!" a snake demoness at that! okay, maybe only i find that funny. haha! =X s.c. — i’m def willing to try, when it’s appropriate.
i worried my novel was over serious.
consider this line from my sidekick :

“and the next thing i knew, there was a monster
between my legs!”

a snake demoness at that!

okay, maybe only i find that funny. haha! =X

]]> By: s.c. butler http://www.sfnovelists.com/2008/01/15/make-em-laugh/#comment-1683 s.c. butler Sat, 19 Jan 2008 16:28:37 +0000 http://www.sfnovelists.com/2008/01/15/make-em-laugh/#comment-1683 cyn - it is interesting the way some people are really funny in person but don't put their homor into their books. Often it's because they don't want to. cyn - it is interesting the way some people are really funny in person but don’t put their homor into their books. Often it’s because they don’t want to.

]]> By: cyn http://www.sfnovelists.com/2008/01/15/make-em-laugh/#comment-1668 cyn Thu, 17 Jan 2008 23:45:03 +0000 http://www.sfnovelists.com/2008/01/15/make-em-laugh/#comment-1668 i feel that humor is very difficult to write. i am, in person, a pretty funny femme. but my first novel didn't come out like that. i did add a sidekick and he has some great lines, so i think he added to the light heartedness of a rather serious tale. it sort of surprises me how your outwardly personality may not match what you are prone to write. my good friend still expects me to write a comedic screenplay for her to direct, she thinks i'm *that* funny. but my humor is using others and myself to make the situation funny. making a situation funny with words is a different story. literally. i feel that humor is very difficult to write.
i am, in person, a pretty funny femme.
but my first novel didn’t come out like that.
i did add a sidekick and he has some great
lines, so i think he added to the light
heartedness of a rather serious tale.

it sort of surprises me how your outwardly
personality may not match what you are
prone to write. my good friend still expects
me to write a comedic screenplay for her
to direct, she thinks i’m *that* funny.

but my humor is using others
and myself to make
the situation funny. making a situation funny
with words is a different story. literally.

]]> By: Simon Haynes http://www.sfnovelists.com/2008/01/15/make-em-laugh/#comment-1654 Simon Haynes Thu, 17 Jan 2008 03:11:51 +0000 http://www.sfnovelists.com/2008/01/15/make-em-laugh/#comment-1654 Yes, you could say I put humour in my books... Yes, you could say I put humour in my books…

]]> By: S.C. Butler http://www.sfnovelists.com/2008/01/15/make-em-laugh/#comment-1631 S.C. Butler Wed, 16 Jan 2008 13:27:58 +0000 http://www.sfnovelists.com/2008/01/15/make-em-laugh/#comment-1631 Marie - I think you've hit the nail on the head (unless you missed and hit your thumb). Marie - I think you’ve hit the nail on the head (unless you missed and hit your thumb).

]]> By: Marie Brennan http://www.sfnovelists.com/2008/01/15/make-em-laugh/#comment-1628 Marie Brennan Wed, 16 Jan 2008 07:37:52 +0000 http://www.sfnovelists.com/2008/01/15/make-em-laugh/#comment-1628 I'm often not a fan of Humor as such -- the kind of thing that passes for comedy in America these days. But I loves me some wit. As far as including either kind in High Fantasy goes, I don't remember if this is something Joss Whedon actually said or just demonstrated in Buffy and his other projects, but real people simply aren't serious all the time. Even when things are awful, people make jokes, people make humorous mistakes. Trying to play everything at a serious pitch is a mistake; without the contrast, that just gets wearing. I’m often not a fan of Humor as such — the kind of thing that passes for comedy in America these days. But I loves me some wit.

As far as including either kind in High Fantasy goes, I don’t remember if this is something Joss Whedon actually said or just demonstrated in Buffy and his other projects, but real people simply aren’t serious all the time. Even when things are awful, people make jokes, people make humorous mistakes. Trying to play everything at a serious pitch is a mistake; without the contrast, that just gets wearing.

]]> By: Kate Elliott http://www.sfnovelists.com/2008/01/15/make-em-laugh/#comment-1627 Kate Elliott Wed, 16 Jan 2008 07:05:53 +0000 http://www.sfnovelists.com/2008/01/15/make-em-laugh/#comment-1627 Di, oh, you must write it. Please. Di, oh, you must write it. Please.

]]> By: S.C. Butler http://www.sfnovelists.com/2008/01/15/make-em-laugh/#comment-1626 S.C. Butler Tue, 15 Jan 2008 23:30:47 +0000 http://www.sfnovelists.com/2008/01/15/make-em-laugh/#comment-1626 Karen - You're right. It takes a lot of description to get broad humor right on the page. But sometimes, if you get the characters right... Diana - If you write His Girl Friday as a fantasy, I will certainly read it. Karen - You’re right. It takes a lot of description to get broad humor right on the page. But sometimes, if you get the characters right…

Diana - If you write His Girl Friday as a fantasy, I will certainly read it.

]]> By: Diana Pharaoh Francis http://www.sfnovelists.com/2008/01/15/make-em-laugh/#comment-1625 Diana Pharaoh Francis Tue, 15 Jan 2008 22:35:32 +0000 http://www.sfnovelists.com/2008/01/15/make-em-laugh/#comment-1625 I go with rude snark. It amuses me anyhow. If I could write His Girl Friday as a fantasy, I would. Di I go with rude snark. It amuses me anyhow. If I could write His Girl Friday as a fantasy, I would.

Di

]]> By: Karen Wester Newton http://www.sfnovelists.com/2008/01/15/make-em-laugh/#comment-1622 Karen Wester Newton Tue, 15 Jan 2008 20:25:11 +0000 http://www.sfnovelists.com/2008/01/15/make-em-laugh/#comment-1622 Believe it or not, it always seemed to me that broad, slapstick humor was harder to do in written form than subtle, witty repartee. I think that's because it can be difficult to get the reader to see exactly what you want him/her to see. Now, in a play or movie, broad humor is practically a gimme-- witness the way people laugh at "funny" videos of people doing serious injury to themselves on TV. Believe it or not, it always seemed to me that broad, slapstick humor was harder to do in written form than subtle, witty repartee. I think that’s because it can be difficult to get the reader to see exactly what you want him/her to see.

Now, in a play or movie, broad humor is practically a gimme– witness the way people laugh at “funny” videos of people doing serious injury to themselves on TV.

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