Writing Comedy (ft. Toddlers + Laughs)

Let me ask you, what is your favorite type of character? The protagonist? I mean, that makes sense. They are the ones the story revolves around. The antagonist? Villains can have cool backstories and motives, definitely. But still no. The parents? (if they exist at all) The side characters? There you go, you’re getting somewhere. 

My favorite kind of character, the kind I would probably be happy to read about any day, is the comedic relief character. 

Don’t get me wrong, I love a good developed protagonist, and antagonists can be really cool too. But you know what? As much as I like reading serious and thoughtful things, sometimes you just need to laugh. You need someone to stop taking things so seriously and chuckle. I shall always love and cherish the comedic relief characters.

And, of course, since I love reading funny things, I enjoy writing funny things too. I wouldn’t say I’m very witty- I can’t think up a good, sarcastic reply for anything and everything. But I do have experience with funny situations because, well, I guess I have a knack for getting into comedic situations?

So how do you write funny? Now before we start this, I am only giving unprofessional advice, but if you want some awesome professional advice, check out K.M. Weiland’s post here. It’s helped a lot with my unprofessional comedy writing. Despite my utter I-have-no-idea-what-I’m-doing humor, I’ve still come up with a few tips and tricks to write funny. Thus we shall finish this long introduction and saunter out in a very Captain Jack Sparrow esque fashion. 

Laughing Starts with Characters 

Let’s face it. Bland characters will make bland jokes. Tasteless flower will make tasteless pizza dough (or, if it’s a thousand year old gluten-free flour you found in the back of the pantry, it will taste like disgusting dishwater) 

If your character doesn’t have any irrational fears (and probably rational fears too) then how can you put them in a funny situation? A lot of these funny scenes rely on a fear of something. What if they are put into a situation where they have to vacuum, but the last time they vacuumed the vacuum sucked up a giant plastic bead and made demonic sounds? It could be really funny seeing the character avoiding this job, or trying to do it without sucking up a bead. There’s room now for humor.

Comedy can come from being put into uncomfortable situations, but to be put into those uncomfortable situations, you need fears and dislikes. So sit down and interrogate your character. Figure out the biggest things they fear (i.e. losing control, hurting others, being alone) and the smaller, more irrational and personal things (i.e. a fear of ski lifts or dead flies) Fears are what make us act the way we act. They make us do the things we do. And they can make the reader laugh, too.

Laughing Starts with Life 

I was talking with a few writer friends the other day, and we were laughing over the fact that most writer stereotypes are introvert hermits who stay at home all the time. (which, on some level is true) But here’s the thing. Writers take the world around us and twist it. They add fictional places, worlds, and people. However, you need to understand and have a firm grasp on the real world to create these make believe things. To write, you need to live. 

This isn’t all for comedy, but I’ve definitely pulled from my (more ridiculous) life experiences for fictional comedic situations. Yes, you do need to make up fictional situations to work with your character’s fear. But other times, the real world gives that to you. 

Have Fun With Narration 

I’ve written a lot in third person, and I love having fun with the narration. Adding in random bits of information like, “He watched a giant family somehow fit into their van. Now, he had a parking spot.” I still struggle to write cohesive prose, but adding in little seeds of real-life-randomness can help to make your story more realistic and entertaining. And saying it in a blunt way can be really funny, too. 

Maybe add in some “Shants” and “Thus’s” I like to imagine the narrator speaking in a super prestigious British accent (like the ones animal documentaries are narrated by) and explaining a situation with this slightly ridiculous way of speaking. All in all, have fun. 

Tiny Children 

I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again: toddlers can make a story very, very interesting. These beings wreak havoc on the world. And they add in a lot of laughter to life. Like saying, “I want to name her Banilla Jonci,” or, “I killed a practice.” Toddler punch lines are the best. If you are fortunate enough to know one, keep a list of great lines and actions. Then you have a treasure trove of funny scenes at your disposal for all of your evil and comedic plotting. 

Be Less Serious 

Let’s be honest, watching other people argue can get kind of funny. Especially if it’s over something a little ridiculous. So during fights, maybe add in a funny line that sounds so ridiculous and crazy. For some of those more serious stories, humor can throw off the tone. But it can also diffuse the seriousness and give a break to the reader. 

Setup and Payoff 

You’ve probably noticed this while reading. For some snappy comebacks, you need something that happened earlier to add to the humor. Setup and payoff. Like if a character accidentally gets covered in glitter, and then for the rest of the story everyone else is making comments and jokes about it. (from C.G. Drews’ The Boy Who Steals Houses) 

Of course, you can use this to make your readers cry too. But that’s for another time because we’re here today to laugh. Next week you can cry. 

I hope these very inexperienced tips helped you. But seriously, have fun writing your stories. Add in humor or inside jokes every now and then. Humor can diffuse the constant seriousness and engage your reader even more. 

What are some of your favorite comedic relief characters? Have you found any other tactics to write funny? Thanks for reading, and have a great rest of your day! 

-Hannah