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Writer's Discuss - Comedy

• A-Pocky-Hah!

  

  Member
   

  May 10, 2018

  

  It's been a while since we had a Writer's Discuss, and I need something to do to jog this idle brain of mine. So let's discuss something which I think we haven't well... 'discuss' about.

  Comedy.

  Now this is more prevalent in more light-hearted stories, but who doesn't love a good laugh? Writing comedy can be tricky as the jokes tend to be a hit-or-miss depending on who's reading. If they're genre-savvy or a pop-culture buff, they probably get it and laugh. If not, then well... at least you tried.

  Comedy comes in many different forms: puns, (dirty) jokes, satire, fourth-wall breaking, wise guy-straight man gig, boke-tsukkomi routine, innuendos, etc.

  I highly recommend you go to TVTropes to learn more about it since there's a butt-load of them. You might find some inspiration too (just don't go too deep down the rabbit hole). 

  Now here's some things to think about when writing comedy:

  1) What defines 'comedy' to you?

  2) How would you incorporate comedy in your story?

  3) If it isn't a light-hearted story, when's the best time to incorporate comedy?

  4) Will your readers laugh or chuckle? If not, is there a way to make them understand the comedy?

  

  It's been a while since we had a Writer's Discuss, and I need something to do to jog this idle brain of mine. So let's discuss something which I think we haven't well... 'discuss' about.

  Comedy.

  Now this is more prevalent in more light-hearted stories, but who doesn't love a good laugh? Writing comedy can be tricky as the jokes tend to be a hit-or-miss depending on who's reading. If they're genre-savvy or a pop-culture buff, they probably get it and laugh. If not, then well... at least you tried.

  Comedy comes in many different forms: puns, (dirty) jokes, satire, fourth-wall breaking, wise guy-straight man gig, boke-tsukkomi routine, innuendos, etc.

  I highly recommend you go to TVTropes to learn more about it since there's a butt-load of them. You might find some inspiration too (just don't go too deep down the rabbit hole). 

  Now here's some things to think about when writing comedy:

  1) What defines 'comedy' to you?

  2) How would you incorporate comedy in your story?

  3) If it isn't a light-hearted story, when's the best time to incorporate comedy?

  4) Will your readers laugh or chuckle? If not, is there a way to make them understand the comedy?

• Karver the Lorc

  

  Member
   

  May 11, 2018

  Comedy. I don´t know to be honest, that can be quite tought. Like, I know that my sense of humour bleeds into my stories, my characters being snarky, cheeky and often very ridiculous. The ridiculous part. What exactly I mean by that? Well, I think best description would be "out of place humour" I guess, which sort of ties into your question when to incorporate comedy into a story.

  Like, sure, in a moment of respite when characters just chill it´s the perfect time to include some comedy, but I think that people can have ridiculous thoughts in serious situations, can act ridiculous. Like when dragon attacks Windhelm, certain Goldpact Knight is running towards the said dragon, Telvanni enchanter wearing robes levitates above the Goldpact Knight and all the guy can think of in that moment is not to look up, afraid what he would see under those robes. That still makes me chuckle, but it could be just me. I find it funny, other people don´t have to.

  Like Harrow still laughs at "Whispering Fang. Watch my hands" but not everyone would laugh at that. I like gallows and black humour, trash talk and overall bullshitting, it´s what makes me laugh. So can that be considered comedy or just humour? :)

   

  Comedy. I don´t know to be honest, that can be quite tought. Like, I know that my sense of humour bleeds into my stories, my characters being snarky, cheeky and often very ridiculous. The ridiculous part. What exactly I mean by that? Well, I think best description would be "out of place humour" I guess, which sort of ties into your question when to incorporate comedy into a story.

  Like, sure, in a moment of respite when characters just chill it´s the perfect time to include some comedy, but I think that people can have ridiculous thoughts in serious situations, can act ridiculous. Like when dragon attacks Windhelm, certain Goldpact Knight is running towards the said dragon, Telvanni enchanter wearing robes levitates above the Goldpact Knight and all the guy can think of in that moment is not to look up, afraid what he would see under those robes. That still makes me chuckle, but it could be just me. I find it funny, other people don´t have to.

  Like Harrow still laughs at "Whispering Fang. Watch my hands" but not everyone would laugh at that. I like gallows and black humour, trash talk and overall bullshitting, it´s what makes me laugh. So can that be considered comedy or just humour? :)

   

• A-Pocky-Hah!

  

  Member
   

  May 11, 2018

  Karver the Lorc said:

  Like Harrow still laughs at "Whispering Fang. Watch my hands" but not everyone would laugh at that. I like gallows and black humour, trash talk and overall bullshitting, it´s what makes me laugh. So can that be considered comedy or just humour? :)

  I actually did laugh at that part, but personally it sounded a bit off since I was hoping for something like a Navy SEALs copypasta dialogue there. (Here's the link if you don't know what I mean). I also enjoy black comedy especially comedic sociopathy as seen in Family Guy.

  Now I'll lay it out really plain here, but my comedy heavily realies on slapstick and the Boke and Tsukkomi routine which is kinda like the Straight Man and Wise Guy duo you see in comedy stand ups, though they're slightly different. Sometimes the characters involved suffer from cartoonish injuries like having blood spurting from the back of their head and not dying or getting sent flying into the air and fall with only a few broken bones (and soiled pants). It's a bit tricky to do since slapstick is usually visual.

  I find inspiration for comedy from comedy animes and abridged series. I try to poke fun out of the many things Elder Scrolls has, like the topmost image, and also make references to other media. Wouldn't it be funny if someone remade this scene into an Elder Scrolls fic?

  Also there are these writing prompts I found in Pinterest. Another great source for inspiration:

  https://www.pinterest.com/pin/849350810949535733/

  https://www.pinterest.com/pin/649785052461014782/

  https://www.pinterest.com/pin/268316090280117670/

  https://www.pinterest.com/pin/299911656428279813/

   

  [blockquote][b][url=/profile/KarverTheLorc]Karver the Lorc[/url] said:[/b]

  Like Harrow still laughs at "Whispering Fang. Watch my hands" but not everyone would laugh at that. I like gallows and black humour, trash talk and overall bullshitting, it´s what makes me laugh. So can that be considered comedy or just humour? :)

  [/blockquote]

  I actually did laugh at that part, but personally it sounded a bit off since I was hoping for something like a Navy SEALs copypasta dialogue there. (Here's the link if you don't know what I mean). I also enjoy black comedy especially comedic sociopathy as seen in Family Guy.

  Now I'll lay it out really plain here, but my comedy heavily realies on slapstick and the Boke and Tsukkomi routine which is kinda like the Straight Man and Wise Guy duo you see in comedy stand ups, though they're slightly different. Sometimes the characters involved suffer from cartoonish injuries like having blood spurting from the back of their head and not dying or getting sent flying into the air and fall with only a few broken bones (and soiled pants). It's a bit tricky to do since slapstick is usually visual.

  I find inspiration for comedy from comedy animes and abridged series. I try to poke fun out of the many things Elder Scrolls has, like the topmost image, and also make references to other media. Wouldn't it be funny if someone remade this scene into an Elder Scrolls fic?

  Also there are these writing prompts I found in Pinterest. Another great source for inspiration:

  https://www.pinterest.com/pin/849350810949535733/

  https://www.pinterest.com/pin/649785052461014782/

  https://www.pinterest.com/pin/268316090280117670/

  https://www.pinterest.com/pin/299911656428279813/

   

• Karver the Lorc

  

  Member
   

  May 11, 2018

  NAVY Seals copypaste. Heh, never starts to amaze how little I know and how much I learn on this site. I mean, if it weren't for this site I would never even heard about Mary Sur either. :D Guess I'm not really an IN guy. Is that term still even used? In? :D Internet memes and tropes just fly right past me. Speaking if Family Guy, I am somewhat familiar with that, watched few seasons back in the day, but when it comes to Seth MacFarlane I think I enjoyed the humour of Orville and xx Ways To Die In the West or what's it called. But that's just me.

  NAVY Seals copypaste. Heh, never starts to amaze how little I know and how much I learn on this site. I mean, if it weren't for this site I would never even heard about Mary Sur either. :D Guess I'm not really an IN guy. Is that term still even used? In? :D Internet memes and tropes just fly right past me. Speaking if Family Guy, I am somewhat familiar with that, watched few seasons back in the day, but when it comes to Seth MacFarlane I think I enjoyed the humour of Orville and xx Ways To Die In the West or what's it called. But that's just me.
• J.D. Primrose

  

  Member
   

  May 14, 2018

  Comedy is an interesting one. I’m quite partial to humour in the narrative, and prefer it to having characters cracking jokes of any kind. Comic characters rub me the wrong way, though sarcasm is often utilised and nothing gets me laughing quite as much as villainous henchmen being the voice of reason and lampshading a ridiculous situation. (I blame a love of pantomime for that one) If it’s augmentative to the writing style, I will, as a general rule, enjoy it. It can be cut off when the serious moments are required, but it doesn’t detract from the character in any way. Then again, I got in to writing thanks to the Harry Potter books, so my writing style for literature very much echoes with the same tongue in cheek tone that JK Rowling used.

  Comedy is an interesting one. I’m quite partial to humour in the narrative, and prefer it to having characters cracking jokes of any kind. Comic characters rub me the wrong way, though sarcasm is often utilised and nothing gets me laughing quite as much as villainous henchmen being the voice of reason and lampshading a ridiculous situation. (I blame a love of pantomime for that one) If it’s augmentative to the writing style, I will, as a general rule, enjoy it. It can be cut off when the serious moments are required, but it doesn’t detract from the character in any way. Then again, I got in to writing thanks to the Harry Potter books, so my writing style for literature very much echoes with the same tongue in cheek tone that JK Rowling used.
• The Long-Chapper

  

  Member
   

  May 15, 2018

  Some of my favorite comedy and the comedy that most frequenlty finds its way into straag is "fish out of water" stuff. Because different races are freaking funny. And how you look at yourself isn't necessarily how others see you. 

  And yes, I tend to model funny Altmer and old Elves on Dick Solomon from Third Rock. 

  Some of my favorite comedy and the comedy that most frequenlty finds its way into straag is "fish out of water" stuff. Because different races are freaking funny. And how you look at yourself isn't necessarily how others see you. 

  And yes, I tend to model funny Altmer and old Elves on Dick Solomon from Third Rock.