I'm stuck at this certain part in my WIP. I need a character to tell a funny story, or at least the end of a funny story. So I'm sitting there thinking, what's funny? What's the last funny story I heard? What's the last funny thing that happened to me? What makes me laugh?
Well obviously I came up with a big fat NOTHING (hence the word "stuck"). I laugh a lot when I'm watching Friends, or The Big Bang Theory, but those aren't my jokes, so I can't use them. At my writer's group this past week someone shared a very funny story, but again- not mine- and I'm not going to steal it. So since I couldn't come up with anything, I vowed that I would remember that I need a funny story and to keep my ears and eyes open for one.
Probably fifteen minutes later I found myself laughing so hard my cheeks were hurting.
AHA! Right?
WRONG.
This is what happened: My two-year-old daughter had carried up three of these big inflatable hammers that squeak when you hit something (we won them at a theme park). Then we proceeded to whack each other with them over and over while both of us giggled uncontrollably.
Did I laugh? Yes. Funny story? Sadly, no. And what's doubly sad? Most of my laughter, when it's not coming from TV or books, stems from silly things like this (or similar child-related happenings such as poop, weird words, funny faces, falls that don't involve crying, dancing, etc).
Maybe I should be writing about something else...
I have a problem with this, too. I feel like so many funny things are situational, so it's really hard to just think up a random story for a character to tell.
ReplyDeleteKids can really make you laugh sometimes! Happy Monday.
ReplyDeleteHang in there - something will hit you. I struggle when trying to be funny too! I always seem to be funny when I don't mean to be, but when I WANT or NEED to be funny, nothing comes.
ReplyDeleteI thinking writing funny is definitely an art. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteEXACTLY. To all of you.
ReplyDelete