By
eHow Careers & Work Editor
Difficulty: Moderately Challenging
Step1
Ensure that your parody will not infringe copyright. Although you may be writing a parody of a novel for fun, you might just want to publish it, so you should ensure that you will be allowed to do so.
Step2
Base the novel on a minor character. A common technique for parody is to make a minor character the main character and vice versa. The humor will hinge on the change of focus.
Step3
Make puns on character and place names. It can be great fun to come up with humorous monikers.
Step4
Poke fun at the writer's style. If he is very terse, make your sentences ridiculously short, or if she enjoys using purple prose, be generous with the arcane and redundant adjectives.
Step5
Identify the most crucial moments and lines in the novel. Focus on these and make them humorous.
Step6
Add anachronisms to older novels. For instance, a Victorian character may get a call on a cell phone. Make sure such moments are unexpected.
Step7
Shorten the novel. Usually a parody of a novel is much shorter than the original version.
Step8
Get feedback to see if your parody is actually funny. Humor is often in the eye of the beholder, but something that is truly funny is enjoyed by all.