Tips on Writing a Comedy Book

Though its subject matter is light, writing a comedy book can be challenging.

There are no rules on how to make people laugh, although it can be a challenge to successfully write a comedy book. Budding comedy writers should be aware of a number of subjects when compiling a book, such as the narrative voice, molding characters, creating subtlety, and the use of language and suitable jokes.

Believability

Remember that the stories told must have an element of believability. For writing to be considered funny, there is usually a kernel of truth involved in the story, no matter how outlandish. This does not mean that comedy cannot be fictional, but rather that the reader is able to relate to the situation being written about. Comedy writers can use this tool by elaborating on everyday situations and including these in the story.

Characters

The writer should invent "abnormal" characters that will be considered humorous by an audience. Characters that are clumsy, forgetful, drunk, or overly enthusiastic can all be a comedic focus of a story. The successful British comedy writing team Marks and Gran teach that "what we remember, what we cherish are characters."

Inspiration

According to tutorial writing websites, budding comedy writers should research successful books by other authors in order to understand the techniques and how they are deployed successfully.

References

• BBC: How to write comedy
• Writing Tips by Renal Failure: How to write good comedy
• Writing.com: Comedy writing tips 1
• BBC New Talent Comedy: Marks and gran