I've written three works of humour (that's 'humor' if you're in the United States!), all of which have been parodies. Parodies can be very silly. Mine are. There's something satisfying when you read a review, as I have with my own Pied & Prodigious parody, from a reader who writes that they almost burst out laughing in a public place. The healthy kind of satisfaction of making people laugh, that is; not the unhealthy kind of trying to embarrass them.
You see, moving someone with your writing isn't just about love, pain, and suspense … it's also about a good chuckle as well. To be fair, I don't read humour. I know - I'm a hypocrite. I prefer humour to be blended into a story subtly. It doesn't need to be very strong or very frequent; if it is too frequent it can take away from the mood of the story. Yet if I come across no humour at all, even in quite a dark book, I must admit I go away a little disappointed.
Every author should have a little sparkle of humour in their works. A well-timed and well-placed bit of humour in a novel can be a welcome break from the prevailing mood in the bulk of the book. It might even elevate how rounded an author your readers consider you to be.
So don't be too serious or boring. Bring a smile to a reader's face. Remember, readers aren't just for Christmas. They're for life.
NOTE: There are dangers to writing humour. Some readers will either not get the idea of written humour or may have an entirely different sense of humour. So you might get some one-star ratings and bad reviews.
Image: AI generated by this author.
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