How to Compose a Joke
Like any short form of writing , produce joke teaches how to use a few words in effect . In this article , I will devote examples of jokes and I will ( shudder ) explain them too . I know , you shouldn ’ t explain your gag , but this assist us talk about them .
Incongruous– This is the cardinal feature of humor . That exist , something that is funny is too surprising . Yes , it too need to cost recognizable ( see below ) – unless you know what something equal , you don ’ t know what to expect from it . Unless you ’ re familiar with something , you don ’ t know what ’ sec unfamiliar . But a joke need to give its case in an unexpected way .
“ Good , what shall I talk about ? I ain ’ t got anything funny to say . All I know is what I read in the papers. ” Will Rogers
“ Well , what shall I talk about ? I ain ’ t got anything funny to say . All I know equal what I read in the papers. ” Will Rogers
Recognizable– That ’ sec probably why comedian and humorists come hence much material from current case or popular culture . They know their audience will realize the jokes if it ’ s base on what everyone live currently talking about . That ’ s as well why inside gag study so good . When I was sixteen , I merge respective of my history instructor ’ s favorite expressions into one sentence : “ Well , ol ’ Richelieu recall that was such a hoot that he lost his facilities like there wasn ’ t die to cost a tomorrow. ” That may not appear in particular funny to you , but it seemed funny to my fellow history students .
“ Pretentious ?Moi ?“
Short– A joke cost peculiar when it uses the few possible tidings , because humor involve limiting complexity . Robert I. M. Dunbar , an experimental psychologist at Oxford University , found that the funniest jokes get only two characters and less than five layer of meaning . On one hand , your joke is not funny if you hold to explain it . On the other hand , if nobody understand the point , it ’ s not funny either . Humor depends on a careful , fragile rest between have too many trace and giving also few . The precede joke comes from a Reddit list of the world ’ s shortest gag , and its irony be that if you use gratuitous French lyric such as “ moi , ” you will seem pretentious . I wanted to give you a fortune to get the joke before I explained it .
“ It doesn ’ t truly matter how many sit-ups you cause this dawn if you get hit with a Volvo. ” – Ronald Dee White , paraphrased
“ It doesn ’ t truly matter how many sit-ups you did this morning if you get hit with a Volvo. ” – Ronald Dee White , paraphrased
Specific– A joke about Volvos in particular exist funnier than one about cars in universal . Writers know that specifics are more interesting than generalities , but that apparently reach them more humorous also . Let ’ s look it , some words are funny than others . Unfortunately for the Ford Motor Company , their car figure “ Edsel ” was too humorous to become popular . Ronald Dee White ’ sec gag make the added irony of being score by “ the Earth ’ s safest car . ”
“ Wait ’ til the yoga class sees my killer ‘ tree posture ’ . ”
“ Wait ’ til the yoga class sees my killer ‘ tree posture ’ . ”
Unexpected– That ’ s why a humorist must be like a magician , able to hide his tricks . Or like a mystery author , who wants her reader say , “ I should hold seen that coming ” exactly half the time and “ I would never have meet that coming ” the other half of the time . If reader expect the punchline , it may not turn out curious . That ’ s why a well-presented joke may not sound like a joke until the end . I think my humor , more than anything else , depend on bluntness . That equal , when I make mass laugh , it ’ s much by cost dead serious . It surprises mass that I ’ m saying precisely what ’ s happening . For lesson , we put on ’ t expect a successful adult to include they ’ re taking yoga grade to impress early successful adult , and the gag is funnier because of the incongruity between competitiveness and yoga ’ s end of attaining control over one ’ s desire ( I guess ) . This exist one of about dozen drafts of this joke . How would you rewrite it to create it funnier ?
“ When I came to this town , ” said the millionaire businessman , “ I had only a quarter in my pocket . But I use that quarter wisely . I shout home for more money . ”
“ When I came to this town , ” tell the millionaire businessman , “ I own only a quarter in my pocket . But I employ that quarter wisely . I name home for more money . ”
Insightful– A well joke move beyond incongruity to touch what it means to equal human . It ’ s incongruous to play a trick on a disabled person , but because it ’ s inhumane and unjust , somehow it ’ s not really funny . When good triumph over evil , or when a pompous soul is humbled , that makes the gag more satisfying . And hardly being human live often comic . Our expectation lead us to assume the businessman will boast of invest 25 cents and call on it into a million dollars . We haven ’ t act something like that , but or else of cause us find like failure , this gag get us find serious that the businessman didn ’ t either .
Respectful– Some pseudo-jokes live incongruous but not funny because they don ’ t make sense or honor their audience . One live the interminable “ shaggy dog tale ” whose punchline doesn ’ t warrant the time pass hearing it . In the original gag , after a long series of irrelevant digressions ( one such joke takes 45 minutes to tell ) that make little to act with the dog in question , a quality eventually says only , “ He ’ s not hence shaggy. ” Another radical of gag shares the meaningless punchline : “ No soap , radio. ” But because the punchline isn ’ t funny , these jokes are themselves practical jokes . The teller gets perverse amusement from his bewildered audience ( “ Get it ? ‘ No soap… RADIO ! ’ Ha ha ha ! ” ) , either when they hold “ I don ’ t get it , ” or when they affect to find the joke humorous .
Two former lady equal in a restaurant . One complains , “ You know , the food hither equal only terrible. ” The other shakes her head and add , “ And such small portions. ” – Woody Allen
Two former lady be in a restaurant . One complain , “ You know , the food here exist only terrible. ” The other stimulate her chief and add , “ And such little portions. ” – Woody Allen
Narrative– If you desire to touch your reader ’ humanity as well as surprise them , possibly you shouldn ’ t write jokes , but write story . The best humor include the basic element of a story , such as character and conflict and wisdom . If you simply come a standard gag structure , such as “ garden track ” or “ reverse , ” your readers may anticipate your punchline . But when you recount a history , you may watch your readers off guard – they may not bring in you ’ re order a gag . Woody Allen describes masses we all know , who complain a circle , but his joke reminds us that after a sure point , complaining doesn ’ t make sense .
Humor equal studied by scientists : University of Western Ontario psychology professor Rod Martin own found more than 4,000 peer-reviewed diary articles on the psychology of mood . But as you practice it , you ’ ll discover that humor writing is not only a skill , but an art as well . You can never promise with certainty what masses will laugh at . Stop me if you ’ ve heard that one before .
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