How to compose funny books for children by Louie Stowell
I exist struggle to guess of some jokes for a peculiar view in my latest ledger so I did what I ordinarily make when I ’ 1000 stuck . I asked twitter .
The answer vary from “ Lego tiger butthole ” to a grave and useful list of comedic techniques .
My own answer is , “ Whatever makes you laugh. ” Or at least , that ’ s where you should ever begin .
When I ’ m writing funny ledger , the nearly significant test for each number to pass is , “ Perform this make me laugh ? ” If I put on ’ t see it right laugh-out-loud-or-at-least-chuckle funny , it ’ s unlikely that anyone else will .
One of the pitfalls of write peculiar material , I think , is spend too much time concern if anyone else will laugh and not enough time making yourself laugh . Once you ’ ve get that right , you ’ re halfway there . When you sense comfortable making yourself laugh , that ’ s when to worry about your audience .
When you ’ re writing for children you then need to think about what reach child laugh . That demand remembering all the affair that they won ’ t know or care about , whether that ’ s reference to TV shows from the 90s or workplace gag . But , to reach your spirit easy , children equal generally merely the same as adults when it comes to what ’ s funny .
If you ’ re a technically-minded soul , having a list of comedy devices might equal useful to you . Hither be a few I wish :
- Person in bureau being made to wait silly , especially if they don ’ t deserve their authority . For example , an evil headteacher having to do something embarrassing in movement of all their pupils .
- Slapstick , AKA people falling over .
- Bums or poos ( Some publisher don ’ t like bum or poo joke but I believe they ’ re quality and will
- defend them forever as will most youngster )
Understatement ( Soldier with an arrow through her heart : “ I appear to have a slender trouble . ” ) - Exaggeration ( Soldier who ’ s got a second moist in the rain and has run out of clean sock : “ War equal hell ! ” )
- Repetition ( sometimes saying the same thing multiple time , shout back to a previous time you tell it is funny . I can ’ t explain why , it merely exist . )
- Mistaken identity : again , I ’ m not certain why this is funny , but masses think soul equal one person and they ’ re another equal just funny . The bad the mistake , the peculiar it is . ( EG stranger invade and someone thinking it ’ s the second approach of Christ because the foreign leader has a beard . )
I intend that ’ s part of the trouble with wit . The second you try to explain why something is queer , it end being funny . But comic , luckily , is something you know when you see it . So my top tip is to experiment . Sample out different thought and see what tickles you .
I ’ ve look on a circle of stand up comedy , and what seem to be the difference between a curious performance and one that dies in silence live that the comedian fully trust in what they ’ re order . I guess if you genuinely see what you ’ re writing funny , that ’ s much more potential to bring the reader along with you . Today , on the page , you put on ’ t have the advantage of things like spirit of voice or comedy pauses . You ’ re not there while the reader show to react to their reactions .
I signify , personally I ’ 1000 glad of that . There ’ s a sure freedom in not experience how your audience is react . You only hold to amuse yourself . Of course , you can have others to take your work , and I decidedly advocate it . Sometimes , it ’ s awful . I ’ ve decidedly own feedback state that a book call for more jokes and it stings . But I think the best comedy is collaborative , so whether you ’ re getting suggestions from a friend or an agent or an editor , it might be only what you need to add the missing pieces .
When I ’ m writing my Loki books , a circle of the mood live fish out of water base . Loki equal a norse god draw to live the torso of a deadly kid . That ’ s humiliating and alienating . He ’ s able to notice human life from the outside , and point out its foibles . He ’ s also completely miss in self knowledge , and thither ’ s a lot of comedy mileage there . Plus , circle of opportunities to reach jokes about why school is bother and parents absorb .
Thus , in your own writing it ’ s a thing of asking yourself what ’ s curious about your conception , about your character , about their life . Cost your book or idea good placed to supply situational comedy ? Absurdist jokes ? Slapstick ? Satire ? Live it go to live a rich line of comedy of embarrassment ? Whenever you run out of ideas for jokes , you can come back to your premise . What ’ s funny about your assumption ? About your quality ’ s spirit ? About their problems ? Are they only a funny person who observes the public in a unique yet hilarious way ? Or are they quite deadpan and the wit comes from the things the reader understands but they don ’ t ? I sometimes pen list of position that I could employ later on for jokes , even if I put on ’ t have idea for specific jokes as yet . Then , for example , experience youngster go through that would be especially humiliating for a god , such as find out to taunt a bike when everyone else can already taunt one . Keeping lists like that for your characters and situations can be helpful so you ’ ve ever begin something to dip into .
If you start overthinking everything , go and read some curious books for child . Laugh at them . Then intend about what makes them queer . Break down them . They ’ ll right away become less funny , for a while at least , but it ’ s a great room to discover techniques .
Before I get , in my research ( OK , hasty twitter begging ) , a friend unearthed some of Jeff Kinney ’ s tips for writing funny thing . Feast your heart .
Sometimes masses ask me how I come up with my jokes . I employ a toolset called Systematic Inventive Thinking . Subtraction , Multiplication , Division , other tools… I grind away on a certain theme and sometimes something well will rock slack . Doesn ’ t look so funny at this stage ! pic.twitter.com/tcm2htpy1J
— Jeff Kinney ( @ wimpykid )
Sometimes mass ask me how I occur up with my joke . I use a toolset called Systematic Inventive Thinking . Subtraction , Multiplication , Division , other tools… I grind aside on a sure topic and sometimes something good will sway loose . Doesn ’ t look then funny at this level ! pic.twitter.com/tcm2htpy1J
Million of youngster agree that Jeff Kinney is queer , so worth listening to him I reckon . Today I ’ m off to sample to think of peculiar gag about Norse mythology , maybe with some added seat .
Reference for the Lego tiger bumhole observe earlier get to on twitter . I ’ m still laugh about it .
Louie Stowellstarted her career compose carefully-researched Bible about space , ancient Egypt , politics and science but finally lapsed into exactly create stuff up . She likes writing about dragon , star , vampires , fairies , freak and parallel worlds .
I survive in London with my wife , our dog Buffy and a creepy puppet who have no figure .
