Make Me Laugh

Creating humor for a world that needs it now!

Humor is a wonderful escape from reality. It is a natural high, a wisdom to share, and we can actually learn from it. The transfer of a laugh, giggle or smile to paper can be an exceptional talent or a learned proposition.

Paul Seaburn, a great humor writer,  gave me a useful tool to use in humor writing. Change mundane ordinary terms, words or phrases to unique uncommon verbiage. An example would be the input of the word "handbag" for purse or "skivvies" for boxer shorts. The term "window treatments" creates a totally different picture than "cotton curtains". Your use of off the wall words can convey an attitude, personal demeanor and personality to the story or essay you are writing.

A percentage of readers are entertained by shock values. Not everyone shares the same sense of humor. We didn't become writers to have everyone agree with us. The use of sexual innuendos, politically incorrect statements, profanity and abuse of the underclass seems to spark a laugh in ordinary citizens. There is a market out there for suits, domestic engineers and rappers who like to laugh too. It allows folks to walk on the wild side without getting fired from their corporate environments and kids who read it can think they're getting away with something. The closet revolutionaries read it and repeat it as well as the shock jocks.

The obscure moments in time, the weird and the uncommon occurrences make for successful humor writing. Ken Hoffman, a prolific and energetic writer for the Houston Chronicle exudes enlightenment for gorging on fast food, infomercials, the Seinfield television show and sensationalized news in the media. He makes fun of himself while taking us on his fast and furious bicycle rides through life. He creates humor with trivia - How many jobs has the Seinfield character, Kramer, had? At last write, the readers have submitted 34 with descriptions of each job position. Ken occasionally mentions the wrestling profession with detailed accounts of marriages that take place before highly publicized matches. It is a great opportunity to shake your head and wonder where he comes up with some of this stuff. Ken - You make me laugh. Thank you.

What you may think of as "your ordinary life" can be quite entertaining to others. We all associate with the experiences we have the ability to write. Humor from life experience can create recall of historical events in each of our lives. Embarrassing moments that can now be laughed at are especially funny because it has happened to all of your readers.

 Great success has been made from "Kids Say the Darndest Things", originally by  Art Linkletter and recently by Bill Cosby, "Humor in Uniform" appearing in Readers Digest and "If Life is a Bowl of Cherries What am I doing in the Pits", by Erma Bombeck. The power of observation and an accurate memory for what is said by others can pay off. Though inappropriate, my father had us howling with laughter at my grandfather's funeral wake. Dad's recall of humorous incidents in my grandfather's life created a loving memory of a grievous event. My grandfather did some crazy, funny stuff. My mother is still pissed about it but I still remember a smile on her lips when my Dad recalled my grandfather using my grandmother's new MixMaster mixer to churn up a can of latex paint and then painted his Cadillac pink because my grandmother didn't want a white car!

Your friends, lovers, business associates and neighbors are stars in their own right. Listen to them. Learn about them. Humor is an attention getter. Remember your class clowns. Their antics make you laugh. Write it down. Make a buck. The world we live in needs a laugh - something to make our hearts happy. There are countless markets available for humor. It can be incorporated into screenplays, television, radio, marketing, books, magazine submissions and newspaper articles and submissions. Search the Internet. Market your work. Make me laugh.

Andi Peto-Selby

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