Question for comedy writers

[Askun]

I've been wondering about this every night, but only now did I ever ask this on the internet.

For those who writes novels with main genre as comedy. Do you actually laugh (thinks it's genuinely funny) at the joke you wrote or just "meh, somebody probably find this funny"?

 

[Cossimeri]

So, my main genre isn't comedy for any of my stories.

But, when I write something I intend for others to laugh at, I'm usually dying cackling on the floor for like a full 5 minutes. I'm pretty easy to amuse so I'm not saying that I believe my readers find it that humorous but if I don't laugh at it, it's a sign it isn't worth including (in my opinion)

 

[Ai-chan]

I've been wondering about this every night, but only now did I ever ask this on the internet.

For those who writes novels with main genre as comedy. Do you actually laugh (thinks it's genuinely funny) at the joke you wrote or just "meh, somebody probably find this funny"?

A joke is a joke because it's funny. If there is not enough information, people won't understand what is funny about it. If there is too much information, the joke gets diluted by the abundance of information and ceases to be funny. That's why what is funny to you may not be funny to others.

Therefore, Ai-chan never set out to be funny. Ai-chan just writes as the lady specifies and let it sit. If Ai-chan goes back to it and thought, "Hm, this is bland." Ai-chan would change it, either to make it funnier, scarier or sadder.

Ai-chan does not actually laugh at Ai-chan's own jokes (Ai-chan has a cute depression, so when Ai-chan laughs aloud, it's because Ai-chan has a mental imbalance at the time). However, Ai-chan does cry when Ai-chan writes sad scenes. Ai-chan is just a big softie carefox.

While Ai-chan doesn't set out to make anything funny, people have told Ai-chan that Ai-chan IS funny. C'est bizarre, non? Maybe because Ai-chan writes over-the-top scenes with over-the-top reactions similar to Japanese manzai. That's like stand-up comedy in the west. Stuff like that is pretty much universal among the human and alien race.

 

[CupcakeNinja]

I've been wondering about this every night, but only now did I ever ask this on the internet.

For those who writes novels with main genre as comedy. Do you actually laugh (thinks it's genuinely funny) at the joke you wrote or just "meh, somebody probably find this funny"?

Eh I'm not so much of a joke person, like with a punchline, I'm more of a situational comedy person. Like, the situations are funny. Or the quips.

Do I laugh at them? Tbh I cant remember. I just know a lotta people were saying they find my stuff funny.

In particular I remember somone mentioning a scene they found hilarious. I'll quote the scene in a spoiler below, so decide for yourself if it's funny, I guess. For context, the MC, Damien, got into a bad accident where he fell off a waterfall. He was impaled by his own sword and nearly died. Took months to recover. This prompted his little sister, Dolly, to start being very protective and concerned over his safety. So when he started training again to get his strength back, she was very much against it and fussed that he shouldnt exert himself.

He didnt listen, of course. So this is what she decided to do.

Spoiler

Later that night, as he was sleeping, a certain figure crept over Damien's bed. Being a light sleeper he woke instantly but didn't bother going alert because he knew it was Dolly. The girl sometimes snuck in.

How the hell she got passed the locked doors, he had no idea.

The thing that made him start to freak out, though? The fact she was straddling his chest, facing his legs, and raising something above her head.

"Dolly?"

She paused. "Yes, Day?"

"Put down the hammer."

The girl crawled off the bed. "...I'll come back later."

He called Baz and Phil to keep watch over him from that day forth.

 

[GodlessEmperor]

I've been wondering about this every night, but only now did I ever ask this on the internet.

For those who writes novels with main genre as comedy. Do you actually laugh (thinks it's genuinely funny) at the joke you wrote or just "meh, somebody probably find this funny"?

I don't have comedy as my main genre but when I write things that are intended to be funny, I make an expression something like this , and normally I look more like this .
So yeah, I only keep it in if I think it's genuinely funny.

 

[_oinkchan]

I've been wondering about this every night, but only now did I ever ask this on the internet.

For those who writes novels with main genre as comedy. Do you actually laugh (thinks it's genuinely funny) at the joke you wrote or just "meh, somebody probably find this funny"?

Both.

 

[ThrillingHuman]

I usually don't write comedy, but I had a phase when I did. I didn't laugh at my jokes but they did make me let a bit of air through my nose after I warmed up. Jokes are really easy to write once you start, and the first ones are usually the hardest.

 

[Renaxan]

I did both. Sometimes I am genuinely laugh on my own joke and sometimes I just write something that I think it quite funny and some people might got it. I did more on first option though, which is laughing on my joke. As hobbyist, having fun on writing is a must, which is make it enjoyable to do so.

On second option example, it was some moment like where I mock my own character in author note. It wasn't funny on its own, but I just feel like I want to do it and surprisingly some people find it funny.

It is also applied on sad scene, shocking scene or whatever scene that require the writer to visualize a strong scene.

 

[tiaf]

I know that what I write isn’t always as funny as I imagined it. But there are scenes that are so funny both me and my readers are cackling on the floor.

 

[Nane]

Well, I added 'Comedy' as a tag to my story because it has a lighthearted theme (to show it's not a hard-core action/fantasy) and awkwardly funny moments, not because it's a laughing fest from start to finish.

BUT I do enjoy putting the characters into those awkward situations, so I naturally have a snickering face while I'm writing.

 

[Kilolo]

Do you actually laugh (thinks it's genuinely funny) at the joke you wrote

sometimes, maybe. but mostly : no.

i mean, how often do you see people laughing at their own joke in a conversation? and with no one that visibly reacting to the joke, it's might just a split second smirk, not a full laugh.

 

[RepresentingCaution]

I giggle about it long into the night!

 

[NikkuNii]

I've been wondering about this every night, but only now did I ever ask this on the internet.

For those who writes novels with main genre as comedy. Do you actually laugh (thinks it's genuinely funny) at the joke you wrote or just "meh, somebody probably find this funny"?

I don't write comedy but I laugh at my own jokes. -shrugs-

 

[Bronzeapollo]

I will start with my story of "How he became God by doing nothing." as it is my most prolific comedy. However, this is satirical comedy and not comedy as a whole. I don't ever stop writing and die of laughter but smiling the entire time. The comedy is found in the fact the story is open to its flaws and bashes on them repeatably. I find it hard to die of laughter at the story because of the lack of surprise.

However a story like "Sword or the Pen?" was absolutely hysterical to write, granted I was drunk throughout the whole writing. Despite this story also being a satire it is more laugh-out-loud because the comedy is more based on characters, while the predecessor was based on situations.

I do know God by doing nothing is arguably better in every form, but Sword vs Pen is special because it touches on my humor while the other just toes a line of always keeping the person smiling. Sword vs Pen sacrifices the constant smiles for bursts of laughter. Which is an important distinction to me. You don't have to laugh for comedy to be comedy but have jokes interlaced to keep the reader smiling.

 

[Askun]

I see... most the anwer is combination of both. Thank you everyone for answering my question.

 

[skillet]

oop I'm late D: but uhhh I'd say mine is pretty heavy on the comedy side???
Never really thought about it though, but I usually either have a really evil grin on my face as I write the funny or do like a gleeful little heh to myself... hehe :D

also not sure if this counts but I have this thing where I think "well if nobody else thinks it's funny at least I will" and so it's like straight up my humor. When I reread my story I laugh a lot at my own jokes heheheh