How do you come up with funny stuff for your story?

[gaylolis]

I do write comedies but I find that making jokes aren't that easy.

I'm curious what you guys do to find your inspiration. :D

 

[weakwithwords]

I don't that's why I'm still stuck at chapter 3 after three weeks. Wahahahaha!

 

[Goswick]

I barely write jokes lol. My works are dark as all hell.

Nah, but in all seriousness, I do have a bit of humour in my stories - depending on the situation. I kind of like chucking in a few simile jokes and stuff like that on occasion, but for people who do write comedies - usually having a fun atmosphere with ridiculous characters that don't see eye to eye can lead to its own humour, even if there's not specific "jokes" per se. The best stand-up bits don't just include a bunch of throwaway jokes in a row, they're usually lighthearted stories with jokes included in them. So, instead of trying to write "jokes", I'd suggest trying to see how your characters act together - how they disagree with one another, and try to create ridiculous scenarios from that.

I'm not that great at writing comedies though, so I'd take my advice with a grain of salt. I like to think I'm reasonably funny in real life, but I'm not a big fan of it in my writing, so I tend to avoid gag humour - which means I'm probably not the best person to be taking advice from. Still, I hope this helps!

 

[gaylolis]

I don't that's why I'm still stuck at chapter 3 after three weeks. Wahahahaha!

I barely write jokes lol. My works are dark as all hell.

Nah, but in all seriousness, I do have a bit of humour in my stories - depending on the situation. I kind of like chucking in a few simile jokes and stuff like that on occasion, but for people who do write comedies - usually having a fun atmosphere with ridiculous characters that don't see eye to eye can lead to its own humour, even if there's not specific "jokes" per se. The best stand-up bits don't just include a bunch of throwaway jokes in a row, they're usually lighthearted stories with jokes included in them. So, instead of trying to write "jokes", I'd suggest trying to see how your characters act together - how they disagree with one another, and try to create ridiculous scenarios from that.

I'm not that great at writing comedies though, so I'd take my advice with a grain of salt. I like to think I'm reasonably funny in real life, but I'm not a big fan of it in my writing, so I tend to avoid gag humour - which means I'm probably not the best person to be taking advice from. Still, I hope this helps!

guess it should come naturally with the story, eh? got it :D

 

[atgongumerki]

For comedic writing (which I don't know if I do, so I will talk from the perspective of a reader),
I think jokes are not a good way.
The interactions of the characters should be funny.
It gets very funny when you introduce a character who completely misinterprets the characteristics of your mc or sidecast and tries to interact with them, e.g. trying to become friendly. This also may swing into awkwardness real fast, so be careful!

Edit: basically what Goswick said

 

[weakwithwords]

Goswick's advice made me think of sitcoms. Mm-hmm, situational comedies. Just that it's actually a challenge to make it not too obvious to the readers that the author has turned the characters into virtual chewtoys.

Yup, chew your toy well before swallowing.

Drawing humor from pop culture is risky. People might not even be aware of what is being alluded to. I'm lucky that when I watched Gintama, the subbers went out of their way to note the references. I wasn't as lucky with Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei.

I think I'm beginning to understand why the olden plays separated comedies and satires. Satires aren't necessarily funny. Tragedies, well, those can be funny, too, for the twisted ones. Cable Guy! (Cable Guy isn't a tragedy though. It's only a tragedy in the sense that the viewers at that time weren't expecting a dark comedy.)

 

[DubstheDuke]

Well, my story is not based on comedy, so take my advice with a grain of salt, but I find that comedy is really really hard to do with characters that don't set up comedic routines, however it's really easy with the right set of characters. If you're writing comedy, focus first on characters that work together well for a comedic act.
Serious intelligent characters are typically not good for comedy, though I'm sure someone had found a way to do this. On the other hand, stupid characters are typically easier, but they only provide for stupid comedy- so it depends on what type of comedy youre trying to write.
I personally like using 'inside jokes' for comedy- aka jokes that are very particular to my novel and it's characters and tropes, and that you would need to read the novel to understand.

 

[Polarize4777]

guess it should come naturally with the story, eh? got it :D

that clip is comedy gold next to Aobe asobi lol.

 

[Jamminrabbit]

Most of my inspiration comes from stand up comedians. They're really good at setting up jokes through a story or anecdote. I don't intentionally try to make a funny scene, you can't just force something to be funny. Instead, I come up with a conflict and have the 'joke' be at someone or something's expense.

The easiest example I can come up with is the:

>So a man walks into a bar.
>Ouch.

The joke is at the expense of the man.

 

[BenJepheneT]

It just comes. Extra if you got a good sense of comedy. These things aren't taught. You just learn through experience.

 

[gaylolis]

that clip is comedy gold next to Aobe asobi lol.

it enlightened me to what shogi really is

firing lasers from your butt

>So a man walks into a bar.

So the bar walks inside the man as well :D /

Well, my story is not based on comedy, so take my advice with a grain of salt, but I find that comedy is really really hard to do with characters that don't set up comedic routines, however it's really easy with the right set of characters. If you're writing comedy, focus first on characters that work together well for a comedic act.
Serious intelligent characters are typically not good for comedy, though I'm sure someone had found a way to do this. On the other hand, stupid characters are typically easier, but they only provide for stupid comedy- so it depends on what type of comedy youre trying to write.
I personally like using 'inside jokes' for comedy- aka jokes that are very particular to my novel and it's characters and tropes, and that you would need to read the novel to understand.

i'm really into surreal comedy so i guess i'll go with that.

 

[Amarathia]

I enjoy a mix of sarcasm, absurdity, and dark humor.

A few vague examples:

A guy that is so evil he plants a garden of poisonous plants and has bone trellises made from victims. haha

A MC that literally can transform into an eggplant, is OP, and yet is stuck on a downward spiral of doom. haha

A character who gains a hole through their abdomen but for some reason is really surprised when they don't have the strength to stand up and walk. haha

Characters subtly insulting each other in ways that the insulted might or might not notice. haha

I guess if I were to pick out a kind of humor I don't usually like, it's the crude and dumb kind. The "Oh you farted" kind. I'm cool with puns but don't really laugh out loud to them. I don't care much for comic relief characters that are placed into a story that is not comedy based otherwise. Instead of them being a 'reprieve from seriousness' I am often just annoyed by them, especially if their role has little other use. If said comic relief character has a use in story other than comic relief, then it is possible I will tolerate their presence.

 

[gaylolis]

I enjoy a mix of sarcasm, absurdity, and dark humor.

A few vague examples:

A guy that is so evil he plants a garden of poisonous plants and has bone trellises made from victims. haha

A MC that literally can transform into an eggplant, is OP, and yet is stuck on a downward spiral of doom. haha

A character who gains a hole through their abdomen but for some reason is really surprised when they don't have the strength to stand up and walk. haha

Characters subtly insulting each other in ways that the insulted might or might not notice. haha

I guess if I were to pick out a kind of humor I don't usually like, it's the crude and dumb kind. The "Oh you farted" kind. I'm cool with puns but don't really laugh out loud to them. I don't care much for comic relief characters that are placed into a story that is not comedy based otherwise. Instead of them being a 'reprieve from seriousness' I am often just annoyed by them, especially if their role has little other use. If said comic relief character has a use in story other than comic relief, then it is possible I will tolerate their presence.

yeah, if they have to fart, they at least need to make it classy like a saxophone solo.

i'm not really a fan of character's that just there as the butt of jokes either, it made me feel sorry for them :D

an example of it was Nepgear after HDN Re;Birth 2, and Koyori from Wataten.

I think Wataten's Author bullied her too much haha...I want Yori-chan to do something great too.

 

[Gastic]

I do write comedies but I find that making jokes aren't that easy.

I'm curious what you guys do to find your inspiration. :D

it depends on how and where you need it. Satire depending on the situation, self awareness can also work but in few circumstances. I believe it just depends on the tone of comedy if you're trying to have a comedic undertone to something dark or somewhere where there shouldn't be comedy don't try too hard just go with what seems natural or the dumbest option there is. Comedy is subjective and people are bound to hate it or like it, be yourself and do what makes you laugh. My comedy has degraded so bad from exploring Instagram's deep chasms of memes that my sense of comedy has degraded so far it works with the degenerates on this site (No offense i'm also a degenerate) i could be shown a Mc chicken sandwich and laugh. My point being go with what seems either A. the dumbest thing you could think of or B. something smart and funny once you understand it or C. something just funny to you.

 

[CupcakeNinja]

I do write comedies but I find that making jokes aren't that easy.

I'm curious what you guys do to find your inspiration. :D

Memes.

 

[Alienix]

I haven't really written a comedy genre, though. However, if I do, I can see myself overusing slapstick and dirty joke techniques.

My inspiration for making funny jokes is from watching comedy anime btw.

 

[Friend]

How to write comedy ... is usually by writing a baseline scene, first. And then take into account "well this character would say X" so then I think "so then that character would reply Y"....

In other words: know your own characters, as people. Humor and thus comedy comes from their personality and influence by circumstance.

I have a female slave character (age 20ish) who, after an inferred forced molestation and rape which the kingdom permits because she is only a slave, went to the hero (also a similar age) because he is going to help her get out of slavery. Due to a limited sleeping arrangement, she and he end up in his bed but only if he does not touch her. In my mind I thought she might pretend to be like a child and do a string of "it's too dark" or "I need a glass of water" or "what about a midnight snack". All with the intent of playing off the seriousness with which she faced only a few hours before. During this, the hero is slowly growing more frustrated. At one point he flat out says "good night!" and leaves it at that. But his increasing frustration with her sort of teasing ... priceless.

Above scene in my story, The Resisted Summon chapter 6, if I recall correctly. I do play with humor and levity not just during but also after serious scenes.

 

[Khiricastares]

Write enough terrible jokes and eventually you'll end up funny. At least, that's the plan.

 

[XianPiete]

Dad jokes. I'm a Dad.

 

[Assurbanipal_II]

I have a Psycho loli as a protagonist. The jokes come practically from alone as I write.