Welcome to Anatomy of Fiction: Reading Group for Writers.
Your hosts for the group include Heliotrope, and Devor.
January/February's topic of discussion will be "Writing Funny."
Probably the lightest of all fantasy sub-genres, Humorous or Comic Fantasy is fun first, fantasy second. Basically, it just presents a fresh and interesting environment that will generate fresh and interesting humor.
A hallmark of this type is the heavy use of puns and parodies of other works. This can take many forms: making fun of the genre itself is probably the easiest target, because most other fantasy takes itself so very seriously. Another technique is to add ridiculous elements to tropes, such as a magic sword that talks, but only when spoken to politely or some such thing. Giving protagonists an exaggerated flaw that introduces some difficulty in achieving or maintaining the expected hero's bearing can be quite funny, but many times the hero himself plays the “straight man” in these stories, while the other characters are made ridiculous.
The action usually takes place in an imaginary world, although medieval settings are ripe for humor as well.
- See more at: Comic Fantasy | Best Fantasy Books
Could your WIP stand to be a bit more funny? Does it perhaps take itself too seriously? Are you looking for ways to inject a bit of comic relief?
Join our discussion next month on how to write funny!
This theme's reading list includes:
The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galexy by Douglas Adams
The Princess Bride by Willian Goldman
Good Omens by Neil Gaiman/ Terry Pratchett
Choose one, choose two, or read them all and join in the conversation starting January 1st.
*(What is this group? https://mythicscribes.com/forums/su...fiction-reading-group-writers.html#post253647 )
Your hosts for the group include Heliotrope, and Devor.
January/February's topic of discussion will be "Writing Funny."
What is Comic Fantasy?
Probably the lightest of all fantasy sub-genres, Humorous or Comic Fantasy is fun first, fantasy second. Basically, it just presents a fresh and interesting environment that will generate fresh and interesting humor.
A hallmark of this type is the heavy use of puns and parodies of other works. This can take many forms: making fun of the genre itself is probably the easiest target, because most other fantasy takes itself so very seriously. Another technique is to add ridiculous elements to tropes, such as a magic sword that talks, but only when spoken to politely or some such thing. Giving protagonists an exaggerated flaw that introduces some difficulty in achieving or maintaining the expected hero's bearing can be quite funny, but many times the hero himself plays the “straight man” in these stories, while the other characters are made ridiculous.
The action usually takes place in an imaginary world, although medieval settings are ripe for humor as well.
- See more at: Comic Fantasy | Best Fantasy Books
***
Could your WIP stand to be a bit more funny? Does it perhaps take itself too seriously? Are you looking for ways to inject a bit of comic relief?
Join our discussion next month on how to write funny!
This theme's reading list includes:
The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galexy by Douglas Adams
The Princess Bride by Willian Goldman
Good Omens by Neil Gaiman/ Terry Pratchett
Choose one, choose two, or read them all and join in the conversation starting January 1st.
*(What is this group? https://mythicscribes.com/forums/su...fiction-reading-group-writers.html#post253647 )
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