Is it a good idea to put humour in a rather serious novel?

[071095se]

So, basiclly my question is the thread name. But to re-iterate so it makes a little more sence, I would like to know whether you think it is a good idea to add in a slightly humerous section between far more serious events. For context, this appears just after the re-birth of an elven elder to the form of a spirit. This spirit itself causes those near it to become joyful and happy. And reading back through the event that happen just after this sollumn event I find myself laughing. Is this going to ruin the flow and feel of the whole novel, or will it just act as a quick comic relief?

 

[GregorsMentor]

I'm usually all for a bit of humor, As long as it flows naturally from the characters and circumstances. If it feels forced or if a character exists purely as comic relief then that can get a bit annoying. Otherwise it can be good to break the tension occasionally and let the characters have a bit of fun.

 

[Shockley]

My thought on this is that life is rarely bleak enough to be devoid of laughter. I'm sure it happens, but we even have jokes and the like that originated from the trenches in WWI and from the Inquisition. Life has laughter in it, and your novel should be a reflection of life.

 

[Devora]

It's best to put comedy relief in some spots in a serious story just to cut some of the reader's tension, but you got to be careful not to go over the top with it.

Think about the Porter's scene in William Shakespeare's Macbeth. The play, in general, is very intense, but when the Porter comes in and complains about answering the game, mocking the visitor's intrusion before realizing that it was one of his Lords that was at the gate, we get a few laughs and it helps the audience be able to ease down before the story's tension comes back. (Think of it as a "breather episode", almost.)

My thought on this is that life is rarely bleak enough to be devoid of laughter. I'm sure it happens, but we even have jokes and the like that originated from the trenches in WWI and from the Inquisition. Life has laughter in it, and your novel should be a reflection of life.

Comedy = Tragedy + Time

 

[T.Allen.Smith]

As long as its genuinely funny, and not just something the author thinks is funny, it's perfectly fine.

 

[Anders Ämting]

I belive all stories - regardless of type and genre - should have at least a bit of humor in it, even if it's gallows humor.

Remember: If you want to tell people the truth, make them laugh, otherwise they'll kill you.

 

[wordwalker]

Yeah, it sounds like it's a good idea, if it came out naturally that way. And it's a distinct moment as a break from the rest.

Still, be careful. Humor and non-humor don't mix as easily as a lot of folks think; you have to be sure you're going off at an angle that balances your overall flow of mood, doesn't just claim to be an exception to it, and that it doesn't start undermining the important things.

--Sorry to bring up the worst case here, but again, too many people out there that don't keep it straight.

 

[Ankari]

As long as its genuinely funny, and not just something the author thinks is funny, it's perfectly fine.

I chuckled at this. How unfair is that? Everything we write we think is good.

I'm with Shockley. No world is devoid of humor that it shouldn't show up in your works. Just make sure the type of humor matches your character and setting. Also, don't overdo it.

 

[T.Allen.Smith]

I chuckled at this. How unfair is that? Everything we write we think is good.

Haha. Good point....

Allow me to rephrase. Make sure you're not the only one who thinks it's funny. If it can garner a chuckle on its own with just the words on the page, you should be fine.

I only mentioned this because humor is rather difficult for most to write well.

 

[MadMadys]

All things in moderation. Like a lot of what we do in writing, comedy is very much about timing and when you place the humor in your story, you make sure it fits. Me saying this of course shows I fully support the idea of humor in stories because one without it is probably staler than two week old bread.

When I take to 'the funny' in my stories, I try to adhere to these wise words when determining what is funny and what isn't: "Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you fall into an open sewer and die." - Mel Brooks.

 

[Penpilot]

Even in the darkest of moments, there is humor. It's a part of dark comedy. But the thing is it has to fit. Generally speaking, it's going to pretty hard to put a bit of slapstick into something like Schindler's List.

Make sure the comedy and laughs come out of the moment and isn't jammed in like a knock-knock joke.

For example. My mom passed away ten years ago. At her funeral, the person who wrote her elegy, after summing up significant and dramatic bits and pieces of her life, decided to included the phase, "And she liked Big Macs." So there I am in tears, trying to hold back a giggle because it was just so non sequitur. She did like Big Macs but... you know? WTF.

 

[The Dark One]

Include humour in your story by all means...but don't try to do it. If it emerges naturally from the characters and situations...great, but for god's sake don't force it. Nothing screams amateur louder than a comic scene that falls flat.

There was a scene in my novel THEM which included a performance by a stand-up comedian. This was a major challenge because I had to write the performance (interspersed with the main character's POV) and I've never written a comic routine. In fact, my books are full of humour but it's easy to be funny when setting up predicaments for characters or bouncing off dialogue. In a comic routine you have to do it all yourself. Oh, and one other complication - the comic routine had to be relevant to the themes and subthemes of the novel.

I had no idea whether the routine was funny. I reworked and honed and edited until I was blue in the face...but then I had inspiration. I made the main character hate the comic and think him unfunny. That was liberating because I felt like the routine was trying to be funny without quite succeeding. Having the main character think that meant that the character was judged by the reader for being unfunny, rather than the author.

 

[Meteora]

I don't see why not, as long as its strategically placed to relief tension. It is after all, comedy relief. Just keep it in moderation, like everything else.

 

[wordwalker]

I don't see why not, as long as its strategically placed to relief tension. It is after all, comedy relief. Just keep it in moderation, like everything else.

Sums it up nicely. I've always thought that if the story itself isn't a comedy, the trick is using humor to play off the rest-- not letting them slosh around carelessly together like too many people do.

EDIT: consider good humor like Pixar (usually) does: even at the moments when jokes are every other line, that means the other half are a solid spine of dealing with the situation. The tail doesn't wag the dog.

 

[Sheriff Woody]

I belive all stories - regardless of type and genre - should have at least a bit of humor in it...

Agreed.

Just like how all stories should also be tense, romantic, dramatic, etc. The best stories have a little bit of everything.

 

[Anders Ämting]

Agreed.

Just like how all stories should also be tense, romantic, dramatic, etc. The best stories have a little bit of everything.

Pretty much. I think that while you can have a certain general emotional tone in your book, you want to appeal to more emotions than just one. You need a quantum of contrast, so to speak.

A books that are completely grim and serious from start to finish might be good catharsis, but they tend to get frustrating and even depressing to read through. Likewise, a book that tries to be funny from start to finish might actually get on your nerves. Terry Pratchett's books are generally hilarious, but most of them have a rather serious undertone, which I think is a major part of their greatness.

 

[Twook00]

I would add that humor is very tricky for people who don't "get it." I've read books where the author is writing what he thinks other people think is funny. It feels fake and you find yourself laughing at the writer more than anything.