Blogging from A-Z Report

Wooh.

I actually did it. I completed the A-Z blogging challenge for April.

Sure, I have a pile of laundry that can be seen from space, my children haven't eaten since March 31 and I should do some serious thinking about washing my hair, but I did it!

So, what did I learn this month?

Well...I learned about writing humor, of course! It was great having a theme which involved researching topics I wanted to learn more about. I've been working on this middle grade fantasy novel since...well, let's not put a number on how long, shall we? Suffice it to say, it's been a good while. And when I started it, it came out funny.

I mean, I never thought of myself as a humorous writer. Sure, I'm used to people laughing AT me all the time. But it took awhile for me to realize I was a funny person. And that I could...maybe...possibly write funny stuff.

Once I realized this was a possibility and, dare I say, a strength I was developing, I stumbled around in the dark finding humorous bits of writing lurking in my brain every now and then. But I wanted to be able to to be funny...on purpose. I wanted to look at a scene and know the best way to add more humor. Doing this theme for the challenge was a great step in that direction.

I learned about timing, how to write great similes and the K rule. I read many many articles written by brilliant comedians. And I made myself find a way to boil down what I was learning into blog posts. What a great month! And now I can tell when I sit down to work on my WIP my brain is starting to understand better how to add more humor to a scene.

Thanks to the organizers of this challenge. And thanks to all of you who took the time to comment on my silly posts! I really really appreciate it.

Ok. Now to wash some underwear, throw a handful of carrots at the kids and scrub my scalp.

Z is for Zinger

This month I'm participating in the A-Z Blogging Challenge. The theme I'm going with this year is writing humor. Follow along to learn more about the different ways to make your fiction, articles or blog posts humorous. 

Mmmmmm, Zingers.
Ok. Ok. Not those kind of Zingers...

"Housework can't kill you, but why take a chance?" -Phyllis Diller
 
Ha! Phyllis Diller was the queen of excellent zingers. 

A zinger is a short line of comedy, sometimes the last line of an act. It's a great and memorable punchy line with a big  impact.

Here are 20 more of my favorite Phyllis Diller zingers:


1. My photographs don’t do me justice—they just look like me.

2. Burt Reynolds once asked me out. I was in his room.

3. His finest hour lasted a minute and a half.

4. I want my children to have all the things I couldn’t afford. Then I want to move in with them.

5. It’s a good thing that beauty is only skin deep, or I’d be rotten to the core.

6. A smile is a curve that sets everything straight.

7. What I don't like about Office Christmas parties is looking for a job the next day.

8. Cleaning your house while your kids are still growing is like shoveling the walk before it stops snowing.

9. If your house is really a mess and a stranger comes to the door, greet them with, “Who could have done this? We have no enemies.”

10. Always be nice to your children because they are the ones who will choose your rest home.

11. Old age is when the liver spots show through your gloves.

12. Any time three New Yorkers get into a cab without an argument, a bank has just been robbed.

13. My 8-year-old bought a bicycle with the money he saved by not smoking.

14. Whatever you may look like, marry a man your own age—as your beauty fades, so will his eyesight.

15. You know you're old when someone compliments you on your alligator shoes, and you're barefoot. 

16. The reason women don’t play football is because 11 of them would never wear the same outfit in public.

17. Best way to get rid of kitchen odors: eat out.

18. Most children threaten at times to run away from home. This is the only thing that keeps some parents going.

19. We had far too many kids. At one point our playpen was standing room only. It looked like a bus stop for midgets.

20. To Ronald Reagan she said, “If you ever get to be president, and I think you may, and there's a depression— try not to have it at a bad time, like when everybody's out of work.”

Yay! The A-Z Challenge is over! 

Now I can go back to my regular blogging schedule...blog every other month or so, finally write about something slightly interesting, ok...more like something completely boring, like which kind of pillows I should buy, aplogize profusely for being apsent, blaming my children, husband, non-existent pets, dying houseplants, etc., beg readers to stick around by bribing them with drawings for trips to Jamaica which I don't giveaway  and then go silent for another long stretch. 

Hmmm...what's that you say? Maybe not the best schedule? 

So, what's your blogging schedule? Do you post a certain number of times a week? Every day? (overachiever!) Or three times a week?  

And how do you feel about Zingers? Do you like to eat them? Did you know a company bought control of the bulk of Hostess brands for a whopping $410 million? Thank goodness, right? What is a world without Twinkies and Zingers? Maybe one that would turn to carrots and celery? Ha! Yeah, right. We still have Little Debbie snacks. 

Y is for You

This month I'm participating in the A-Z Blogging Challenge. The theme I'm going with this year is writing humor. Follow along to learn more about the different ways to make your fiction, articles or blog posts humorous. 

Wow! I can't believe this month is almost over. 

Alright, for today I want to chat about you. And what you should be paying attention to in order to find excellent fodder for writing humor.  

Make sure you pay attention to...

everything!

Interesting conversations you over hear. 

Odd sightings in your neighborhood or town. 

The funny things your kids say. 

Stories and articles you read. 

Moments that strike you as funny. 

Notice what's going around you! Think about it. Mull things over. Find the humor. Jot down notes. 

A couple weeks ago I had to go in to the hospital for a lovely glucose test.  I signed in on the computer and sat down in a small waiting area with a few other people.  Then about every other year a woman came out of the offices, called a name, the person stood up and then went back to fill out the paperwork.

I wonder if I could request a pretty room like this for
my next stay at the hospital.

At one point the woman came out and called, "*Karla Gibbers." 

No one moved. 

"Karla Gibbers." 

Those of us in the waiting area looked around, trying to spot this Karla Gibbers. But she didn't appear. Maybe she wanted a cheeseburger from the hospital cafeteria. Or maybe she decided to go to the Emergency Room for faster treatment. Or it could have been something much simpler. 

She died already. 

Still not getting a repsonse, the woman went back into the offices. But a few minutes later she was back. 

"Karla Gibbers." The woman's eyes traveled over each of us sitting in the waiting area. We stared back at her with blank expressions. "Karla Gibbers?" 

Maybe I should have jumped out of my seat."Wait. Did you say Karla Gibbers? I thought you said Carl Gibbers! Why, I'm Karla Gibbers!"

The point of this story is that it made me laugh. This woman looked at each of us, hoping we were the missing lady, as if we were going to finally recognize our name and follow her.  So, I filed it away and thought I might use that little tidbit for something or other. 

*I can't actually remember the name called. So, if your name is Karla Gibbers, I'm sorry I suggested you died.

Do you collect writing material? Bits of conversations or anecdotes? Do you keep this info in a journal? 

X is for X-aggerate

This month I'm participating in the A-Z Blogging Challenge. The theme I'm going with this year is writing humor. Follow along to learn more about the different ways to make your fiction, articles or blog posts humorous. 

X could have been a bit of a tricky letter for a post. 

Like how I solved that problem? 

Ok. So, exaggeration.  What does that have to do with writing humor? Why it has absolutely everything to do with it (and, yes, that was an exaggeration....or was it?)

But, really, exaggeration is like a turbo-charged, heavy duty, shiny, fully automated hammer in a writer's toolbox. 

Wow. Now THAT'S a hammer.
Source: esuppliersindia.com

Now it's only right to include quotes from The Best Exaggerator of our Time, Dave Barry. 


"If your hostess subscribes to Martha Stewart Living, the guest bed may be so massively fortified with decorative objects that it can be deconstructed for sleeping use only by a licensed interior designer."

"It's time for my annual tax-advice column, which always draws an enthusiastic response from grateful readers.

"Dear Dave, " goes a typical letter. "Last year, following your advice, I was able to receive a large tax refund simply by claiming a $43,000 business deduction for 'paste.' I am currently chained to a wall in federal prison, but they tell me that, with good behavior, in 25 years they'll remove the skull screws. Thanks a lot!"

"I also don't know why a woman would be ticked off if you gave her a 56-piece socket-wrench set with a 72-tooth reversible ratchet, but thrilled if you give her a tiny, very expensive vial of liquid with a name like ''L'essence de Nooquie Eau de Parfum de Cologne de Toilette de Bidet,'' which, to the naked male nostril, does not smell any better than a stick of Juicy Fruit."

"Many bat species are endangered because of humans, some of whom view bats as actual food. A researcher named Tom Kunz told me that in parts of Southeast Asia, bat soup and fried bat are considered tasty treats. In Guam, people have eaten pretty much all the bats. There's a bat shortage! You could become a bat rancher and get rich! Although you would need skilled bat wranglers."

:(speaking about Halloween) It has been commercialized to the point where our young people think it's just ''fun and games.'' They know nothing about the somber origin of this holiday, which dates back to 1621, when the Pilgrims, having survived a difficult first winter in America, decided to express their thanks by dressing up in comical outfits with knickers and hats shaped like traffic cones and then went around playing pranks with what turned out -- tragically -- to be their last remaining roll of toilet paper, and thus as you can imagine their second winter was no picnic either."

Do you use exaggeration when writing humor? Or just when you're talking about how many dished you washed or papers you filed at work when you've been surfing the internet for turbo-charged, heavy duty, shiny, fully automated hammers instead?

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2001/10/28/724255/itchin-for-tradition.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/01/07/442184/jump-on-the-batwagon.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2001/04/15/612227/a-real-giving-kind-of-guy.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/04/08/1568002/prison-is-deductible.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/04/22/459885/sham-on-you.html#storylink=cpy

W is for Wild

This month I'm participating in the A-Z Blogging Challenge. The theme I'm going with this year is writing humor. Follow along to learn more about the different ways to make your fiction, articles or blog posts humorous. 

There are so many rules. And tips. And ideas. And articles. And...and...and...so MUCH stuff out there to help us become better writers. 

But when it comes down to it, we just need to write. We have to sit down and do it. 

And don't stay with the safe writing. Let yourself go wild! Especially when writing humor. Let your mind go off into strange lands and try new things. Dabble with new ideas. Try something exciting and strange and weird. And most definitely funny. 

With the idea of letting yourself be original and try new ideas in mind (and because I love quotes), I made these ...

What is your favorite quote about writing? 

V is for Voice

This month I'm participating in the A-Z Blogging Challenge. The theme I'm going with this year is writing humor. Follow along to learn more about the different ways to make your fiction, articles or blog posts humorous. 

Ahhhhh, voice. We love it in the books we read, right? But sometimes it can be hard to pin down in our own works. 

How do you find your character's voice, their crazy, funny voice that will make your readers chuckle?

It's pretty easy once you get to know them. But how do you do that? How do you get inside their head and really understand them? And then how do you get that down on paper?

Here are some ideas...

#1: Dialogue

Think about how your character talks. Does he have a catch phrase? Does she pause a lot? Fiddle with something when he's nervous? Does she ramble? Or does he think long and hard before giving short and concise responses? Does she use big words to confuse those around her? Does he talk like a tall blonde surfer dude and carry a surfboard with him wherever he goes even though he lives on a cattle ranch in Texas?

#2: Interview

Pretend to be a reporter and interview your character. Maybe you're an annoying reporter that's trying to make your character look bad, like that chickadee in Harry Potter. Or maybe you're a kind reporter, out to seek the completel truth and help your character. 

Either way, think of questions to ask your character that would give you insight into who they truly are.

#3: Make a playlist

This isn't something I've tried, but it does sound interesting. Find songs your character would choose to put on their playlist. Would they want to listen to the Beatles or Metallica? One Direction or the Grateful Dead? Or maybe they're more of a Barry Manilow fan. The kind of music your character would pick could give you great insight into who they are. 

#4: Write a letter

Have your character write a letter to someone....their mom, best friend or maybe even their Kindergarten teacher. What would your character say? 

I guess if you're writing a story where your character is in huge trouble, like she's stuck in a haunted house or something and she can only write her Kindergarten teacher a letter, it would be pretty short...

Dear Mrs. Ginger,

HELP ME!

Sincerely,
Skipper Donavan 

#5: Moments

Have your character journal key moments in their life. An embarressing episode, the time they were the most afraid or felt the most alone, something funny that happened to them when they were a kid, a time when they got in loads of trouble, etc. 

On the flip side, you could journal a boring day for them, too. What's their regular, bland, nothing-exciting-going-on day like? 

#6: Tell a Story

Write a scene where your character tells his best friend a story. What does he share? Something funny? Or sad? 

#7:  Pick an Animal

Skunk? Cheetah? Or wildebeest? 

If your character were an animal, which one would she be? Imagine the traits associated with this animal and rewrite a scene keeping these traits in mind. 

Hmmmm...now I'm wondering...what kind of traits does a wildebeest have? 

#8: Thoughts

Write your character's thoughts as he goes about everday tasks like, brushing his teeth, combing his hair and walking to school or his job.  What does he think kabout? What does he focus on? Or obsess and worry about? 

#9: Sitcoms

Here's a fun idea. Think of or find a situation from a sitcom, some moment of trouble, and replace the characters with yours. How would your characters react? What would they do differently? 

#10: First Words

Ok, so for this exercise you need to think of a grand and amazing experience or destination. It could be a trip to Paris or the Grand Canyon. It could be riding in a space shuttle to the moon. And...depending on your character...it could be visiting a grocery store in the 20th century! 

Whatever it is, take your characters and imagine what their first words would be at the start of this experience. What do they notice? What excites them? Where do they go first? They should each have a different response.

Can you think of any other ways to discover your character's voice?

U is for Understand Humor

This month I'm participating in the A-Z Blogging Challenge. The theme I'm going with this year is writing humor. Follow along to learn more about the different ways to make your fiction, articles or blog posts humorous. 


Is it possible to understand  humor? To understand what makes it work?

"Studying humor is like dissecting a frog-you may know a lot but you end up with a dead frog." --Mark Twain

It can be tricky to pull apart funny stuff and figure out how it ticks, but let's give it a shot. 

What makes things funny? 

Here are six ideas:

#1: Silly Names

Seth? Charles? Bethany? Nah. Go with Pickles, Thunder or Leeloo. A great and humorous name will give us instant insight into the character's personality, too. 

In Disney's movie Tangled Rapunzel learns Flynn Rider's real name is actually Eugene Fitzherbert. Check out those names! Waaaaaay better than if they'd given him  a bland fake name like Micheal Jones and his real name was Brandon Smith. 

What better picture for this post than my Zoe actually getting to meet Eugene?
She was over-the-moon thrilled.
When he saw her he said, "Hey! I recognize that dress. Come here, blondie!"
Such a cute guy.

#2: Ridiculous Settings

Sure you could set that fight scene between the bully and the picked on kid in the classroom or the hallway of a school. But why not push it farther and go for the cafeteria kitchen? Think of the mess! The flying asparagus, the slippery mess of ketchup and the head dunk of doom into the mystery meat! 

Think of funny and strange places to set your funny scenes, ones with opportunities for hilarious happenings. 

#3: Zany Personalities

Don't make your characters like your normal, level-headed best friend or your sweet and kind neighbor who makes you bread. 

No! Anything but that! Make them crazy, vindictive, nutty or obsessed with buying weedwackers and hedge trimmers. Give them silly ideas and over-the-top goals.  Have them plot to take over the world by arming their prairie dog army with sporks.  

#4: (ooooooh!) The Forbidden

I'm reading Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat by Lynne Jonell to my two oldest sons at bedtime. We are enjoying this book quite a bit. And they really look forward to the nights when it's their turn. (I alternate every other night between their room and two of my other kids' room and reading The Voyages of Dr. Dolittle)

So, anyway, we reached this scene where Miss Barmy (the nasty villainess who is creating loads of trouble for Emmy) has ingested a potion-like substance which makes her pass gass when she lies. And we're not talking about polite little toots. Oh, no. These are rip-roaring, massive, noxious bouts of flatulance which have the maids gasping for air and reaching for windows. It's hilarious! 

It's also what is considered a "forbidden" topic for kids. We've tried to teach our little ones that talking about and sharing with everyone the grody sounds their bodies can make is impolite and, well, gross (of course, with kids, this is more like an ongoing lesson than a one-time sort of topic). 

So, stories involving bathroom humor are incredibly funny to them! 

#5: Funny Sounds

Bonk! Ooof! Ouch! Thud! 

Sprinkling a scene with funny sounds is a great way to get more laughs. 

#6: Weird Appearances

Sure your girl character could wear jeans and a t-shirt, have long blonde hair and a ready smile. 

OR you could give her frizzy thick locks that she loses items in. Can't find your car keys? Oh, they're probably in Bertha's hair. Lost the tv remote? Bertha, do you mind checking your hair? Hey, we haven't seen the dog for awhile....but there is a strange sound coming from Bertha's  hair...

And, maybe, Bertha likes to wear bright floral muumuus from thrift stores. 

Have fun with the appearances of your characters! Make them unique. Make them strange. But, of course, make them funny!

So, what do you say? Do you completely understand humor now? Of course, right?! 

T is for Timing

This month I'm participating in the A-Z Blogging Challenge. The theme I'm going with this year is writing humor. Follow along to learn more about the different ways to make your fiction, articles or blog posts humorous. 

It's all about the timing. 

Or, at the least, timing has a lot to do with what makes us laugh. I've read articles which say you can't teach timing, that you either have it or you don't. 

But I don't agree. I think, like most things, if you want to learn it, you can. But it will come naturally to some and for others, it will require a whole lot of work.  

Ok, so first things first, what exactly is timing? 

"At its best, comedic timing is the interplay of inflection, gesture, pacing, attitude and rhythm. It’s like jazz with words." Doug Stevenson, Comedy Writing and Timing

Of course, he's talking about being a stand-up-and-deliver-your-lines comedian, but you can still apply his definition of timing to writing. It's all about how you present the joke. 

So, what are some ways to improve the timing in your fiction? 

Here are three steps:

#1: Set it up

Make sure you reader is aware of what is going on. Take the time (however much is needed) to set up your scene. Set up your story. Give them specific expectations of what should happen. 

#2: Get them to look the other way

Distract your audience with something new and shiny and interesting, something that makes them look away for a moment. 

#3: Surprise

Then slap them with the punchline. Give your readers what they didn't expect, the surprising, yet inevitable outcome. 


Last year I wrote a story for the Platform-building Challenge.  It was a flash fiction contest. And...I hope it's a decent example of a piece with good timing...

***

Mistake

Shadows crept across the wall. Guppy’s heart thundered in his chest. His palms grew slick with sweat. He slipped into his closet and hid behind his lucky orange chess club t-shirt and matching slacks.

“Guppy,” the soft voices whispered. “Guuuupppppppy.”

For a brief moment, Guppy considered joining them. But, no. He had to be strong. Guppy forced himself to stay hidden.

If only he’d chosen a different magic spell to practice.

But it was too late. The damage was done. He clutched his wand, wishing he knew how to reverse the spell.

They moved closer to his hiding spot. The closet door creaked open. In the moonlight, Guppy saw a flash of white. Sharp nails dug into his skin as multiple hands yanked Guppy from his imagined safety.

“We found him!” the voices cheered.

And then the fighting began.

“He’s mine!”

“No, he’s not Brittany! Get back!”

“Get your pom-poms out of my face! I want my Guppy!”

Guppy was thrown around like a basketball in a championship game.

“Please, please, let me go!” Guppy pleaded.

Guppy asked himself, “Why, oh why, did I have to cast a love spell on the whole entire cheerleading squad?”

 And then everything faded.

***

So, did I get the timing right? 

#1: I set up the story. I wanted it to sound like a creepy, scary tale. I wanted readers to imagine a horrible beast or creature out to get poor, unfortunate and nerdy Guppy. So, their expectation is that something is hunting him and something is going to get him (mwhahahahahaha!)

#2: Distraction. I made readers think about the magic wand and spell. They begin to (hopefully) wonder what  Guppy did. What did he summon? 

#3: Punchline. Cheerleaders. Not what you were expecting, right?

Do you feel as if timing comes naturally to you? Or is it something you have to work at?