I'm not a funny writer, like I can't write a joke and say "there, look, it's funny". So naturally, my novel has an element of humor in it. It's a farce, in the improbable sense, and a lot of mistaken identity.
My big fear is that people will think it's serious... and that would suck. It would be beyond flop into the Worst.Novel.Ever.
Is there something that anyone can think of, short of putting "this is a farce" on the first page, to get people on the right track? I already have a running joke about a shark attack... but it just doesn't seem to be enough...
Please help me funny people!
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a storytelling community for grown ups
50,661 / 50,000
Nov 15, 2008 - 10 41
You have a running joke about a shark attack?? That's hysterical!
I'm writing first person so I can describe peoples reactions and the tellers veiws and get the humour across that way.
Are you sure the humour is not coming across or are you just worried, maybe some one could read a paragraph fpr you and tell you - maybe suggest something if it really is not getting across.
what about interjecting a descriptive voice periodically?
Anyway, don't worry now - december is for editing!
50,713 / 50,000
Nov 16, 2008 - 10 54
thanks...I'm in limited third person, so I'm a little worried a narrative voice might be distancing =/
As for the shark attack...
FMC writes: "He might have accepted his fiancee leaving him standing at the altar when her presumed-dead husband returned after the climbing accident on his solo ascent of Mount Rainier, but would he really welcome her back with open arms once the husband did kick the bucket after a shark attack on a deep sea dive?'
MMC reading considers: " When she put it like that, it did sound a bit daft. After all, if he was a mountaineer, the husband should have been offed on a mountain, but Jack had needed him killed off without a body but no more of that ‘presumed’ junk. This way, the shark had a good meal, and they all knew he was well dead."
That was maybe the closest I got to Haha... but the stuff like:
Roxanne’s lips twitched and finally twisted into a rueful smile. “What did he say?”
“He thanked me for reading.”
“But,” Roxanne cocked her head to the side. “I thought you never read any of his books.”
“I haven’t.”
does that come across as okay? or desperately TRYING to be funny?
50,034 / 50,000
Nov 27, 2008 - 07 54
I think it sounds perfectly fine! I'm writing not ha-ha funny comedy too, and I vastly prefer it over the more outrageous stuff. :) Understated just seems to sit with me more. You've got a good thing going. Don't worry so much over whether or not it's hilarious.