SCBWI Conference LA Part 2
I've said it on this blog before & I'll say it again, Better late than never. (I have to believe that because I'm always late!) I took so many notes from the conference, I think I didn't know where to start with blogging about it. So, I've decided to start with my favorite workshop. It takes real talent to be able to teach someone something in 30 minutes & I am amazed how much I learned in Mary Hershey's Funny Bones: Excavating Yours for Writing Better Humor.
Mary Hershey's Funny Bones
Humor is hard work. It may come off sounding like the writer is chatting with friends, but humor is an art. The art of humor is the way you or a character looks at the world. An example from Jerry Seinfeld, "I like tiny hotel soap. I pretend it's normal soap, and my muscles are huge."
Each person's brand of humor is unique. Each of our comedians has an age, an inner child.
Take something from your childhood like being a nerd. You fill in the blank...
Then ask yourself:
What's hard about... (being a nerd)?
What's weird about...(being a nerd)?
What's strange about...(being a nerd)?
What's scary about...(being a nerd)?
Take something like this from your childhood put it with something you are obsessed with plus something that makes you laugh = your funny bones.
"The object of comedy is to be yourself & the closer you get to that the funnier you'll be." --Jerry Seinfeld
Normal people memorize jokes, the humorist writes their own. Normal people have a bad day at work & complain, the humorist thinks, hey, new material!
There are four types of humor:
1. Physical Humor (Ducks waddling in a picture book)
2. Situational Humor (Don't let the pigeon drive the bus)
3. Humor involving play of language (pun, malaprop, double intent)
4. Humor of character (Ramona acting different than a real kid can act)
Play on words is the most common type of humor.
Anatomy of a Joke:
S=setup
A=Anticipation (Rule of three)
P=Punchline (story payoff)
A few quotes:
"Humor is closely related to fear and despair." --Dave Barry
"Comedy is the art of making people laugh without making them puke."--Steve Martin
Mary Hershey's Funny Bones
Humor is hard work. It may come off sounding like the writer is chatting with friends, but humor is an art. The art of humor is the way you or a character looks at the world. An example from Jerry Seinfeld, "I like tiny hotel soap. I pretend it's normal soap, and my muscles are huge."
Each person's brand of humor is unique. Each of our comedians has an age, an inner child.
Take something from your childhood like being a nerd. You fill in the blank...
Then ask yourself:
What's hard about... (being a nerd)?
What's weird about...(being a nerd)?
What's strange about...(being a nerd)?
What's scary about...(being a nerd)?
Take something like this from your childhood put it with something you are obsessed with plus something that makes you laugh = your funny bones.
"The object of comedy is to be yourself & the closer you get to that the funnier you'll be." --Jerry Seinfeld
Normal people memorize jokes, the humorist writes their own. Normal people have a bad day at work & complain, the humorist thinks, hey, new material!
There are four types of humor:
1. Physical Humor (Ducks waddling in a picture book)
2. Situational Humor (Don't let the pigeon drive the bus)
3. Humor involving play of language (pun, malaprop, double intent)
4. Humor of character (Ramona acting different than a real kid can act)
Play on words is the most common type of humor.
Anatomy of a Joke:
S=setup
A=Anticipation (Rule of three)
P=Punchline (story payoff)
A few quotes:
"Humor is closely related to fear and despair." --Dave Barry
"Comedy is the art of making people laugh without making them puke."--Steve Martin