Humor

= = Humor of Angels and Devils -- funny stuff: death, injury and mutilation, injustice, pain, stupidity, despair, racism, sexism, ethic chauvinism, hate, arrogance, human folly especially religion, medicine and politics. Belly laugh: savage release of almost unbearable tension

In structure:
- romance (the touching struggles of people who love or will love one another). -education (dumb person learns) -Picaresque quest (dimwit or roque on a journey of self-discovery). -Formal satire (let’s make fun of opera, the romance novel, or art rock)

**Uses for humor in writing**: -building Characters (what do they do that’s funny, what do they laugh at) -humanizing Heros/Villains -making the reader feel comfortable and safe -tension release

-create situation where characters are ignorant or mistaken about facts known to the reader. -unexpected and inappropriate behavior -purposeful misinterpretation generally by over literal interpretation -earnest description of base acts -portraying a ludicrous situation as though it were evocative or poignant -purposeful distortion of a "sacred" myth, story or tradition -- often through being over literal <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">-portrayal of unrecognized foolishness <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">-exaggeration <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">-improper attributions of purpose <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">-irony, reversed meaning <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">-understatement and/or stating the obvious <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">-manipulation of dialects and colorful figures of speech <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">-paradoxical effect <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">-unexpected juxtapositions <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">-predictable vignettes or moral tales that charters interpret in unexpected ways <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">-demonstration of character flaws
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Techniques for creating humor: **<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">(See below for examples from my (M. Thomas) work.

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">1. Situations in which characters are ignorant of or mistaken about facts known to the reader. example: Duane hearing Andy's side of the telephone conversation between Rodney and Andy.pp. 84 -84
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">TECHNIQUES FOR CREATING HUMOR - CROSSWINDS **

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">2. Unexpected and inappropriate behavior - especially in characters with positions of authority. example: The fire-boss, Harrellson, hose between his legs, pretending to urinate on a fire to extinguish it. pp. 148 (numerous other examples) <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">3. Purposeful misinterpertation by over literal interpertation. example: reference to curses as "prayerful exhortations" pp. 143 <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">4. Earnest description of base acts. example: Rodney's description of drunken vomiting in the Taco Bell men's room. pp. 56-57. <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">5. Portraying a ludicrous situation as though it were poignant. example: Rodney listening to sentimental songs at the Mexican dance pp. 51. <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">6. Purposeful distortion of a "sacred" myth, story, or tradition. example: Mona's comparison of killing and eating trapped doves to the last supper. pp. 119. <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">7. Portrayal of unrecognized foolishness. example: The fire-boss, Junior Harrelson, intoxicated on Marijuana fumes, develops a fascination with the sound of Marvin Clendenon's name. pp. 149. <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">8. Exaggeration/overstatement. example: Rodney describes Duane's marijuana addled trip to the railroad water tank as comparable to a "ten year expedition to antarctica." pp. 148. <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">9. Improper attribution of purpose. example: Rodney characterizes Edna as having "a long skinny nose for looking down on folks." pp. 98. <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">10. Irony, reversed meanings. example: Zeke suggests that the local police acting "as wisdom required" have put the contraband marijuana in the "able hands of the federal authorities" pp. 141-142. <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">11. Understatement and/or stating the obvious. example: after an angry, vituperative harangue, Rodney states that these "are not thoughts for staying out of jail on." pp. 54 <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">12. Manipulation of dialects, slang, and colorful figures of speech. example: Rodney compares Edna's sniveling to "a bobcat chewing yellowjackets." pp.152 <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">13. Paradoxical affect. example: Rodney experiences kindness that "of course, made me feel whole lot worse." pp.163 <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">14. Unexpected juxtapositions. example: Billy the Kid and a suicidal artist. p. 1. <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">15. Predictable vignettes that turn out to have an unexpected meaning. example: The story of the Doberman and the decline of patriotism. pp. 103-105.

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">In **CROSSWINDS**, there are numerous examples of the above techniques and there may may be other techniques that are not here-listed. Have you found others? Other examples of the above?


 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">TECHNIQUES FOR CREATING HUMOR - OSTRICH **

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">1. Situations in which characters are ignorant of or mistaken about facts known to the reader. example: The colonel as author of the infamous note. Rosa thinks that Ev, has written the note <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">pp. 165, 175. <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">2. Unexpected and inappropriate behavior - especially in characters with positions of authority. example: The colonel’s demand for a gun pp.25-26 <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">3. Purposeful misinterpertation by over literal interpertation, misplaced concreteness. example, Fanny reacting to the claim that a parrot’s jaw is strong enough to lift a Cadillac. p.252 <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">4. Earnest description of base acts. example: The Samson the Ostrich moves his bowels, p. 113. <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">5. Portraying a ludicrous situation as though it were poignant. example: p25 It is always annoying to have quiet times with injured pets interrupted by retired drunken Colonels demanding guns. <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">6. Purposeful distortion of a myth, story, tradition or pop culture artifact. example, Magda’s song for Champy p.24. Downward sloping demand p 116 <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">7. Portrayal of unrecognized foolishness. example: The Colonel worrying over King Richard pp. 232-233 <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">8. Exaggeration/overstatement. example: The first sight of an ostrich p. 144, Rosa doing something in the kitchen that apparently involved a jackhammer and a set of cymbals <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">9. Improper attribution of purpose/intent. example Horses like to cover ground...etc:p229 <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">10. Irony, reversed meanings. example: pp. 141-142. <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">11. Understatement and/or stating the obvious. example: p. 204 “No one would ever characterize sheep as creative creatures.” <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">12. Manipulation of dialects, slang, and colorful figures of speech. example: Bert’s advise about Ev’s hurt feet. pp.119-120 <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">13. Paradoxical framing. example: darting in front of Pink Cadillacs does work up an appetite <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">pp 204-205 <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">14. Unexpected juxtapositions. example: Zebulon Pike, Pike’s Peak and the sight of the ostrich.p114.. <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">15. Predictable vignettes that turn out to have an unexpected meaning. Fanny’s rap on parrots and fighting. pp. 146-147 <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">16. Celebrations of character flaws, pettiness p. 236 Sabine enjoys watching disrespectful children sass their domineering mothers. Sabine is glad that Courtney gets her face rubbed in the dirt.

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Dialogue <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">1. Awkward situations - Ev and Rosa at breakfast. p219 <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">2. Arguments Sabine and Rosa, Ev and VJp p40-42, 10-11, 48,49 <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">3. People talking at cross purposes Fanny, Sabine, and VJ pp 146- 147 <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">4. Conversations lacking listening - Sabine and the prison guard. pp44-47 <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">5. People attempting to manipulate one another or follow an agenda. Sabine and Rosa, then Celia, then Felice pp168 - 174

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">The Overall roller coaster effect build, release in sequence with the laughs getting bigger - Marijuana bonfire in **Crosswinds**, Sabine’s Party in **OSTRICH**.