I came across some typed up notes from a previous session of life universe and everything. Here are the notes on writing humor into your stories.

• Humor that’s Integral to the character of the story
• Hannibal Lecter had a sense of humor that added another dimension to this character.
• Humorous premise as opposed to humorous content.
• Human should extend naturally from the characters “Dick Van Dyke show, Odd couple).
• Realism does not equal grimness. Unit can be used to deal with pain. Tragedy plus time equal Schumer.
• Here it can be a socially acceptable outlet for frustration.
• “Surprise without threat is humor.” Rick Walton
• Pacing (higher highs, lower lows) enhances humor.
• A given social group can humanize itself without threat, but humanizing another group can represent a threat, that’s what usually doesn’t ever go well.
• One of the biggest pitfalls is to get outside of your own work and look at it critically.
• You can’t write humor that can be funny to everyone.
• Keep your humor natural to you.
• Pay attention to what’s going on around you, what people do. The audience has to identify with it or it would never sell.
• Know your audience and what they’ll understand.
• Read what you want to write.
• One of the keys to writing humor (a joke story, not as too much relief in a larger story) is economy.

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