Ooh, don't change your voice or your funny-ness! SERIOUS schmerious. Being able to make people laugh aloud through your writing is a rare gift. I just laughed aloud at someone's commentary about a certain person in the US government meeting with a certain important person yesterday who sadly passed away this morning. The topic was as serious as it gets, but boy did I find my friend's comments on it hilarious.
Great exploration of what humor is, means, all that. I think it might be the most difficult of all things to write well. When it works, especially when it works in the way it looks at serious topics--wow! I love your Ernest Hemingway piece, by the way.
First of all, the cat picture gave me their first out loud chuckle of the day, so thanks for that, I need all the smiles and chuckles I can get nowadays. And you did a beautiful job of working through one of the issues we face as writers if we want to deal with dark, sad, issues, but prefer to do it in a voice that permits humor, even if black humor. I write historical mysteries with murder and mayhem and social issues like poverty and sexual assault and racism, but the are "cozy mysteries" which also means there is light HEA romance and humor. A fine line, but from my perspective also a lot more fun to write! Hope this is true for you as well.
This serious vs funny is an issue that I struggle with, too. I feel as though people expect writing about disability “stuff” should be super serious and sincere (in a really cloying way). The truth is that my authentic voice is very snarky and funny.
I think that we just need to embrace the funny. I tipped you because this essay sort of solidified this for me.
I love your snarky voice! I love snarky, period. Please, all the snark and especially in talking about disability, which is so ripe for snark given the attitudes that are out there.
I think there’s a power in humor. If we can laugh about something, then it has a little less power over us.
Ooh, don't change your voice or your funny-ness! SERIOUS schmerious. Being able to make people laugh aloud through your writing is a rare gift. I just laughed aloud at someone's commentary about a certain person in the US government meeting with a certain important person yesterday who sadly passed away this morning. The topic was as serious as it gets, but boy did I find my friend's comments on it hilarious.
Thanks, Anjali. Good lord, yes, if we can’t laugh sometimes at this total shit-show that is our country and the world, we’re doomed.
Great exploration of what humor is, means, all that. I think it might be the most difficult of all things to write well. When it works, especially when it works in the way it looks at serious topics--wow! I love your Ernest Hemingway piece, by the way.
Thanks, Barb! I loved writing that piece and loved reading it out loud.
First of all, the cat picture gave me their first out loud chuckle of the day, so thanks for that, I need all the smiles and chuckles I can get nowadays. And you did a beautiful job of working through one of the issues we face as writers if we want to deal with dark, sad, issues, but prefer to do it in a voice that permits humor, even if black humor. I write historical mysteries with murder and mayhem and social issues like poverty and sexual assault and racism, but the are "cozy mysteries" which also means there is light HEA romance and humor. A fine line, but from my perspective also a lot more fun to write! Hope this is true for you as well.
Exactly, Louisa. It’s totally possible to mix serious stuff with a little lightness.
Also, I had to google HEA!
This serious vs funny is an issue that I struggle with, too. I feel as though people expect writing about disability “stuff” should be super serious and sincere (in a really cloying way). The truth is that my authentic voice is very snarky and funny.
I think that we just need to embrace the funny. I tipped you because this essay sort of solidified this for me.
I love your snarky voice! I love snarky, period. Please, all the snark and especially in talking about disability, which is so ripe for snark given the attitudes that are out there.
I think there’s a power in humor. If we can laugh about something, then it has a little less power over us.
Also, thanks for the tip, Teri!