2021 Practice Thread - Good Dialogue – Comic Relief and Witty Comebacks

[InkFinger]

Comedic writing is truly my weakness, because I'm not funny, funny looking, but not funny. Learning to write with wit and humor is a real skill. That's why they have their own forum and devoted writers, but it's an essential part of human communication. And it's critical to writing excellent erotica. I'd love to hear from any and all of you, how you bake it into your writing.

 

[InkFinger]

It's been said that humor comes from things that shock us. A deep conversation with your senile grandmother about the secrets of self pleasure might be funny because it's out of context, mortifying, and basically harmless. Doing something patently stupid and getting away with it can be funny. Watching someone stumble through simple actions can make you laugh all day long. And of course, we have a mean streak, which explains slapstick.

How would you bring humor into the bedroom?

 

[Unimportant]

I can't imagine how you could have humour during sex without interrupting the, er, flow of things. Which may work, I guess. Arousal-sexy-times, pause, giggle, return to arousal-sexy-times, pause, giggle, lather-rinse-repeat. Certainly things can go 'wrong' during sex, where insert tab A into slot B doesn't quite work, and it can lead to hysterical laughter. But laughter and orgasms don't really seem to happen simultaneously.

It'd be easier to have giggle-fest before/during foreplay, then arousal-sexy-times taken to completion, then as appropriate more giggle-fest in the afterglow.

That said, I suck at writing humour.

 

[InkFinger]

I have an idea for this practice thread that I'll mull over.

In terms of the viability of humor, I think there is always a place for everything. It just has to be handled well. Not that I can do it, mind you, but I'm sure a talented humorist could. As for the practice, do what you can. Foreplay can be funny. Failures can be funny. Unexpected wins can be funny. It could be the circumstance, or the participants. Maybe they're trying something new and fumbling through.

That Netflix show Sex Education has done a good job with funny and sex. And I am sure there are others. It should be a fun practice.

 

[Maryn]

I'm pretty old and have therefore had time for scads of sex. Funny things do happen now and again. It can momentarily interrupt us, but being real troupers, we carry on.

My favorite is probably being the only person to face the upper portion of the wall the closet was on, and a pair of glowing golden eyes watched us from a height of about seven feet. The cat was sitting on the top of the bifold closet door, as fascinated as I'd ever seen her, including the time a little snake got in the house. I couldn't help laughing.

These days, it's more often someone's bad knees, hip, or aching shoulder that's funny.

Maryn, falling apart hilariously

 

[llyralen]

I’m a novice, but I’m thinking of sex scenes I like to read as well. I like novels that builds the relationship through the book. I like to feel the love before feeling the love.

I think humor can bring a chance for emotional intimacy and “we’re in our own world” between characters which can lead to deeper love and/or arousal, imo.

In my real life it seems like making me laugh is a prerequisite for my husband being turned on. It’s definitely part of the banter and foreplay. I think it’s because he can see the effect his verbal skills/wit/eloquence have on me. For some reason I think all men are like this, but maybe it’s just ones I like. I like clever funny, sweet guys. His teasing does turn us both on.

I have been noticing the use of embarrassment in novels lately as a tool for relatability. It can bring compassion from the reader to the character. I think it can be used to get closer in a couple as well. Basically “The world is against me, but you understand me and accept me”. Even embarrassment between the couple during sex can be a chance for emotional and physical tenderness. This can be a chance for a lover to be a hero on a small scale.

But how to do it or what to think up? What comes to me is inside jokes between the couple that seem to get reinvented between them all the time. I plant these in the get-to-know-you stages and re-use them but differently right before love scenes. I am a new writer, though. As a reader, I like the MC being sad and the lover trying to cheer them up. I think physical limitations inside of sex that are tenderly accommodated for are interesting and sweet.

As for physical comedy during sex, I’ve never tried to write a fart into a scene, but I think that kind of thing could probably work if done by someone with more experience than me. Lol! maybe after sex or before? Years ago a friend of mine’s boyfriend gave “I can even squeeze a cute little fart out of you” as a reason for them to get married. I am not kidding. It made her laugh like crazy. She loved this inside joke between them so much she showed me the love letter.

This is as far as I’ve got.

 

[frimble3]

I'm pretty old and have therefore had time for scads of sex. Funny things do happen now and again. It can momentarily interrupt us, but being real troupers, we carry on.

My favorite is probably being the only person to face the upper portion of the wall the closet was on, and a pair of glowing golden eyes watched us from a height of about seven feet. The cat was sitting on the top of the bifold closet door, as fascinated as I'd ever seen her, including the time a little snake got in the house. I couldn't help laughing.

These days, it's more often someone's bad knees, hip, or aching shoulder that's funny.

Maryn, falling apart hilariously

I love the cat watching. And, being a cat, probably critiquing in it's head as you went along. Know when you're really doing something (right or wrong)? When he invites friends, and you see them sitting expectantly on the window sill.

 

[ChaseJxyz]

No one in here writing sex scenes with clowns? So many opportunities for physical comedy!

As already mentioned, various things can go wrong. I'm thinking of this one fic where A is doing B, but then B's brother C calls, A tells B to take it, so now B has to keep it together while C is concerned his sister is coming down with something. The whole situation is both funny and hot but the dialogue is what really makes it.

But humor is a lot like sex in how what some people really like, other people will get totally turned off by it. So I guess a big part of this is what normally works for your target audience? Would take a fair bit of research.

 

[akiwiguy]

For some reason as I thought about this thread, I immediately thought of humor as a prelude to first-time sex. Maybe close friends (I picture maybe slightly lost souls, both a bit lonely) where a typical evening of clowning round over a few drinks suddenly leads to intense intimacy. The humour as character building rather than incorporated in the erotic act, but in my mind I can see that sudden stark contrast as potentially hot. Just me, though I am weird. I do, however, often find very funny women inherently sexy.

 

[Unimportant]

Gah, I'm still on dialogue unique to characters. I've read over the stuff in my old unfinished/unsold pile, and bloody hell, EVERY SINGLE CHARACTER I HAVE EVER WRITTEN TALKS EXACTLY THE SAME.

I'll be practicing last week's lesson for, like, the next decade. And reading books where the authors nailed the character voices, to study it and see how they did it.

 

[InkFinger]

Gah, I'm still on dialogue unique to characters. I've read over the stuff in my old unfinished/unsold pile, and bloody hell, EVERY SINGLE CHARACTER I HAVE EVER WRITTEN TALKS EXACTLY THE SAME.

I'll be practicing last week's lesson for, like, the next decade. And reading books where the authors nailed the character voices, to study it and see how they did it.

Don't be hard on yourself. We all do that, until we are focused on fixing it.

 

[InkFinger]

I've been working on this and the challenge for me is pacing. It takes time to build up the tension or setting to make humor work. As a result, I find that the set up is too long and ineffective. To be funny, you've got to come off snappy.

 

[llyralen]

.

 

[AlanHeise]

I have been told I have a witty humor. I have used that mostly while getting to know someone and all through those relationships that allow me to be open and myself. I know that I have used humor during sex very rarely, due to not wanting to lose track of the pleasure and feeling generated. Sometimes though, situations can generate the chance to joke about something going on. I do appreciate the humor in the writing sent out now. Humor has always been integral to finding the right person to love and be loved. If they do not laugh with you and to your way of joking, then imo love is not going to happen. I wish I was better at showing this side of me within the writing. Something to develop I would hope.

 

[Unimportant]

sorry, shifting this as I thought I had posted it in a different forum.

 

[InkFinger]

Reminder this was the discussion thread outside of SYW, should probably bump this one over with the use of descriptive words. That said, fun piece, I'll give criticism over there.

Ink

 

[InkFinger]

We've only had a couple of takers this week. Humor is a tough business. I'm not super happy with mine, but I'd love to see some of yours.

 

[Unimportant]

I love reading humour, but my writing tends to be

1) bog standard horror
2) bog standard erotica
3) depressing fantasy where everyone ends up miserable in the end

I reckon humour is never gonna come naturally to me

But if any active members, or lurkers, can do anything remotely comedic, PLEASE come play!