- Joined
- Apr 1, 2008
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I never set out to write humorous or funny fiction. It just happened when I started writing fiction, and I went with it. I'm still a little surprised by this because I don't really consider myself a funny person. But my readers (at this point writer friends and professors) seem to think it works. Most of the fiction I write is absurdist fiction and supposed to be funny.
But sometimes I try to write stories that are of a more serious tone. I recently wrote a short story about suicide, thinking there is nothing funny about that. I workshopped this story with my writing group, and people still picked up on my unintentional humor in the piece. They thought I was holding back and that my twisted dark humor should be unleashed. In no way do I make fun of suicide, and I was not trying to be funny. But I can see how I took a grieving character and went a little over the top with it. It's not a funny story, but it seems to have its moments.
So, I have two questions. Are there subject matters where humor doesn't belong or can some level of humor work for almost anything? And, for all you humor writers, do you ever try and write more serious fiction, too, or do you stick to the more humorous style many of us here are probably used to?
And should I just accept that this is how I write?
But sometimes I try to write stories that are of a more serious tone. I recently wrote a short story about suicide, thinking there is nothing funny about that. I workshopped this story with my writing group, and people still picked up on my unintentional humor in the piece. They thought I was holding back and that my twisted dark humor should be unleashed. In no way do I make fun of suicide, and I was not trying to be funny. But I can see how I took a grieving character and went a little over the top with it. It's not a funny story, but it seems to have its moments.
So, I have two questions. Are there subject matters where humor doesn't belong or can some level of humor work for almost anything? And, for all you humor writers, do you ever try and write more serious fiction, too, or do you stick to the more humorous style many of us here are probably used to?
And should I just accept that this is how I write?
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