I love this book. I refer to it more than any other book when I need to make something funny. I find it be the most useful of all of my books in coming up with jokes and funny lines for my stories, speeches, online courses, and comedy performances.
How to Write Funny is built on the premise that you need to learn the fundamental skill of writing a joke in order to be a successful comedy writer. Scott Dikkers is the founding editor of the Onion and a New York Times best selling author. I feel he knows what he is talking about.
What I learned most from this book was the importance of having good subtext in a joke and how to use the various funny filters to come up with joke and bits that I think are funny.
I enjoyed learning about the subtext in a joke. It was a real eye-opener for me. I hadn’t thought about what my jokes were really saying before. I didn’t know that my funny lines had subtext. But it is there if you look for it. Now I am able to write many jokes using the same opinions and judgements that I have frequently about something. I am able to better fix a joke now when it is not working by looking for what is it really trying to say. Is it true for me?
What’s more is that I realize that my favourite funny filters – the ones that I tend to use instinctively – are irony, character, reference, hyperbole and meta-humour. (This makes me an introverted and contrarian comedy nerd who is prone to exaggeration and making trivial observations that mock stand up comedy and the idea of humour itself.) At the same time, I can expand my joke writing skills by using the other filters that I do not come so easily to me such as – shock, misplaced focus, analogy, wordplay, madcap and parody.
What doesn’t work for me in this book is that there is an over-emphasis on satire which is a form I don’t tend to find funny. It can be too clever for its own good. For example, I don’t read the Onion. It is not my cup of tea.
Favourite Quote:
“If you’re working with good Subtext, one of the Funny Filters will work to make your Subtext funny.” (p.131)
I find this confidence-building. I often run my favourite subtext through all of the 11 funny filters and pick out the funniest line to use in my work. I am pretty sure I will come up with something that I find funny.
Example:
“It’s so cold here in Washington, D.C., the politicians have their hands in their own pockets.” (p.76)
In this Bob Hope joke, the subtext is that ‘politicians are money-grabbers’ and the funny filters used to make this opinion funny include hyperbole, character, irony and meta humour.
Verdict:
If you buy only one book on how to write funny stuff, then make it this one. By understanding subtext and using the different funny filters, you will learn to write funny things and write things funny. Even if you are are not a fan of satire.
Key Question For You To Answer:
- What is a favourite joke really saying when you strip away the humour?
When you have identified the opinion or value judgement, write more jokes based on this subtext which clearly means something to you.
Scott Dikkers at FunnyBizz Conference 2016: