The Newsletter Stand

My Funny Horror Comedy 10-29-08

HI, I'm Robin and I'll be your guest editor for this week's Comedy Newsletter

With Halloween days away, I thought I’d hit on the mixing and blending of genres, scary/horror plus comedy. For me, funny/scary is Beattlejuice, it's The Goonies, it's well...um...fun. Combining comedy with horror or scary offers a change it up approach to your everyday writing method.

What do you need to write a funny horror? Writing comedy, in general, is about wording, style, timing. Adding horror/scary to your funny doesn't change these "rules". It does give you, the writer a chance to flex your creative fingers, wiggle them, stretch them, tap them on your keyboard and see where they take you.

Want to write a horror comedy screenplay or novel? Cnsider the following:

What you like – Solid advice for any style/genre, reading or watching what you like helps to put you in a particular mind frame. It’s easier to emulate an author you understand and appreciate over one you struggle through reading.

Prior to writing an assignment, I re-read books, articles, excerpts from the style I’m looking to produce. Think of it as warm-up stretches before running, or playing tennis. I study style, description, dialogue, etc.. Note on style – stick with your own. It’s difficult to copy another author’s style; however, it if feels right on you, feel free to emulate. Forcing uncomfortable style produces awkwardness for your readers.

Pick a theme – If your story is about mummies, weave a few lines in about being wrapped up. Turn everyday sentences into mummy sentences. You're writing about skeletons? A skeleton needs his jacket or he'll freeze his bones off. Watch for overkill here. You don’t want your readers finishing your sentences for you.

Everyday / ordinary- Try dropping your gouls, ghosts, monsters in normal situations. While it may not be funny for a teenage daughter to yell over her shoulder(while slumped over her dresser yanking out colors of fabric left and right), “Mom! Have you seen my blue sweater?” It would be worth a smile to have a teenage ghost yanking out all white fabric, yelling over her shoulder, “Mom! Have you seen my silk sheet?”

Or maybe, a mother skeleton scolding her youngster for not drinking enough milk because she’s worried about his bones.

Exaggerate – A mainstay in comedy writing, still holds true for comedy/horror. The following is from a 1997 Disney made for TV movie called, Under Wraps, a story where three kids accidentally re-animate a mummy on Halloween.

Gilbert: My mom collects antique dolls. That's perfectly normal. A lot of people collect dolls.
Amy: Yeah, a lot of insane people.
Gilbert: My mom's not insane.
Amy: She takes her dolls to the movies.
Gilbert: So, there's nothing wrong with that.
Amy: She buys them popcorn.
Gilbert: Once! She did that once!

The dialogue exchange is funny because not only does the mother take her dolls to the movies, she buys them popcorn. The writer could have stopped at “She takes her dolls to the movies,” which would have been cute, but, the popcorn part really accelerates the humor.

There is no set formula when it comes to writing a funny horror/scary piece. Although, if you remember a few rules, like exaggerate the cute and emulate what you like…then stick to a theme and make your horror characters do normal things, you’ll end up with a story that’s worth a laugh.


until next time,

Robin

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What readers are saying...comments from a previous newsletter on writing what you know...

maryelle - Good information. I think it's just as important to base it on a town or large city you are familiar with. I don't necessarily write the life I live, but the locale is a truism. It lends credance to your characters.


Jaye P. Marshall - Good newesletter, Robin. Sometimes it's surprising what we find that we "know" when we stop and think about it.

Thanks for featuring my piece, "Train of Adventure".


lethomson - Thank you for this newsletter! Today I spoke with a few gentlemen I work with in writing, and expressed a writer's block that I can't seem to scoop out of. The words 'write what you know' floated through my mind, but I couldn't think of how.

I'll try these out!

Thank you!

VL


weeowl flying free! - Writing what you know is a great place to start. The best part is how it turns out to be something totally surprising. Start with what you know and go beyond! It's possible. Great Newsletter! Great tips too! Thanks Weeowl