Bethany Henry: Writing & Wellness

There’s this idea of the suffering artist. Of all the work that needs to be done, the sleepless nights, and the sacrifices. The miserable, miserable work work work that it takes to succeed. This is a myth. Don’t get me wrong- there is certainly something to be said for hard work. For perseverance and not giving up. For paying our bills, being responsible, and showing up to put our butts in the chair every day. But sometimes… even often, dare I say? Sometimes it can be fun. It’s  supposed  to be fun. In her wonderful book The Artist’s Way, Julia Cameron talks about our inner artists as a child that just needs to be nurtured and set free. Play can be valuable and magical. It allows us to see the world with wonder and to unlock our creativity and the art within. Because there  is  art within us, great stories and dreams and brilliance! But sometimes we bury ourselves and our art under work. Maybe we stop ourselves from making art because we’re too busy making ...

I hope you’ve had the giddy and almost magical experience of reading a book that makes you literally laugh out loud. Finding humor in our fiction is a wonderful thing! However, often this is easier said than done. Telling ourselves to “write funny” doesn’t usually work and when a joke falls flat or the humor feels forced, well, that doesn’t do our writing any favors. Today we’re going to look at different types of humor in writing, some common pitfalls, and 5 strategies for including humor in our own writing. Writing Humor Well Types of Humor There are several different ways a story can be funny! Recognizing what types of humor fit into to our stories and personal writing style can help us lean towards our strengths. Here are are a few different types of humor with examples- if you think of others feel free to comment below! Absurdism The comic absurd style is filled with random ridiculousness. Maybe you will go to smell a flower and find it is actually an alligator, maybe the sky is f...