Photo courtesy of sean-b

There are but a few vocations in which a skilled practitioner can create instantaneous health benefits including relaxation, lowering blood pressure, curing male pattern baldness and increasing immune system response.

Remarkably, as a writer, you’re already in this line of work. Almost all of these health benefits can all be obtained by making your reader giggle, laugh, guffaw or otherwise shoot beverages out an unexpected orifice.

Before I share a few of the methods you can use to add humor to your writing, I’d like to digress for a moment by predicting and addressing your objections.

• “I’ve just never been a very funny person.”
  Have you ever laughed at something? A sense of humor is a bi-directional feature. If you can laugh, you can make someone else laugh.

• “I write about stuff that is serious.”
  Surprising your readers with a chuckle in the midst of a serious discussion is a terrific way to build a loyal following. Notice I said chuckle – after all, this is serious stuff.
• “When I try to be funny, nobody gets it.”
  You’re trying too hard. Stop that.

• “I’m a writer.  I don’t tell jokes.”
  The rules of good writing also apply to humor. Show, don’t tell.
• “But, I write poetry | fiction | a blog | non-fiction | essays | on bathroom walls | screenplays.”
  Perfect!

Humor isn’t one-size-fits-all, but there are several techniques you can use to drag a smile out of almost anyone. Read more »