The Sentinels, Coloured Pencil | by Lee Rawn
In the last few posts, I’ve talked about recording a story or novel. You might enjoy writing and recording family stories. I am the chronicler for my family, and what they appreciate most is comedy. Everyone remembers the embarrassing or awkward moments. Hearing about, or reading these incidents, puts us right there in time and place.
By drawing from you own experience, you already have the basis for your story. Now you can tease out the humour. How can word choice and sentence structure magnify funny?
Be specific. Instead of the car careened over Harriet’s flowers, try the smart car flattened Harriet’s petunias. It’s visual. Place the funny word last. Oddly, words beginning with consonants are funnier than those beginning with vowels. Replace petunias with irises and listen to how it sounds.
Avoid explanations. Keep the the story short and brisk. An explanation that Harriet’s petunias reminded her of her grandmother’s garden, will only slow the momentum.
Use the five senses to heighten the experience. It’s easy to relate to the odour of rotting fruit or the smell of freshly baked cinnamon buns. Notice odour= unpleasant. Smell or fragrance= pleasant.
You can add a quick one-liner after the punch line to heighten the funny.
Writing short, funny stories is highly entertaining. why not give it a try?
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