I write humorous cozy mysteries, and I embrace that fact. Murder and mirth: Do they go together? I’d like to think so—and not only because I write them. I’ve heard morticians and paramedics talk about using morbid humor to get them through tense situations. Comedy can act as a balm.
Growing up, I
was definitely not the class clown, but I
appreciated humor in my life. I admired wit from my family, friends, and
through books. Back then, I never would have imagined that one of my books (Mimi Lee Gets A Clue) would be nominated for a Lefty Award
for Best Humorous Mystery.
Recently, I’ve even been asked to sit on panels on being funny. I did a virtual event on July 20 with other bloggers from Chicks on the Case called, “A Killer Sense of Humor: Adding Mirth to Murder Mysteries.” I was also on the Killer Humor Cozy Panel (August 13, 2021) sponsored by Murder by the Book.
Even as I participated
in these events, I also made sure to jot down advice from the other panelists.
How do we insert
humor into our novels? Some ideas are:
·
Add humor—but
not too close to the actual murder
·
On the other
hand, kill those whom you love to hate
·
Use realistic
observations but go at them sideways (like a stand-up comic)
·
Throw in funny
situations, even veering into slapstick if you want
·
Subvert readers’
expectations: set them up for something and then do the opposite (a.k.a. go for
the punchline twist)
·
Make characters
witty: people (or animals) in books can have witty internal thoughts or
external chatter
In the end,
humor is subjective. That’s why it’s super helpful to have beta readers,
critique partners, and editors reel in the joking.
However, I do try
to make myself chuckle while I’m writing. For me, that’s a good barometer of
achieving humor. And the sweetest reward is when others agree, like Katie’s
Cottage Books. Katie said of Mimi Lee Gets A Clue:
“5 laugh out loud stars!” and “I was
reading this book at the bakery and laughing so hard, the random guy at the
next table asked me, if I was ok!”
What tickles
your funny bone?
