Writing A-Z: H is for Humor and Harangue
Finding a balance in our writing can be challenging and using humor can be a fairly slippery slope! Humor can be a great way to entertain our readers and even to lighten a mood, however it can go awry so easily! There are some situations where humor is completely inappropriate, and it’s good to be mindful of that! Humor can be used to introduce a conflict, in our story. Sometimes the more ridiculous situation we can paint for our readers, the funnier it gets!
I did say that using humor can be a slippery slope, because my sense of humor may not match yours! It’s actually possible that something I joke about or make light of, could be a serious subject for my reader, and the humor could be considered offensive or insensitive.
One great way to incorporate humor into our writing is through dialogue between two friends or family members fondly ribbing each other. Humor can also be used to make fun of ourselves — putting the reader at ease and chuckling with us when they recognize a similar quality, trait or situation in their lives.
A character in our story could be funny! He/she could be the joker, of the group, capturing the moment with a funny take on the situation or retelling the story from a humorous perspective. Exploring a character who can use humor to diffuse a situation is always interesting.
Harangue is typically defined as a lengthy and aggressive speech. Think of someone at a gathering who has had a bit too much to drink and starts talking, then the volume gets a little louder, because they’re working themselves up, and pretty soon they’re ranting! Another example that comes to mind is a politician giving a speech!
This can be a wonderful literary tool — a great way to share a back story of a character. Exploring why the character is so animated about a particular topic, or so passionate about a subject, can give us insight to a dimension of the character that might not otherwise be brought to light.
Humor can be a great tool — as long as you know your audience and can ensure they’ll “get it.” Harangue, however, can be trickier — we can fall into this area when we’re passionate about a point of view or topic. Let’s be sure we moderate, and modulate, our discussions so as not to alienate our audience! Unless, of course, the intent of our writing is to craft an annoying and unlikeable character.
I hosted a discussion about this topic on Clubhouse in January, 2022. You listen to the replay here for more insights and ideas.
You can find me on line at linktree/themarymoss
