3 page essay.

[heather_baby]

So I have this three page essay to write about a funny event that happened in my life. First of all, it has to be authentic, and genuine. It needs to be funny, but without you actually saying the punch line, so to speak.

Well, I'm one of those people that when I tell a joke, I have to explain why it's funny, or when I tell a story, it's always one of those "you'd have to be there" lines.

I suppose my question to you would be, how do I make one funny joke or event that typically took less than ten seconds to happen, span over the link of three pages?

I know three pages isn't a lot, but for one little thing, I find I'm having quite a difficult time.


Now I know you guys are all level headed, and well rounded thinkers, so I thought you might know of something.


Thanks for your time.

 

[ms_ann_thrope]

So I have this three page essay to write about a funny event that happened in my life. First of all, it has to be authentic, and genuine. It needs to be funny, but without you actually saying the punch line, so to speak.

Well, I'm one of those people that when I tell a joke, I have to explain why it's funny, or when I tell a story, it's always one of those "you'd have to be there" lines.

I suppose my question to you would be, how do I make one funny joke or event that typically took less than ten seconds to happen, span over the link of three pages?

I know three pages isn't a lot, but for one little thing, I find I'm having quite a difficult time.


Now I know you guys are all level headed, and well rounded thinkers, so I thought you might know of something.


Thanks for your time.

You either have it, or you don't.

 

[yossi]

All of the humorous events of your life were over in ten seconds?

 

[gardenia19]

I'm not sure why you're struggling getting that into 3 pages when you already have to explain why your jokes are funny. Just keep doing more of that and hope for a passing grade.

 

[heather_baby]

You either have it, or you don't.

Well, I kind of have to have it,nor at least attempt to for this grade :/.

All of the humorous events of your life were over in ten seconds?

Not all of them, but the memorable ones happened quick and hard, making an impact. Those are the ones that I've been reflecting over.

 

[heather_baby]

I'm not sure why you're struggling getting that into 3 pages when you already have to explain why your jokes are funny. Just keep doing more of that and hope for a passing grade.

Because my prof. doesn't want us to have to explain why it's funny.

 

[gardenia19]

So just talk about the situation for 3 pages. What kind of class is it? That seems like a stupid essay topic. I'm so glad I'm not in school anymore.

 

[heather_baby]

So just talk about the situation for 3 pages. What kind of class is it? That seems like a stupid essay topic. I'm so glad I'm not in school anymore.

It's just a comp class. I mean, I understand where he's coming from, but I wish he would have given us more substance to write about.

 

[gardenia19]

I don't blame ya. Give me a researchable topic and I can go on for 20 pages if needed, but tell a story about something in my life? lol. Not happening. Good luck.

 

[heather_baby]

Lol, my point exactly. I hate how he gives us no rules other than format of the paper itself.

But, Goldberg's quote rings true I suppose.

 

[rosco rathbone]

"Funny" is more a matter of interpretation and context. Samuel Beckett can make a sidesplitting affair out of nothing-- an old hobo sucking on pebbles--, but in your hands, lacking wisdom and experience, the same event would be dull and pointless.

 

[Aquagal]

Create a build up to your characters. It doesn't have to all be true, just embellish your story.

 

[Sinny]

Humor writing is in the details.

Ask yourself:

How did the situation or person taste, look, smell? Details, details, details.

How did the people involved respond, how did you read their faces? Was there something about the situation that seemed absurd at the time? Describe that.

What was the subtext? Did you have a rolling internal dialog that didn't mirror the external situation? I think of humor writers like David Sedaris or Sarah Vowell where they'll pepper their writing with whatever random shit was running through their mind while experiencing XYZ. Find an essay Sedaris wrote for the New Yorker about drowning a mouse on his porch when a car load of tourists happened by. Pure comedy. Sometimes the subtext is more funny than the situation. Exploit that.

Final words... the trick is to give the reader awesome amounts of details without reading pedantic. Also, you want to use short sentences. That will drive the reader forward.

 

[heather_baby]

Humor writing is in the details.

Ask yourself:

How did the situation or person taste, look, smell? Details, details, details.

How did the people involved respond, how did you read their faces? Was there something about the situation that seemed absurd at the time? Describe that.

What was the subtext? Did you have a rolling internal dialog that didn't mirror the external situation? I think of humor writers like David Sedaris or Sarah Vowell where they'll pepper their writing with whatever random shit was running through their mind while experiencing XYZ. Find an essay Sedaris wrote for the New Yorker about drowning a mouse on his porch when a car load of tourists happened by. Pure comedy. Sometimes the subtext is more funny than the situation. Exploit that.

Final words... the trick is to give the reader awesome amounts of details without reading pedantic. Also, you want to use short sentences. That will drive the reader forward.

Wow, that is tremendously helpful! Thank yo so much!

 

[Sinny]

Wow, that is tremendously helpful! Thank yo so much!

I am buzzed on Pimm's right now, so keep that in mind. I remember struggling with similar assignments during my undergrad years. Fuck! So much pressure with profs who would give assignments with the barest details and expect that you to spin gold. I would overwrite and complete two essays and submit the best of the two. One time, I had a dear friend who worked late at a demanding job and didn't have time to finish her essay, so I gave her my less stellar essay, which she rewrote in her handwriting in a blue book (anyone remember those??). You will not believe this bullshit. She got an A and I got a B and I wrote both the damn essays. I was so flaming pissed. She felt really bad, but what were we going to do? Tell the prof I wrote them both and could I please have the better grade? Heh.

 

[heather_baby]

I am buzzed on Pimm's right now, so keep that in mind. I remember struggling with similar assignments during my undergrad years. Fuck! So much pressure with profs who would give assignments with the barest details and expect that you to spin gold. I would overwrite and complete two essays and submit the best of the two. One time, I had a dear friend who worked late at a demanding job and didn't have time to finish her essay, so I gave her my less stellar essay, which she rewrote in her handwriting in a blue book (anyone remember those??). You will not believe this bullshit. She got an A and I got a B and I wrote both the damn essays. I was so flaming pissed. She felt really bad, but what were we going to do? Tell the prof I wrote them both and could I please have the better grade? Heh.

Lol, wouldn't that be a sight to see?

Yeah, this guy is just irritating.. It's hard for me to think outside of the box when it comes to writing because I have my own methods and processes. Now i have to change them? Grrr.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Writing jokes is easy, took me two seconds to make this up: Readers don't pay attention. The other day I posted a story to the Non Erotic Category, and a reader commented: HEY ASSHOLE! WHERES THE SEX? I READ YOUR STUPID STORY AND THE ONLY ONE GOT FUCKED IS ME.

Its not brain science or ObamaCare (another joke).

 

[Aquagal]

Lol, wouldn't that be a sight to see?

Yeah, this guy is just irritating.. It's hard for me to think outside of the box when it comes to writing because I have my own methods and processes. Now i have to change them? Grrr.

Make it a sexually funny one, and he'll be so enraptured by your guts to write that, he may overlook content or style.

 

[girlsmiley]

Now I know you guys are all level headed, and well rounded thinkers, so I thought you might know of something.


Thanks for your time.

^Made me "heh" a little. But only a little.


4/10.

 

[heather_baby]

^Made me "heh" a little. But only a little.


4/10.

That was the intention.

 

[Boxlicker101]

You know, you don't have to write about something that was funny then. You can write about something that was quite serious but, looking back at it, you can see the humor.

For example, you can describe looking through some pictures your mother has and find one of your graduating class from elementary school. You can write about how special you thought you were, and how beautiful, but now you see your frizzy hair and your skinny legs. You see the guy you had a crush on and describe how you thought he was just wonderful, but now you see him as a dork.

The humor in the situation would be how everything turned out differently than you expected, but for the better. One thing to be careful of is to avoid sounding bitter.

 

[Sasha_Lyazzat]

Because my prof. doesn't want us to have to explain why it's funny.

If need explained probably not funny.

 

[neci]

You know, you don't have to write about something that was funny then. You can write about something that was quite serious but, looking back at it, you can see the humor.

For example, you can describe looking through some pictures your mother has and find one of your graduating class from elementary school. You can write about how special you thought you were, and how beautiful, but now you see your frizzy hair and your skinny legs. You see the guy you had a crush on and describe how you thought he was just wonderful, but now you see him as a dork.

The humor in the situation would be how everything turned out differently than you expected, but for the better. One thing to be careful of is to avoid sounding bitter.

leave it to the pedo to bring up elementary school pictures.

 

[girlsmiley]

That was the intention.

Snide remark in a post about a 3-page essay on being funny.

Well done, champ.

F.

 

[heather_baby]

Snide remark in a post about a 3-page essay on being funny.

Well done, champ.

F.

I believe you are misunderstood.

My intent was not to be sarcastic at all, or snide.

The intent was to have you all do exactly what you did. I did it when I wrote it.