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The process of using humor to dissolve sadness can often create the wide variety of emotional structures needed for a compelling story.
So, how do you create this effect in your own story? Today, TED speaker Jodie Houlston Lau shared a tip with us.
Speaker: Jodie Houlston-Lau
演讲题目: How to make a sad story funny
A World War II veteran processes the devastation he’s witnessed from the confines of an intergalactic zoo.
A World War II veteran is dealing with the devastation he witnessed inside the Interstellar Zoo.
As an estranged parent and child meet at a fraught family reunion, a little girl mumbles, “How do you do?” from behind a dirty curtain.
When an estranged pair of parents and children meet at a tense family gathering, a little girl hides behind a dirty curtain and mutters, "How are you?" ”
After the death of his best friend, a lonely king travels to the end of the world in search for answers and... walks into a bar.
After the death of his best friend, a lonely king travels to the end of the world in search of answers, by the way.... Walk into the bar.
It may seem counterintuitive, but comedy is often key to a serious story. As a writer, you need your audience to experience a range of emotions, no matter what your genre. Whether you want to evoke fear, grief, or excitement, when people are exposed to one emotion for too long, they become desensitized to it.
It may seem counterintuitive, but comedy is often the key to serious stories. As a writer, you need your readers to experience a range of emotions, no matter what type of writer you are. Whether you want to evoke fear, sadness, or excitement, people become less sensitive when they are exposed to an emotion for long periods of time.
Comic relief is a tried-and-true way of creating the varied emotional texture a compelling story needs. So how can you create this effect in your own stories? Whether you use characters, situations, language, or any combination of the three, timing and contrast are crucial.
Comedic reliefs are a proven way to create the various emotional layers needed for a compelling story. So how do you create this effect in your own story? Whether you use characters, situations, language, or any combination of the three, timing and contrast are crucial.
Take the “Epic of Gilgamesh.” This ancient Mesopotamian tale is possibly the oldest known work of literature, and yet the story remains compelling today. As King Gilgamesh approaches the end of the world, he walks into a bar. We think we’re reaching the climax of his story— only to have our expectations subverted.
Take, for example, the "Epic of Gilgamesh". This ancient Mesopotamian story may be the oldest known work of literature, but the story is still fascinating today. When King Gilgamesh was about to face the end of the world, he walked into a bar. We thought we were reaching the climax of his story — and it turned out to have upended our expectations.
That brief respite allows the tension to build even higher to a later, true climax. It both relieves and creates tension. This lesson also applies to modern stories: by briefly lightening the mood, you can build tension in your stories exactly when it’s needed.
This brief respite exacerbated tensions until a real climax occurred. It can both relieve stress and create tension. This lesson also applies to modern stories: by briefly easing the atmosphere, you can create tension in the story when needed.
The moment at the bar doesn’t just amplify the audience’s emotional response— it also complicates it. The wise bartender questions the purpose of Gilgamesh’s quest— setting the stage for the final, more nuanced resolution.
You can use comic relief not only to create contrast with graver moments, but to comment on them.
The moment at the bar not only amplifies the audience's emotional reaction, but also complicates it. The wise bartender questioned Gilgamesh's purpose — to lay the groundwork for a more subtle solution in the end. Not only can you use comedic reliefs to contrast with more serious moments, but you can also comment on them.
Sidekicks are one of the most common and direct ways to do this: they can supply sneakily perceptive commentary on the main action, often while simultaneously serving as blundering, hapless punchlines.
Partnering is one of the most common and direct ways: they can provide sneaky insightful comments on the main action, often acting as impetuous, unlucky quips at the same time.
Kurt Vonnegut’s “Slaughterhouse-Five” takes a different approach: the story continuously alternates between horrific war scenes and wacky science fiction moments. These scenes provide comic relief, but also open a dialogue about what’s usually unspeakable, highlighting the arbitrary nature of human suffering in a way that makes it more impactful.
Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five takes a different approach: the story constantly alternates between horrific war scenes and quirky sci-fi moments. The scenes provide comedic comfort, but also open up a conversation about something often unspeakable, highlighting the randomness of human suffering in a more impactful way.
Arundhati Roy’s “The God of Small Things” takes yet another approach to comic relief. The narrative style draws upon the perspective of children to infuse a tragic story with poignant humor.
Arundhati Roy's The God of Small Things takes another form of comedic relief. The narrative style draws on children's perspectives and injects poignant humor into tragic stories.
When the adults funnel decades of tensions over race, class, and family dynamics into their expectations for their children’s behavior, you can’t help but chuckle with recognition when, at the moment she’s expected to put on a perfect performance of politeness, 7-year-old Rahel “[ravels] herself like a sausage into the dirty airport curtain and [won’t] unravel.”
You can't help but laugh out loud as adults transform decades of tension from race, class, and family dynamics into their expectations of children's behavior, when she's expected to show perfect courtesy, 7-year-old Rahel "[rolls herself like a sausage into dirty airport curtains and [won't] untie it."
At the same time, you know her failure to behave will only add to the tension. Afterward, she thinks, “the play had gone bad. Like Pickle in a monsoon.” This punchline underscores the reality of the situation: the reunion is so forced and formal, Rahel feels like her family are actors in a play, and she feels powerless in the storm of what’s happening.
At the same time, you know that her unruly behavior only exacerbates the tension. After that, she thought, "This play is already terrible." It's like kimchi in the monsoon. The quip underscores the reality: the reunion is forced but formal, and Rahel feels her family is like the actors in the play, feeling powerless in the storm that is unfolding.
To make the most of comic relief, think not only about what moment in your story would most benefit from a splash of contrasting emotion, but also: what message you’d like to convey that you can’t say directly? Which of your readers’ assumptions would you like to call into question?
To make the most of comedic effect, think not only about which moment in your story will benefit the most from the strong contrasting mood, but also think about: What message do you want to convey that you can't express directly? What assumptions do you want to confuse the reader?
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