Murder, muscles, mystery, "players", kick-ass chicks, jaded attitudes, and stumbling imperfections....
Thrillers and suspense novels require a talent for inciting intrigue, developing a cast worth tuning into, arousing emotion, and a good dose of humor tossed in to balance out the danger and despair that threads its way throughout the best crime books.
Who wants to follow a tale that dips into the dark, dismal abyss and dies there? As in real life, you must etch in emotional hills and valleys along the journey. Humor is one technique that makes fiction realistic and your characters relatable.
Think about your favorite TV show, book, or fiction flavor of choice. Why do you like them? Is it the plot, characters, scenery, dialogue? What about humor?
Classic cop banter has been done over and over with men and women in cities all over the country on pretty much every TV channel, movie screen,and between the pages of almost every crime novel. And why? Because it still works. Each season new dramas launch featuring detectives who follow clues and question perps. It's all part of a mission to solve murderous mayhem, rid the streets of the so called common criminal and entertain audiences with witty dialogue, complex plots, and high octane action.
Here Rosemary Harris shares how and why she injects humor into her mysteries:
Humor Makes Fiction Realistic And Characters Relatable from Jennifer Darden on Vimeo.
4 Examples Of Humor Done Well
1. Hawaii Five O And Common Law - Opposites attract in love, friendship, and partnerships. The constant knot of tension created from different personality types trying to interact with each other on a daily basis is a source of great humor. I didn't watch the original Hawaii Five O series but I love the new one! Common Law also features an unlikely pairing. Both dramas are fast paced, witty, and hysterical. On the way to inspect a dead body or while winding their way through personal life misery the comical dialogue keeps rolling!
2. Stephanie Plum, Bounty Hunter Series - As cars explode, corpses pile up, and kidnappings occur in "the Berg" (New Jersey) the foils and follies of bounty hunter, Stephanie Plum, along with her hysterical supporting cast, keep us laughing ecstatically with each turn of the page. Imperfections in others make us laugh at them and allow us to find humor in our own stumbles and struggles. When your characters show some vulnerabilities they become 3 dimensional and not just linear text on a page.
3. J.D. Robb, Nora Robert's Eve Dallas And Rourk Series - The hard ass attitude that's tilted to a negative slant but emanates from a bold, confident, but jaded for good reason, heroine, becomes amusing and clever rather than a turn off.
4. Suits - The USA channel has some of the most original and intriguing productions on television with interesting well written characters. Suits Is a shining example of a unique premise with corporate crime, a memorable crew, some likable, some you love to hate.
The ability to write humor comes naturally for some authors. For others it takes practice. While you're scratching your own words on the page pay attention to the methods your favorite writers are using to incorporate humor into their scripts. Learn how to internalize their style and integrate it with your own so you can take your readers on a trip with with plenty of ups and downs broken up by comic relief in the middle.
What books and shows would you add to this list of humor done well?
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