As a long-time writer and once and future comedian, I’ve always loved the challenge of trying to make people laugh. When you do standup or improv, you have a lot of tools at your disposal: your voice, your face, your body… The situation is very different when you are trying to get a chuckle out of someone with prose. You can’t change the tone of your voice. You can’t add seconds of silence for emphasis. All you have are words and the spaces between them.
Sarah Hunt is a comedian and podcast host who is the behind-the-scenes backbone of Small Town Murder and Crime in Sports, podcasts that are hosted by Jimmie Whisman and her husband James Pietragallo. (The latter of whom will be happy to know that I did indeed copy/paste his surname instead of trying to be a hero by spelling it properly on my own.)
Hunt recently released small potatoes: mouthwatering musings of a misanthrope, a book that is mostly comedy, little bit personal essay. The author is one in a long line of funnypeople to write a book, of course. Let’s start by taking a look at an example of Jerry Seinfeld doing the same exact bit in two different media. Here is the standup version:
And here is that same bit in prose form from Seinfeld’s book Seinlanguage:
What are some of the differences?
- The spoken version is a little less precise in the language, not as tight. This is acceptable because Seinfeld isn’t reading off a script. Standup is supposed to be conversational, and if the guy sounded like he was reciting the words, the experience wouldn’t be as fun.
- Note how that follow-up joke (the quote) is set in a new paragraph. This tactic mimics the pause Seinfeld makes in the spoken version.
- In the prose version, you just don’t get that delightful deadpan in which Seinfeld delivers the ridiculously inappropriate job interview question.
Now let’s take a look at some of the ways Sarah Hunt tried to evoke laughter with letters, words, and paragraphs.
- Just like Seinfeld, Hunt uses relatively short paragraphs. Keeping the paragraphs short allows the author to flit from idea to idea while maintaining an overall throughline in a routine (or essay). Even better, if you keep the paragraphs short, you’re usually ending a paragraph on a punchline, which maximizes the line’s effect. Here’s an example:
See? Each paragraph ends with a punch.
The author also does what she can to add dynamics and change the voice of the writing.
- ALL CAPS changes the dynamics of the prose, adding volume.
- Italics can represent a whisper, an aside.
- (Parentheticals) are also an aside and subconsciously separate the sentences from the rest of the paragraph. (A good way to add follow-up punchlines.)
Hunt also alternates short essays/bits with long bits. For example, this is all that is on a page of the book that is nestled between two far longer essays.
The effect of the short/long contrast is interesting. Hunt ensures that her essays never wear out their welcome, and though the whole book is underpinned with food in some way, she allows herself to make all kinds of different jokes about different subjects. This variety spices up her collection.
Here’s another full page:
Ladies and gentlemen, what is a comedian’s most powerful tool? What are the bricks they use to build their stone walls of hilarity? (And mixed metaphors?)
Wordplay.
Humor can come from situation, of course, but wordplay is an incredibly important part of being funny. This little joke earns a chuckle because it forces the reader to think about the words in a totally unanticipated way. “Shampoo” is one word in our minds. It is funny when the next line forces us to think of “shampoo” as two words for the first time. (Yes, yes. I am aware that explaining a joke only makes it funnier. Especially when that joke is about poo.)
What are some of the tactics you employ to make your stories funny? Share your ideas in the comments below!
