My Best Tip For Humor Writing

I gave my Finding the Funny in Communications keynote yesterday, and once again I had to point out to people that you don’t have to be “born funny” to add humor to your communications. So many times we’re waiting for “permission” to use humor. . .when in fact most people will appreciate that you’re trying to use humor in your communications and lighten things up. . .even if it doesn’t hit. I had dinner with a friend I hadn’t seen in almost 35 years this week (thanks to Facebook!) and I was reminded that I was never the “class clown” in school and that “comedian” was not something people would have associated with me. And my friend was right – I wasn’t really funny, though I am now (even my friend said how funny I was).

Why did I do it?

That’s because I wanted to be funny, and I spent time learning about humor and how to do it. Using humor in written and verbal communications has soooo many benefits (to be addressed in a later blog), but many times because no one has told us that we’re naturally funny, then we don’t do it. Coming up with humor is more of a commitment to looking for the humor than it is a statement about “funny skills” you may possess. Hey I went to the same public high school in Virginia as Sandra Bullock, Shirley MacClaine and Warren Beatty, and I don’t think any of them won acting awards. . . though I could be wrong, but I remember teachers saying that warren was into sports (Sandra was a few years after me – but my younger sister Brenda has her signature in her yearbook!!!).

My biggest writing tip. . .

So my biggest humor writing tip would be to TRY IT. Don’t wait for people to tell you it’s okay. . . it’s funner to have them tell you how funny you are and that they never realized it. I had to sound like a commercial for a sneaker, but JUST DO IT! Jan www.JanBlog.com – read about my meeting with Liz after almost 35 years! www.TheWorkLady.com – my website with new pics of a program I did last week!