I like to included humor in my stories. Yet, I don’t want them to be seen as comedies. I like to touch on heavy topics in my stories. Yet, I don’t want them to be seen as serious dramas. That means I need to have both and keep things balanced. That isn’t nearly as easy as some people believe. You can’t throw the two around whenever you feel like it in the hopes of creating an equilibrium. Humor and heavy can clash like battling titans instead of uniting like pieces of a puzzle. So, what are some ways to handle this?
- Whichever one is going to be the main tone of the story should be introduced from the beginning. If you want to have a serious story with humorous sections and conversations then you need to set the heavy stage. If it’s supposed to be a comedic tale that moves into serious territory then start with the funny. You do have a runway to work with since the opening is more character and world introduction, so the tone may be neutral first. Eventually, you need to decide on who gets the bigger slice of pizza.
Writer's Treasure Chest 