21 (and a half) Ways to Write Funny: Guest Post by Debut Author Vicky Lorencen and The Big Book of Barf: A Spewnami of Sick Science, Hurled History and Body Oddities Giveaway

Happy Monday Everyone! Today I’m excited to have debut author Vicky Lorencen here to share a guest post on writing humor to celebrate the upcoming release of her MG The Big Book of Barf: A Spewnami of Sick Science, Hurled History and Body Oddities. I’ve known Vicky for a long time because we’re both member of SCBWI in Michigan. I’m thrilled she’s a debut author and am looking forward to reading her book.

Here's a blurb from Amazon:

Did you know that there are glasses to prevent motion sickness…Or that astronauts can get “space sick”…This hilarious and wacky illustrated book is jam-packed with silly facts, crazy activities, and even recipes (Barf-day cake, anyone?) that will have you learning all about the fascinating world of barf, our bodies, and beyond.

Yes, barf is gross. But...it also kind of tells us a lot about how our bodies work? Whether it’s that saliva protects your teeth from vomit or that your stomach can hold 4 quarts of food and liquid…Vomit is the revolting, disgusting, slimy, gooey but also hurl-arious fabric that holds us together!

The Big Book of Barf is perfect the curious science-loving kids who love to digest (and then regurgitate) cool and crazy facts. This colorful and engaging book is filled with myths and history about vomit, humorous health hacks to keep your food down, facts about your digestive system, activities for home, jokes, and more! All this gastronomic gargle-gravy goodness will entertain and inform young readers whether at home, in school, or especially [cough, gag, heave] in the bathroom.

Now here’s Vicky!

I know everything there is to know about humor writing.

I do.

Let me qualify that—I know everything “I” know about funny writing. There. That’s more accurate. And to be even more precise (preciser?), I know just under two dozen things you might like to know about adding humor to your writing for children. 

Disclaimer #1:  Writing rules, like the English language, are tufted with exceptions. Humorous writing is particularly subjective. If one of these tips fails to speak to you, remember, tips can’t talk.

1.    Humor is a heart-grabber. Humor can give you a portal to your reader’s heart. When your reader throws back her head in laughter, that’s your opportunity to reach in and snatch that reader’s heart.
2.    Humor can reveal your character’s character. Your character’s sense of what’s funny informs the reader about a character’s values/personality/point of view.
3.    Humor serves to make serious scenes serious-er. Drama is more dramatic, and stress is more intense, when it’s contrasted with timely, brief bursts of levity.
4.    Please yourself and your reader first. If your story makes adults laugh too, that’s a bonus. Resist the temptation to include a funny aside or quip solely for the grown-up reader’s benefit. Show some R-E-S-P-E-C-T for the young reader. Yes, Auntie Aretha said so.
5.    Humor lets your reader come up for air. That means, the timing of your lighter moments is critical. Otherwise, you can let all the air out of the balloon (that is to say, the rising tension will dissipate).
6.    Don’t be afraid to use poop. The strategic use of taboo words like poop, booger, fart, snot, barf, belch or any of the other bodily-function-centric funny words is a sure-fire way to tickle your reader. (Trust me on this one!)
7.    (Caveat to #7) Over-doing doo doo is a no no. Remember even poop can lose its pizzazzle and be drained of its power with overuse. Just a sprinkling of poo will do.
8.    Sometimes, as in real life, your funniest character can be the one experiencing the most pain. The character’s sense of humor reveals and contrasts with their internal conflict with their people-facing side.
9.    Sarcasm is the wasabi of humor – use sparingly. Sarcastic quips get old and typically distances people. It’s like Windex mixed with burnt toast and apprehension. So, if you create a character who wants to push people away, sarcasm is the way to go. But be sure to dig deep to understand your character’s snark attacks. Why does he use sarcasm? What’s his back story?
10.    Humor needs to fortify the overall plot (and not just hang out in the wings until it’s time to walk on stage). Otherwise, it’s just a series of Dad jokes—unless you want the Dad to tell jokes in the story “just because.”
11.    Humorous books meet a basic need. Kids need opportunities to laugh, to giggle, to be delighted and to escape. Your humor can forge an intimate bond with your reader because your stories will be source of happiness. There’s nothing like making yourself laugh, except for making your reader laugh. Isn’t that marvelous?
12.    Give a character a funny name—but not all. Example – my current middle grade novel has a teacher named Mrs. Belcher. Poor lady. (Hee hee)
13.    Respect your inclinations. If humor happens to be your superpower, let it infuse your work in an natural way. Other than professional comedians, nobody leaves the house with a list of gags. You’re not writing “material,” you’re making a story. To be really funny, you need to keep it real.
14.    Pace yourself. If your novel is a gut buster in the first chapter, you’ve set an expectation. If chapter two goes super serious, it feels like a bait and switch to your reader. Make sure you can keep the promise you made with chapter one. If you can’t or don’t want to keep the comic pace, take the opportunity to create an emotional equilibrium when you revise. Go from FUNNY to funny.
15.    Be genuine. Just because humor adds levity to a story, it doesn’t mean you can’t include heavy issues or situations that would be meaningful to your readers.
16.    Go organic. Allow humor to bubble up and feel true to the personalities of your characters and the world you’ve created for them. For me, that means writing to amuse myself in those early drafts. I don’t worry if a kid will get it or will laugh. I can keep the gems and edit out the excess later.
17.    Harvest funny details from your family like unique expressions, odd names for things, unusual habits or hobbies. These goodies give your story a taste all its own.
18.    Play with words and make up new names for products, body parts or games. Related to this, make Urban Dictionary your new best friend. Confirm your clever name for a brand of deodorant isn’t an unintended double entendre. Trust me on this one.
19.    Switch up the situation. Put your character in an unfamiliar situation. A “first” experience is prime territory for tickling the funny bone.
20.    Funny characters still need to be people of substance. If you have a 3-D straight man, you can’t have a flat funny man. Personality quirks are fun, but they must contribute to the story in some way.
21.    Don’t overlook the “serious” character as a source of humor. Being earnest, having zero sense of humor and taking things literally, can be amusing in its own way.
And 1/2 Recycle your own embarrassing moments, especially if it will aid your emotional health.

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Laughter is carbonated holiness. ~ Ann Lamott

Life is worth living as long as there’s a laugh in it. ~ Lucy Maud Montgomery

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Here’s Vicky’s humorous giveaway disclaimer. The actual giveaway details are below.

 

BOOK GIVEAWAY – United States – I can add an autographed barf bag too!

Random House Children’s Books will release Vicky’s first book for children will release on January 28, 2025. THE BIG BOOK OF BARF A Spewnami of Sick Science, Hurled History and Body Oddities is available for preorder.

“This info-gusher, plainly a labor of love, will draw readers like flies….A sure crowd pleaser.“ —Kirkus Reviews

Disclaimer #2: No purchase necessary (or even an option). Shipping & handling included. Safe when used as directed. Do not submerge. Batteries not included. Dryclean only. This prize is being gifted “as is.” None of the authors, contributors, agents, editors, miscreants, vandals, ambidextrous nose miners, or anyone else connected with reality, in any way whatsoever, can be held responsible for your (mis)use of the contents of the giveaway. Remain seated until the ride has come to a complete stop. Do not refrigerate after opening. Contents may settle during shipment. The giveaway is sold by weight, not by volume. We do not provide any warranty of the item(s) whatsoever, whether expressed, implied, or statutory (whatever that is), including, but not limited to, any warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose or any warranty that the contents of the item will be error-free (because). Use at your own risk. Subject to approval. Driver does not carry cash. No substitutions. Do not fold, staple or mutilate. Some restrictions apply (but you can’t make me say what). Void where prohibited. Employees must wash hands. For off-road use only. All terms and conditions shall be rendered null and void on a whim. If state laws apply to you, some or all the above disclaimers, exclusions, or limitations may not apply to you, and you may have additional rights. (Go You!) I know you are but what am I. This tag may not be removed except by the consumer under penalty of law. (Ooo, scary!) See store for details.
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Vicky Lorencen has been in healthcare communications for more than 15 years, writing about everything from allergies to Zika virus. Her previous writing-related roles include college writing instructor, freelance journalist, and associate editor for Kids in Common, a family resource magazine. Vicky’s work for young readers has appeared in Highlights for Children, Ladybug and Girls’ Life. Vicky and her husband live in Michigan with their feline proprietor Finn.

Find Vicky via her website/blog “Frog on a Dime” at VickyLorencen.com, on Facebook at Vicky.Lorencen, Instagram https://www.instagram.com/vickylorencen/ or Blue Sky @vlorencen.bsky.social.

Giveaway Details

Vicky is generously offering a pre-order of The Big Book of Barf: A Spewnami of Sick Science, Hurled History and Body Oddities, which releases on 1/28/2025, for a giveaway. To enter, all you need to do is be a follower of my blog (via the follower gadget, email, or bloglovin’ on the right sidebar) and leave a comment by December 28th. If your email is not on your Google Profile, you must leave it in the comments to enter the contest. Please be sure I have your email address.

If you mention this contest on Twitter, Facebook, or your blog and/or follow me on Twitter or follow Vicky on her social media sites, mention this in the comments and I'll give you an extra entry for each. You must be 13 years old or older to enter. This book giveaway is U.S.

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday is hosted by Greg Pattridge. You can find the participating blogs on his blog.

Upcoming Interviews, Guest Posts, and Blog Hops

Today, I’m also participating in the Dashing December Giveaway Hop. When it goes live, you can find the link to the post at the top of the blog

Wednesday, January 1st I will do a book of your choice or Amazon Gift Card giveaway

Wednesday, January 8th I have an interview with author Mackenzie Reed and a giveaway of her YA The Wilde Trials and my IWSG post

Monday, January 13th I have an agent spotlight interview with Estelle Laure and a query critique giveaway

Wednesday, January 15th I have an agent spotlight interview with Jon Cobb and a query critique giveaway
Thursday, January 16th I will do a book of your choice or Amazon Gift Card giveaway

Monday, January 27th I have an interview with debut author Nicole Hewitt and a giveaway of her MG The Song of Orphan’s Garden

Happy Holidays! I hope to see you later today!

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