[SheepSalesman]

I've noticed a lack of a place for people working on comedy pieces to discuss their progress, problems, technique, etc. I'm currently working in a comedy sci-fi setting, and wondered if anyone else who visited the forum did any comedy writing.

So is anyone else working a comedy piece now?
Does anyone have comments on how to best write comedy in a SFF setting?
Anyone have problems with a comedy piece their working on, or want to share their thoughts on it?

And if I'm not making an arse out of myself by creating a thread that already exists that I've just missed, Any thoughts why there was no comedy SFF thread?

-SS

[KatG]

Because we usually don't break down the writing by type in the Writing Forum very much. We have authors who are working on comic novels or short stories and they participate in discussions. Our sf writers are probably a little overwhelmed at times by the fantasy writers talking about world-building and such, but the idea is that all types of writers, from horror to satire to magic realism, can congregate here and discuss and get feedback, if they want it. You can even talk about your non-sffh projects; we're not picky.

That being said, there's no reason we can't have a thread on comic sff and I'm pretty sure we've had some in the past, though I don't remember a specific thread. I personally am a huge fan of the stuff, and luckily for you, we have several authors who are quite brilliant at it.

The problems I've usually had when I'm doing more humorous material is balancing the comedy with whatever else is going on -- suspense, drama, romance, etc. There's the question of how zany and farcical you want a narrative to get, with there being no real limits if you want to get very zany.

[Banger]

I wrote a comedic sf story.

It hasn't sold.

I think it's great though :D

[Dawnstorm]

Dragon: Those dragonslayers are giving me a headache.
Hydra: One? I should be so lucky!

[James Carmack]

Hester: Look at this, my new catalog. It's brilliant!
Sue: I keep tellin' you, there's no market for Orcish mail-order brides.
Hester: Sure there is! There's a lot of woman there. Plenty of guys like to have something to hold on to.
Sue: Is that before or after the Orkess splits open their head like a ripe melon?
Hester: Before, obviously. And that's the beauty of it. No refunds!

Anyway, I agree with Kat. We don't really need to break it down for every genre and sub-genre out there. If you want to talk on a subject and you can't find a thread on the topic within the past month or two, just make one yourself, like you've done here.

As for the how of comedy SFF, unless you mean to be ironic, the setting has to be an integral part of the story and, yes, the comedy rather than simple window dressing. I mean, if you take your average sitcom and just toss in dragons and goblins, you're not really making use of the setting. Unless, as I said, you mean to be ironic. There are plenty that do that to good effect, but I think a more complete integration would be more interesting.

I don't do much comedy, but there are a few projects more strongly bent towards the comic end of the spectrum. I would think the hardest part of comedy is to actually be funny. (Though Kat makes a fine point about balancing the other elements of the story.) Test audiences will prove critical to seeing how your jokes, gags and other gambols come across. You can always submit an excerpt and get feedback that way. Either you'll slay us... or we'll slay you. ^o^

[KatG]

I don't do much comedy,

And why is that, exactly? I mean, let's count how many decent zingers James has gotten off in this forum, shall we? :) Write some comedy, dude. I'd buy it.

[James Carmack]

Thanks for the compliment, Kat. I've always thought I was funny. In fact, my jokes are always guaranteed to make one person laugh. (No matter how ridiculous it makes me look. Of course, I always look ridiculous, so any variance one way or another is almost entirely negligible.)

Like I said, I do have a few projects with a greater emphasis on comedy than the bulk of my work. My latest idea involves a band of incompetent mercenaries. In fact, barring any changes further in the development cycle, the Hester and Sue shown above are two of the leads, both men, mind you. As to why they have women's names, Hester explains, "Our old man hates us. And we happen to look pretty good in dresses." Sue insists that his name is pronounced Sué, but it has yet to catch on.

[SheepSalesman]

The big comedy thing that I'm working on is a SF setting. One of the things I'm having a problem with (as mentioned) is balancing the comedy with the SF. The setting is very much science-fiction, but there's a catch. A major point of the setting satirizes physics. Long story short, physicists destroy earth and rip open a giant void in space-time. I am (well now I suppose was) a physics student at University, so I started off with some actual physics and changed things around to make the destruction bit and the aftermath work (kinda) for the setting. I'm just trying to work out how ridiculous some of the science can be, without alienating people and garnering cries of "Come on! Too much!"


...but it's funny. At least that's the plan.

-SS

[Rocket Sheep]

I've written some funny SF, and I have to warn you... if it is only funny it won't sell. It has to be poignant, relevant, make some sort of social commentary, have outrageous yet believable science, and have some darker/gonzo elements to it. I suppose every good SF story should do that anyway.

If you write straight funny sff and merely tell a good humorous story, you run the risk of most of the editors thinking you are making fun of SFF. I think humour is so subjective that it's easy for people with different senses of humor to hate yours.

Which SF humour writers do you like?

[Banger]

I've written some funny SF, and I have to warn you... if it is only funny it won't sell. It has to be poignant, relevant, make some sort of social commentary, have outrageous yet believable science, and have some darker/gonzo elements to it. I suppose every good SF story should do that anyway.

And even then it might not sell. The comedic sf story I wrote has a very dark ending and reams of really obvious, relevant social commentary. Unfortunately, those who have read it haven't seemed to deem the deaths of hundreds of people as dark, and the "obvious" social commentary has gone over the heads of all but one person who has read it :p

It makes me wonder if these people even know how to read :(