Responsible Advice On Using Humor

Like many bloggers and professional writers, Brian Clark’s Copyblogger is one of my daily stops. His post of Aug. 8 on the Dangers of Humor was certainly an interesting read for me. Some folks know I meddle in humor and fiction as a hobby and have to work hard to resist the urge to bring sarcasm into my little professional space.

Clark’s tips are solid. The bad part about using humor is there will always be someone out there who doesn’t get it and likely someone who is offended by it. But humor can also give a writer a distinctive voice. Witty, playful and fun has broad appeal, but sardonic, dark and sarcastic has its place, too.

A writer friend of mine reminds me often that I need 2-3 ideal readers — people I know and trust who would fall into my target audience — to offer editorial comment on what I write before its published. If more than one of them raises an objection to a joke or a humorous reference, kill it. If the piece passes through without concern from the majority, you’ll probably be okay.

But another thing I’ve learned over the years writing from a humorous perspective is that you must have thick skin, not be afraid to apologize when you’ve gone too far and be okay with certain people not reading your offerings. If someone says they don’t appreciate your humor, the correct response, I’ve found, is to reply, “That’s okay. It wasn’t meant for you.”

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