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What makes a fic funny ?

Discussion in 'Fanfic Discussion' started by Moukaboy, Dec 1, 2016.

  1. Moukaboy

    Moukaboy Banned

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    What do you find funny in fanfics ? And what are your favorite humorous FICS ?
    Honestly for me juvenile humour often does it .
     
  2. Shouldabeenadog

    Shouldabeenadog Death Eater

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    the same thing that makes anything funny:
    A clear set up, the development of an expectation, building of tension, the inaccuracy of the expectation exposed.

    Example:

     
  3. Warlocke

    Warlocke Fourth Champion

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    My reviews. :p

    Other than that? The same thing that makes anything else funny. It's not necessarily a hard formula, but executing it properly requires precision and understanding (that last word is the loaded one).
     
  4. Thaumologist

    Thaumologist Fifth Year ~ Prestige ~

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    The problem with funny stories is that jokes don't tend to work well in text. They can, and a good author can really make you laugh.

    But if a joke requires any sort of verbal pacing, then it's out unless you can slow the reader down.

    If a joke requires homophones (said the same, spelt differently) then it won't work in text, because the reader will already understand.

    If a joke requires any sort of physical action, then it won't work in text because there's no accompanying action.


    Then you have the other characters and their reactions. Often the author will overestimate the hilarity, and have characters rolling around on the floor, clutching their sides and going red in the face because they can't breathe.

    Whilst as a reader, I maybe breathed a bit harder then normal out through my nose. And having the characters act like they're all stupidly high just makes me stop reading.

    What tends to work is funny stories. Dara O Briain, Billy Connelly, Ross Noble - they don't tell a joke, they tell a story. It won't always translate well to text, but it is possible.

    The other option is to bring the audience behind the scene. Jokes (and magic) are the telling of two stories at the same time: "A man walks into a bar, and bumps his head" only works due to dual meaning of bar. The switch between stories happens after 'bar', and neither story is funny by itself (the joke isn't, either).

    Also, humour is subjective. I found PeteQ's Shitty Chef Anon to be one of (if not the) funniest stories I've read. I literally cried with laughter reading it. But even I know it's really stupid. The whole premise is absurd. But I couldn't stop laughing. I showed it to my brother, and he just thought it was shit.

    So a story that bases the entirety of itself on humour is going to be completely hit-or-miss. If someone doesn't like the author's sense of humour, they won't enjoy the story.
     
  5. Hitwizard1993

    Hitwizard1993 First Year

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    Over the topness can be hilarious to me.

    It really depends.
     
  6. Skeletaure

    Skeletaure Magical Core Enthusiast ~ Prestige ~ DLP Supporter

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    The vast majority of fanfiction uses absurdist humour simply because it's the easiest to write. It can be effective (Seventh Horcrux) but it's still lowest common denominator stuff. A rarer form of humour is clever wordplay and amusing situational humour of which the best example is A Long Journey Home.
     
  7. Moukaboy

    Moukaboy Banned

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    Yea i just started reading it ( based on your recommandation i think , found it in my fics' list ) and it's pretty good
     
  8. wordhammer

    wordhammer Dark Lord DLP Supporter

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    Really? I'd give Make A Wish more credit for situational humour, particularly in the early chapters before Harry becomes aware of his cover identity's reputation.
     
  9. Moukaboy

    Moukaboy Banned

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    Funniest thing about that fic was the aurores reading way too much into whatever harry said

    still i think as a whole the fic is "ruined" for some people in the later chapters since it becomes a bit more grim and Harry knows he is inflicting violence
     
  10. Jarizok

    Jarizok Auror DLP Supporter

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    A fic is hilarious when the author says it is. I give you example number one:

    "I was fourteen," Bobby explained. "My brother and I would get in fights, and every time we did it was as if the heat got turned off. My Mom kept calling the repairman to look at the furnace," Bobby's tale was funny and everyone laughed.

    More generally, i enjoy stuff completely out of left field most. Not to say predictable stuff can't be funny if executed well of course.
     
  11. Moukaboy

    Moukaboy Banned

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    haha my dad said he didn't love me
    Mouka's story was really funny and a lot of people laughed
     
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