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Find the literary spoonful of sugar: Editor's Notes #226 December 31, 2016 |
| Hello, she was in time to hear Penelope say. "I wonder she doesn't put me in a book." I have thought, Edith. You did not recognize yourself. --Anita Brookner In this issue: 1. Find the literary spoonful of sugar 2. Tickled my funnybone 3. Interesting Web site 4. Writing prompt 1. Find the literary spoonful of sugar Listen to many speakers and a pattern emerges: start them laughing, then give them the medicine. Speakers follow this pattern because laughter relaxes people, and relaxed people are more receptive to ideas than tense people are. My clients often get reminders from me about how to make reading easier because easier reading means more open minds. But easier reading is not the only way to open minds. Humour has many positive effects on the body including stress reduction, improved autoimmune response, and lower bad cholesterol and higher good cholesterol. Studies show that laughing can have the same effect as moderate physical exercise. Relaxed bodies reduce mental alert signals that make some readers want to quarrel with authors. Your topic may be serious, but even the most serious topic has potential for humour to break up a bleak outlook and to open the mind of a skeptical or cantankerous reader. I encourage you to look for the humour in situations and include small doses in your writing. See Interesting Web site below for an introduction on how to recognize humorous material. =========== 2.Tickled my funnybone I'm reading a book about anit-gravity. I can't put it down. =========== 3. Interesting Web site Here is one humorist's introductory advice. http://www.humormall.com/humor- writing/introduction-humor-writing.html =========== 4. Writing prompt I call this one Bottom's Up because it starts with the end, or the bottom of the page. Here is the pun that ends a joke: Rudolph the Red knows rain, dear. Over to you. Write a story that ends with the pun above. I adore puns, so please send me your response to this prompt. With your permission, I will publish the result in an upcoming issue. This is a legitimate publication with a history and readership, so if you need a clip for your writing file, here's a great opportunity. =========== Join Writer's Helper Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/WritersHelperEditor Follow me on Twitter @AudreytheEditor Link on LinkedIn https://ca.linkedin.com/in/audreyowen (Email me first so I know how you know me.) =========== If you know a writer who would appreciate receiving Editor's Notes, forward this issue. If someone has passed this on to you, you can get your own free subscription by signing up at https://www.writershelper.com/newsletter.html |
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