ncte15 i.10 bridging the gender divider: humor and the art of engaging all readers (handout)

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HUMOR AND THE ART OF ENGAGING ALL READERS | NCTE 2015 with Kim Baker, Caroline Carlson, Jennifer L. Holm, Kristen Kittscher, Heidi Schulz, and moderated by Kellee Moye Humor Writing Thoughts Humor is surprise. Humor is beneficial, even in serious books o Opens the gateway to other emotions/lowers emotional barriers Realistic humor vs. absurd humor o Parks and Rec vs. 30 Rock or PICKLE vs. THE ONLY THING WORSE THAN WITCHES Humor is genderless. o Girls and boys like funny things. o Women are hilarious. (Even beautiful ones. Michael Eisner is a fool.) #WomenWriteFunny Humor Writing Techniques Specificity Rule of three (end on the punch line, don’t bury it) Rule of a million Incongruity/funny juxtapositions Hyperbole Subverting expectations Subverting taboo Callbacks and missed callbacks Funny words: harder sounds are funnier, especially K sounds Visual humor Especially for Middle Grade Captures reluctant readers Add variety. Farts and underpants are funny, but less so when they are expected. Create a kazoo orchestra, not a single repeating toot. Levels to humor in MG—what appeals to kids that can also appeal to adults on a different level and vise versa. Additional Reading The Secret of Writing Funny, Write to Done (overcoming obstacles) http://writetodone.com/how-to-write-funny/ Words that Sound Funny, Grammar Girl: http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/words-that-sound- funny Adapted from “Clearing the Air: Writing Middle Grade Humor that Goes Beyond Fart Jokes” Heidi Schulz, Midwest Writers 2015

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Page 1: NCTE15 I.10 Bridging the Gender Divider: Humor and the Art of Engaging All Readers (Handout)

HUMOR AND THE ART OF ENGAGING ALL READERS | NCTE 2015with Kim Baker, Caroline Carlson, Jennifer L. Holm, Kristen Kittscher, Heidi Schulz, and moderated by Kellee Moye

Humor Writing Thoughts Humor is surprise. Humor is beneficial, even in serious books

o Opens the gateway to other emotions/lowers emotional barriers Realistic humor vs. absurd humor

o Parks and Rec vs. 30 Rock or PICKLE vs. THE ONLY THING WORSE THAN WITCHES Humor is genderless.

o Girls and boys like funny things. o Women are hilarious. (Even beautiful ones. Michael Eisner is a fool.) #WomenWriteFunny

Humor Writing Techniques Specificity Rule of three (end on the punch line, don’t bury it) Rule of a million Incongruity/funny juxtapositions Hyperbole Subverting expectations Subverting taboo Callbacks and missed callbacks Funny words: harder sounds are funnier, especially K sounds Visual humor

Especially for Middle Grade Captures reluctant readers Add variety. Farts and underpants are funny, but less so when they are expected. Create a kazoo

orchestra, not a single repeating toot. Levels to humor in MG—what appeals to kids that can also appeal to adults on a different level and vise

versa.

Additional Reading The Secret of Writing Funny, Write to Done (overcoming obstacles) http://writetodone.com/how-to-

write-funny/ Words that Sound Funny, Grammar Girl: http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/words-

that-sound-funny Dissecting a Frog: How to Write a Humor Piece, New York Times:

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/02/03/dissecting-a-frog-how-to-write-a-humor-piece/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=3

#womenwritefunny on twitter AND HERE’S THE KICKER: CONVERSATIONS WITH 21 TOP HUMOR WRITERS ON THEIR CRAFT by Mike

Sacks

Adapted from “Clearing the Air: Writing Middle Grade Humor that Goes Beyond Fart Jokes” Heidi Schulz, Midwest Writers 2015

Page 2: NCTE15 I.10 Bridging the Gender Divider: Humor and the Art of Engaging All Readers (Handout)

Reading List of Funny Middle Grade BooksCulled from a list curated by Kim Baker. Kim’s complete list: http://kimbakerbooks.com/funny-books.html

HOW LAMAR’S BAD PRANK WON A BUBBA-SIZED TROPHY by Crystal Allen GILDA JOYCE, PSYCHIC INVESTIGATOR series by Jennifer Allison ZACK DELACRUZ: ME AND MY BIG MOUTH by Jeff Anderson THE STRANGE CASE OF ORIGAMI YODA series by Tom Angleberger PICKLE by Kim Baker BRIXTON BROTHERS series by Mac Barnett IVY & BEAN series by Annie Barrows/Sophie Blackall ATTACK OF THE FLUFFY BUNNIES by Andrea Beaty/Dan Santat MILLIONS by Frank Cottrell Boyce SISTERS GRIMM series and NERDS by Michael Buckley THE VERY NEARLY HONORABLE LEAGUE OF PIRATES series by Caroline Carlson/Dave Phillips ALL FOUR STARS series by Tara Dairman BETTER NATE THAN EVER and FIVE, SIX, SEVEN, NATE by Tim Federle DEAD END IN NORVELT and JOEY PIGZA series by Jack Gantos AS IF BEING 12 & 3/4 ISN’T ENOUGH, MY MOTHER IS RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT! and DEATH BY TOILET PAPER by

Donna Gephart ABSOLUTELY ALMOST and DOUBLE DOG DARE by Lisa Graff RAPUNZEL’S REVENGE series by Shannon Hale/Nathan Hale THE HERO'S GUIDE TO SAVING YOUR KINGDOM series by Christopher Healy TURTLE IN PARADISE, SUNNY SIDE UP, and THE FOURTEENTH GOLDFISH by Jennifer L. Holm POPULARITY PAPERS series by Amy Ignatow THE GREAT GREENE HEIST series by Varian Johnson UNUSUAL CHICKENS FOR THE EXCEPTIONAL CHICKENS by Kelly Jones GEEKS, GIRLS, AND SECRET IDENTITIES by Mike Jung HOW TO OUTRUN A CROCODILE WHEN YOUR SHOES ARE UNTIED by Jess Keating THE WIG IN THE WINDOW series by Kristen Kittscher LUNCH LADY series by Jarrett J. Krosoczka WE ARE NOT EATEN BY YAKS by C. Alexander London ALVIN HO series by Lenore Look/LeUyen Pham THE ONLY THING WORSE THAN WITCHES by Lauren Magaziner STEERING TOWARD NORMAL by Rebecca Petruck CLEMENTINE series by Sara Pennypacker/Marla Frazee THE MOSTLY TRUE ADVENTURES OF HOMER P. FIGG by Rodman Philbrick THE HOBOKEN CHICKEN EMERGENCY by Daniel Pinkwater UNCLE PIRATE by Douglas Rees THE TRUE MEANING OF SMEKDAY and SMEK FOR PRESIDENT by Adam Rex CODENAME ZERO series and THE FOURTH STALL series by Chris Rylander THE WEDNESDAY WARS and OKAY FOR NOW by Gary D. Schmidt HOOK’S REVENGE series by Heidi Schulz/John Hendrix SPACEHEADS series and FRANK EINSTEIN series by Jon Scieszka THE GREAT WALL OF LUCY WU by Wendy Shang ANY WHICH WALL by Laurel Snyder A WHOLE NOTHER STORY by Dr. Cuthbert Soup MILO SPECK, ACCIDENTAL AGENT by Linda Urban JUSTIN CASE series by Rachel Vail/Matthew Cordell CONFIDENTIALLY YOURS series by Jo Whittemore GAITHER SISTERS series by Rita Williams-Garcia THE INCORRIGIBLE CHILDREN OF ASHTON PLACE series by Maryrose Wood/Jon Klassen MILLICENT MIN, GIRL GENIUS and WARP SPEED by Lisa Yee

Adapted from “Clearing the Air: Writing Middle Grade Humor that Goes Beyond Fart Jokes” Heidi Schulz, Midwest Writers 2015