How to write comedy - Jodie Houlston-Lau

Translator: H.M. Remi Reviewer: Thomas Tam

A World War II veteran processes the devastation he’s witnessed

一個二戰老兵回憶起 佢被困喺星際動物園裏便

from the confines of an intergalactic zoo.

目睹滿目瘡痍嘅景象

As an estranged parent and child meet at a fraught family reunion,

一對關係疏離嘅父子 卻喺家庭聚會中重遇

a little girl mumbles, “How do you do?” from behind a dirty curtain.

小女孩喺邋遢窗簾布後面 細聲講：「幸會」

After the death of his best friend,

孤獨國王喺至友死後

a lonely king travels to the end of the world in search for answers and...

隻身去到世界盡頭尋找答案

然後

walks into a bar.

佢走入咗間酒吧

It may seem counterintuitive, but comedy is often key to a serious story.

聽落有啲怪，但喜劇元素 對嚴肅嘅故事嚟講係關鍵

As a writer, you need your audience to experience a range of emotions,

身為作家，你需要 俾讀者感受到連串嘅情緒

no matter what your genre.

唔理係咩類型故事

Whether you want to evoke fear, grief, or excitement,

唔論你想營造嘅係 恐懼呀、哀痛定興奮

when people are exposed to one emotion for too long,

當人感受一種情緒太耐

they become desensitized to it.

感覺就會麻木

Comic relief is a tried-and-true way of creating the varied emotional texture

喺經驗呢講，喜劇調劑 能夠製造唔同嘅情感紋理

a compelling story needs.

令故事扣人心弦

So how can you create this effect in your own stories?

噉點樣先至喺故事 製造到呢啲效果呀？

Whether you use characters, situations, language, or any combination of the three,

無論你係利用角色、場景、語言 定係混合呢三種元素

timing and contrast are crucial.

最重要嘅係掌握好對比同時機

Take the “Epic of Gilgamesh.”

以《吉爾伽美什史詩》為例

This ancient Mesopotamian tale is possibly the oldest known work of literature,

呢個美索不達米亞古代故事 係已知最古老嘅文學作品

and yet the story remains compelling today.

但時至今日 依然係動人心弦

As King Gilgamesh approaches the end of the world,

當吉爾伽美什王 快到達世界盡頭嘅時候

he walks into a bar.

佢走入咗間酒吧度

We think we’re reaching the climax of his story—

我哋以為故事快要進入高潮

only to have our expectations subverted.

但劇情顛覆咗我哋嘅預期

That brief respite allows the tension to build even higher

暫時緩和緊張嘅感覺

有助喺製造隨後而來 更緊湊嘅高潮

to a later, true climax.

It both relieves and creates tension.

噉樣做就可緩和咗氣氛 同製造張力

This lesson also applies to modern stories:

現今嘅作家仍然採用呢種技巧

by briefly lightening the mood,

只要輕輕緩和氣氛

you can build tension in your stories exactly when it’s needed.

就可以喺適當嘅時機 為故事製造張力

The moment at the bar doesn’t just amplify the audience’s emotional response—

喺酒吧嘅情節唔單止 加強咗觀眾嘅情緒反應

it also complicates it.

仲使故事更複雜化

The wise bartender questions the purpose of Gilgamesh’s quest—

睿智嘅酒保質疑國王 踏上旅途嘅原因

setting the stage for the final, more nuanced resolution.

為最後嘅情節鋪路 令結局變得更細膩

You can use comic relief not only to create contrast with graver moments,

喜劇唔單止緩和氣氛 與刻骨铭心嘅劇情形成對比

but to comment on them.

仲用嚟做評論嘅工具

Sidekicks are one of the most common and direct ways to do this:

一般都會直接利用主角身邊嘅同伴

they can supply sneakily perceptive commentary on the main action,

去為主線劇情提出 不經意又富有洞察力嘅睇法

often while simultaneously serving as blundering, hapless punchlines.

卻經常同時充當笨拙同倒霉嘅妙語

Kurt Vonnegut’s “Slaughterhouse-Five” takes a different approach:

Kurt Vonnegut 寫嘅《第五號屠宰場》 就用咗另一種方法

the story continuously alternates between horrific war scenes

故事不斷喺駭人戰爭嘅場面

and wacky science fiction moments.

同滑稽科幻情景之間切換

These scenes provide comic relief,

提供咗喜劇情景做調節

but also open a dialogue about what’s usually unspeakable,

並為難以啟齒嘅話題 打開咗對話嘅窗口

highlighting the arbitrary nature of human suffering

強調人生苦難係無常

in a way that makes it more impactful.

令故事更有影響力

Arundhati Roy’s “The God of Small Things”

Arundhati Roy 寫嘅《微物之神》

takes yet another approach to comic relief.

用咗唔同嘅喜劇場面緩和氣氛

The narrative style draws upon the perspective of children

故事透過小朋友嘅角度

to infuse a tragic story with poignant humor.

泡製咗喺悲劇故事裏便 注入凄美嘅幽默

When the adults funnel decades of tensions over race, class, and family dynamics

當大人將種族、階級、家族之間 幾十年嘅愛恨情仇

into their expectations for their children’s behavior,

轉化為對孩子行為嘅期望

you can’t help but chuckle with recognition when,

你有種似曾相識嘅感覺而偷笑

at the moment she’s expected to put on a perfect performance of politeness,

當七歲嘅 Rahel 被期待 扮演完美嘅禮貌女孩

7-year-old Rahel “[ravels] herself like a sausage into the dirty airport curtain

「佢［纏住] 自己就好似係 條香腸塞咗落骯髒嘅機場窗簾度

and [won’t] unravel.”

［唔會］掙脫走甩。」

At the same time, you know her failure to behave will only add to the tension.

與此同時，佢嘅反常行為 只會添加張力

Afterward, she thinks, “the play had gone bad.

之後女孩諗：「呢嗰表演衰咗……

Like Pickle in a monsoon.”

就好似喺雨季中嘅泡菜因為潮濕會發毛。」

This punchline underscores the reality of the situation:

呢句對白講出咗現實嘅情況

the reunion is so forced and formal,

人人被迫參加呢個正式嘅團聚

Rahel feels like her family are actors in a play,

Rahel 覺得家人變成咗戲劇演員

and she feels powerless in the storm of what’s happening.

佢自己對正置身喺風暴中 感到無能無力

To make the most of comic relief, think not only about what moment in your story

為了發揮喜劇調節嘅作用

唔單止考慮到女孩幾時出現 先至營造出強烈嘅情緒對比

would most benefit from a splash of contrasting emotion,

but also: what message you’d like to convey that you can’t say directly?

更要諗清楚嘅係

有咩唔可以直接噉講 要透過呢啲場景帶出嚟

Which of your readers’ assumptions would you like to call into question?

你仲想質疑讀者邊啲嘅假設呢？