How to make your writing funnier - Cheri Steinkellner

譯者: 峻亨 簡 審譯者: Adrienne Lin

Did you ever notice how many jokes start with, "Did you ever notice?"

你有注意過有多少笑話 是用「你有注意過」開頭的嗎？

And what's the deal with, "What's the deal?"

而大部分人會接著說「怎樣嗎？」

There's a lot of funny to be found

只要稍加注意

by simply noticing the ordinary, everyday things

平常不常注意到的日常事物

you don't ordinarily notice everyday.

我們可以發現很多的笑料

So if you'd like to add a little humor

所以，如果你想添加一點點幽默

to that story, or speech, or screenplay you're writing,

到這個故事、演講，或你寫的劇本裡

here are a few tips and tricks for finding the funny.

這裡有一些尋找笑料的技巧和竅門

All great storytelling, including comedy writing,

所有偉大的故事，包括喜劇作品

consists of a handful of basic ingredients:

都由少數幾個元素組成

who,

人

what,

when,

事

時

where,

地

why,

原因

and how.

以及結果

Writers have been asking these questions since at least the 1st century BC,

作家們早在西元前一世紀 就已經提出了這些問題

yet none can be answered with a simple yes or no.

卻沒有人可以用簡單的 是或否來回答這些問題

They demand details,

這些問題講求細節

and the more specific the details, the funnier the story.

故事裡有趣的細節越多 故事就會越能逗笑別人

Let's start with the who, the comedic character.

先說人，也就是好笑的角色

Think about the books, TV shows, and movies that make you laugh.

想想會讓你發笑的 書、電視節目和電影

They're usually filled with funny types, or archetypes.

他通常充滿了笑點 或者喜劇的原型

The know-it-all,

無所不知的知識通

the loveable loser,

討喜的輸家

the bad boss,

脾氣暴躁的老闆

the neurotic,

神經兮兮的人

the airhead.

反應遲鈍的呆瓜

Incidentally, these are all stock characters found in Commedia Dell'Arte,

巧合的是，這些人都是出現在即興喜劇

or the artists comedy of late Renaissance Italy,

或文藝復興晚期藝術家的喜劇角色

and they have yet to get old.

而且他們歷久不衰

The Commedia rule for creating comic characters is find the flaw,

創造喜劇角色的規則 就是找出他的弱點

then play it up.

再攻擊他的弱點

Or you can try playing with opposites.

或者你可以試圖讓他們產生對立

When the smartest guy in the room does the stupidest thing,

當絕頂聰明的人做出最愚蠢的事情

or the doofus outwits the brainiac,

或是令人厭惡的人勝過智多星

we tend to laugh because we didn't see that coming.

我們通常會笑 因為出乎我們意料之外

Ancient Greek funnyman Aristotle is said to have said,

據說古希臘喜劇家 亞里斯多德曾說過

"The secret to humor is surprise."

幽默的秘密在於驚喜

This surprise, or incongruity theory of humor,

這種驚喜或幽默不協調理論

says we laugh at things that seem out of place

就是說與我們會笑 與其他事物格格不入的事物

or run up against our expectations,

或者違反了我們預期的事

like a frog dating a pig,

像青蛙和豬約會

or a lizard selling insurance,

或是蜥蜴在賣保險

a baby disco dancing,

嬰兒在跳迪斯可

a nun disco dancing,

修女在跳迪斯可

a cat disco dancing.

貓在跳迪斯可

Actually, a baby, a nun, or a cat doing pretty much anything,

事實上，嬰兒、修女或貓 可以做相當多的事情

especially involving disco.

其中也包括迪斯可

One fun way to find incongruities is by drawing connections.

另一個發現不協調的有趣方式 就是製造連結

Actually drawing them with a mind map.

確切在腦海中繪出心智圖

Start small.

從小處著手

Pick a word,

選擇單字

I choose pickle.

我選擇酸黃瓜

Jot it down, then quick as you can, try making connections.

把它記下來，並盡快嘗試建立連結

What do pickles make me think of?

酸黃瓜讓我想起什麼

Who eats pickles?

誰吃了酸黃瓜

What treasured pickle memories do I have from childhood?

我從小有什麼關於酸黃瓜的珍貴回憶

Another great way to generate comedic material

產生喜劇材料的另一個好方法

is to shift from observation to imagination.

就是從觀察轉為想像力

Try going from "what is" to "what if?"

嘗試從「是...」到「如果...」

Like, what if instead of a horse, for example,

例如，如果想替代馬蹄聲

you just had a pair of coconuts?

你只需要一對椰子

Okay, let's think of some other memorable moments in history,

好吧，讓我們想想有哪些其他 在歷史上值得紀念的時刻

literature,

文學創作

or film.

或電影

Now, what if they featured coconuts?

要是他們使用了椰子當道具會怎樣？

Get wild, let it go.

大膽點，放手吧

Even if an idea seems overdone,

即使有些想法看似太過火

or too obvious,

或太過做作

or just plain dumb,

或太過愚蠢

try jotting it down, anyway.

無論如何都嘗試 將它趕快記下來吧

What's obvious to you may not be to the next person.

別人或許和你有不同的看法

And the opposite of the dumbest idea might just turn out to be the smartest.

而最愚蠢想法的反面 可能就是最聰明的

What about all that dumb stuff that happens in real life?

如果那些倒楣事 全在現實生活中發生了呢

Have you ever noticed how much comedy revolves around things

你有沒有注意到 有多少喜劇圍繞著

that irritate, frustrate, and humiliate us?

我們會覺得很惱怒、 失望和害羞的事

Will Rodgers said, "Everything's funny as long as it happens to somebody else."

威爾·羅傑斯說： 「只要發生在別人身上一切都很好笑」

So if you're having a crummy morning,

所以，如果你有一個糟糕的早晨

imagine it happening to a character you're writing about,

想像它發生在一個你創造的角色身上

and by afternoon, you may at least get a funny story out of it.

過了下午，壞心情 至少讓你寫完了一齣喜劇

Once you've got your characters and story,

一旦你掌握了你的角色和故事

here are a few quick and easy comedy writing tricks to make them zing.

這裡有幾個快速 且簡單的技巧讓他們更吸睛

The rule of three,

三步規則

or zig zig zag.

又稱轉折法

Try setting up an expected pattern, zig zig,

嘗試建立一個預訂的模式

then flip it, zag.

然後轉折，推翻他

A rabbi, a priest, and a coconut walk into a bar.

猶太牧師、牧師和一顆椰子 走進一間酒吧

The punchline rule says put your punch at the end of the line.

這裡的規則是東西到你面前你就得喝

A rabbi, a priest, and a coconut walk into a disco.

猶太牧師、牧師和一顆椰子 走進了迪斯可舞廳

That brings up the rule of K.

這就要講到所謂的K原則

For some reason, words with a k-sound catch our ears

出於某種原因 我們的耳朵認為

and are considered comical.

K音是滑稽的

Coconut,

椰子

disco,

迪斯可

pickles,

酸黃瓜

crickets?

蟋蟀

Okay, so we don't always get the laugh.

好吧... 我們並不是總能被逗笑

Humor is subjective.

幽默是主觀的

Comedy is trial and error.

喜劇要經過反覆試驗

Writing is rewriting.

寫作必須重複修改

Just keep trying.

只要堅持嘗試

Find the flaws,

找出缺陷

discover the details,

發現細節

insert incongruities,

加入不協調

incorporate k-words,

結合K音單字

and remember the most important rule of writing funny:

記住寫作有趣最重要的規則

have fun.

享受吧

As Charles Dickins said,

正如查爾斯·狄更斯所說

"There is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious

「世界上沒有什麼東西的感染力

as laughter and good humor."

勝過幽默和笑聲了」

And disco.

還有迪斯可