Tips from Chautauqua

As someone who loves funny poems and stories, I wanted to learn why humor is so important and what kind of humor appeals to children. Joy Cowley led one of my most memorable workshops at Chautauqua 2007. With a most endearing smile and disposition, Joy, so aptly named, gently taught us about humor in children’s books.

Humor comes in many forms – as lightness of language, by making the words dance, or in the structure of the language. We seek humor for relief of tension, relaxation, and to feed our ego. Remember the first time you ‘got’ a joke? You felt satisfied, didn’t you? It’s wonderful to write humor that gives that same sense of accomplishment to a child. Laughter is a basic need, and has a balancing effect on us, restoring our objectivity.

Many times, humor will encourage a reluctant reader. Stay within the understanding level of the child, and keep in touch with your inner child. Good humor satisfies both the author and the reader.

Children find many kinds of humor appealing. Many preschool children like slapstick humor. Developing awareness of their bodies makes body humor funny to preschool children.

As children get older, word games, puns, and other types of wordplay become more popular. In grades one and two, they begin to learn to decipher double meanings, coincidences, and jokes.

Dr. Seuss used rich language. Stories Joy liked included the “Horton” books and Yertle the Turtle.

Step into a child’s world. Universal humor appeals to all ages.

Sometimes it helps to make our characters animals. It’s easier to laugh at animals than people.

Funny stories can be tricky. They require proper pacing. Think of how you tell a joke. It’s in the timing, isn’t it?

At the end of the class, Joy led us in a creativity exercise you can do at home. Close your eyes. Recall the smells, sounds, touches, sights, and tastes from childhood. Why did you laugh? What did you want more than anything? What was your greatest fear?

Now write! For more inspiration, visit Joy's website: Joy Cowley