Topic > How to Write a Funny Story - 457

There are a couple of key elements that go into creating a funny story. To create enjoyment, the events, descriptions, and characters within a story should integrate successfully to immerse readers in the story while detaching them from reality. The use of vivid descriptions for the setting, mood, and feelings of the characters is one of the effective tools used by writers. in a good story Giving readers a real sense of atmosphere or setting increases the chance that they will become immersed in what they are reading. “Situational credibility” is another important factor that, in my opinion, contributes to the enjoyment of a story. If the reader can believe that the characters and the events they take part in could happen in real life, they can associate with the story more freely. The last feature, which helps me enjoy a story, is the presence of rhetorical questions, which further help to engage the reader by encouraging critical thinking, thus increasing the enjoyment felt by the reader. The reader's ability to "see" the site, "smell" the smell, "taste" the taste is a crucial aspect that contributes to the pleasantness of a story. Baldwin, in "Sonny's Blues" puts a vivid image in the reader's mind by describing a street scene: "The woman... whose face was beaming with joy... a cigarette between her heavy, chapped lips, her hair I'm a cuckoo's nest, his face swollen and scarred... his black eyes shining like coal." The reader can "see" the scene unfold as the narrator proceeds with his description. By placing readers in the narrator's shoes, Baldwin is able to "throw" them into the setting by allowing them to "participate" in the story. With the use of such vivid images, the reader goes beyond reading. Similarly, in "Royal Beatings", Munro describes the pain of a tumor as like a "boiled egg" in his chest; Readers “feel” the pain, they don't just read it on a page. This allows them to enjoy the story. The situations presented throughout the plot within a story must not only be vivid but must also be believable. Illogical and far-fetched ideas that develop within a story prevent readers from indulging in reading, directly decreasing satisfaction. "Sonny's Blues" represents "real" problems faced by real people and is therefore very powerful and moving. Family fights in inner cities, youth pressures and blatant racism are some of these problems. Readers feel, learn, and grow with the narrator as the plot progresses within this story.