Hi to you who is reading this post,
I was working on an outline for my novel and came across a character that had shown me a cause for concern. The problem I'm talking about is that he is a humorous character and likes to joke around, he is also a leader to an organisation so he is vital to my story. Except I am no good at writing humour, in fact I would say I'm not that humorous at all. So how should I tackle this issue?
What Lorraine said... If humour is a problem, find a good beta reader, an editor, a friend who is good with humour, and can point you in the right direction. better still, post it on here! And read humourous books - see how others do it.
Comedy doesn't have to be rip-roaring, thigh slapping farce; it can be subtle one-liners, or quirky comments. It also doesn't have to be sustained in long scenes.
Why have you chosen this voice for your character? Do you 'hear' him? In that case, go with what you already feel to be right about him - you may well have a hidden talent for the kind of humour that's needed. Think of the humour of James Bond movies - done in the look in the eye, the curl of the lip, and the off-the-cuff remark.
Cut back on the joking around unless the situation can carry it. Make it part of him, not something you're imposing on him.
Good luck!
Hi Kimberley
Yeah that was an idea that crossed my mind I'll have to watch a lot of films then haha thanks again