In the real world, people laugh more than a little at what I say (and, no, they're not laughing at me -- most of the time).
I've always secretly wished to be a comedian; my indulgent friends have spent years playing my unwitting audience, sometimes rolling their eyes, but mostly guffawing.
When it comes to my writing, however, I don't try to be funny. I work at not being lighthearted in print because...well, writing is serious. Flippancy and snark, for me, have to happen live; I love seeing and hearing people laugh. I love the different sounds of laughter and the way merriment lights up a person's eyes.
But when I write, I don't know how my audience is reacting; I assume that they don't want to be amused but they want to come away having learned something useful and/or felt something deeeeeeply.
Which is maybe sometimes a snoozefest. Something to ponder.
When it comes to my writing, however, I don't try to be funny. I work at not being lighthearted in print because...well, writing is serious. Flippancy and snark, for me, have to happen live; I love seeing and hearing people laugh. I love the different sounds of laughter and the way merriment lights up a person's eyes.
But when I write, I don't know how my audience is reacting; I assume that they don't want to be amused but they want to come away having learned something useful and/or felt something deeeeeeply.
Which is maybe sometimes a snoozefest. Something to ponder.
