What's In Store
How to Write Humor
by Beth Levine

Can humor be taught? Probably not, with one caveat: "I do think you can learn to laugh at yourself, though, and that's a good place to start," writes humorist Tom Bodett. The problem with talking about the comic is that it is totally subjective and ephemeral. Most people can agree on what's sad (dead puppies, middle school dances, noodging editors for late payments), but very few agree on what's funny. There are, however, general principles and forms that can make the whole process easier. These three books can help you sharpen your funny bone, or more to the point, find out if you actually own one to sharpen:

And Here's the Kicker: Conversations with 21 Top Humor Writers on their Craft
By Mike Sacks, Writer's Digest Books, 2009, 337 pages, Paperback, $17.99.

This is one of those books I'll keep by my bedside to just open randomly and read. It's like jumping into an ongoing conversation between your cleverest friends—if your friends happen to be 21 giants in the comedy writing industry. These are mostly practitioners of television/movie/standup writing, rather than book and article writing, although Dave Barry, Mad magazine's Al Jaffee (he of the famed "fold in") and my Humor God, David Sedaris, do make an appearance. Randomly placed pages of "Quick and Painless Advice for the Aspiring Humor Writer" and "Famous Last Words of Advice" by various writers and editors are the extent of the "how to." The writers talk instead about their experiences in the business, trying to perfect and practice their craft: Buck Henry on the making of The Graduate and Catch-22, Todd Hanson on how The Onion managed to stay funny after 9-11, and Larry Wilmore ("The Daily Show" and more) who explains his frustration with the trend in self-referential and ironically distant humor. Other contributors include Dan Mazer, on his collaboration with childhood friend, Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat, Bruno) and Merrill Markoe on finding her own comedic voice after ending her longtime relationship with David Letterman. Also, Jack Handey (revealing his favorite "Deep Thoughts"), Dick Cavett, Harold Ramis, Paul Feig, the late, great Larry Gelbart, and more.

How to Write Funny
Edited by John B. Kachuba, Writer's Digest Books, 2001, 232 pages, Paperback, $18.99.

Twenty more humorists reveal how they inject the funny into their writing, drawing on their experiences and point of view. This volume is skewed more towards the book and article writer, as opposed to television and film, and contains more "how-to" advice than Kicker. You'll find articles, interviews and one roundtable discussion. Sherman Alexie, Melissa Banks, Dave Barry, Roy Blount Jr., Peg Bracken, Tom Bodett, Bill Bryson, Andrei Codrescu and P.J. O'Rourke are some of the more well-known names here. The authors discuss more than just writing Official Humor Pieces, though; they also discuss how to use humor to address tough subjects, keep a narrative flowing or create a bridge between you and (from my lips to God's ears) your readers. (The subtitle is "Add humor to every kind of writing.") Jennifer Crusie, for example, leads a workshop on using voice, character and reader expectations to comic effect. The best piece of distilled advice comes from Dinty Moore: "Don't ever force humor. You have to be amused yourself, and you have to take some honest pleasure in your amusement." Laugh, and the world laughs with you.

The New Comedy Writing Step-by-Step
By Gene Perret, Quill Driver Books, 2007, 267 pages, Paperback, $14.95.

First published in 1983, this is the first revision and update of the classic by three-time Emmy-award winning writer Perret (Laugh-In, The Carol Burnett Show, Welcome Back, Kotter, The Time Conway Show). Yes, Perret's credits may seem dated, and his book doesn't offer the glam factor as the other two, but he offers more timeless, nuts-and-bolts practical advice. He is of the school that humor can be taught, referring to skills such as comedy rhythm that can be burnished. (Obviously, he has never met my ex-accountant.) He discusses finding your voice and your genre, and writing for your audience. He dissects the mechanics of humor. (Reminds me of the famous bit of advice from "The Sunshine Boys": "Words with K in them are funny.") Perret leads you through various exercises to develop language and visualization skills, to get you started on understanding what makes something funny. From there, he homes in on writing sitcoms and sketch comedy. The final third of the book is devoted to marketing yourself to get your career on the move in the world of standup, TV or movies, but there's not a lot job-hunting advice for authors of books or periodicals.

People often think Beth Levine is not as funny as she thinks she is. And she's okay with that. Her humor pieces have been published in Family Circle, Good Housekeeping, Redbook, Woman's Day, Chatelaine, and in the anthologies Blindsided by a Diaper and Chicken Soup for the Soul: All in the Family. Visit her online at www.bethlevine.net