Humor Your Readers: The Uses of Wit

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"Humor Your Readers The Uses of Wit"

• Authored by EEI Press Editors
• Presented by Colin Won

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Main Themes

• The article covers two basic points about humor
  in writing.
  
• 1. How it should be used
• Lightening up your copy
• 2. How it should not be used
• Nobody likes a comedian whos a bully

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How humor should be used?

• Four key methods
• Illustrate serious points in a nondidactic way
• Vary the routine
• Take the sting out of criticism
• Keep the word count down

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Serious Points

• Just as long as the overall tone is kept
  appropriate, the occasional humorous insert may
  be welcomed.
  
• Warning
• This routine should not be used in very formal
  situations such as funerals.
  

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Varying Routine

• Commonplace or obvious ideas could be related
  with just to make the idea more complete.
  
• A rueful correspondent penned a requiem for a
  button, bemoaning the expiration of one on a
  favorite shirt that had served with high
  distinction under the stresses of war, sport, bad
  laundry machines and a tough economy.

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Criticism

• Humor can be used to minimize embarrassment or
  the harshness in certain statements, especially
  they are uncomplimentary.
  
• However, for PC users who are abstaining from
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  Study Bible offers a lot of power

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Word Count

• Humor can present ideas or arguments in less
  words.
  
• Having wit in your writing could bring your
  premise into the conclusion faster.
  
• I am waiting for the golden-eared interconnect
  worshippers to tell me that I should use only
  electricity imported from Washington state,
  generated by water power, rather than unclean
  coal-generated electricity from here in Ohio.

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How humor should not be used?

• Three key warnings
• Relevance
• Taste
• Offensiveness

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Relevance

• The writing should be consistent with its purpose
  and not digress too much.
  
• Keep the humor relevant to the subject youre
  writing about
  
• Keep the humor relevant to the purpose of your
  writing

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Taste

• Taboo forms of writing should be avoided. This
  includes
  

• Vulgar statements
• Off-color humor
• Inappropriate situations often involving
  suffering or loss
  

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Offensiveness

• Humor should not be used to belittle someone.
• Do not be snide
• Do not be condescending of others
• Do not be mean-spirited

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Conclusion

• Humor is an important tool. It keeps users
  interested with the writing even if the topic is
  truly bland and boring. However, there are
  appropriate and inappropriate moments to use
  humor. Writers must take care to use it wisely at
  the risk of losing an audience as well as gaining
  a bad reputation.

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Questions? Comments?