  Comedy
This week: Edited by: Robert Waltz  
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"I had thought — I had been told — that a 'funny' thing is a thing of a goodness. It isn't. Not ever is it funny to the person it happens to. Like that sheriff without his pants. The goodness is in the laughing itself. I grok it is a bravery... and a sharing... against pain and sorrow and defeat."
- Valentine Michael Smith
(Robert Heinlein,
Stranger in a Strange Land) |
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Comedy Contests
Everyone can use more humor in life, right? Well, one way to encourage the spread of laughter is to get involved in a Comedy contest! Whether you're running one or merely participating, you'll have the opportunity to read some material you might not otherwise come across.
Running a comedy contest might take more work than entering one, but it can be rewarding (even though you'd be the one giving out the rewards - go figure).
Many of the basics of running a contest will apply, of course, but in case you don't get the Contests and Activities Newsletter, I'll start from scratch:
What you Need:
 At least a Basic membership at Writing.Com - Free members cannot create:
A Message Forum - this is the easiest way to keep track of entries and enumerate:
Rules. They don't have to be extensive, but should be clear. Also, you need:
Prizes.
That's all you need, but you might also want contestants to whom you will award the prizes. If you don't know a lot of people - or if the people you know never laugh - you'll want to promote and advertise your contest. There are several ways to do this; the easiest way is to post it on the Contest Listings page (Item Jumps -> Contest Listings).
I'd suggest picking a theme for the contest. Comedy covers a lot of territory, so you should specify what sort(s) of comedy you're looking for. Pick one you like and can laugh at; for example, if you like subtle, cerebral comedy, don't pick "fart jokes" as a theme. If you don't like to read stories, make it a comedy poetry contest. However, the "anything goes, as long as it makes me laugh" theme can work, too.
It also helps to post a prompt. The prompt should fit the theme, but it can be anything you can think of: "Write a story starting with..." "Write a limerick involving a cat." "Write a humorous essay about the French Revolution." I don't suggest prompting a punch line; you want to laugh at the entries, not slog through predictable ones.
In your rules, spell out the mechanics of the contest. What's the entry deadline? Is there a word or line limit? How do you want people to enter (the most common method is making a forum post with a {bitem:} link to the entry)? And how many ducks can fit under the Eiffel Tower?
If you choose to run a contest, you have some responsibilities to your entrants. Mostly, your responsibility is to do what you promise: if you say the deadline is high noon next Friday, that's the deadline; it's not fair to those who did make the deadline if you make exceptions. If you promise a review of every entry, do it in a decent time frame. And, of course, award the winner(s) in a timely fashion; people write to write, but they enter contests to win.
Entering a comedy contest is usually easier than running it, and the rewards can be significant, even if you don't win. To find an appropriate contest, you can check the Contest Listings page (Item Jumps -> Contest Listings) for recently posted contests. Or, use the Search function on the genres "Comedy" and "Contest", limiting "Item Type" to "Message Forum."
Many of the guidelines above apply, in reverse: Read and follow the rules; get your entry in on time; enter contests that involve the kind of comedy you prefer. And write to the prompt, even if it involves ducks and the Eiffel Tower.
As noted above, most commonly, contests ask you to enter by making a forum post that contains a {bitem:} link. This means that once you've written your magnum humerus, take note of the item number, then "Post a New Message" within the forum that contains, at a minimum, the characters {bitem:1234567} (where 1234567 is replaced by your actual item number). There are other ways of entering, though, and be sure that you do it properly, or your entry may be disqualified.
I suggest not using the "Contest" genre for entries (unless the rules specifically ask for it); reserve that for actual contests and contest supporting items. Your story, poem or whatever should stand alone, with its own genres, long after the contest is over.
If the contest host is taking his or her time making a decision, take a look at how many entries there are. If there were a lot, allow more time, but it's perfectly acceptable to send the host a polite email asking what's going on.
If by some remote chance you do not win the contest, keep trying other contests, or the same one a different time. There are always other contests, and hopefully the feedback you get from your contest experience will help your writer become stronger... faster... funnier! |
While we're on the subject of comedy contests, let's start this week's picks with the winners of "Invalid Item" [] by A Guest Visitor ! While the holiday season is over, I hope you'll give one last glance at holiday-season-themed comedy before we pack it away for another 11 10 9 6 months:
First Place went to this gem:
Second place was stolen by this weirdo:
Third place was taken by this colorful parody:
And, finally, the Honorable Mentions (Shouldn't that be Humorable Mentions?):
More Comedy contests:
This recurring contest isn't just for comedy - but it helps.
Here's another recurring contest that's worth visiting just for the cute/scary cat picture (but stay for the laughs):
If your thing is funny poetry, check this out (the same host runs a story contest, also):
Finally, a couple of contests that are NOT Comedy-only, but often cry out for it:
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Have an opinion on what you've read here today? Then send the Editor feedback! Find an item that you think would be perfect for showcasing here? Submit it for consideration in the newsletter!
https://www.Writing.Com/go/nl_form
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My last newsletter on New Year's Resolutions resulted in a few scattered resolutions to give feedback to newsletter editors. Here they are:
Acme  swears: Thanks again I like the 'Gushing' 
Now, you, dear Readers, can go back through the newsletter archives so this isn't so out of context, but it's more fun if you don't.
Paige Turner self-implores: I got your nl right when I'd been thinking about whether to make any resolutions this year. I'd about decided I'm too lazy to bother, then I read yours. Wow! There's a couple I definitely plan to "borrow" -- read more trashy novels and watch more TV. I'd like to do the eBay thingy, but that takes some work. I'll have to think on that one. Anyway, thanks for the laugh. I always enjoy your wit! PT
Thanks, Paige! I'm sure there are more resolutions for lazy people like us out there, but they take too much work to find.
Puditat affirms: Ah, just delightful! What a great way to ring in the New Year, with a comedic laugh at those strange customs of making New Year Resolutions (something I abandoned doing many moons ago).
Thanks for a very entertaining editorial, Robert.
You're welcome, Puditat! One of these years, I'm going to do my New Year's Resolving in June and see what happens.
April Sunday purposes: Resolutions? No more speeding tickets, no more running over the neighbor's snakes, or puncturing inflatable santas in the night (kiddiNg). Less of letting my writing time slide today. Oh, hey --- gotta run, chapter in progress. HAPPY NEW YEAR!
No more fun!? Perish the thought!
Spiritscribe resolves: I actually like this edition...I know that I check my newsletters about as frequently as Halley's Comet passes through, but I will have to admit. I enjoyed reading this piece. I imagine that if people were to read newsletters such as these more frequently, there would be no such thing as illiteracy.
I actually can't tell if this was intended for my newsletter or not, but I'll take it. Illiterate? Read this newsletter!
Speaking of resolutions and contests, there's still time to enter "Dear Me: Official WDC Contest" [E]! Nothing says you can't be funny and serious at the same time!
Until next time, stay funny and
LAUGH ON! |
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Comedy: January 16, 2008 Issue [#2176]
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