The Writers Alley: down-home humor

On Friday night of the ACFW conference, a gaggle of Alley Cats met in one room. Our greetings quickly slid past formality into down home humor. This lasted way into the next morning. Most of us had never seen each other before, yet we had a common link which fueled the conversation and roaring laughter, The Writers Alley.

Mary's definition of Down Home Humor: the exchange of a short statement which calls to mind something previously experienced by both parties. The event itself may have had something embarrassing happen, or reference an unusual custom, etc.

The greatest fun with down home humor is having others present who do not know about the previous experience. The joke is then enhanced by the puzzled look on the outsider's face as they witness the insiders guffaw over a few cryptic words between breaths.

Ah hah, you have a memory of this, don't you? You're picturing two people laughing so hard they can't breathe, yet they fuel the laughter with a single word here or there, or they see someone looking at them weird, maybe it was you, and burst into a new level of laughing.

Wouldn't it be fun to include down home humor in your work? I'd wager it would be one of the most memorable scenes.

This week I read a book loaded with fantastic examples of down home humor.

How to set up a Down Home Humor scene

The following quotes are used with Tina Radcliffe's permission
AND Tina will be giving one copy of Oklahoma Reunion away today!

1. Set up the scenerio: The set up should take many chapters. It gives the reader a chance to belong in the setting, become familiar with the characters and feel at home with them and their story.

In Tina Radcliffe's book, Oklahoma Reunion, Kait returns to her rural hometown to put her parent's house on the market. Her intent is to cut all ties and return with her daughter to city life out east.

During her visit, Kait has several encounters with Ryan, her high school sweetheart. Ryan offers his services to help fix up her parent's house. One day, he brings pizza and ice cream.

2. Don't spill the beans: Crucial point. RUE. Tina expertly holds back explanations allowing the reader to walk with the characters.

Ryan goes home after the meal, no hints of anything unusual. Typical get-to-know you event.

Everything sounds normal, right?

3. Roll the next scene, snowball style: Pull references, events, traditions, any microscopic detail from the first chapters as fodder for humor. Think of a small snowball rolling down a slippery, long hill gathering more snow as it moves. Tina starts the motion this way:

Kait's friend Molly stops by her home sometime after Ryan left. The conversation starts with Molly,

"Besides, I had to get out of the house. My oldest daughter and her husband are staying here for a few days. Her boys are making me crazy. Why, last night we got a call they were at Miller's Dairy Farm. In the middle of the night, mind you....Someone convinced them to go cow tipping."

Kait burst out laughing.

"They're city kids. They believe anything."

4. Speed up the avalanche: Hold back nothing at this point. This is the time to show the humor. Since the readers have walked with the characters, they will understand without any explanation.Kait has been living in the city for eight years. She has become a city girl. This is what Tina used to propel the avalanche into down home humor.

When Kait opened the freezer, Molly exclaimed, "Braum's! see you're getting reacclimatized to Oklahoma the right way."

"Ryan brought that."

"What did I tell you? He's courting. A man doesn't bring Braum's butter pecan unless he's courting."

Kait laughed. "You're kidding, aren't you?"

"Not hardly. Next thing you know it'll be Mazzio's Pizza."

Kait choked on another laugh. She pointed to the empty pizza box on the far counter.

"Good night, that's a man after my own heart. What a charmer. Moves straight from Braum's to Mazzio's in one day. Watch out, Kaitey-girl. Next thing you know it'll be Goldie's. He'll be proposing over burgers and homemade pickles."

"Molly!"

Yah got to buy this book to see what happens to Ryan and Kait. It's a great story.

The key to down home humor is building a firm foundation of material. These are not jokes. Down home humor must be nurtured in the beginning of the book, built up in the middle, and spilled out in the last third. Like watching a balloon expand as air is blown inside...at what point will it...P O P?

With the Writers Alley we have our own loop where we share prayer requests, chat about our own lives, our writing . . . for hours sometimes. Sympathizing, laughing, and chewing on issues through text. Two years of material came together in the hotel room at the ACFW conference this year. Talk about a firm foundation of material! Betcha can't guess the meaning behind the photo. That's okay, we're laughing.

Tina Radcliffe set up chapters of background material which she later played with and used in the down home humor sections. I found at least four, only mentioned one above.

Your turn. Tis the season to share some down home humor. You can reference a book, tell something from your family, or friends. We may or may not understand it as outsiders, but we will definitely laugh with you.

Tina will be giving a copy of her book Oklahoma Reunion to one person who comments today. Winner will be chosen by a third party. USA residents only. Please include your email address.

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This blog post is by Mary Vee

Mary has moved to Michigan with her husband, closer to her three college kids. She misses the mountains of Montana, but loves seeing family more often. She writes contemporary Christian fiction with a focus on the homeless population and loves to pen missionary and Bible adventure stories on her ministry blog, God Loves Kids.