Humor

Yep. Sometimes intentionally, sometimes not.

I think part of it is human condition. Even Shindler's list had moments that you were meant to laugh and giggle at, and it is literally Shindler's List! Same with the good Alien films.

Like most things needs to be handled right. It can come at the wrong moment if it comes from a character, as people do this all the time (my foot is still welded inside my mouth alot of the time). People that often work in dangerous situations such as law enforcement, military, firefighter, and so on develop a bit of black humor. Double points if it comes out of a smart ass.

It also depends on the mood you are trying to set. A little levity can add some relief to a situation. However even more humor heavy shows like Brooklyn 99 know when to pull back to let a serious moment sink in.

Some peices of media that have used it well that migth be worth checking out:

1. M*A*S*H*
2. Disney's Gargoyles
3. Avitar: The Last Airbender
4. Die Hard
5. Jurassic Park (the movie)
6. Hellboy (staring Ron Perlman)
7.

Oh God, this made me go dig out that old comedic fantasy story I was working on once upon a time, and yeesh.  There's some good stuff in there, but it's painfully obvious where I was trying to cram in the jokes.  Don't understand how Terry Pratchett does it, consistently knocking out laugh after quip after witticism, 'cause when I try to match the pacing, it all just feels forced and trite.  For me, the worst part of trying to write a full comedy is that it ends up being based off of jokes and humor that I or my close groups of people would appreciate and not what would maybe appeal to a general audience.   

I can handle it in smaller doses, in dialogue.  Anytime there's an extended downtime with my characters, one of them will make a quip, regardless of the tone.  I think because that's how I end up commiserate, so it feels natural to come up with a way for a character to break the tension, or at least try.  

I like to write humor into too many places. I need to read more funny sci fi to learn how to properly integrate it. No, its not one of my natural personality traits.

I consider myself a decently funny guy so here's my take.

For the purpose of this post, I will discount all those people who are able to sit down and actually write jokes, if they do exist, because that certainly is a gift I personally do not possess.

I believe humor, essentially, is a question of one's attitude. Are you a serious person? Are you able to laugh at yourself or your mistakes? Can you take some distance from said mistakes or do they make you upset? Are the things you write to precious to you to be able to take a jab or two at them? Your attitude towards the world, yourself and your writing are all things that will influence your ability to be funny to start with. If you're the type to take yourself, and things you do too seriously, then you're starting with a disadvantage.

So the first step would be to, well, work on your attitude. We all have the ability to be silly or funny, we just have to try to tap into it. One suggestion that comes to mind is that when something dumb, absurd or whatever comes up in a conversation, try leaning into it. Don't correct or clamp up or whatever your default reaction is; try leaning into the idiocy.

An example that comes to mind is a particular clip of Pipkin Pippa. One of her chatters sent a message stating they were sad because they were going to their meds and that'll make her disappear. The bunny VTuber extraordinaire just went with it and answered: "Noooo, don't take your meds. I don't want to disappear!", followed by her squeegee-sounding laughter.

The second thing is the following: if you're trying to write humor, then you've already failed at it. I find that humor is a spontaneous kind of thing. It's unfortunately not something you can force, but it's something you have to let come up naturally. I know this probably sounds unhelpful, but not entirely. You can at least avoid the fatal mistake of trying to be funny. It never works. Even for myself, my least funny moments are when I try to make a joke.

Thirdly, something I find very helpful is brainstorming with someone else or in a group. That way it gives others the ability to make those little in-the-moment connections that you might not make and vice-versa. So if you really have to a make joke in a scene for whatever reason, try workshopping it with someone else.

Lastly, I guess you could look at comedic devices, but those are more about how you deliver your content. If your material isn't funny to begin with, it won't help.

Oh, actually here's my actual last thing to say: your jokes won't always be funny. You have to sift through the dirt to find gold.