Beyond Banter: 4 Tips for Writing Hilarious Dialogue

By L.E. Williams

Writing humorous dialogue is hard.

Hang on—I can pare that down a bit. “Writing dialogue is hard.” Hmm…still too long. Hang on, let me just grab my eraser, and…ah yes. “Writing is hard.” 

There. Go ahead and give yourself a pat on the back, dear writer. By default you’re doing what few can: putting words to paper and ink. (Or, in this case, perhaps a computer monitor.)

*ahem* 

In case my little tangent hasn’t given it away, today we’re talking about humor. More specifically, dialogue that incorporates humor.

You see, dear writer, I’m a simple woman: I like things that make me laugh. Dialogue-based comedy delights me to no end, whether reading it, writing it, or hearing it spoken. Wit? Dry humor? Banter? Sarcasm? Puns so bad that even the main character’s dog cringes? I love it all.

However, there is a particular problem when it comes to figuring out how to write humor. Several problems, actually: the first being that not everything is funny to everyone. I can take or leave The Office, for example, even though it is many peoples’ favorite show. The second problem is that there isn’t a concrete formula for making people laugh.

Accordingly, dear writer, this article will not be a step-by-step guide on how to make your characters’ every conversation sparkle with wit and merriment. What it will be instead is a sort of a compilation of things I’ve learned in my years of observing and writing funny dialogue.

Does that clear everything up for you? Good. Now go pour yourself a cup of the cozy beverage of your choice, and get comfortable. We have a lot to discuss. 

1. Don’t Insert a Laugh Track

Have you ever experienced this?

You’re in the midst of reading an extremely well-paced scene, even chuckling now and then to yourself at the little quips the characters toss around, when you sense everything building up to a punchline. The joke lands, and it’s perfect: it fits the tone of the scene, illuminates the joke-teller’s personality in all its glory, and above all, is sufficiently funny. You chuckle to yourself, and prepare to move on to the next scene. 

Except… you don’t.

Instead, suddenly, the author jerks the proverbial reins back and the scene slows to a crawl. This author, whomever they might be, has taken it upon themselves to make sure you understand that a character said something funny, and you need to know about it.

Maybe the other characters all groan, or laugh uproariously for half a page. Perhaps another character repeats the joke in some form or fashion. Whatever the case may be, it kills the pacing and the initial humor fades into annoyance. You stare at the page in disbelief, then chuck the book across the room and vow never to read again.

…alright, perhaps I was being a touch dramatic with that hypothetical example. One ill-timed scene doesn’t ruin an entire book, worry not.

What I’m trying to say is this: readers appreciate it when the author assumes they’re smart enough to pick up on a joke when they see one.

Now, this could go too far in the other direction and leave your readers in the dust as to whether or not something you just penned was even supposed to be funny. It’s a careful balance, dear writer—one that is best felt, not explained. 

However, your reader doesn’t need a sitcom laugh track to tell them when to crack a smile. Have confidence in your prose, dear writer! Your jokes can stand on their own two feet. 

2. Humor Isn’t Always a Joke

When one of your dear cast of characters says something absolutely hysterical, the rest of your characters don’t have to laugh at it in order for it to still be funny. In fact, many of the best “jokes” aren’t actually jokes at all.

To illustrate what on earth  I’m talking about, here’s a clip from the Disney film The Emperor’s New Groove. If you haven’t seen it (in which case, do yourself a favor and give it a watch), the context is that the young Emperor Kuzco has just fired his right-hand-woman Yzma on a whim, and now Yzma wants revenge. 

 Now, a lot of things are at play in this particular scene, which I could most certainly go on and on about. (The Emperor’s New Groove is one of my favorite animated movies, after all.) However, what I want to focus on specifically here is Kronk, Yzma’s sidekick. 

Strictly speaking in archetypes, Kronk is the comic relief character of the film. However, in this scene, he cracks very few “proper” jokes. Instead, we laugh at this scene because he’s much more concerned about his spinach puffs burning and whether or not they have time for dessert than whether he and Yzma succeed in poisoning the emperor. He isn’t stupid, but his focus is completely misplaced.

This illustrates a key concept when it comes to writing anything funny, dialogue or otherwise: humor is very often found in setting up expectations and then subverting those expectations. We, the audience, expect Kronk to take something as weighty as assassinating an emperor seriously. However, his actions go directly against what we expect from the situation, and from this juxtaposition, humor is born. 

3. Mix It Up

Take a moment next time you’re in a coffee shop, at church, or at a lively get-together with your friends and listen to the conversations around you. This is a lovely exercise in its own right when it comes to learning how to craft dialogue, but in this case, focus in on how and why each person laughs.

One thing I’ve noticed from doing this is that everyone has their own way of telling jokes and reacting to jokes told by others. Some people are the deadpan sort, only ever allowing the barest hint of a grin to slip by to clue you in on the fact that they’re joking. Others can barely get through a joke without laughing to the point of tears. Whatever the case may be, no two people will be precisely the same.

Accordingly, dear writer, one thing I’ve found that helps in crafting humorous dialogue is the mix up the types of humor present.  For example, if one of your characters responds to everything with a sarcastic quip, don’t make the rest of your characters aggressively caustic towards one another. 

Sarcasm (and all other subcategories of humor, for that matter) is a bit like salt. Though its absence makes many a dish bland and tasteless, too much of it makes an otherwise perfect meal inedible. (If you don’t believe me, ask me about the Salty Taco Incident someday. ‘Twas a harrowing night in the Williams household.)

In writing dialogue, then, try mixing up what forms of comedy each character uses. Have a  character laugh exclusively at bad puns and nothing else. Maybe another character takes himself way too seriously, and his inability to laugh at a ridiculous situation is precisely what makes him hilarious. Or perhaps one character can’t tell a knock-knock joke to save her life.

Additionally, diversifying the comedy you use in a particular WIP is a handy way to expand your characters’ personalities. Play around with some different approaches to laughter and see where it takes your characters. Who knows—maybe someone’s terrible dad joke will bring the villain to their knees after all. 

4. The Art of Trial-and-Error

Let me leave you with a last bit of encouragement, dear writer. 

Writing dialogue, humorous or otherwise, is a difficult part of a difficult craft. I can talk till I’m blue in the face about what or what not to do, but ultimately you’re the only one who can decide what your particular story needs. Isn’t that an exciting thought?

Experiment until you find the types of comedy that work for you and your cast of characters. Along the way, you might write scenes that don’t quite “work” the way you want them to, or pen jokes that don’t quite evoke the level of mirth you long for. I know I certainly have. But take heart, dear writer, because you’re doing such a wonderful thing in all of it: trying to make people laugh.

Just keep spreading that joy around, dear writer. Every sentence brings you closer to writing the story you want to tell. 

What are your favorite types of comedy to write? What are your favorite tips for writing humorous dialogue?