DISCUSSION: The Comedy Genre

Original topic: DISCUSSION : Stories within the Comedy Genre

I decided to make a V2 of this topic since there’s a lot of new community members here now and I thought it would be interesting to see some new opinions/see if some old members have changed theirs :slight_smile: You don’t have to answer all/any of the questions below but I do want to start a discussion about the comedy genre.

Questions~

  1. Why do you think authors choose to write comedy?

  2. What makes a story a comedy? Is it funny characters? Is it the ‘adventure’ / ‘plot’? Or even the relationships between characters?

  3. Do you think that people make their story ‘comedy’ just for reads?

  4. Should RomCom or DraCom or even FantCom stories be in the Comedy section?

  5. Have YOU, yes YOU, ever tried to make a comedy? What did you find difficult / easy?

  6. Do you think a story should warn readers if the comedy is dark? If the comedy makes fun of race, religion, gender, sexuality, should they warn readers?

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Why do you think authors choose to write comedy?
The same reason authors choose to write in any genre- it’s one that they enjoy reading and/or writing in? lol

What makes a story a comedy? Is it funny characters? Is it the ‘adventure’ / ‘plot’? Or even the relationships between characters?
A combination of plot and characters.

Do you think that people make their story ‘comedy’ just for reads?
Yes.

Should RomCom or DraCom or even FantCom stories be in the Comedy section?
I feel like this is a grey area, but it would kind of depend on whether the story objectively skews more towards comedy or the other genre? A lot of romance stories get dumped in here as “rom coms”, but apart from one character making a couple fart jokes or something, there isn’t really any comedy.

Have YOU, yes YOU, ever tried to make a comedy? What did you find difficult / easy?
I’m not funny.

Do you think a story should warn readers if the comedy is dark? If the comedy makes fun of race, religion, gender, sexuality, should they warn readers?
It can’t hurt to have a warning or disclaimer.
But I think sometimes it’s worth thinking about whether certain jokes are actually funny/necessary?

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  1. Why do you think authors choose to write comedy?
    Properly because they like to. I had a few ideas for comedy stories. but I am not funny so I think people would be dispointed in them

  2. What makes a story a comedy? Is it funny characters? Is it the ‘adventure’ / ‘plot’? Or even the relationships between characters?
    its funny, usally has a lot of jokes or people doing very funny (stupid) stuff

  3. Do you think that people make their story ‘comedy’ just for reads?
    no. I am pretty sure it is one of the least popular genres

  4. Should RomCom or DraCom or even FantCom stories be in the Comedy section?
    depends on what they are most . like if its 80% romance and 20% comedy then no.

  5. Have YOU, yes YOU, ever tried to make a comedy? What did you find difficult / easy?
    Yes but never finish. because again I am not funny

  6. Do you think a story should warn readers if the comedy is dark? If the comedy makes fun of race, religion, gender, sexuality, should they warn readers?
    yes on this app we have to give a warning for evrything or people will complain (they properly will anyway though)

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  1. Why do you think authors choose to write comedy?
    Probably because it’s what they enjoy writing about, or passionate about or maybe they enjoy making people laugh, like me!

  2. What makes a story a comedy? Is it funny characters? Is it the ‘adventure’ / ‘plot’? Or even the relationships between characters?
    Funny situations/circumstances with funny characters that interact with each other, I’d say all of those factors and probably more.

  3. Do you think that people make their story ‘comedy’ just for reads?
    Definitely in some cases.

  4. Should RomCom or DraCom or even FantCom stories be in the Comedy section?
    Only if it’s a main component, if it’s more of a subplot/add-on, no.

  5. Have YOU, yes YOU, ever tried to make a comedy? What did you find difficult / easy?
    Yes! I created an episode story that features a ton of my irl friends filled with inside jokes, I love making that story and am super proud of it! (Won’t publish, for privacy reasons, just a fun thing to do to make my friends & I laugh!) It was super easy for me to come up for plots, so I’d say writing comedy is first of all, one of my favorite genres to write/read, and second of all, pretty easy for me to plan, develop, and write!

  6. Do you think a story should warn readers if the comedy is dark? If the comedy makes fun of race, religion, gender, sexuality, should they warn readers?
    With comedy you always have to take precautions with your jokes FIRST. I always think about a joke and who it may/may not offend. I definitely take a lot into consideration before making the joke. If you put a joke like what you asked in the question, I think you should definitely put a disclaimer, better yet, it shouldn’t even be in there.

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I definitely agree with this.

In terms of readers maybe, but because there’s not too many comedy stories, don’t you find that a lot of stories that aren’t comedy will be moved there to be more visible? The same thing happens in horror too.

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What makes a story a comedy? Is it funny characters? Is it the ‘adventure’ / ‘plot’? Or even the relationships between characters?
Any combination could work, but the characters and their interactions with each other are definitely super super important.

Do you think that people make their story ‘comedy’ just for reads?
I’ve definitely seen this happen, mainly for romance stories that have a couple of jokes thrown in, both on episode and other platforms. This can also make it a little hard to find comedies to read sometimes.

Should RomCom or DraCom or even FantCom stories be in the Comedy section?
It depends on what genre the story focuses more on. If it’s a pretty even split, I don’t mind which genre it’s placed in, but if it’s (for example) more drama than comedy, it should be in the drama section.

Have YOU, yes YOU, ever tried to make a comedy? What did you find difficult / easy?
Almost all of the stories I’ve tried to make are comedies! It’s the genre I find easiest to write and I’m usually able to come up with ideas for it. I’m not the best at continuing to write a story for a long time, and almost always have given up after a short while, but that’s more of a general problem than something specific to comedy.

Do you think a story should warn readers if the comedy is dark? If the comedy makes fun of race, religion, gender, sexuality, should they warn readers?
Like other people have said, I feel like we should take into consideration if jokes like these are really necessary. If they’re going to be there, though, definitely put in a warning.

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  • Why do you think authors choose to write comedy?

Maybe they enjoy reading or writing it? Perhaps they want to put a smile on someone’s face, or maybe even their own.

  • What makes a story a comedy? Is it funny characters? Is it the ‘adventure’ / ‘plot’? Or even the relationships between characters?

Relationships and, of course, subtle jokes slipped in here there and everywhere.

  • Do you think that people make their story ‘comedy’ just for reads?

I think they make it comedy because it’s comedic :thinking: But I could be wrong :woman_shrugging::joy:

  • Should RomCom or DraCom or even FantCom stories be in the Comedy section?

Not romcom, leave this section free from the romance invasion :pleading_face:

  • Have YOU, yes YOU, ever tried to make a comedy? What did you find difficult / easy?

I have, yes. What was difficult for me was slipping in jokes subtly but not so discreet that the line makes no sense

  • Do you think a story should warn readers if the comedy is dark? If the comedy makes fun of race, religion, gender, sexuality, should they warn readers?

Warm? Maybe not. But they should probably post a disclaimer to say they don’t agree with all the characters morals, so that they have something to fight off those who come after them :relieved:

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Probably because they want to lighten up every day situations, it’s like writing on every other genre, it depends on the author.

I feel like it’s a combination of all of these.

Some do, others no. But there aren’t many comedy stories on Episode so some people take advantage of that.

It really depends. If comedy is the main plot of the story, I think that it belongs in the comedy section but if a story is a romance with a couple of jokes every now and then, it should be in romance. As someone else said it’s a really gray area, it’s hard to define how much of a comedy is something.

I never tried, I’m not really funny. I definitely think that comedy is probably one of the hardest genre to write in and I admire whoever is capable of doing that. Transforming a story into something readers can relate to to the point of laughing at it, is truly a huge talent.

I think that we have to still realize that it’s a PG13 app and that as everything, there’s a limit. I do like a lot of comedy shows that make a lot of dark jokes (The Simpsons, Futurama, Family Guy just to name a few), but they’re all rated for adults and they don’t make fun of the diversity, they make fun of how diversity is perceived. I do think that warners are definitely needed in that case, but again, as someone mentioned above, we need to realize if a joke is really needed.

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Why do you think authors choose to write comedy?
They’re probably just people who like to laugh maybe I’m just saying that because I only write comedy
What makes a story a comedy? Is it funny characters? Is it the ‘adventure’ / ‘plot’? Or even the relationships between characters?
I don’t think there’s a formula for comedy I just think it just has to make you laugh. For example the characters may be boring but the situations they end up in may make the story funny. Or the characters may make mediocre or boring scenes funny.
Do you think that people make their story ‘comedy’ just for reads?
Well sometimes you read a comedy story and you can tell they’re trying way too hard, the jokes aren’t natural. But then again humor is subjective so what I may think is just looking for read may not seem that way to someone else.
Should RomCom or DraCom or even FantCom stories be in the Comedy section?
Yes as long as it’s still funny, and not just occasional jokes here and there
Have YOU, yes YOU, ever tried to make a comedy? What did you find difficult / easy?
I used to do a comedy series back on this site called Bitstrips, it was one of my most successful series to date, and I really enjoyed doing it, the comedy series I’m doing right now on episode is comedy, not as enjoyable since there are so many rules (and it’s a pg13 app and all so I can understand why some of them, are there), but I still love writing with my characters.
Do you think a story should warn readers if the comedy is dark? If the comedy makes fun of race, religion, gender, sexuality, should they warn readers?
Nope

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I find this part you said interesting. Do you think the guidelines here limit comedy specifically in ways it hasn’t affected other genres?

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This isn’t directed at me but I’m gonna answer :sweat_smile:

I think the guidelines do restrict the comedy that people are going to laugh at because unless you are extremely subtle with some of the jokes, someone is probably gonna report you :unamused:

Also most jokes that people laugh at for ages with their friends and family are ones that take the mic out of something else, so when you write on a global platform you can’t exactly say those things

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I think it limits romance and horror the most, but I understand why the limits are there because it’s PG13 and we have to keep our stories appropriate for the younger episodians. But then again there are some rules like the song lyric rule that just simply make it harder for us to tell the story we want regardless of the genre.

Not that I’m saying I want any of these rules changed but without them I think we’d have a lot more room to tell our stories the way we want

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That’s ok. All my follow ups can be answered by anyone. ~cough~ just in case anyone else sees this and wanted to chime in ~cough~

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1. Why do you think authors choose to write comedy?
I think Authors right comedy because they enjoy to do just that.
2. What makes a story a comedy? Is it funny characters? Is it the ‘adventure’ / ‘plot’? Or even the relationships between characters?
I think a story that at points is lighthearted and meant to make readers laugh can be considered comedy.
3. Do you think that people make their story ‘comedy’ just for reads?
Not really. I think if you wanted reads you would go in the romance section.
4. Should RomCom or DraCom or even FantCom stories be in the Comedy section?
Yes, but not many authors do that because they’re main focus is Romance or Drama…etc.
5. Have YOU, yes YOU, ever tried to make a comedy? What did you find difficult / easy?
Yes! I’m writing a comedy right now and it’s absolutely stressful because you have all this pressure to make this a story that someone with laughs at. Constantly you’re wondering “is this funny??” or “that jokes is lame but will readers enjoy it??” . It’s a constant cycle of depression and then acceptance that some things aren’t going to be funny to everyone.
6. Do you think a story should warn readers if the comedy is dark? If the comedy makes fun of race, religion, gender, sexuality, should they warn readers?

I think all crude humor should have a warning just for the author and the reader’s sake. When your readers go and read your story they are on the same page as you. That eliminates (some) hate mail and people reporting your story. Although there are some things that just shouldn’t be joked about. So doing dark humor is a very slippery slope and nothing I reccomend.

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This sounds like the writing process is literally the exact opposite of what readers feel when they read a comedy story lol

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I’m taking this advice and I’m chiming in (even if none cares about my opinion :joy:). I commented too about the app being PG13 but I can definitely see Meghan’s side. For example, I don’t take myself seriously and I don’t expect anyone to do so for myself, for this my friends frequently make fun of my broken English and I do too. If I would want to write a comedy using an exaggerating version of myself I would probably put this aspect of myself in the story, some people would find it offensive but is it really a poor way of doing comedy? Or is it acceptable? I definitely think that jokes targeted towards race/religion/disabilities aren’t acceptable but where do we draw the line?

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Why do you think authors choose to write comedy?
Aye, same reason anyone chooses to write anything, for fun and because they have a story to tell. :relaxed:
What makes a story a comedy? Is it funny characters? Is it the ‘adventure’ / ‘plot’? Or even the relationships between characters?
Funny situations, some jokes… Tbh I feel unequipped to answer this question, since I can’t think of anything I’ve ever watched/read as an adult that had situational comedy, I mostly get my comedy from commedians’ skits and variety shows, etc. Nothing with a plot. (I’ve never watched The Office or any of those, none of the jokes I see in the memes are funny to me in the slightest.)
Do you think that people make their story ‘comedy’ just for reads?
A few. :hocho:
(Yeah, that knife joke wasn’t funny, but neither are stories in the comedy section that aren’t supposed to be there.)
Should RomCom or DraCom or even FantCom stories be in the Comedy section?
Since Episode doesn’t allow split genres and such, it’s up to the author’s honour to pick the genre that best fits their story. If the jokes are plentiful and good, comedy is the dominant genre. If it’s just a little comic relief, get outta here.
Have YOU, yes YOU, ever tried to make a comedy? What did you find difficult / easy?

Click for answer
Me irl and on internet forums:

image

Me in my stories

image
So the answer is no lmao, I’m funny but my writing style doesn’t suit comedy. :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

Do you think a story should warn readers if the comedy is dark? If the comedy makes fun of race, religion, gender, sexuality, should they warn readers?
For sure.
Dark humour is like food, not everyone gets it.
If that made you go :roll_eyes: or :unamused: or :hocho:, you see my point. :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:
(But in seriousness, some people have been bullied too many times in school that they hate all the jokes now, and others just don’t like dark humour, people know which group they fall into, let them show themselves out.)
(But also keep the dark jokes PG13, we have standards here.)

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I think this was a very good way to explain it

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:joy::joy: pretty much. In the end the feedback of fans who find it funny will give me security.

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  • Why do you think authors choose to write comedy?

I personally make comedy because I hide my personally to other people- and then on episode I can do whatever the heck I want. Sounds sad, yes it is, but it’s the way I do it.

  • What makes a story a comedy? Is it funny characters? Is it the ‘adventure’ / ‘plot’? Or even the relationships between characters?

I personally think it’s the dialogue that character’s put out. Like I love comedies that are up to date with memes and stuff and when the author adds the memes and stuff into the story- it makes it 10x more funnier.

  • Do you think that people make their story ‘comedy’ just for reads?

Oh heck no! I think comedy is one of the least read genres on episode.

  • Should RomCom or DraCom or even FantCom stories be in the Comedy section?

Uhhh- depends which it has more of.

  • Have YOU, yes YOU, ever tried to make a comedy? What did you find difficult / easy?

I made Perfect Pitches: It’s Just A Prank- I wrote this like 2 years ago, and I found it pretty easy. Honestly I just write my heart out and I won’t care if others like it or not.

  • Do you think a story should warn readers if the comedy is dark? If the comedy makes fun of race, religion, gender, sexuality, should they warn readers?

Yea. Just yes. Like they shouldn’t do it anyways, but if you do like don’t.

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