As Woody Allen said, “80 percent of success is showing up.”
Well, this is certainly true when it comes to blogging. I started this humor blog a year ago today. And it’s a thrill to be sitting here writing this morning with the knowledge that I’ve stuck with it for a whole year come rain or shine.
Here are some things I’ve learned about writing humor over the course of the last year.
Steady Eddy Kills the Humor Muse
Humor likes extremes. I’ve noticed over the course of the year, that I tend to write best when I’m either in a horribly bad mood or in an unusually good mood. And if I have a headache or a backache? I can really deliver!
So my advice is if everything is running along a little too smoothly — wreck your car, get in a barroom brawl and/or go to jail. This will give you all kinds of fresh ideas for your blog — plus give you something to do while you waiting for bail.
Good Writing Follows Good Concept
I’ve found that rarely does the writing lead me to a good concept but that the concept leads me to the good writing. So my advice is to throw away all the words you want –there’s plenty more where they came from — but never throw away a good concept.
(Of course, if you insist on throwing away that good concept — feel free to throw it out in MY garbage can.)
Shoot for Being Different, But Not so Different You Need to be Shot
I can get pretty carried away at times. I love writing nonsensical, surreal, reckless humor. I get in a mood and I can’t stop myself. When my inner wackadoodle takes over my keyboard, I find that it’s best to let things sit awhile before publishing. Good rule of thumb is:
Try not to publish anything that would be embarrassing enough to make you want to apply to the witness protection program.
In The Long and Short of Writing– Little Voices Are Big.
If a little voice inside is telling you that what you just wrote stinks on ice, it most assuredly does, I’ve found.
On the other hand, sometimes something you write that you personally don’t care for turns out to be quite popular. It’s like when you wear an outfit that you never wear because you hate it, but you get all kinds of compliments on it whenever you do wear it. So sometimes you can’t ALWAYS trust the little voice.
And Finally Read Other Writers Who Are Stimulating
Here is a list of eclectic bloggers that I whole-heartedly support and whose minds I enjoy peeking into:
Running Naked with Scissors
http://runningnakedwithscissors.wordpress.com/
Nailing Jello To A Tree
http://nailingjellotoatree.wordpress.com/
Orange Spice Drop
http://orangespicedrop.wordpress.com/
Spectacular Disaster
http://spectaculardisaster.wordpress.com/
Ashley Jillian
Teal and Tulle
http://tealandtulle.wordpress.com/
Pretty Feet, Pop Toe
http://prettyfeetpoptoe.wordpress.com/
Break It Down Pete
http://breakitdownpete.wordpress.com/
David Wallace Fleming’s Blog
http://davidwallacefleming.com/
Eldon
Dehypnotze
http://dehypnotize.wordpress.com/
robotic rhetoric
http://roboticrhetoric.wordpress.com/
Diedra Alexander’s Blog
http://deidraalexander.wordpress.com/
I’m Going to Twirl
http://www.imgoingtotwirl.com/
Ryman Tolentino
http://www.imgoingtotwirl.com/
Oh and One More Thing . . .
It is absolutely OK to title a post Secrets to Writing a Sexy Humor Blog even if said post doesn’t really have any secrets in it and isn’t the least bit sexy. Why? Because it’s my birthday, which makes me the Birthday Girl which means I can do whatever I want!
At least for today, anyway.
Until next time . . . I love you
Linda Vernon Humor 
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!! I hope you are having a wonderful day! I love this post! AND Happy One Year Blogging! I am a little choked up for real ….I wish I could bake you a cake or something. Great observations about writing and I am so glad you have continued your endeavor because I look forwad to your posts and completely enjoy your sense of humor. I am just full of all kind of warm fuzzies right now …..I am honored to be included in your list and you have my utmost admiration. Yay! for you! Have a great day and Bravo on another super post. 🙂 Cheers !!
Ah Lizzie, what wonderful words. You were the very first fellow blogger to comment on my blog and I must tell you, it definitely breathed some new life into my writing commitment. I had no idea about the blogosphere until then. Ha Ha! I guess that’s part of being 60 (today) and a little out of touch. But I think everything really does happen for a reason. I love your writing and look forward to reading all your blogs and I gotta say, you have a hilarious outlook and I find myself telling my “real world” friends about furry balls and brown babies! And I am constantly amazed how you manage to write so much and so well while having 6 kids to look after. Can’t wait to hear about your adventures in grandmotherhood too! So here’s to a great year of writing for both of us! Clink, Guzzle Guzzle!
Huge Big Smiley Faces !! Thanks and Here’s to us! -) 🙂 🙂 I’m a little veclempt – 🙂 Cheers!
Great blog post mom! Congratulations on your one year blog anniversary AND your happy birthday of course! This really is great advice and very helpful for those of us to attempt to be funny (and write about it) as best we can.
I plan to check out those blogs you listed! It’s hard to find a funny blog that doesn’t annoy me 🙂
Thank you honey. You are always so supportive! I’m glad I had you.
You are sooooo lucky that your daughter reads your blog. Then again, maybe it’s better that my doesn’t. Happy Bday – blog and birth.
Enjoy always, T
Thank you for stopping by. Ha ha! Yes I am lucky that my daughter follows my blog. I had three kids altogether just to raise the blog reading odds and it worked!
Lizziecracked said I should come by and give a “A Show of Love and Warm Fuzzies!”
Glad she sent me here. Happy Birthday and Happy Anniversary!
I’ll be back…
Ah! Thank you so much El Guapo! You’ve made my Birthday/Anniversary just that much better! 🙂
happy birthday (~_~)
Why thank you!
Dang nabbit! I was off the grid yesterday so I missed reading your blog-versary and birthday post. I loved it!!! Humor IS sexy. Why else would Mia Farrow stick around Wood Allen?
I agree about having be in the right mind-set/mood to write funny. I’ll draft a blog when I’m feeling “normal” then go back when I’m in the right mood and completely overhaul it so it’s actually comical.
Thanks for listing some blogs that you follow – I can’t wait to check them out!
HA! Yes you’re right about that. But now unfortunately he now poor fallen creepy Woody Allen.
I don’t know why we can’t always be in the right mood. Doesn’t it seem like humans would have evolved full time funny moods by now? But alas.
Glad you liked the blog, and keep up the good work on your blog!! 🙂
I must agree with your “concept over good writing” observation. Not long ago I was watching the editor of a teen magazine in one of those how-to-sell your short stories to the stuffy literary magazines DVDs. And the editor said that oftentimes writers will start a short story with just a conceit and try to develop that conceit… And I was like: how else should a writer begin? Humans have been writing for thousands of years. If you don’t focus on the conceit first, your writing is just gonna be like everybody elses and you won’t be motivated to refine it.
That is so funny! That editor sounds like he was dropped on his head somwehre along the line. Editors . . . sigh . . . the only thing they know for sure is what the DON’T want. That’s why I love blogging! Nothing beats instant gratification. (Except a book deal or getting published in a major publication, that is)
Happy Anniversary!