Monday Morning Essay Tip: Careful with Humor
May 12th, 2008 | Posted in Monday Morning Essay Tips, Blogroll
Virtually every week, as part of our Monday Morning Essay Tip, we offer a “how to” and a “how not to” example. This week, we cannot offer a simple illustration, because we are approaching the issue of humor, which is nuanced and can only be deemed appropriate with a full understanding of the context in which it is presented.
So, instead of a rule, we offer a strong suggestion: be very careful when using humor in your essays; there is a fine line between being funny and showing yourself to be immature, inappropriate or even careless.
In our view, those who use humor best are writers who possess the skill to come across as clever or witty and are not striving to reveal themselves as stand-up comics. Your essays are not the venue to showcase your latest routine, but can be used to reveal your personality through a mildly self-deprecating anecdote which has humorous undertones.
Remember, when using humor, it is not itself the goal, but part of a broader story and message to the reader. If you have a strong voice of your own and can use humor with subtlety, then proceed; even so, do so with caution and ensure that you get a solid critique before you submit your final draft.
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