How to bring humour into stories?

Today was the second day of Kahani Takbak's  First birthday celebrations. Children’s author and illustrator, Ashok Rajagopalan helmed a live chat on How to bring humour into stories?  The following are the questions asked by the participants of the Facebook chat.

Have you ever read a book and thought you could have done a better job illustrating it?

Hmm, no! I am like a kid, and I just accept the book as it is. But there are times when I feel the illustrations are at cross-purposes with my imagination as a reader.

Since you've written and illustrated - which comes first? The picture idea or the story idea?

The story idea... I try to be a writer first, though sometimes visuals come unbidden to my mind along with the words. Writing always comes first, I think.

Are you a funny person in real life? Or is the funniness reserved only for your books?

I am! People have complained long and loud about it. Ask my family. 


:D

You are that rare breed of people who straddles the world of illustration and writing. Which of these do you find more challenging - and I am talking about rejections and acceptances, here, as also of recognition.

 Drawing is like second nature to me, though I can have technical challenges, sometimes. Writing is more challenging, though I have been lucky in acceptances. You are a more prolific writer, and I don't have your confidence. I reject many stories myself. So, I  haven't sent that many out. Sigh.

The things that a five year old child finds funny are quite different from the things that an older child or a tween finds amusing. How do you get an authentic voice?

I am myself, and I write the story as if I am talking to that child. If I talk to an older child, I will have more puns and allusions to what they have at school. That way I have an authentic voice, since it is my real voice.

Does humour come naturally to you all the time or do you sometimes need to work at it? 

I am funny almost all the time, which is not always a good thing. I try to bring humour into almost every conversation I have. People have spoken rather strongly about it. 

 Do you have a foolproof way (or do you think there is an infalliable way) to bring humour into a story for children?                                                                                                                                           

 I don't.  :( Sigh. It is mainly trial and error, but one picks up certain sure-fire tricks to elicit humour over the years.
                       

            

Is there any particular type of humour that appeals to kids more?

Yes! Slapstick humour is universally appealing to kids, though I try to avoid unkindness when I do it. Kids love scatological humour, but I am very careful about using it. I have carefully used it in Gajapathi Kulapathi3, if you have noticed.

Does one have to be humourous to write funny stories?

 It helps, I think. Then one doesn't have to work at it much.

Do we have a certain responsibility when writing humour? Should we please children or adults/parents?

 We have a certain responsibility when writing anything, and we have to be extra careful when writing humour. We aim to please children, but there are adults standing in the way. So I guess, we have to please them too. Kids love naughty humour, but we are very careful about including that into our stories, aren't we?

What cliche stuff we should avoid while writing humour?

 I can't complain, since I am guilty of that! An elephant falling into a pond is a cliche.

 If you're not a light-hearted person, can you write in a light-hearted way? How?

I don't really know. But I recommend having a voice which is close to your real voice and personality. There are famous comedians who suffered from depression, though.

How would you make a picture funny?

Other than the humour in the slapstick act, I pay extra attention to faces and expressions.

While writing with humor for children, is it okay to over exaggerate or push boundaries of the real world? Do the children like to read stories that are not very real?

Children love that! Pushing boundaries and exaggerating are what kids do all the time when they talk! Children are more comfortable with fantasy than adults, I feel.

 Who are your favourite illustrators?

My favourite illustrators are Mario Miranda, R.K. Laxman and Charles Shulz.

What, in your opinion, ails the picture books in India?

 I think they are doing fine, especially in the last few years. The quality of the books and the market is getting better and better.

If you were the King of the World, what would you change about them?

I would make them all hardbound, and would get more and more people to do more and more books for children. I would also have libraries all over the place.

Have you ever made an unfunny story funny with your illustrations?

Hey, great question! I have only made a funny story funnier. Since I have worked with wonderful editors like Aditi De, Sandhya Rao, Vidya Mani and Deeyali Nayar, the stories that come to my table are of the highest quality.

What is the role of the editor when you are illustrating? Do they 'guide' you or leave you to do your humourous best?

The editor is the one who has worked with the writer closely and then decides that I am an apt illustrator for that story. So I usually listen to them. Most times they have no problem with my pictures, sometimes they request, guide or bully me into giving my best or something that is most suited to that story.

Do you read out your stories to children to see if they get the humour?

 I don't test my book on children before it's published. But I imagine a little kid reading my book as I write, or imagine reading it out to that kid.

People have different sensibilities. How do you ensure the humour appeals to everyone?

Hmm. Interesting question. Certain things are universally appealing, and I generally stick to that! But I also explore other kinds of humour, to have something funny for everybody. Different kinds of humour - funny characters, slapstick, wordplay - exaggeration or understatement, puns, metaphors, incongruous things in congress, etc

If you're not a light-hearted person, can you write in a light-hearted way? How?

I don't really know. But I recommend having a voice which is close to your real voice and personality. There are famous comedians who suffered from depression, though.

                                                   Random Musings by Ashok Rajagopalan

• ·         Humour in sounds: There are some words like banana, monkey, duck, cow, kachori, gulab jamun, coconut - these are funny by themselves. I have noticed that words with the K sound are usually funny. Coconut, duck, monkey ...

·         I try to throw a cow into the works. If you study funny stories, comics or films with cows in them, cows are great slapstick materials. I love cows, and I am kind to them in person, but not when I write. All the three Gajapati Kulapati stories have a cow in them.  :)

  To check out Ashok's Lemon Salt Soda series, click here.
    Link: http://ashokscape.blogspot.in/

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