Article: When you sit down to write a funny story, you need to be aware of your personal style of humor. If you're trying to write in a style that doesn't fit your strengths as a comedian or storyteller, then your story may not be as strong as it could be. There are many different types/styles of humor. Some of the most popular include:   Observational humor involves pointing out humorous or mundane situations in everyday life, as well as poking fun at others, often in a playful manner.  Anecdotal humor focuses on humorous personal stories, which may be slightly embellished for comedic effect.  Burlesque involves caricature and imitation, often with exaggerated characteristics.  Dark (or gallows) humor involves death and other types of misfortune, often with a comically pessimistic viewpoint.  Dry (or deadpan) humor uses a lack of emotion or expression to deliver funny material.  Farcical (or screwball) humor uses skits or satire involving highly improbable circumstances, often with exaggerated reactions and frantic movements.  High (or highbrow) humor involves cultured or intelligent topics/themes.  Hyperbolic humor uses excess and exaggeration for comedic effect.  Ironic humor involves either a split from normalcy or a situation in which the audience knows more than the characters know.  Satirical humor points out a person's or society's weaknesses and downfalls with comedic effect.  Self-deprecating humor features the comedian or storyteller making fun of themself.  Situational humor employs some elements of farce, screwball, or slapstick comedy to make fun of everyday situations.  Slapstick involves acting out mock violence or bodily harm through physical comedy. Before you can write a funny story, you need to have some idea about the story itself. It's not enough to have jokes or a funny scenario; the story needs to be strong so that it can support the humorous elements.   Brainstorm ideas. If you're stuck, try watching funny movies and reading funny stories for inspiration. Write down strange or funny situations you've experienced in the past. Don't worry about making them funny right now. Just write out what you can remember about the experience and why you found it humorous. Choose a vivid setting that your audience will be able to imagine. They'll be better able to understand the humor if they can imagine the setting. The setting itself doesn't have to be funny (though it can be), but it should make sense for the characters and plot you're creating. Think about what you ultimately want your story to say. What will the overarching point of your story be? Is it a story about overcoming adversity? Is it a commentary on modern society? Ideally, the tension and its resolution in your story should illustrate some aspect of human nature. Once you create your story's conflict, tell your readers the stakes facing your characters if they don't resolve it. Your readers will find the events of your story more interesting if you create conflict and tension that move your plot forward.  Your story's conflict should create tension. Because it's a funny story, that tension may be funny itself, or the circumstances around it (how it builds, or how it is resolved) could be humorous. Most commonly, the way you resolve the tension in a comedic story will provide much of the humor. Additionally, always create some kind of stakes. A good story has some outcome on the line for the characters, which may be funny or tragic (but needs to be realistic). Sketch out the rising action, climax, and falling action. The climax is typically the high point of tension, and the rising and falling actions build up and relieve that tension (respectively). In the Chris Farley movie Tommy Boy, for example, the conflict is the risk that Tommy's evil mother-in-law and her secret husband will sell the business and get away with it. The tension arises from that conflict as the narrative builds to a point where everything must be resolved. Choosing a story's point of view requires you to decide who would tell the story best, and how that information should be delivered. The main options at your disposal are first person, second person, and third person. There is no objectively right or wrong choice, because it all depends on what you think works best for your story.  First person - this is where a story is told using "I," "me," and "mine." It's one character's subjective take on the events of your story, and the narrator is usually either the protagonist (the main character) or a close secondary character telling the protagonist's story. Second person - a story told in second person is told directly to "you" (without any "I," except in dialogue). The reader imagines herself as being part of the plot, with the action written in the following manner: "You follow him down the stairs, and you're surprised at what you see." Third person omniscient - this is where an omniscient (all-seeing and all-knowing) narrator delivers the story, without ever referring to an "I" or addressing the reader as "you." The reader comes to understand the events, thoughts, and motivations each character experiences. Third person limited - while told in a similar narrative style as third person omniscient, third person limited only offers insights into the thoughts/feelings of one character. The narrative follows the protagonist and delivers the world as he/she experiences it. Choose an initial funny setting or incident, then build the rest of your story's plot off of that idea. For example, an inappropriate or unusual setting or event can make great comedy. As another option, use a classic comedic situation, like having a mistaken identity, being in the wrong place at the wrong time, or inserting a character or object into a situation where it doesn't belong. Let's say your story is about a man who is invited out to lunch. He shows up to lunch wearing a t-shirt, shorts, and flip flops, plus he brought his dog. However, the restaurant turns out to be an upscale 5-star eatery with a dress code. Although the situation itself might not seem funny, it's a great source of humor because it flips your expectations. By contrasting the classy restaurant with the man's casual attire, you can set the scene for readers and help them relate to the character's funny situation. Good characters are vital to any story, and funny stories are no different. It may be more difficult to make a character well-written and funny, but it's not impossible. Focus on making the characters funny in their own way, whether it's because of the way they look, the way the talk/behave, or the situations that they find themselves in.  Remember that there are many different kinds of humor. Your characters might be sarcastic, dumb, observant, and so on. The Three Stooges program offers a great example of funny characters. Their style of humor was predominantly slapstick, but much of the humor arises from their personalities, quirks, and reactions to both situations and each other. Let each character's humor arise from his or her personality, and be consistent with that character's traits. Don't worry about crafting the character's entire backstory yet (though you will have to do this once you begin the actual writing process). For now, focus on getting a clear idea in your head about what the characters look like and how they behave.
What is a summary of what this article is about?
Identify your style of humor. Decide what your story is about. Create a conflict and tension. Choose a point of view. Set up funny situations. Create funny characters.