As is common knowledge, every teacher has a different teaching style and prioritizes certain topics. For some English teachers, it seems extremely important to focus on a more serious style of writing. Michael Theune, the author of Excellent Academic Writing Must be Serious (pg 181-186) and Paul Lewis, the author of How Many Students Does it Take to Write a Joke (pg 59-69) argue against this style of teaching. In their eyes, teaching serious writing can actually hinder the writing process, preventing students from tapping into all of their creativity and the deeper intricacies of language.

           One might be curious as to how adding comedy can actually improve writing. It is surprising to see the vast number of reasons why employing comedy in writing can be extremely beneficial. One of the first of many advantages is the requirement to pay “close attention to language at all levels” (Theune 182). Lewis concurs with this statement, saying, “analyzing and creating jokes, even cheesy puns, calls attention to the complexity and richness of language” (Lewis 62). What people sometimes forget is how difficult it can be to weave and form a sentence that actually makes sense comedically. Comedic writers must pay close attention to the deeper intricacies of language like rhythm and sound (Theune 182), causing them to create sentences that are much more complex than we initially realize. All of their words must come together properly to form a coherent joke that people will understand. Thus, teaching students to become aware of this new level of language allows them to more carefully craft their sentences when writing using any tone, not just comedy.

(Lusina 2020)

           Another benefit to teaching comedic writing is its’ ability to change a student’s outlook on the writing process, as well as their level of motivation. For some writers, especially those in high school English classes, normal writing can become boring due to its serious tone, causing students to lose interest and motivation in writing. This can be directly compared to writing using comedy, where students might feel less constrained to the serious confines of normal writing. This deviation can allow students to tap into a “source of energy and enthusiasm [that was previously] untapped” (Lewis 60). Revitalized and motivated, those writers who previously didn’t want to write are now excited to do so. This is how large of an impact comedy can have on writing. It makes the process fun, more creative, and enjoyable. There is a different kind of excitement that runs through your body when you enjoy the activity you are doing. It seems silly to miss out on this opportunity to harness the excitement and energy and channel it into writing.

(Koppens 2018)

           Further adding to the benefits of teaching comedic writing is the fostering of creativity and new ideas. Comedy forces writers to come up with unique ways to combine words or new ideas as a whole to continue providing original content to their audience. Theune discusses this idea, saying, “humor is always attuned to the new; new possibilities; new perspectives, jazzy combinations” (Theune 183). It is extremely important to teach students ways to channel creativity in order for them to continue writing original and unique pieces. If a teacher were to teach serious writing, the pieces written by the students might remain similar throughout the entire school year; there would be no diversity in their writing. Teaching comedic writing provides students with the ability to add some spice to each and every piece in a different way. This not only makes writing more exciting for the students, but it also makes reading the pieces more enjoyable for the teacher.

           As discussed by Theune, Lewis, and many more writers, teaching comedic writing can have monumental impacts on writing. Whether it is taught by middle school teachers or college professors, any education on comedic writing techniques can help. Because of how valuable this skill is, I hope teachers begin teaching comedic writing. It will only improve the quality of writing of students, so it’d foolish to leave it completely out of a curriculum. Furthermore, I hope students see the value of applying comedic aspects in their writing. Even if teachers have comedic writing in the curriculum, it is the job of the students to pay attention to the lesson and employ the skills they learn. All that can come of it is an increase in creativity, new ideas, improved sentence structure, and much more. So why not try it?

References

Koppens, Ylanite. Pexels.com, 11 Jan. 2018, www.pexels.com/photo/person-holding-silver-retractable-pen-in-white-ruled-book-796603/.

Lusina, Anete. Pexels.com, 3 July 2020, www.pexels.com/photo/concentrated-woman-writing-notes-in-papers-in-park-4792255/.

Theune, Michael. “Excellent Academic Writing Must Be Serious.” Bad Ideas About Writing, edited by Cheryl E. Ball & Drew M. Loewe, West Virginia University Libraries Digital Publishing Institude, 2017, pp. 181-186.

Lewis, Paul. “How Many Students Does It Take to Write a Joke? Humor Writing in Composition Courses .” The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning, edited by Alice G Brand, vol. 3, State University of New York College at Brockport, 1998, pp. 59–69.