Balancing Heavy Topics with Humor

 

By CL Montblanc

For some, it might seem blasphemous for me to suggest that heavy topics can coexist alongside humor, but I would even argue that comedy can easily enhance the delivery of these topics. Especially when dealing with young readers. Incorporating moments of levity into a darker narrative can accomplish many things; it can heighten emotional resonance, make deeper themes more digestible, and most of all, reflect a more authentic human experience. However, this can also be a delicate balance to manage—with some dire consequences if done wrong. Here, I’ll be sharing my personal viewpoints and strategies as someone who wrote a young adult dark comedy novel that tackles violence, bullying, homophobia, and more.

Why a dark story might not always pair best with dark themes

There are a few potential drawbacks to going all-out with darkness in a narrative. For one, too much negativity at once with little reprieve can be taxing for readers. Oftentimes people pick up a book for the purpose of escapism, hoping to relax and enjoy themselves, which means they might be less likely to pick something up that promises to be bleak the whole way through. Of course, there are exceptions to this, but I think it’s particularly true with kidlit—that audience tends to seek entertainment over, say, trying to expand their worldview or process difficult emotions. That being said, there’s still a need to have certain tough conversations with kids and teens. It may just be easier in some cases to mix those topics into something they’re more eager to consume, as one might hide veggies in other foods.

Making heavy topics digestible

I personally believe that the best way to get through to YA readers is to capture a genuine teen voice and experience. How to write authentically for teens as an adult is an entirely different discussion, but one relevant point here is that they more than any other age demographic already tend to combine their humor with darkness. It’s tough to grow up in a world like ours, and to temper the darker part is only natural. Life is so absurd, and that’s especially true for some of its worst attributes. You’ll see plenty of examples of this on social media sites like TikTok—half of my feed consists of young adults telling stories about traumatic events in their lives in a humorous fashion. We laugh so that we don’t cry, right? Or maybe a little of both at once…

Identifying opportunities for humor

The simplest, easiest way to infuse humor into a story is through dialogue. That’s because no matter what horrors might be happening within the plot, there’s always a smart-ass character or two who might want to crack a joke about it. Of course, the solution here isn’t to just add in an arbitrary comic relief character to one’s story—though I do have quite a fondness for those! What makes dialogue comedic isn’t pure wit, but rather, having characters that clash, contrast, and play off of one another.

For example, many romance novels utilize tropes like “grumpy x sunshine” because those two opposite archetypes—neither comedic in nature on their own—lead to some fun dynamics, and thus good banter. There’s also situational humor, which might be more difficult to incorporate into a heavier book, but is certainly also a staple. A classic example of this one would be a cold, hard-ass character being forced to take care of a baby. Again, the plot really has to allow for humorous situations in the first place, which is why I chose to go with mystery as my debut novel’s main genre. Mystery-solving involves a lot of snooping and potential antics, which I thought would be an ideal medium for a dark comedy. This notion is supported by “cozy mystery” being a staple genre, with similar blends seen in other popular media like Knives Out and Only Murders in the Building.

Why timing is everything

One important thing to be wary of when infusing humor into a more dramatic scene is causing tonal whiplash. A poorly timed joke might dampen the emotional impact of a scene, or put the resonance of your message at risk. I dialed way back on humor around the “dark night of the soul” section of my novel, when the darkness was starting to hit its emotional peak. The main character’s situation was not funny at all, and so the only humor she could muster consisted of taking a jab at herself with self-deprecating jokes rather than being fueled by joy. On the opposite end of this, humor can serve as a strong punctuation mark when used at the perfect moment. For example, it might help us transition from a difficult scene back into a more tonally neutral portion of a story, lifting us out of the fog with an indication that things might become okay again.

In summary, heavy topics, while important, can often weigh on readers, which is why humor has the potential to help balance them out. (And of course, to avoid this combination going south, a lot of strategy and thoughtfulness is required.) But humor can be such a strong bridge that allows young readers to engage with complex themes, and because of this, I’ve personally chosen to take on an unorthodox blend of genres and tones. I’ve also been hearing that many teens are looking for lighter, more “fun” books lately, so perhaps we can meet that demand without abandoning these authentic—often tough—stories that we are so passionate to share.

CL Montblanc is a writer, producer, and escape room enthusiast. Despite hailing from Texas, CL is intimidated by both horses and very large hats. If you have any leads on where to acquire buried treasure, or a decent bagel, you can find CL on social media. Pride or Die is their debut novel. You can learn more at CL Montblanc website.