My Dad has this old joke that goes Black Joe Morgan Jersey , "What's the most important thing about humor?" After a short pause, he interjects, "TIMING!"
I've rolled my eyes many a time over this joke.
But here's a new version for writers: "What's the most important thing about writing funny? ...... WORDING!"
Whether you're talking about stand-up comedy or humorous writing, surprise is one of the biggest elements of laughter. (Yes, Dad, I know Black Johnny Bench Jersey , "Surprise" is what your little timing-joke is really all about.)
Readers become accustomed to seeing things written a certain way. As a writer, you have a choice: give it to them they way they expect, or surprise them with something different.
Here's an example:
In my article "Does Target Shun Veterans?" I say that Internet Urban Legends are "stories that scare readers into believing such things as rat urine contaminating the tops of their canned peaches, and so forth." I could have just as easily written, "Internet Urban Legends are stories that scare readers into believing the tops of their canned food is dirty." But that wouldn't surprise anyone, and it would have made my piece just another bland "news story."
I also shook up the sentence about Internet Urban Legends by including some humorous exaggerations. Simply writing "canned food" isn't nearly as funny as being super specific and writing Barry Larkin Jersey , "canned peaches," and being "dirty" is far more typical than having "rat urine" on your lid.
The idea of being very specific is what comedian (and my hero) Jerry Seinfeld has built his entire career on. He doesn't just talk about flying on an airplane, he mentions everything from the really small bag of peanuts to the pilot announcing the flight play-by-play. As an audience, we laugh at these things because it's something we've experienced but never given much thought to. Who else but Seinfeld could have an entire 30-minute television show about toxic glue on envelopes?
Drawing attention to things that are common to all but seldom discussed makes people chuckle. This is mostly due to their slight embarrassment when they realize "wow, I do that," but it's also because for the first time they are paying attention to something they might not have otherwise.
But aside from timing Joe Morgan Jersey , exaggerations and calling attention to life's quirks, sentence structure may be the ultimate weapon for writing humor. Just as a lyricist times his verses to a beat, writers need an internal rhythm to make their work conversational and surprising. There is quite a difference between writing a factual news piece and composing a humorous essay, but the biggest difference is sentence structure. Cut-and-dry news pieces need to follow a formula so that the content doesn't get lost. When writing a narrative or essay, however, you can play with pauses (dashes Johnny Bench Jersey , colons, etc.), italics and words to create a feeling and rhythm.
Follow these hints and your writing will be surprising and have great timing.
For the cat lover, their cat is more than a pet; he or she is a valued member of the family. It is essential in maintaining your cat's health to feed a high-quality cat food. Many cat foods and treats claim to have the highest quality ingredients, but not all of them make the grade. In this article we will discuss the essential ingredients to look for in choosing a quality cat food as well as the three to avoid. When you're finished reading, you will have the information you need to choose the most healthy and nutritious food for your precious cat.
When choosing a food or treat Cincinnati Reds Hats , check the label and make sure the first listing is protein. There are many cat foods which will use a filler ingredient such as wheat or corn instead of protein as the main ingredient. Cats are obligate carnivores, which mean that they must eat meat; no matter how wonderful vegetables may be for the health of a human being, they are not essential or even needed to maintain the health and happiness of our feline friends. Feeding a cat food that has wheat or corn as its primary ingredient can lead to health problems in the long run, including joint, skin, coat Cincinnati Reds T-Shirts , and eye conditions. Also, it is important to remember the wheat gluten contamination that led to the recall of so many cat foods as well as multiple deaths in 2007.
Another problem with cat foods that contain corn or wheat gluten is that cats can develop allergies. If you notice that your cat is scratching more, or develops scabs around the head and neck, you will want to discuss with your veterinarian switching your cat to a different cat food that contains higher quality ingredients not found in your cat's current diet.
Many people think premium cat foods are expensive, but in fact, because they have less filler Cincinnati Reds Hoodie , the cat is able to gain a full day's nutrition eating as little as half the amount as of a lower quality food. As a result, often the cost per day is the same. The difference is, with a high quality cat food, your cat is not immersed in a diet of artificial preservatives such as BHT, BHA or Ethoxyquin, animal by products Customized Cincinnati Reds Jersey , or unnecessary fillers. Removing these unfavorable ingredients makes a significant difference in the overall health and well being of your cat, improving quality of life, as well as reducing the likelihood of developing health issues and frequent trips to the vet.
Humans may eat junk food once in awhile but we surely couldn't survive or thrive with a daily diet like this. Imagine now that we tend to feed our felines the same thing everyday. Daily feeding of junk food (which unfortunately some cat food brands are) would not be healthy for them. Sometimes we will see this manifest into a dull coat or bowelurinary issues. Sometimes we may not see anything wrong. However, as most people know quality nutrition and proper absorption of nutrients is beneficial to over all health and the same is true for our cats.