Writers in the Storm

by Margie Lawson

What's behind a laugh?

When people laugh, we almost always pick up what’s behind their laughter. We pick up nuances that add interest and depth and power.

We can usually tell if they think something is crazy-funny.

We can usually tell if they’re laughing at themselves.

We can usually tell if they get an inside joke. Or don’t get a joke, but they’re laughing anyway.

We can usually tell if their laughter is genuine. Or if they’re laughing, but uncomfortable.

We can usually tell if they’re upset about something, but they’re laughing to cover up their real reaction.

They could be covering up a variety of feelings. Hurt. Embarrassment. Shame. Guilt. Surprise. Shock. Remorse. Anger.

But if you write what I call a Basic -- she laughed or he chuckled -- the reader doesn’t pick up those emotions. They miss the subtext. They miss the psychological message behind that laugh.

You know the meaning behind that laugh you wrote, because you’re the Great Oz for your story. You know everything, you feel everything. But the reader only knows what you put on the page. (Check out this blog for more: Beware of the Great Oz Effect!)

You may already know I’m not a fan of clichéd, or overused phrases and sentences. That’s an understatement.

Writing fresh laughs may take a few more brain cells, but it’s worth it to give your reader something they haven’t read before. Something that will impress them. Something that will keep them locked on your pages and locked in your story world.

I loaded this blog with lots of examples of writing fresh laughs, and a few giggles, and a couple of snorts too!

I didn’t include any chuckles or snickers. I could have, but I didn’t look for examples with those words.

You’ll see some deep editing tips to help you write fresh, deepen characterization, share the emotional impact on the POV character, and more.

Examples:

The Personal Assistant, Kimberly Belle, 5-Time Immersion Grad, USA Today and International Bestseller

1. I laugh despite myself, my hungover cheeks stiff from dehydration, but this conversation is getting me all worked up again, that same indignant fury, like a bitter pill on my tongue.

Wow! A 32-word cadence-driven sentence that shares her emotional reaction. A reaction that’s amplified twice.

2. Four Paragraphs:

“Oh my God, though, you should have seen your husband’s face. I’ve never seen him look at anybody like that.”

She laughs, but the sound has a forced casualness, like her words don’t hold that much meaning even though we both know that they do.

My heart gives a heavy thud. “Like how?”

When she finds my gaze in the mirror, her smile has gone stiff. “Like he wanted to kill her.”

I had to include the setup and the last two paragraphs. They carried out the power!

She could have just written: She laughs.

Which wouldn’t have provided the reader with that all-critical, emotionally-laden subtext.

Or she could have written these two shorter versions:

She laughs, but the sound has a forced casualness.

She laughs, but the sound has a forced casualness, like her words don’t hold that much meaning.

But Kimberly Belle knows my deep editing techniques well. She took it deeper. So deep, that in context, it carries a kick to the gut.

She laughs, but the sound has a forced casualness, like her words don’t hold that much meaning even though we both know that they do.

3. An oppressive silence fills the room, one I have to struggle not to fill with laughter.
4. I laughed, because he was right.
5. He laughed, and she took it for a no.

Those last two examples both have short amplifications, but they carry story power.

6. I tried to choke up a laugh. “I’m okay now. I’ve had lots of therapy.”

We know that laugh was fake. And she’s so not okay, despite her dialogue. 

7. “Yes, but I didn’t mean it. Obviously. I’m not that stupid.” I let out a ragged breath that I hope sounds like a laugh.
8. Nina laughs, a deep, guttural sound that’s not from amusement. An outburst of pent-up, poisonous emotion.

Notice she shares what the sound isn’t from – and what it is from.

9. Her voice pushes up through the music, a high-pitched giggle I recognize immediately, and it makes me want to punch my fist through a wall.

Stimulus and response in the same sentence.

All That Really Matters, Nicole Deese, Immersion Grad, ACFW 2-Time Carol Winner

1. Her laugh was half nervous energy, half meddling mother.

Using structural parallelism makes it even stronger.

2. Her laugh was nothing more than a weakened rush of air.

Think about what a laugh sounds like. Write it!

3. Ethan’s offensive chuckle made it clear he thought Silas couldn’t take him up on the challenge.

Interpreting a laugh.

4. Five Paragraphs – Laughing referenced in all five paragraphs.

“A beauty mask,” I said through a wheeze. The tightness in my face cracked at the untamed laughter, releasing approximately ten percent of its death grip on my skin. “It’s black like tar and made from a dead sea urchin that lives in some special sea.”

But when I glanced up at Truella, her shoulders were shaking while laugh tears coated her cheeks. She was trying to mouth something to me, but it wasn’t her words so much as her chest-pointing gestures that finally clued me in. This was not a headband, but a . . . breast band?

I pulled it from the confines of my wild mane with a just-joking kind of laugh as the sensation of molten lava filled my belly. “Oh, I just love these multi-use products, don’t you?”

“That was pure brilliance, Molly. Leave it to you to give the Tubee such a fun personality! That was the best laugh I’ve had in months.”

Only I wasn’t laughing. Not even close to laughing. Because this was exactly what I’d been afraid of. This was exactly what I’d asked my manager-boyfriend to shield me from. And from the expression on Ethan’s face, none of this was a surprise to him.

Don’t be afraid to repeat a word like laugh or laughter. It’s the right word. Keep using it, even if you use it in five back-to-back paragraphs. It would have sounded silly if she’d used chuckle or snicker or whatever some of the time. Trust me. Repeat the right word.

Long Shot, HOOPS Book 1, Kennedy Ryan, Immersion Grad, USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author

Sharing fun news for Kennedy Ryan. Two of her series, “Hoops” and “All the King’s Men,” will be turned into two limited series for television!

1. “Lie?” I laugh a little to put her at ease. “Who said anything about lying, Sylvia?”

Sharing why she laughed. So easy. So smart.

2. Sheila and Torrie share a cackling laugh and high-five over the joke, moving on to other juicy bits of gossip.

Showing two people laughing.

3. I let out a soft laugh, watching her face for signs that she thinks I’m an idiot. 

We all look for reactions. Remember to put them on the page.

4. Her harsh laugh ripples through the pool of quiet we’ve made here in our corner of the bar.
5. A kiss cam gets going, and Lotus and I can’t stop laughing at an elderly couple kissing like teenagers fogging up a backseat window.
6. Her laugh is soft and barely there, but an encouraging sign. 

Shares emotional impact on the POV character.

7. I snort-snicker, glancing up to make sure Coach hasn’t noticed us not paying attention.

Ha! That’s what I call a Universal Truth. Most people can identify. We’ve been there. Done that. Hope we didn’t get caught!

8. Two Paragraphs:

“After all, this is our third conversation. Surely we’re past keeping secrets by now.”

A husky laugh is her only answer.

Powerful.

9. I feel guilty for the giggle that slips past my lips despite the inappropriateness of her humor.

Another Universal Truth?

10. Doubled over, I’m shocked when maniacal laughter unspools from my belly.

Have you ever been shocked to hear yourself laugh?

11. Her laugh goes sour and cynical.

Phonetic alliteration.

12. Iris snorts, laughing at the nickname I told her I hate.
13. “Wow. Now I feel like a fool.” My laugh is a three-dollar bill. Fake. Counterfeit.

Strategic with style and structure. Great use of stand-alone words.

14. I only half-laugh because I’m still not sure what that was or what it did, but I know I’m changed somehow.

Love that amplification. I’m right there with her.

15. There’s nothing like MiMi’s laugh. It starts as a cackle then swells to a guffaw, the sound booming from her small body and floating through the air like bubbles that settle around you and pop with energy. It’s the kind of laugh that invites you to join in.

Easy to do. Share how a laugh grows.

All is Bright, Andrea Grigg, 2-Time Immersion Grad

1. She’s almost laughing but I have no idea why.

Another Universal Truth.

2. I laugh, but when she turns in my arms she’s all serious. “Can I talk to you about this morning?”
3. She gives an incredulous, why-didn’t-you-say-so kind of laugh.

I love Hyphenated-Run-Ons. You can be as fresh as you like!

4. I get a few moments of peace and then she gives a jumpy laugh.
5. Josh stares and I laugh, a harsh, ugly sound. “You think I’m crazy, don’t you?”
6. Amy’s laugh is brittle, like the idea of someone having a crush on me bothers her, which is … interesting.

Wow. That carries such power. Their relationship is sliding down a slippery slope and destined to keep sliding.

See how I played with that cliché?

7. Then she busted out laughing and paid the price by coughing herself stupid, needing her breathing mask, and eventually falling into an exhausted sleep in my arms, unaware of my tears in her hair.

All that amplification is so fun! Love – coughing herself stupid. Then Andrea Grigg amplified it four more times!

8. I don’t mean to snort but I do. A little one, but it’s still a snort. 

Amplifying a snort. And it sounds so real. Definitely a Universal Truth.

9. I buckle up with laughter and Josh joins in, but not for long and certainly not as hysterically. I hiccup my way to a stop, and remember Tess, my darling sister Tess, and guilt rolls over me and in me and through me like a toxic fog.

That example is OMG NYT powerful.

• Universal Truth. Most people have laughed longer and harder than others, or been with someone who has embarrassed themselves that way.
• Andrea Grigg shared how it took a little while to get her breathing back to normal – hiccup my way to a stop.
• That last piece about guilt is impress-me brilliant. Andrea Grigg used polysyndeton (many ands) to package that power.

What are the takeaways from those examples? I’ll get the list started.

1. Amplify. Don’t give the reader a Basic. Add interest and emotion and depth and power.
2. Put yourself in the scene. What does that laugh mean? What’s behind it?
3. Go deep.
4. Share what the laugh isn’t about, and what it is about.
5. Use rhetorical devices like similes, alliteration, structural parallelism, polysyndeton – and sixteen more. If you’ve done my Deep Editing, Rhetorical Devices, and More online course or lecture packet, you know them!

Review the blog. Add to that list. Write fresh laughs and giggles and snorts that carry power!

Thanks for being here. I had fun with this blog. Hope you did too!

Please chime in. GIVE ME YOUR BEST LAUGH!

I’d love to read them!

I’ll have a drawing Tuesday night, and someone will win a FIVE PAGE DEEP EDIT from me!

You want to win that goodie, right?

Just post a comment!

About Margie

Margie Lawson left a career in psychology to focus on another passion—helping writers make their writing bestseller strong. Using a psychologically based deep-editing approach, Margie teaches writers how to bring emotion to the page. Emotion equals power. Power grabs readers and holds onto them until the end. Hundreds of Margie grads have gone on to win awards, find agents, sign with publishers, and hit bestseller lists. Some have had their books turned into Hallmark movies, and a few have drama series in development. 

A popular international presenter, Margie has taught over 150 full-day master classes in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and France, as well as multi-day intensives on cruise ships in the Caribbean. She’s taught close to 200 Immersion Master Classes across the U.S. and Canada, and in seven cities in Australia too. 

She also founded Lawson Writer's Academy, where you’ll find over 30 instructors teaching online courses through her website. To learn more and sign up for Margie’s newsletter, visit www.margielawson.com.

Lawson Writer’s Academy Courses for April!

• Advanced Craft
• Story Structure Safari
• Intensive on Point of View
• Power Up Your Setting
• Revision Boot Camp
• Clans of Scotland
• Battling the Basics: The Essentials of Writing

Check out where I’m presenting. Maybe we’ll get to meet!

• June 10, Romance Writers of the Rockies, Denver – Full Day Master Class
• Sept. 20 – 23, NINC World Conference, St. Pete Beach, Florida – Workshops

Invite Margie to present for your writing group!

Get Happy with Margie Virtual Open House!

April 11th, 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. Mountain Time

Drop by the link on my website anytime in that 2-hour block. We’ll be there chatting and laughing!

Using a high concept theory like Robert McKee’s Forces of Antagonism to frame a story isn’t easy. Recently a friend reached out to me after reading my original post on this topic. She tried to follow the idea but found it too high concept. Answering her questions, I realized I hadn’t told the entire story about how I frame a story. 

Second Look at What It Is

Robert McKee developed the Forces of Antagonism (FOA) in his book Story. The FOA is a tool for fiction writers. It helps develop the opposition and obstacles on the protagonist’s journey toward her goal. Stated another way, it gives you the forces that influence all your story characters’ actions and reactions. 

McKee divides the FOA into four high-concept parts, or values: Positive, Contrary, The Negation of the Negative, and Contradictory. These Forces help you determine what the Path of Antagonism in your story will be. You may remember the chart I used in my previous article.

McKee's Antagonism Chart

Too high concept, for my poor brain, I “translated” McKee’s terms for the forces into words that are more understandable (even better than in the original post).

Modified Antagonism Chart

Still too high concept? Read on to learn how I use this tool.

Take the High Concept Personally

Instead of stopping at a value word, I take it another step. I make each Force personal to my story characters. Before I go further, please know the examples I offer are not perfect. My process usually involves long discussions with other writers who understand McKee’s concepts before I settle on how to personalize the forces of antagonism. That understood, let’s play…

When I start a story, I usually have a vague idea of who my characters are and how I want the story to end. For this article, I’ll say my protagonist is a young man, orphaned and living with an elderly couple, his aunt and uncle. I envision his story to be one of him rising above his tribulations. To build the tension of the story, I choose to move from unfairness to injustice to tyranny to justice. Sound good so far? 

Where does my character start? If he starts off whining about the unfairness in his life, he might turn off readers. Plus, if he’s a complainer who doesn’t act but whines, transitioning to a triumphant justice will be difficult. 

The Compromise

Instead, I’ll start my character in a place where he’s trying to rise above the unfairness in his life. He’s a good guy at heart and trying to do the right thing in trying circumstances. In this set-up, the Compromise could be: Denial of unfairness, even though it’s there.

Contrary = Compromise

The Delusion Force

Since I like to work these things out in pairs of opposites, the Negation of the Negation, what I call Delusion, is next. The delusion is something negative twisted into a positive. I don’t want my protagonist to become a true tyrant. Instead, I’ll give him a touch of tyranny, one that he’ll think of as a “good thing.” Let’s say that he uses his awareness of unfairness in a destructive way. This means that the antagonist and obstructions along my protagonist’s path will include actions or obstacles that encourage behaviors that are destructive, including self-destructive. The protagonist will choose destructive actions and reactions convinced that he’s doing these things for good reasons.

The Negation of the Negation = Delusion

The Negative and Positive Forces

Following the path I’ve chosen, we come to the Contrary or Negative Force. In this story, Injustice is in the third quarter of the book. That means it needs to be powerful odds against the protagonist to the point the protagonist believes he’s lost. How can I do that? By pushing my protagonist to the extreme. In other words, escalate his self-destructive behavior to the point of attempting to get justice with injustice. After his dark moment, is the fourth and last quarter of the book. This section details the preparation for and the ultimate battle where the protagonist finally achieves victory with justice.

Positive and Contradictory = Negative

Building the Story Within the FOA Frame

There are many ways to use the FOA frame to write this or any story. I could decide that the forces of antagonism are all the planning I need. If so, my next step is to write. 

If I felt I needed more, I could extend my metaphor and add studs. A skeletal outline based on the forces can work to keep your story on track. The outline developed from this basic frame would can be anything from lightly detailed to planned down to the tiniest detail. Below, I give you examples of how I might use the forces to develop specific and non-specific scenes.

The First Quarter of the Story

With our forces filled out, the first quarter of my story is about my insecure protagonist’s denial of unfairness, even though it’s there. I will create scenes that show how unfair his life is and show him acting as if it’s not. The first scene could show a male teen wearing glasses (our protagonist) running after his school bus, desperately trying to get it to stop. After the bus stops, he gets on and immediately gets hit by paper wads and taunts from the other students. The bus takes them to a science museum where he geeks out over an exhibit and the bullies push and trip him. Next, his best friend, who is a good looking rich kid, flirts with the pretty girl our protagonist moons over. Then there’s a scene where he finally gets the attention of the girl and she gets called away. And so on, until the turning point when he discovers he has super powers.

Note these scenes don’t tell you he’s denying unfairness. It shows him being treated unfairly, and he carries on as if this is normal and nothing unpleasant is happening. Also, the antagonist himself isn’t clear, but the protagonist faces many obstacles to what he wants to believe.

The Second Quarter of the Story

The next quarter of the book will be all about choosing to use awareness of unfairness in a self-destructive way. This section of the book will need scenes that show him reacting to his awareness of the unfairness in a self-destructive way. These scenes will show him use his super power to get even with some of his and other people’s tormentors. He’ll become so enamored of his super power that he’ll let his school work slide and use his powers to win the admiration of his dream girl. His aunt and uncle find his behavior alarming and try to advise him, but he shrugs it off as old-fashioned. And so on, until the mid-point of the book, when something terrible happens to his uncle and the protagonist realizes he needs to make a choice.

The Third Quarter of the Story

The antagonist and antagonistic forces really come into play in the third quarter of the book. Here, the antagonist pulls out the stops, attempting to achieve victory over the protagonist. Scenes can be one-sided, meaning the antagonist leads action against the protagonist toward an injustice. Or they can be a mix of the antagonist’s actions toward injustice and the protagonist can convince himself that the only way to win is to use injustice against the antagonist. The protagonist might use his superpowers to beat up underlings, in order to get information. The antagonist creates impossible choices for the protagonist: Choose who lives: a bus full of strangers or your loved one. Ultimately, the hero tries to win by cheating, by creating an injustice that hurts the protagonist as much or more than it does his foe. In his darkest moment, the protagonist realizes only by being just to everyone will he will the true battle of good and evil.

The Final Quarter of the Story

It will take an ultimate moment of crisis and a face-off confrontation with the antagonist that bears a personal sacrifice (large or small) before the protagonist gets the justice he desires. Then, wrap up the story by tying off loose ends or hinting at more stories to come.

Using the Forces of Antagonism = a Solid Story

Don’t take my examples to mean you can only move your story to the positive force. If you write a darker tale, you can start with Justice and move toward Tyranny. In fact, you can start with any of the forces as long as the movement of the story builds a believable character who takes believable steps in that direction.

I am a pantser at heart and have used this process in writing everything from short fiction to novel-length fiction. As I learn and grow more confident in using this tool, I roughly outline each scene for novel-length stories. For shorter length stories, I do no more planning than developing the four forces. I “pants” the writing from then onward. For flash fiction, I don’t plan at all. I start with a prompt and write to discover the story. Sometimes when I "pants" a story, I'll use the FOA to help me edit that story. All of that is to reinforce the idea that the FOA is a tool. You don’t have to use. You don't have to use it for every story you write. Use it when it’s helpful.

What story planning tools do you use?

Did you guess what story I used to model how I work? (Hint: it’s a movie.)

About Lynette

Lynette M. Burrows is an author, blogger, creativity advocate, and Yorkie Wrangler. She writes thrilling science fiction about women who make courageous choices.

In My Soul to Keep, Book One of the Fellowship Dystopia series, a young woman discovers a dark secret, a family secret, a secret that may hold the key to toppling Fellowship America’s totalitarian regime. Book one along with book two, and If I Should Die, and the series companion, Fellowship, are available now wherever you find books sold online. The third book in this trilogy, And When I Wake, will be published in 2024.

Lynette lives in the land of Oz. When she’s not procrastinating by avoiding housework and playing with her dogs, she’s blogging or writing or researching her next book. You can find Lynette online on her website, Facebook, or on Twitter @LynetteMBurrows. 

Image Credits:

Top Image purchased from DepositPhotos.com

Chart images by Lynette M. Burrows

Final image by Paul Brennan from Pixabay 

by J. Alexander Greenwood

Interested in appearing on a podcast to promote your work—or in starting a show of your own? I asked some of my fellow podcast hosts and great guests for tips about what makes for a good show experience.

Energetic

My friends Hernan and James Sias produce and host the Business Bros podcast, and their advice for guests and host is simple:

“Have high energy!”

Let me tell you something, it’s hard not to have high energy on their show. I have guested on it and interviewed Hernan on my show, PR After Hours. The Bros are fun, and the show is impactful—they do several episodes a week, live, and you should check it out.

Be a Storyteller

Jamie Green started podcasting about two and a half years ago. An environmental consultant during the day and musician by night, he wanted to highlight the vibrant Kansas City music scene, so he created and hosts the Trading Fours podcast. It has really taken off.

He’s interviewed local musicians, Kansas City music legends and some big names in the world of music and other artistic endeavors. His show is respected by industry insiders, and guests compliment him on his professionalism and hoisting skills. His advice to podcast guests?

“Think ahead of the interview about sharing good stories. A good storyteller is such a delight on a podcast. The best storytellers I’ve had on are Ian Rankin, Jason Falkner, and Chris McLernon - and not shockingly – theirs are some of my most popular episodes.”

I couldn’t agree more, Jamie. That’s why I ask guests to provide some topic suggestions—besides helping me conduct the interview, it gets them thinking about what they will say. (And thanks again for composing a piece of excellent theme music for MGO!).

Keep it Pithy

Another piece of advice is from my buddy Mike Hulsey. We did a show together briefly in my podcast hobbyist period. He doesn’t host a show anymore, but he’s a consumer of podcasts. Mike’s plea to podcasters?

“Keep your podcast short.”

 He adds that he won’t listen to an episode longer than 20 minutes—even if he’s enjoying it. Keep in mind that your show’s length depends on your format and target audience, but brevity is not a bad thing to keep in mind.

Use Good Equipment & Think Like Late Night

Brian Hutton is an old friend who also was a hobby show co-host of mine and a fantastic repeat guest. He has numerous good tips for prospective podcast guests.

“As a guest, have decent equipment and test it. If you’re doing a multiple-podcast tour, spring for the decent external mic and headphones,” he said. “They’re not that expensive, even if you can’t afford the top of the line, you can get a really good mic secondhand on eBay or Facebook Marketplace or places like that.”

He also recommends putting pillows or cushions around you and your mic as a sort of poor man’s soundproofing. “It will make you sound better and more professional.” I might add that suggestion works best for audio-only shows. Sofa cushions stacked around you might raise eyebrows on a YouTube show.

Finally, he suggests creating a callback to a recent episode of the show you are appearing on. As I mentioned previously, you should listen to an episode or two to get a feel for the show. Brian says you should mention one of those previous shows to build rapport.

“Hosts will appreciate it as it helps build credibility and audience.”

Finally, he advises providing a few questions you want the host to ask. “Think about late-night TV chat shows. There are always softball questions to set up comedy bits and interesting anecdotes. Most hosts will be happy to set you up in that way if it helps you to tell your story.”

Have Fun

I couldn’t add much more other than to remember to have fun. Listeners love guests and hosts who are clearly having a good time. Now go do it!

Have you appeared on a podcast or hosted one? What tips helped you?

Note: I’ve previously covered how to get booked on a podcast, how to be a good guest once you are booked on a show and tips on finding the best podcast for you. I am the host and producer of the Mysterious Goings On and PR After Hours podcasts. If you would like to be a guest, please visit the websites for more information. To learn more, please check out my book on podcasting, The Podcast Option, available in eBook, paperback, and of course, audiobook.

About Alex

J. Alexander Greenwood is an award-winning writer, public relations consultant, podcaster, speaker, and former journalist and broadcasting executive. He is best known as the author of the John Pilate Mysteries and host/producer of the Mysterious Goings On podcast and the PR After Hours podcast. Mysterious Goings On was named an Apple Podcasts "New & Noteworthy" show in 2016 and was a 2019 People's Choice Podcast Awards nominee. In 2022 the show was named a Top 5 Literature Podcast by CrowdUltra. Alex has recorded hundreds of hours of podcasts and made numerous appearances on TV, radio, podcasts, webinars, and conferences. He is the author of the Amazon Top-Selling book, The Podcast Option.