How to Write Dark Humor Without Your Family Disowning You

How
to
Write
Dark
Humor
Without
Your
Family
Disowning
You

Walking
the
Edge
Without
Falling
Off

Dark
humor
walks
a
fine
line
between
insightful
and
offensive.
The
key
is
maintaining
humanity
while
exploring
difficult
subjects.

Step
1:
Punch
Up,
Not
Down

Bad:
Making
fun
of
victims.
Good:
“My
therapist
says
I
have
a
dark
sense
of
humor.
I
told
her,
‘At
least
I’ll
laugh
at
my
own
funeral.’”

Step
2:
Use
Self-Deprecation

“I
don’t
have
a
death
wish
–
just
a
strong
‘whatever
happens,
happens’
attitude
about
stairs.”

Step
3:
Find
the
Universal

“Nothing
brings
family
together
like
awkwardly
dividing
up
possessions
before
anyone’s
actually
dead.”

Advanced
Techniques

1.
The
“Too
Soon?”
Test

If
the
wounds
are
still
raw,
maybe
wait.
Unless
the
joke
is
really
good.
Then
maybe
still
wait.

2.
The
“Truth
in

Comedy”

The
darkest
humor
often
contains
the
most
truth:
“They
say
money
can’t
buy
happiness,
but
it’s
more
comfortable
to
cry
in
a
Tesla.”

3.
The
“Release
Valve”

Dark
humor
works
best
as
pressure
release,
not
attack:
“My
coping
mechanism
is
‘comedy,’
my
therapist
calls
it
‘avoidance.’
We’re
both
right.”

Conclusion

Good
dark
humor
should
make
people
think
“Oh
no…
oh
that’s
true…
oh
no”
in
that
order.