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I never write anything without humor, just because I like humor, but at the same time, it is a way for anything fantastical to become relatable.
Joss Whedon
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Humor makes complex and fantastical ideas more relatable to people.

Joss Whedon emphasizes the importance of humor in storytelling, suggesting that it serves not only as a personal preference but also as a crucial tool to connect extraordinary concepts with everyday experiences. By infusing humor into his writing, he aims to bridge the gap between the fantastical and the relatable, making his work more accessible to a wider audience.

Themes

HumorStorytellingRelatableFantasyWriting

In practice

Example use cases

During a speech at a writing conference, I shared this quote to highlight the role of humor in storytelling.

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All worthy work is open to interpretations the author did not intend. Art isn't your pet -- it's your kid. It grows up and talks back to you.
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I designed 'Buffy' to be an icon, to be an emotional experience, to be loved in a way that other shows can't be loved. Because it's about adolescence, which is the most important thing people go through in their development, becoming an adult.
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My dad would go to work every day and write in a room full of funny people. He enjoyed it. I know great writers who find the process agonising but to me, writing has always been sheer joy.
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I loved the idea of a girl going into a dark alley, and a monster comes, and then she just aces him. It’s like, you want to see the tiny person suddenly take control. God, my whole career is basically about that!
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Limitations are something that I latch onto - like working in genre, or if you're writing TV, there are act breaks, there's a length of time it's supposed to be. The restrictions of budget and sets can be really useful. When you can have everything, it's very hard to make things feel real and lived in.
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