Given that so many of our LoveReading4Kids community members love our funny fiction section, we thought it was about time our Get Creative series covered the EXTREMELY SERIOUS subject of writing funny fiction. 

What’s more, with it being World Laughter Day on 1st May, we couldn’t think of a better time to get our giggle on.

Before diving in to our inspirational ideas for writing rib-tickling fiction, let’s limber up our laughter muscles with a couple of (not-so) funny jokes about writers…

What did the writer say when they glued themselves to their book?
That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Why do writers always feel cold?
They’re surrounded by drafts.

Comic characters and silly situations
Funniness often comes from mixing things up. For example, imagine a seriously serious person in a seriously silly situation. Or a comic kind of person in a serious situation.

Here are some ideas along those lines to help you write your own funny fiction:

1. Your baby brother or sister is voted prime minister.
2. A grandma wins the World’s Strongest Person contest on her 120th birthday.
3. A tiny mouse takes over a zoo.
4. An alien enters a cake-making competition.
5. A dog that can’t stop parping bounds into a bank.

For more inspiration, think about situations you’ve been in that have made you laugh. Perhaps there was a time you got the giggles when you really shouldn’t have. What made you laugh? How did you control your laughter (if you managed to!)?

Tittering titles
Sometimes just a few words can prompt funny thoughts, or even outright belly-laughs. Use these suggested silly story titles to spark some story ideas:

6. Help! My Baby Brother’s Turned into a Tickle Troll
7. The Day My Hamster Discovered Dinosaurs.
8. The Pirate, the Princess, and the Egg Sandwich of Doom.
9. Mr Moon and the Sunshine Spoon.
10. Headmaster Honk and the Mysterious Plonk.

For more creative inspiration and activities, check out the rest of our Get Creative series.

Joanne Owen is a writer and publishing professional with over twenty years’ experience of the book industry, and the author of a how-to children’s guide to creative writing, You Can Write Awesome Stories.

Alongside writing and reviewing books, she hosts writing workshops and is an Editorial Expert for LoveReading.