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Striking A Balance Between Writing Funny And Writing Serious
It’s something I have struggled with, mostly when I try to control it
When I had a baby in 2016, almost the first thing I did after becoming a mother was start to focus on working as a freelance writer. I got an acceptance for a weekly, somewhat comedic High Times column called “Toasted Tweets” (a round up of weed-related tweets presented with a playful intro) the night before I gave birth and wrote and turned in the first one just days after my son was born.
I somehow managed to turn out the weekly column for a year, which was tricky, because during the first weeks of becoming a mom, something weird started happening to me. I noticed a marked dim in my sense of humor.
Being a mom was downright petrifying, and when I’m truly scared, it’s difficult for me to be funny. Some people hide behind jokes. When I’m nervous, I do, too. But when I’m frozen stiff with fear, all I can do is freeze.
My natural inclination when I’m feeling spooked, concerned or perplexed by something is to take it to the stage. I assume that if I’m feeling that way, others must be, as well. The simple acceptance that I’m not the first person to ever experience feelings inevitably bends its way into a punchline. Sharing the punchlines helps me to…
