Humor writing tricks: to use or not to use transition signals

"If you wish for a smooth and logical essays, don't miss the transition signals" 

A college kid is likely to get this piece of advice after failing his third term paper. He gets an "F" for a work claimed to be confusing, or worst, misleading.   For this reason, putting firstly, in addition, throughout, in between, however and to name a few, wherever appropriate is important, without a doubt. Sentences without transition signals are choppy, baffling and not to mention, maddening the reader.

However, as much as transition signals enhance academic papers, they don't do the same for humorous essays. For example, let's look at the following excerpt from the book Crazy English, written by Richard Lederer:

English is crazy. If adult commits adultery,  do infants commit infantry? If olive oil is made from olives, what do they make baby oil from? If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian consume?

Now, let us "enhance" it with transition signals:

English is crazy. For example, if adult commits adultery, do infants commit infantry? Secondly, if olive oil is made from olives, what do they make baby oil from? In addition, if a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian consume?

As you can see, much of the humor of Lederer's gems could have been lost in transitions traffic.

However, coherence in essays, including humor pieces, is vital. And here are your guidelines on how to use transitions to write funny.

1. Start sentences with 'And', 'But', 'Or' 'So', if you must

'Heavy' transitions such as In addition, however and nevertheless are no-no in joke writing. Instead, don't be afraid to break the grammar rules and do begin sentences with And and But, as commonly adopted by George Carlin in his book When will Jesus bring the Pork Chops:

 I first became aware of euphemisms when I was nine years old. I was in the living room with my mother and my aunt Lil when I mentioned that Lil had a mole on her face. My mother was quickly to point out that Lil didn't have a mole, she had a beauty mark. That confused me because, looking at Lil, the beauty mark didn't seem to be working. And it confused me further, because my uncle John also had a brown thing on his face, and it was clearly not a beauty mark. And so on that day, I discovered that on some people what appeared to be moles were actually beauty marks. And as it turned out, they were same people whose laugh lines looked a lot like crow's feet.

2. When listing examples, FORGET transition signals

Rather than listing your examples chronologically with first, secondly, thirdly (which spoils the fun), go ahead and shoot the list, rythmically of course. Here is an excerpt from  Diaper Diaries, written by Cynthia L. Copeland:

That's when you begin thinking about making baby number two....On the plus side, you get to use one more of your favourite names; you have another shot at passing along the elusive thick black curly-hair gene; and you'll get some extra mileage out of that ridiculously overpriced bassinet your first baby spent all of nineteen days sleeping in....

3. Repeat key words

Repeating key words helps deliver a joke to a punch, as shown by Julia Shire in her work Bridal Tiaras Make Brides Princess for a Day, Dull Pain For Rest of Life.

A bridal tiara is an all powerful thing. It is more than fancy headgear; it is a statement. A statement that screams to the world in a shrill voice, hoarse from accosting Macy's shopgirls; I am a Princess.

4.Alternatives in comparison and contrast essays

Rather than writing "the advantages of" or "the disadvantages of", which sound very boring, stick to "On the up side" or "on the down side", like the following example written by Jamie Lawrence in his work Things I learnt during, and about, my PhD:

On the downside, for every job that a PhD will help you get, there are a thousand which it will over-qualify you for. For some jobs (admittedly, probably not your ideal job), you might be better to pretend you were in prison for those years of your life.

5. Alternative to In addition

In addition belongs to the dull academic language. In humor writing, the merely three letter word, TOO, does magic with the same meaning. Again, I quote Cynthia L.Copeland's Diaper Diaries:

You will provide your first with a live-in buddy (or sparring partner, but either way, they'll keep busy). And if you time it right, you'll be able to use the size XS pea-pod Halloween outfit again, too.

So here we have the five rules you can apply to make your humor writing piece an engaging read! I will certainly update new discoveries time and again. Meanwhile be sure to arrange ideas from weakest to the strongest point - and have fun polishing your piece with transition signals.