Humor Me with Guest Lindi Peterson!

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Missy, here. I'm excited to have my long-time good friend and critique partner Lindi Peterson with us today. Welcome Lindi! Y'all are going to enjoy hearing from her. If you've read her first book, Her Best Catch, you'll know how great Lindi is with humor!
Also, I'd be remiss if I didn't tell you her new novel from Bell Bridge Books just released the other day!! When I read the draft of this story, I called her and told her that I just knew her editor Deb Smith would buy the book in about 30 seconds flat. Well, I was close. I think she bought it in 24 hours.  :) :) So be sure to check out this fantastic story, Summer's Song!



Humor Me!
By Lindi Peterson

I can’t helpit. I like to laugh. I like to smile.
There’s astation on the Sirius channel my husband listens to all the time. There’s a lotof talking on it, and there’s a show where there is a gal and a guy and theychat back and forth. The gal has a really LOUD laugh and this past weekendwhile we were listening she bursts out with this laugh. My first thought was‘how annoying is that?’
But then itcame to me that no laughter should be annoying simply because of what it is. Laughteris the outpouring of giddiness inside. If anything it should be contagious. Somy spirit was put into check immediately. It’s kind of like our singing voice. God gave us that voice and He likesit when we sing loud in church, even though the person standing next to usgives us that cross-eyed look that is meant to silence us. (No, I never getthat look. :))
Some peopleare just naturally funny. I read Kristin Billerbeck’s blog because she makes me laugh. She’s true to life, doesn’t mincewords, and can put a smile on my face in almost every post she writes. So Ivisit her blog often.
Moving fromblog posts to novels. Seekerville has amazing authors. Authors who know how towrite humor, so I was a little hesitant about writing this post. But just likethere are only 16 plots or something like that, and we all keep writing novels,there’s more than one way to approach humor. And there are several types ofhumor.
I’m goingwith the subtle type. You know, the type that’s interjected under the radar, soto speak. Of course, I must preface this by revealing some information to you.I’ve often sent my manuscripts to critique partners and they place those smileyfaces and LOL comments where I, as the author, didn’t think I was being funny.There are places where I’m thinking I’m going to elicit one of those cherishedsmiley faces and there is nothing. What I’m trying to say is that sometimeswhat we think is funny, others don’t. So take those smiley faces where you can get them, and hmmm, smile.


Here is anexcerpt from my new release, Summer’s Song. There is an obvious humor line anda subtle humor line.
Set up:  Heroine, recovering pop-princess Summer’smanager, Coleman, has scheduled an interview with a talk-show. Summer didn’twant to do it, but didn’t want to be difficult. Also, the hero, Levi, told hershe had a chance to tell the world how she’s changed. At this stage theinterview isn’t going like the talk show host thought it would. She’s mad andis confronting Summer about it.
 “Somebody get Coleman on the phone,” she yells. “He misledme.” (talk-show host)         “I’msorry.” (Heroine, Summer)         “Thelast thing I need is bad girl meets God on my show. Paul! We’re done here. Callmy driver and wrap this disaster up.”         Sheuncrosses her arms, probably getting ready to bolt.         “Ijust don’t want to be cardboard.”         “What?”she asks.          “Idon’t want to be cardboard,” I say a little louder now. “I want to be fudge.”         “Honey,take another pill.”         Withthose parting words she glares at me, turns away then leaves.         Aloud clap sounds. Then another. I turn to find Levi standing five feet awayfrom me. How could I have not seen him and how long has he been here?         Heclaps one more time. “That’s my girl.”         “I’min so much trouble.”         “Youcan’t worry about it.”         “Thiswas my big chance. And I blew it. She didn’t believe me. Why couldn’t Iconvince her?”         Hewalks to me. “You look beautiful.”         “Ieven wore my church dress. Honestly. Why couldn’t I convince her?”         “Shedidn’t want to be convinced. She wanted dirt and you wouldn’t give it to her.”         “She’sleaving. Coleman is going to be furious.”         Leviplaces his hands on my shoulders. “Forget about Coleman. Forget about MeghanCascade. How do you feel?”         Istare into his eyes, reflective of what I want to be. Who I want to be.          Smilingfrom deep down in my soul, I put my hands on his waist. “I feel great. I feelfree. I feel like. . . .” and before I can finish my sentence his lips covermine.         Myheart totally slams my chest.         Iclose my eyes and watch bright lights explode. His lips are softer than Iimagined, fiery with passion, sweet like honey.          I’mlost.         Inhim.         Inhis kiss.         Hesurrounds me with his arms, ends the kiss, then buries his head in my hair, hislips close to my ear. “Sweet, so sweet,” he whispers.         AndI thought I was in trouble a few minutes ago.

So for me, theobvious humor line is: “Honey, take another pill.”The subtle humorline is: “I even wore my church dress.”
(Note:The church dress line will make more sense when you read the book. Also, thefudge/cardboard line will be explained—promise!)
The line, “I evenwore my church dress.”, is spoken in total seriousness by my heroine. The hero,Levi, and the reader all know that you can’t really change who you are by whatyou wear. And my heroine’s motivation isn’t to imply that, yet that’s what itimplies. Also, look at the line above it.
Hewalks to me. “You look beautiful.”
My heroine doesn’trespond to that line at all. And trust me, looking beautiful is something sheknows she does well. It’s a huge part of who she was, and her lack of responseshows how she has changed.
And I didn’t sitaround thinking and planning all this as I was writing the dialogue. It justhappened. My first draft of any story consists of A LOT of dialogue. I have togo back and fill in all the other crazy important details, like setting andemotion. When I’m revising I look for the places that the timing of thedialogue won’t be interrupted as I insert the other details.
Dialogue may notbe the thing you do naturally. It may be setting or emotion or something else.If you hone down what comes naturally, then you can build the other importantaspects into your story.
As with otheraspects of writing, humor is all about timing, cadence, and the beat.The how-to book,Self Editing For Fiction Writers, is always on my desk. It has a chaptertitled, Easy Beats. It goes into great detail how important beats are in yournovel to create tension and give the reader breathing space. I spend a lot oftime on my chapter endings thinking about not just the perfect line to keep thereader turning the pages, but also making sure the timing, the beat, is there.  
Ithought I was in trouble a few minutes ago.
I wanted thereader to smile and maybe laugh when they read the last line of thatscene.  Leave them (thereader) happy!
What do you feellike you do naturally when you write? Or if you are a reader, do you like bookswith humor?
Thanks toSeekerville for having me as a guest blogger. These ladies and their readersare amazing and I love visiting anytime!
So, here’sthe deal. We’re giving away 2 copies of Summer’s Song and 2 gift/review copiesof my first novel, Her Best Catch. If you’ve smiled or laughed while readingthis post, indicate in the comments section and you’ll be entered in thedrawing for one of the copies.
Visit Lindi at:Lindipeterson.comThefaithgirls.comFacebookGoodreadsEmail her at: lindipeterson@tds.net