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Writing Tips From the Funny Papers

I always get an extra chuckle out of a comic strip that speaks to me as a writer. Some of the messages are a little hard to take, though. Consider this first one.

From B.C. Wiley, sitting under a tree with Clumsy Clark, is opening a box and says, "A gift from my agent."

He reads a note he finds in the box, "Some writers are appreciated even more when they have passed on from this earth."

Clumsy says, "That's sweet. What's in the box?"

Wiley opens it, "A Noose."

Oops, maybe it's a good thing not to have an agent.



 Now some wacky definitions from  Wiley's Dictionary. 
  • Perfect pitch: Best-selling roofing tar
  • Counterrevolution: The invention of Formica
This one is from Peanuts: Charlie Brown has just finished writing a new story and is reading it to Snoopy. When he finishes, Snoopy shakes his hand. In the last panel Charlie Brown says,  "I guess he didn't like it. That was his 'good luck, you're going to need it' handshake." 

Snoopy is a tough audience.

This one from Pickles is not writing related, but it does have some fun with words:  Earl is at the kitchen table, looking up at the ceiling. Nelson walks in and asks, "What are you looking at, Grampa?"

"Nothing, I was looking at a crack in the ceiling, but now I've got a crick in my neck and I'm stuck like this. From now on I'll probably have to be fed from above like a baby bird."

Nelson then goes to Opal and says, "Grampa was looking at a crack and then he got a crick."

To which Opal relies, "That's a crock."

Be sure to check out yesterday's Pickles strip for more fun with words. 

A message from Non Sequitur: Moses is standing on the mountain with the stone tablets containing the Ten Commandments. People are gathered down below and one man says, "OK, enough with the hard news. Can we have the sports or comics section now?"

I'll second that motion. What about you? 


Maryann Miller
is a novelist, editor and sometimes actress. Her most recent release is Boxes For Beds, an historical mystery available as an e-book. Stalking Season is the second book in the Seasons Mystery Series. The first book, Open Season, is available as an e-book for all devices. To check out her editing rates visit her website. When not working, Maryann likes to take her dog for a walk and work outside on her little ranch in East Texas. Sometimes she plays on stage, but she does avoid computer games as much as possible.

Comments

  1. *snicker* Pickles tickles me. Thanks for a much-needed laugh!

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  2. Hmmmm, that B.C. thing has merit ... if you read about my demise in the near future, totally believe it.

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  3. My favorite Peanuts strip (which has been stuck on my wall forever):

    Snoopy sitting on his dog house, typing -

    Gentlemen,

    Regarding the recent rejection slip you sent me.

    I think there might have been a misunderstanding.

    What I really wanted was for you to publish my story and send me fifty thousand dollars.

    Didn't you realize that?

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  4. Comics - the ultimate flash fiction.

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  5. LOL, Christopher, we will be watching the obits.

    LD, I love that Peanuts cartoon. I remember laughing out loud when I first read it. I think Charles Schultz had a good sense of what writers are thinking, and wishing, and hoping.

    I never thought of comics in that light, Diana, but you are right.

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  6. Audrey, so glad you enjoyed the comics. I really think we need to stop in the midst of our workdays and have a little chuckle. That's why I keep doing this monthly feature.

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  7. With the Colorado fires filling the news, a 'smile break' is welcome.

    Thanks
    Terry
    Terry's Place

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  8. I've always been a BC fan. Thanks for the giggles, Maryann - and stay safe, Terry and Dani!

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  9. Terry, I have been totally disconnected from news for several days so I did not know about the fires. Yikes, here we go again. I hope you and all my other Colorado friends are not in danger.

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  10. Elspeth, I really enjoy B.C., too. Sometimes it is laugh-out-loud funny and other times very thoughtful. Good minds behind that strip.

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  11. LOL! I've collected quite a few writing-related comic strips over the years. Some of them are too true!

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  12. LD, I love that one too! Luckily, comic creators are writers, so there is plenty of creative fodder to keep us amused! Thanks for finding these, Maryann.

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  13. Heidi, maybe you should share some of the comics you have collected. I know there are a lot out there.

    Helen, I'm glad you still enjoy thse comic bits. I sometimes wonder if I should stop.

    Glad you liked them, too, Kathryn. I think it is good to take a break for a chuckle or two.

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  14. Writing is a tough, lonely business. A bit of levity can elicit a giggle and inject renewed enthusiasm into a lagging spirit. Love it, Maryann. :-)

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