Jay and Robin are possibly the two funniest people I know (other than myself). I often can’t fall asleep at night, because I lie awake laughing to myself about some silly thing one of us said or did during the day. Like the other night… when Jay did this thing… and we were like, “Oh no you di’int!" Wait. Tangent. That’s not a story for mixed company!
(And now, back to my blog) So…I find it rather interesting that all three of our breakout soon-to-be-bestseller YA novels we’re finishing happen to be about seriously un-funny topics.
That’s right…Jay’s involves a suicidal 16-year-old girl. Robin’s is peppered with AA meetings. And my novel? Well, mine is about bad ass L.A. gang kids. Didn’t know I was that “street” did ya? Well I am, yo. So stop trippin’!
How did this happen? When we first met 3 1/2 years ago, we were all like, “I want to write silly, funny, boy books!” And now we’re all like, “Everyone dies in the end, dude. It’s a total bloodbath.”
My explanation is this: Even the best funny teen books have an underlying seriousness. Sid Fleischman Humor Award winning books Millicent Min-Girl Genius, Al Capone Does My Shirts, and Captain Underpants, are all examples. Did Captain Underpants win the Sid Fleischman Award? Well, it should have.
The three of us seem to have a knack for writing serious books with an underlying funniness. I mean, there are several parts in all three of our novels where I laugh out loud. Only Robin could make the voice of a depressed, sarcastic, alcoholic’s daughter LOL hilarious. And only Jay could weave strangely witty moments into a dark book about suicide.
And me? My novel started as a hilariously lighthearted book about gang kids at a summer camp, and when I finished it had turned into…well, a total bloodbath. So, even though the three of us are pretty damn funny (to US), we really do have serious sides. Who knew?
--Eve
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3 comments:
I'm glad I'm not the only one who finds my alcoholism novel funny! And your gang book? Seriously deep and totally funny. I'll never be able to keep a straight face whenever I hear the word "eyeball." (Everyone will know what I'm talking about when it gets published.)
And Jay's book has a seriously funny scene with some high school cheerleaders. Though I think that scene was a bit autobiographical.
It's nice for the three of us to be 'N Sync!
-Robin
Dudes, can I be 'N Sync, too? Cuz y'all are seriously funny. Of course, I have nothing to add to the group except my laughter (in other words, don't expect me to be funny). Maybe I could be like the one with no rhythm that stands in the back with a tambourine. Anyways, when dealing with the subjects you three have chosen to write about, humor is an indispensible tool. Keep the black humor coming! Lamy
Thanks for the comments, Robin and Amy. You're my two biggest fans! (And "You're the only friend I got...") Inside joke. Sorry.
It's cool that the three of us DM's (Discomermaids) are 'cycling' together. Amy, you can cycle with us too next week when you visit. And we won't make you stand in the back with the tambourine. Maybe a triangle is better for you.
xoxo
Eve
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