The Importance of Humor in Writing

The Importance of Humor in Writing

In my initial days of writing, I always wrote seriously and without smiling. I had a few viewers who seemed like they arrived on my blog accidentally. One day, I made an error in a post that turned out to be incredibly hilarious. I noticed that the number of views that the post had was prodigious. Since then, I have been making more ‘errors’ that all turn out comical.

Everyone has read something that was so boring, watching a snail move across the room seemed more interesting.  

There are billions of publications globally; millions more are published each week. However not all of them are interesting.

A good publication is one that captures readers' minds and does not let go until the end is reached. An interesting article is what readers want. One effective way to capture the interest of readers is by the use of humor.

For centuries, humor has been a reliable tool for authors to use in beautifying heir works. By working on the posit that humor makes readers lighthearted, writers make their work more enjoyable for reading.

Furthermore, there have been speculations that humor also enables a reader to understand better what they are reading. When the mouth is open for laughter, you may be able to shove in a little food for thought (Virginia Tooper). This theory gives even greater precedence to humor. 

Humor makes an article more memorable. Centuries old quotes are still being used today due to this fact. 

"The worst thing about religion was religious people" (The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides). This is an example of a humorous written quote that has become memorable.

Unfortunately, for some writers, humor is not their forte. However, humor can be learned and applied. I suggest reading and studying the styles of publications that have humor as a prodigious feature. As with all other talents, humor can be learned. 

Humor is an essential feature of a publication (unless it is a funeral speech) and if correctly used, will not only be a tool for enlightenment, but also a part of the message being conveyed. 

Top 5 Scariest Nigerian Spirit Creatures

Due to the unpopularity of this topic over the internet, no images were found and therefore no images are shown.

#5 Madame Kois Kois
The name of this spirit is gotten from the noise she makes with her shoes (kois kois). She is usually depicted as an invisible woman who walks to a lone individual and knocks them on the head. The knock causes severe swelling and most times, death. Numerous cases involving this spirit have been heard especially in boarding schools.


#4 Mami Water (Mermaid)
Contrary to the foreign stories about mermaids being good and helpful, the mermaids or 'Mami Water' in Nigeria are killers. These Mami Waters are known to have the ability to get out of the sea and walk (they possess legs) amongst men. When they get a man who is attracted to them (as they are extraordinarily beautiful), they lead them into the sea. No one knows if the mermaids eat them or not, but one thing is sure - the men never come back alive. A detailed description can be found here.

#3 Ogbanje or Abiku
The Ogbanje believed to be an evil spirit that would deliberately plague a family with misfortune. Its literal translation in the Igbo language is "children who come and go". It was believed that within a certain amount of time from birth (usually not past puberty), the Ogbanje would deliberately die and then come back and repeat the cycle causing the family grief. Female circumcision was sometimes thought to get rid of the evil spirit, whereas finding the evil spirits Iyi-uwa, which they had dug somewhere secret, would ensure the Ogbanje would never plague the family with misfortune again. The Iyi-uwa was the Obanje's way of coming back to the world and also a way of finding its targeted family. The dead child would be cut or mutilated so he or she would not return. Some ogbanje, however, were said to return, bearing the physical scars of the mutilation.



#2 Bush Baby or Egbere or Gwai-Gwai
This does not refer to the known animal. In Nigeria, a bush baby is a physical-spiritual creature that stays in forests and areas with thick bushes. Although due to Nigeria's modern industrialization, cases of encounters with bush babies have diminished greatly. In the years when my mum was in secondary school (1970s), many sightings of this creature were made.
According to every Nigerian culture in which this creature exists, the Bush Baby is short and ugly. It usually carries a lantern and a mat. It is said that anyone who is able to steal a Bush Baby's mat will become rich. But, the person has to withstand 7 days of tribulation caused by the creature who wants its property back.
During those days, the person will not be able to sleep because of the creature's incessant disturbance. If the person gives up within the 7 days, the Bush Baby will kill them. It is also said that Bush Babies cannot be physically defeated unless the fighter is completely naked. Bush Babies are known for crying like babies at night in order to attract an unsuspecting passerby who would think a real baby was crying (Thus the name 'Bush Baby').

#1 Kato
A large and hairy humanoid that can pass through walls, this physical-spiritual being is notorious for raping ladies. Most of the cases involving it also take place in schools. The spirit is said to hide in the wall close to unsuspecting girls and when they lay down or fall asleep, it comes out, presses them down to a point when they cannot move and then it rapes them.