: Re: Mixing humour with horror in fiction I got into trouble last year for submitting an assignment (Masters in Creative Writing) that included a story that sprinkled elements of humour (think Despicable

The problem is that you are mixing two fundamentally different genres. If I want to read a funny story I am not in the mood for horror - I want jokes and the problem of not laughing out while on the bus. If I am reading horror I don't want all the suspense to be resolved by some joke that leaves me hanging in regards to finding out who the murderer/monster/... is.

I can give some advice from a gaming perspective. When playing an RPG in a horror setting you have to be careful about not having only horror. It becomes dull and less interesting very fast. You know there will be a blood bath around the next corner. You know there will be someone or something munching on someone. You know there will be another murder victim when the telephone rings. That's why you are trying to lossening the tension by using a few jokes every now and then. The horror becomes more horrific when you can contrast it with the normality and safety of an environment that allows jokes and funny scenes.

It's the same as if you are portraying your charcters as having a good life before "the incident" or something similar. The higher they are in the beginning, the deeper they can fall.

And by making it look like they can make it back to the top again you are giving them hope - only to crush it again in a horrific way. It's not a constant way down. It's the ups and downs that are interesting.

But you are doing this in relatively safe circumstances for the characters. When the group is at home during the day for example. Everything's bright, there is no time pressure, they have some room to breath. Now is the time for someone to lighten up the mood a bit with a joke here and there.

But when night comes around and your characters are being chased by the crazy psychopaths you need concentration and attention - something funny distracts, doesn't fit the current situation and is overall more of nuisance than a welcome diversion.

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: Re: Mixing humour with horror in fiction I got into trouble last year for submitting an assignment (Masters in Creative Writing) that included a story that sprinkled elements of humour (think Despicable

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: What are alternatives to "is that" as in "[something] is that [something]"? I am writing a thesis and I frequently find my self using the phrase 'is that'. For example: "The other feature that

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