Humour is a very personal subject. Never mind a male/female split, your sense of humour is one of your most intimate features. And no two are alike. You may be stony-faced at your grandmother's blog on how her digestive transit has come on in leaps and bounds (quite literally after that last bowl of prune-infused hyper-bran), but try telling her she's got no sense of humour. There is only one person who knows what's funny, and that's the one doing the laughing.
Howard Matthews
You can be shaking the bed with tears of laughter at a book your partner thinks is as amusing as a disease. And the fact you find it funny is annoying them intensely.
Some people want their humour "on the edge", dark, perhaps even disturbing - Julia Davis, Nighty Night? Others like a bit of excruciating embarrassment - The Office. And others will not crack a smile at either.
My Howard of Warwick books of historical comedy are light and pretty silly; some people really love silly. It's silliness that gets the laughter flowing. And others hate it. For television comedy the mantra is that comedy comes from character. But those characters still have to say or do funny things. Any writer has to write what they think is funny, not try to guess what other people will laugh at. If you think what you've written is funny and someone else agrees, then you are funny-ha ha. Otherwise you're just funny-peculiar.
But women reading funny books? That's a myth surely? Comparisons to Monty Python, Terry Pratchett and Douglas Adams come from men, don't they? But my Facebook and Twitter followers tend to be women and they are the ones that are happy to review, comment or share my posts. The reason? Well, women are said to read more novels than men, attend book clubs and like to share their new find be it a book, a restaurant or a place to visit. They've also, obviously got a brilliant sense of humour and very good taste… as they like my books!
And why laugh at history? There has been some pioneering work in the field; Blackadder, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Goodnight Sweetheart, but it's not a well-trodden genre. People always like something new and a bit different and women read more novels, attend book clubs… see above!
One telling review was from a reader who said she found the books hilarious - and so did her husband. Perhaps writing a review is like asking for directions….
Howard of Warwick is the world's best-selling author of historical crime comedy. His Chronicles of Brother Hermitage series has sold over 40,000 copies world-wide in ebook and paperback. The latest title, Hermitage, Wat and Some Druids is available now. Published by The Funny Book Company. £2.99
© Howard of Warwick 2016