Laughter in a novel - Writers Forum

Schumi · 09-10-2005, 05:23 AM

In the novel I am writing, some of my characters have laughed at particular things. But the thing is, I don't always want a laugh to be a laugh. You know that thing people do, when it's not exactly a laugh, it's just more of a hushing kind of sound. It's hard to explain. That's what I want to get across in the novel. But I don't know how to word it.

Maybe it's still classified as a laugh. I'm not sure. Any help would be great. Thanks.

Saponification · 09-10-2005, 05:59 AM

Describe the laugh. Say if they giggled, sniffed and smiled, snickered, etc.

Stewart · 09-10-2005, 06:13 AM

snigger, chortle, giggle, etc - all are different forms of laughter.

mammamaia · 09-10-2005, 07:17 AM

here's one instance where i'd advise consulting a thesaurus... which i next to never do, 'cause many new writers don't take time to check the nifty words they find there, in the dictionary, before employing them, leading to laughably inapt word choices...

Schumi · 09-10-2005, 11:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mammamaia

here's one instance where i'd advise consulting a thesaurus... which i next to never do, 'cause many new writers don't take time to check the nifty words they find there, in the dictionary, before employing them, leading to laughably inapt word choices...

I looked up the world chortle, which conner wolf suggested. It says, "laugh in a breathy, gleeful way". That's kind of what I want. It's that first laugh people sometimes make. For example, if you told someone a joke, they might not burst out laughing, but they may think it's a bit funny. You let out a breathy laugh, which is apparently a chortle. Would saying, "Samantha chortled" for example sound right in a novel?

Schumi · 09-10-2005, 11:55 AM

I found another word. Titter. It means "a short, half-suppressed laugh". That's what I was trying to describe.

Ejp414 · 09-10-2005, 11:59 AM

Now here's a question (and I don't mean to hijack the thread):

Would any of you ever use laughter onomatopoeia words in dialogue? —Like "Ahahaha," or Dostoevsky's "Tehe"?

mammamaia · 09-10-2005, 12:12 PM

i wouldn't... not more than a 'hah!' if called for... it's annoying as bleep to me, when writers try it... tee-hees and hehes bug me even more, when peppering posts and email!

good question, ejp... and it certainly wasn't a hijack!

shumi... no, 'samantha chortled' wouldn't sound right in a novel... not to these admittedly super-sensitive eyes/ears, anyway... there are better ways to let the reader know a charater is 'chortling' or whatever, than the bald, boring, rather amateurish-sounding [to me] 'samantha chortled'...

check out the work of some of the best writers of all time, and see how they do it... you'll find all kinds of more 'literary' alternatives

...

Schumi · 09-10-2005, 12:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mammamaia

i wouldn't... not more than a 'hah!' if called for... it's annoying as bleep to me, when writers try it... tee-hees and hehes bug me even more, when peppering posts and email!

good question, ejp... and it certainly wasn't a hijack!

shumi... no, 'samantha chortled' wouldn't sound right in a novel... not to these admittedly super-sensitive eyes/ears, anyway... there are better ways to let the reader know a charater is 'chortling' or whatever, than the bald, boring, rather amateurish-sounding [to me] 'samantha chortled'...

check out the work of some of the best writers of all time, and see how they do it... you'll find all kinds of more 'literary' alternatives

...

So you think it's better to actually describe the laugh rather than summarize it into one simple word?

mammamaia · 09-10-2005, 12:43 PM

not necessarily... you can use chortle if you have to, but it doesn't do anything for me, when just tacked onto 'samantha'...

Saponification · 09-10-2005, 05:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Schumi

Quote:

Originally Posted by mammamaia

here's one instance where i'd advise consulting a thesaurus... which i next to never do, 'cause many new writers don't take time to check the nifty words they find there, in the dictionary, before employing them, leading to laughably inapt word choices...

I looked up the world chortle, which conner wolf suggested. It says, "laugh in a breathy, gleeful way". That's kind of what I want. It's that first laugh people sometimes make. For example, if you told someone a joke, they might not burst out laughing, but they may think it's a bit funny. You let out a breathy laugh, which is apparently a chortle. Would saying, "Samantha chortled" for example sound right in a novel?

The definiton actually sounds sexier to my Minimalist leanings. My advice is to play with that.

Avarice · 09-10-2005, 07:05 PM

[quote="mammamaia"]not necessarily... you can use chortle if you have to, but it doesn't do anything for me

is this turning into a sex thing?

mswietek · 09-10-2005, 07:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Schumi

I looked up the world chortle, which conner wolf suggested. It says, "laugh in a breathy, gleeful way".

Where did you look this up? On dictionary.com the definition is "A snorting, joyful laugh or chuckle." which seems very different from a "breathy laugh". Lewis Carol coined the word as a combination of "chuckle" and "snort".

Michael

Kane · 09-10-2005, 08:00 PM

"hahahahahahahah," said Rob, rolling around on the floor.

fretfulporpentine · 09-10-2005, 08:09 PM

I, for one, wouldn't necessarily stay away from things like haha or ha.

I think it depends on the story. If your book is supposed to be funny, then that sort of thing could fit in just fine. I do have something against teehees and hehes though. I mean, who on earth says hehe?

I wouldn't use titter if I were you. It brings to mind an image of an old lady sitting with a cup of tea. That could, of course, just be me.