Thread: How do you describe laughing in a novel?

There are different degrees of laughing that need to be described in a different way so that the reader doesn't confuse one type of laughter with another. Some, start with a little smirk, and others start out-wide explosive and unconstrained.... And every person does it their own unique way too.

How would your describe different laughs... and do you actually write the words/vocal-sounds of laughter, let's say in a novel?

"Ha-ha-ha," he burst laughing.
or
He burst laughing. -- emphasizing on the burst, instead of the actual vocal sounds.

And, can someone give example of that type of little burst of laughing that many people do with their mouth closed. I don't even know how it is called; the best way I can describe it is, imagine you are in a quiet office environment and you see something funny: You burst, but just for a second, because you know you shouldn't interrupt the silence... and you never open your mouth in the laugh; it almost sounds like you are clearing your sinuses, or throat.

muffled laugh?

I prefer it when the author writes what the laugh sounds like, i.e.

"Her laugh floated through the air like a melody" its a bad example but the only one I could recall at the moment.

Use dialog or the situation tell the reader what kind of laugh it is. And you don't need to be so specific in defining just what type of laugh it is.

You practically did that with your description of the office environment:

Jenny read the email and tried to stifle a laugh.

Or

Jenny read the email and laughed, despite her efforts to hold it in. She stopped when Clyde gave her a dirty look.

Or use a simile:

Jenny suppressed a laugh, sputtering like a old water faucet.

good examples joseph.

that is what I was trying to convey but i am tired and in desperate need of coffee. Lots and lots of coffee.

His face crinkled in laughter.

Or:

A laugh escaped from between Jenny's pursed lips.

That might best describe what you're talking about. There are always lots of ways to describe something.

Some of my lame examples

He erupted in laughter.
She couldn't help but roar in hysterics.

I think this, like many topics, can take us back to one of the hard and fast rules of writing, or at least fiction writing: Show, don't tell. In other words, don't describe what's happening, paint the picture of what's happening.

Instead of: Larry laughed, "Hahahaha!!!". Try: The corners of Larry's lips curled, involuntarily -- and he fought back hard as his cheeks swelled momentarily with the pressure -- but it was no use. His laughter erupted, echoing down the corridor as he bent over, slapping his knee repeatedly. He'd hit his own funny bone before, but to see his normally graceful sister grasping her elbow and rubbing it furiously, was more than he could stand. Besides, she'd have done the same.

Not the best examples, I know, but I think they get the idea across.

Hope this helps.

John.

He knew he wouldn’t be able to stop himself in time, but raced in the general direction of the toilet. The rocking took over when he was inches away, but it was too late.

He lost control and roared, no longer caring about the people behind him. Despite the soothing water from the tiny wash basin, and nearly choking, he couldn’t stop. The red eyes in the mirror didn’t help, they only set him off again.

I think you're making way too much of a big deal about a laugh. You don't have to show everything. You can simply say that the person laughed and save yourself two paragraphs.

"Show, don't tell" is just a style issue. It doesn't have to be absolutely used at all times without exception.

Show, don’t tell, in my opinion, is the most important advice you can give to an aspiring writer, apart from ‘write what you know’.

Of course that is only my opinion.

I laughed when someone said that to me many years ago. I laughed when I read it in lots of books. I stopped laughing when the rejection letters flowed in.

I laughed again when I finally hit the jackpot, a small one.

How do you describe laughing? It needs a bit more effort than just saying; he laughed.

I agree, Harry. Not saying that I don't. But you don't need to show everything. In fact, a novel full of showing would be very long.

And, writing what you don't know can actually be as much fun as writing about what you do. It requires research, of course, but what novel doesn't?

Originally Posted by HarryG

How do you describe laughing? It needs a bit more effort than just saying; he laughed.

Depends on the prose, the author, and the style. Sometimes simply using 'he laughed' fits better than a long-winded and/or unnecessary description of the act.

Originally Posted by valeca

Depends on the prose, the author, and the style. Sometimes simply using 'he laughed' fits better than a long-winded and/or unnecessary description of the act.

I agree and I agree with Sam too, but I was describing an extreme example to make a point, perhaps having misunderstood the OP’s question.

Different laughs? As in if somebody is chuckling or giggling? a bark of laughter, a roar. I tend to rotate between different words for different characters.