Do you have any advice on how to get better/more confident when describing laughter when writing? I just find it so hard because in real life people laugh in lots of different ways, sometimes they laugh like inside and not really opening their mouth, sometimes they laugh while only slightly smiling, sometimes the laugh is like a sigh, others is a loud, contagious laugh that obviously can't be held in. I try to describe laughter but I feel like it might sound weird:/ idk tips? Advice? Thanks;D
Why give you advice when I can let Dick Van Dyke and Julie Andrews explain it?
But seriously, part the challenge is being able to differentiate between different ways of laughing, which you’ve already started to do beautifully. One detail to remember is that laughter doesn’t just affect our mouths. We scrunch our noses, we close our eyes, we hunch over or use our hands to hide our faces, and sometimes we even cry. Sometimes it even hurts our stomachs, or our cheeks, or our shoulders. Laughing can involve our whole bodies if the situation is funny enough.
The best thing to do is watch and listen to other people laugh and make observations. When you’re interacting with someone, and they laugh, and you notice a mannerism you’ve never noticed before - a sound they make or body language that seems different - grab a scratch of paper and jot it down. Stuff it in your pocket and then add it a more permanent notebook later.
Being a writer starts with being a great observer, and having an excellent imagination. So you start by having lots of instances in mind to reference when it comes to describing it.
But phrasing a description, laughter or otherwise, just takes practice. Start by just writing exactly what you see. “He covered his mouth, his shoulders shaking, and his eyes closed tightly like he was holding back tears.” <<< This isn’t necessarily great writing, but I’m describing a clear image that you as a reader can immediately picture.
Anything that’s difficult to describe starts by just being literal. Write exactly what it is. If you keep writing, keep practicing, then maybe a few months down the road when you go back to write that same moment of laughter, you’ll have the tools to add some more oomph to it, making it a little more lyrical and vivid.
Be patient with yourself. The ability to write clear, concise, and vivid prose takes time to improve and master.
Good luck!
-Rebekah