I'll tell you what (Humor by Heyer)

I've made a start to my book and, aside from one scene, it's not funny. Not as funny as I want it to be. So I've paused a moment to read some Dickens and Heyer.

My characters are coming off too realistically, whereas the kinds of comic characters I like are always exaggerations, as though you were drawing a caricature of someone you know in real life.

For example, some of Heyer's funniest side characters are in her book Friday's Child. It's about a sort of macho guy's guy who needs to marry to get his inheritance so he proposes to a sweet but quite silly childhood friend, whom he doesn't realize is in love with him. The romance of the book comes from Sheringham's gradual coming to love and acting protective of his bride Hero, though it takes some help from his friends. And the humor of the book comes from his friends.

Here are two scenes that show, I think, just how expertly Heyer draws her comedic characters.

There are three friends, George, Fakenham (Ferdy), and Ringwood. Here's George's first entré into the book...

*

"Don't try to trifle with me, Sherry! Don't try it I say! I know where you have been! You have taken a damned advantage of me, by God!"

"No, he hasn't," said Mr Ringwood. "Now, sit down, George, for God's sake, and don't put yourself in a pucker over nothing! I never saw such a fellow!"

"Nothing to be in a pucker about," said Mr Fakenham, adding his helpful mite. "Sherry's going to be married."

"What?" gasped Lord Wrotham, turning a ghastly colour, and rolling his eyes towards the Viscount.

"No, no, not to Isabella!" Mr Ringwood assured him, touched by the sight of such agony. "Really, Ferdy, how can you? Sherry's going to marry another female."

Lord Wrotham staggered to a chair, and sank into it. Anxious to make amends, Mr Fakenham poured out some ale, and pushed the tankard towards him. He took a pull, and sighed deeply. "My God, I thought--Sherry, I have wronged you!"

"Well, I don't mind," said the Viscount handsomely. "Got too much else to think about. Besides, you're always doing it."

"Sherry," said Wrotham, fixing him with a hungry gaze, "I insulted you! If you want satisfaction, I will give it to you."

"If you think it would afford me satisfaction to stand up for you to blow a hole through my chest, you're mightily mistaken, George!" said Sherry frankly. "I'll tell you what: if you don't stop trying to pick quarrels with your best friends, you won't have any left to you!"

--> George continues to call people out throughout the book. But no one "go out" with him, because he's the best shot in town.

*

Here's the scene just after Sherry and Hero are married. It's possible he hasn't told his friends this is a marriage of convenience:

Once outside the church again, the Viscount handed his wife into the hackney, and turned to consult his friends on the best way in which to spend the evening. Mr Ringwood stared at him very hard, and even Ferdy, who was not much given to the processes of reasoned thought, goggled a little at the suggestion that they should all foregather at Fenton's for an early dinner, pay a visit to the theatre, and wind up the eventful day by partaking of a snug little supper at the Piazza.

"But Sherry, dear boy! Lady Sheringham--wedding night--won't want a party!" stammered Ferdy.

"Fudge! What the devil should we do, pray? Can't spend the whole evening looking at one another!" said the Viscount. "Kitten, you'd like to go to the play with us, wouldn't you?"

"Oh, yes, do let us!" cried Hero at once. "I would like it of all things!"

"I knew you would. And you would like Gil and Ferdy to go along with us too, I dare say?"

"Yes," agreed Hero, smiling warmly upon these gentlemen.

"Then that's settled," said the Viscount, getting into the hackney. "Fenton's Hotel, coachman! Don't be late, Gil!"

The vehicle drove off, leaving the Honourable Ferdy and Mr Ringwood to look fixedly at one another.

"Know what I think, Gil?" Ferdy asked portentously.

"No," replied Mr Ringwood. "Damned if I know what I think!"

"Just what I was going to say!" said Ferdy. "Damned if I know what I think!"

Pleased to find themselves in such harmonious agreement, they linked arms in a friendly fashion, and proceeded down the road in the direction of Conduit Street.