April Fool's and Writing by Wendy H. Jones
As I always write this blog on the first of the month, I end up with momentous days such as New Year's Day and April Fool's Day. Whilst I've acknowledged New Year's Day every year I've never as much as given a passing nod to April Fool's Day, so I thought I would redress the balance today.
Where did this day actually originate? Some historians believe that it started in 1582 when the Gregorian calendar was adopted in France. This meant the New Year moved from April to January. There being no internet in those days, anyone who hadn't caught up with the changes were called fools as they still celebrated New Year in April. There are several iterations following this, moving throughout the centuries until it gained popularity in the UK in the eighteenths century - in Scotland no less. Us Scot's love a prank. We took the tradition to new heights having two days for the event, sending unsuspecting friends 'hunting the gowk' the word, meaning fool, on day one. On day two it was derriere day where signs or tails were pinned on people's bottoms.
This is all very interesting but what does this mean for us as writers today? Usually, the papers headline with an April Fool joke but this year a trawl thought the major newspapers reveals none of them have the heart for it. Given the war in Ukraine and the rising costs of energy it would be crass of them to be playing jokes. The best headline this year goes to The Mirror with April Cruel Day. So, it's a non event for journalists this year, although in the past they have pulled out all the stops to come up with the most intriguing headline which will fool readers.
Yet, we are not all journalists, so what does it mean to the rest of us. Firstly, for historical writers it means historical accuracy. Take my book about Thomas Graham set in the nineteenth century. I could have him playing jokes on his fellow medical students or officers - he was a Scotsman after all. Or I could have the ordinary sailors playing pranks on each other. If it had been one hundred years earlier, however, the situation may have been different. When in the eighteenth century did it become popular? Historical accuracy on facts like this can trip us up. For those not writing historical novels I would venture to say that we should aspire to surprise our readers throughout the book. We should fool them in to believing one thing and then. like an elaborate April fool joke, we surprise them with something else. That is what happens in all good books and is what keeps the reader intrigued and turning the pages to see what will happen next.
So, to conclude, how can you build in intrigue and mystery into your work? The odd joke wouldn't go amiss either. The darkest of books could sometimes do with a little humour.
About the Author
Wendy H Jones is the Amazon #1 international best-selling author of the award winning DI Shona McKenzie Mysteries. Her Young Adult Mystery, The Dagger’s Curse was a finalist in the Woman Alive Readers' Choice Award. She is also The President of the Scottish Association of Writers, an international public speaker, and runs conferences and workshops on writing, motivation and marketing. Wendy is the founder of Crime at the Castle, Scotland’s newest Crime Festival. She is the editor of a Lent Book, published by the Association of Christian Writers and also the editor of the Christmas Anthology from the same publisher. Her first children's book, Bertie the Buffalo, was released in December 2018. Motivation Matters: Revolutionise Your Writing One Creative Step at a Time, was released in May 2019. The Power of Why: Why 23 Women Took the Leap to Start Their Own Business was released on 29th June, 2020. Marketing Matters: Sell More Books was released on 31st July 2020. Bertie Goes to the Worldwide Games will be released on 5th May, 202, and the third book in the Fergus and Flora Mysteries will be published in 2021. Her new author membership Authorpreneur Accelerator Academy launched in January 2021. Creativity Matters: Find Your Passion for Writing the third book in her Writing Matters Series was published in September 2021. Wendy's latest release is Killer's Curse, the seventh book in the DI Shona McKenzie Mysteries.
I do like to incorporate humour in my books Wendy. Sometimes I might be writing a scene or dealing with a subject that strikes me as simply ludicrous. Especially with English history, we often come across events and decisions that seem like pure farce to us hundreds of years later. The history guudes at Warwick Castle have that down to a fine art!
ReplyDeleteI can't remember when last I played April fool on anyone deliberately or my becoming a victim of one, unless I call each day the students in my school play pranks on me - 'Fool day'!
ReplyDeleteWriting humour is a natural skill. I was very amused when readers of my Teddy Boy story did not realize I was talking about a dog until the very end of the story. Even being humorous as a teacher is an asset. I enjoy reading humour and consciously and unconsciously have used it in my writing as well. Thanks for this. Blessings!
Interesting and informative take on this subject, Wendy. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Wendy. We were wondering where it came from. So now we know. I think the Scots should get back to derriere day - cheer us all up by pinning tails on all those people puffed up with their own self-importance.
ReplyDeleteI have been thrashing about looking for a hook for a sermon I have to preach. Thanks to your blog post, I think I have found it. Blessings.
Interesting thoughts there, Wendy. I had no idea where it originated so thank you. I have never managed to successfully pull off an April fool prank on anyone, for it somehow always seemed a cruel thing to do. But humour, yes. I do love to catch the humour in a writers mind when I read. I must try to incorporate it more myself.
ReplyDeleteThat classic one the BBC pulled off with the spaghetti trees in the 50s was probably the best April Fool ever. In France, they call it Poisson d'Avril. Children try to stick a paper fish to the back of as many adults as possible. I think I prefer our way of doing it. Totally agree - humour is vitally important in writing!
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