[남산 Ddalggakbari] There Is OO in Writing That Attracts the Opposite Sex

[Asia Economy Reporter Seo Mideum] Try talking about soccer to women. Nine out of ten will likely darken their expressions. The same goes for military stories. The worst is a story about playing soccer in the military. Unless a woman has a particularly kind heart, it’s hard for her to listen to that story until the end. Why? Because it’s hard to empathize. While there are women like writer Kim Honbi who like soccer, and the number of female soldiers is increasing, most women still have no experience playing soccer in the military. Naturally, it’s difficult to find it interesting without empathy. However, there is a magical seasoning: ‘humor.’ Pyeon Seongjun, author of “Slightly Funny Writing is Well-Written” (Book by Book), argues, “Even ordinary topics can appeal to people if you twist them slightly to add humor or wit.”

So how can you write interesting articles? The author says, “First, you have to live an interesting life.” Does that happen as easily as it sounds? The author anticipated this and asks readers, “No matter how much you beat around the bush and try to avoid it, you’ll inevitably come back to the question, ‘So how do you write humor and witty writing?’” This is like asking a film director, “How do you make a masterpiece?” or “What is a movie?” emphasizing the importance of ‘step-by-step.’ He explains, “We will proceed by looking at what humor and witty writing are, how I (the author) wrote them, and what other writers are writing that’s interesting.”

To introduce the author’s comedic code, here’s an example. An old man heard a funny acrostic poem. (Monkey) Won: The monkey’s butt is red~. Du: Both sides are red. Mak: Completely red. Wanting to use humor, the grandfather called his grandson and said: Won: The monkey’s butt is red. Sung: Red in a noble way. I: This is not it.... How is it? Disappointed? Don’t worry, “This is just a pointless joke and not what I (the author) consider ‘humor and witty writing.’”

The author says real wit and funny writing contain ‘pathos (sadness).’ For example, thinking about a woman who left after he was two-timing, “Let’s not think she left. Let’s think that bitch left.” The author admits this was written when his gender sensitivity was low but confesses, “Humor born from sadness and inferiority comforted me.”

There’s also this anecdote. When work decreased as a freelance copywriter, he posted on SNS. The title was “A skilled copywriter is idling.” The content was, “I eat a lot but write good copy / I drink a lot but write good copy / I’m a bit old but write good copy.” What happened? He got new work and a new job. It may seem simple, but many people responded with ‘likes’ to this humor and reached out to help, hoping for the best outcome. The author compares himself to Dostoevsky, who created human heritage like Crime and Punishment and The Brothers Karamazov while chased by gambling debts, emphasizing the importance of ‘desperation.’

For those struggling with writing, the author advises to write anything first. But not just anything. Open any book (or borrow one from a neighbor if you don’t have one), write down any sentence on paper, and start noting your feelings. This can help you “take control of interpreting your own life” (quoting writer Eunyu).

He also emphasizes UX writing. To compare it to a user manual, it means expressing things dryly and intuitively so customers can use a product without difficulty. For example, LG Electronics’ advertising copy is like this:

- Advertising copy: ‘Focus on sound, escape from noise’

- Technical writing: ‘You can set ambient sound listening On or Off’

- UX writing: ‘Press and hold the earbuds to hear even whispers around you’

How is it? Does UX writing resonate with you? If so, pick up this book (purchase it). You will learn how to write slightly funny, well-written articles (not too much, just a little).

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.