"People often ask me how I make things funny. I don't make things funny"

Author Richard Russo is typically asked how he creates his funny writing, but he does not think in just "making things funny." He acknowledges that humor often emerges from real-life scenarios and the interactions between characters. Rather of aiming to force a comical tone in his writing, Russo focuses on creating authentic characters and scenarios that readers can associate with. By doing so, he enables humor to naturally emerge from the story rather than trying to enforce it. This technique shows that comedy can be a byproduct of great storytelling instead of an objective in and of itself.