A work that imitates another work, genre, or style for comic effect or critical commentary.
Parody is a form of creative imitation that exaggerates or distorts the distinctive features of another work, author, or genre in order to produce humor or make a point. Good parody requires deep understanding of the source material - you have to know the rules intimately before you can make fun of them effectively. Parody is not just comedy; it is a form of literary criticism. By exaggerating something to absurdity, parody reveals the assumptions and conventions we normally take for granted.
Writing parody sharpens your ability to analyze and understand other writing. To parody a genre, you need to identify exactly what makes it tick - its cliches, its rhythms, its unspoken rules. That analytical skill transfers directly to your own original work. Plus, parody teaches you about tone control: how to be funny on purpose, how to walk the line between affectionate ribbing and mean-spirited takedown, and how to land a joke through prose.
Often called the first modern novel, Don Quixote is a parody of chivalric romances - a man so obsessed with knight stories that he goes insane and tries to live one.
Adams parodies science fiction tropes with deadpan absurdity, turning epic space opera conventions into comedy gold.
A direct parody of Tolkien that exaggerates the quest structure, archaic language, and length of The Lord of the Rings to comic effect.
If your parody gets the details wrong, it just looks like bad writing. Study the original closely before you exaggerate it.
The best parody comes from a place of understanding, even affection. Mockery that comes from contempt rarely resonates. The goal is to illuminate, not just to tear down.
A parody should be funny even to someone who has never encountered the source material. If removing the reference removes the joke, the joke needs work.
Pick a genre you know well - romance, thriller, fantasy, horror. Write a one-page scene that follows that genre's conventions so faithfully it tips into comedy. Exaggerate the tropes just enough that they become funny without becoming unrecognizable. The goal is affectionate mockery, not contempt.