1. Timing - Timing is EVERYTHING. Whether the comedy is stand-up, written in a book, or placed in a movie - if the timing isn't right, it won't be funny.

2. Content - You always want the comedy to be appropriate for what is going on in the book. Random comedy may be fun, but adding an elephant joke into the middle of a story about tracking down a missing talisman may not quite work, unless the characters happen to be riding on them. Remember that your characters need to have trains of thought, just like people in real life do.

3. Quantity - Be careful how much comedy is put into a story. If it is too much, and there are no other emotions or senses touched upon, it simply will not work. However, if there is too little, it definitely won't work, either. A delicate balance is necessary to ensure there is not too much of one, and not enough of another.