Here’s what I learned from Happy To Help: Adventures of a People Pleaser by Amy Wilson:

Include your fantasies. It’s especially funny if you can incorporate four levels in the build up to the punchline:

• First: set the scene—what’s about to happen

• Second: set the stakes—why is this a big deal

• Third: fantasy/a positive hypothetical of what’s to come

• Fourth: Dialogue/action of what actually transpired

• Write a short and snappy analogy that has pronouns and alliteration: “It was like hiring Kidz Bop for a bachelor party.”

• Include proper nouns. Proper nouns that are personal to you make the writing more compelling, specific, and yes, even funny: “I used to make fun of my husband for letting his perception of a good night's sleep be ruined by what his Whoop told him.”