An Open Letter to My Toaster

Make it yours

Three ways to take this prompt somewhere nobody else will.

1. State your main point in one sentence before you start.
2. Include a counterargument and answer it fairly.
3. Cut every sentence that only repeats the one before it.

Writing humor and satire books

Laughs first, with a point under the punchline.

Comic fiction sets out to make readers laugh; satire uses that laughter to skewer something real, from war to bureaucracy to the publishing industry. Either way, the jokes have to land on almost every page.

What readers expect

• A distinctive comic voice
• Absurd situations played straight
• A target, in satire
• Running jokes that pay off

A tip before you start

Play it straight. Characters who take the absurd seriously are funnier than ones winking at the reader.

More about humor and satire in our book genres guide