“I write in layers. so there’s the first draft, second draft, but somewhere near the end—the final layer, I look at every word I use and I think is there a word that will work on an emotional level…something that’ll keep you awake that means exactly the same thing? So here’s an example, if I said to the audience, say one of the two words—they both mean about the same—that’s the funnier one. Which is funnier pull or yank?
Dilbert creator Scott Adams
Interview on The Tim Ferriss Show
Adams says that people choose yank over pull because yank has what he calls as “two levels of funniness built into the word”—the “y” and the “k.”
“So I will consciously make a choice to get rid of a more accurate word to put in a word that has more of a programing control. You want people to have an experience because that’s what they’re going to remember. They’re not going to remember what word choice you use.”
Scott Adams
Bonus #1: From his blog post Writing Funny Adams says what he looks for in topics is “at least one of the essential elements of humor”:
Clever
Cute
Bizarre
Cruel
Naughty
Recognizable
Bonus #2: The Day You Became a Better Writer blog post by Scott Adams.
Bonus #3:
Screenwriting from Iowa 