"Of Punchlines and Narrative Surprises: Exploring the intersections between joke structure, fiction, and cognitive psychology" was published in The Writing Cooperative magazine on Medium.com, this article discusses the connection between the structure of jokes and the structure of fiction, specifically in terms of the punchline and the element of surprise. The author posits that the best punchlines in jokes, as well as in fiction, are paradoxical in that they are unexpected but make sense in retrospect. They also explore the role of cognitive biases, such as the "curse of knowledge" and the "availability heuristic," in shaping our experience of stories and how writers can use these biases to their advantage. The author also mentions the concept of "theory of mind," which is the ability to attribute mental states to ourselves and others, as a foundational element for social interaction and how it relates to understanding and manipulating audience's perception of stories.
Medium is a platform for publishing and sharing articles, stories, and ideas on the internet. It provides a space for writers, bloggers, and journalists to share their work with a wider audience and to connect with readers interested in their topics. Medium offers a range of tools and features that make it easy for users to create, publish, and promote their work, including editing tools, a clean and customizable layout, and social sharing tools. It's a platform that encourages storytelling and focuses on quality writing and ideas.