I was over at a friend’s house, and there was a group of us sitting around a table.  One guy started telling a joke involving a bird, an airplane and a brick.  Only — it was a two part joke, and he forgot to tell the part that introduced the bird.  One of the other guys had heard the joke, and when it got to the “Wait a minute.  I forgot to say,” moment, he blurted out, “I was wondering how you were going to do this joke without the bird.”

Which in itself was funny.  But the elements were so jumbled that now, I couldn’t remember the joke to save my life.  The same goes for any type of writing.  You have to seed in the setup, then follow it with a payoff in order for the information you are presenting to become logical, and therefor memorable.  Remember, plot is basically, “This happened AND SO that happened AND SO that happened.”  We remember cause and effect.  So while readers might not remember the details of your plot years after reading the story, they will usually remember the most important points.

Jokes are a good example of how to introduce elements into a story.  They are usually concise, and only introduce elements that will be directly important.  Otherwise, the setup becomes confusing, and when you get to the punchline, you may get a, “Huh,” instead of a laugh, as the joke’s listener is wondering, “Whatever happened to that vole that was digging holes in the lawn at the beginning?”

Admittedly, jokes are meant to be shared out loud, making them simpler by necessity.  And yes, a reader can go back and remind themselves of who that character is that was introduced several chapters ago, or find where you described what the house looked like.  But that is going to break the immersion in the story, and bring the forward momentum of reading to a full stop.  If you’re setting up something important, don’t be afraid to emphasize it, showing that it is indeed to be remembered.  And make sure that you have explained all the elements necessary for the desired reaction (be it a laugh or a gasp) in advance.

What is a joke that you heard years ago that you could still tell today?  Why do you think you remember it?  How can you make a setup vivid, so that readers will know it is important?