Have you heard the one about...

Two men are traveling around the country doing seminars for their company. They arrive in the city of Natchitoches, Louisiana, where they are to give a presentation that night. As they stop to get a bite to eat, they realize they don't know how to pronounce the name of the town they're in - and that could prove to be embarrassing.
So one of the men approaches an employee and says, "Pardon me, but we're new here. Could you tell us where we are - and say it slowly so we'll remember how to pronounce it."
"Sure," says the employee. "BURGER KING!"
One of the reasons I love that story is because it's true. It actually happened. But in this context it is also a joke, and writers can learn a lot by looking at the framework of a joke. There's an introduction, a set-up and a punchline. It is clear, concise, complete, easy to understand and has a satisfying, fulfilling conclusion.
Those are the qualities I always hope my work has - and that's no joke.