Writing factor means a lot in memes. To properly understand a meme, it has to make sense intellectually. Sometimes I will see memes that make no sense whatsoever… leaving me confused by trying to decipher what it is talking about. Memes are a great way of telling a story, but including pictures. They are similar to comics in this way, but they have to remain short. If a meme is too text-heavy, it takes away from the appreciation of the meme – completely failing at its purpose.
Similar to this, visual rhetoric is SUPER important in meme-making. (Is that a term?) It is important to keep the text minimal, but also be able to convey your story or narrative, but also have a picture that goes along with the narrative. You can’t have a meme picture be conveying politics, but then have the text talk about like… cats or something. I mean, you could, but it has to flow. Choosing the correct visual for the narrative in your head is a big part of creating memes. You also have to worry about squishing the text too much. If the text in your meme is too small for anyone to read, it is not going to perform well. A lot of effort goes into making memes, and I don’t think a lot of people really get that until they try to make their own.
Question: Have you ever tried to make a meme and it flopped?
Intro to Digital Texts and Media 