Tag: writing a funny story

That Was Embarrassing

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            Some people embarrass easily. When someone compliments them, their cheeks redden. If someone likes their outfit, they blush. If they bring a well-liked dish to a potluck, they lower their head when everyone offers praise.

            Your task is to write a story in which your protagonist finds himself in an incredibly embarrassing moment.

            Come up with a list of potential causes, then narrow it down to the one that you would find the most entertaining to write.

            Your story can be humorous, serious, threatening, even humiliating.

            Have fun with this one.

Lost Luggage

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            Every traveler’s biggest fear is arriving at a destination and not being able to claim your luggage. Imagine standing around the revolving kiosk as suitcase spill out of the ramp. People around you grab their bags and head toward their destination, while you wait and wait and wait.

            Eventually nothing comes out of the ramp and the kiosk stops moving.

            You pull out the tag that proves you checked a bag and head over to Customer Service. They look around wherever bags are stockpiled, but yours is not there.

            They record your contact information and pledge to call when your bags are located.

            The problem is that you are boarding a cruise ship that same day. Once the ship sets sail, you have no way to get your luggage. It means two or more weeks with only the clothes on your back.

            Of course you will have to purchase everything that is in the missing bag. But, your ports of call might not be close to shopping, you might not find shopkeepers who speak English, and since you can’t read the labels, you’re not sure if your buying shampoo or hair dye.

            Your task is to write a story in which someone’s luggage goes missing.

            Have fun with this one.

Awards Won

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            I was not one of those kids who won things. I never received a perfect attendance certificate or one for being on the honor roll (because I never had either!).

In the 1960s girls didn’t participate in sports, so I there were no participation ribbons for me. I didn’t play an instrument and wasn’t artistically gifted.

            I do remember the first time I did win something. I was ten. My family had gone to my father’s union picnic at which a BINGO game was held for kids.  I lost the first few games, which didn’t surprise me. I wanted to quit, but my parents made me keep playing.

An announcement was made that there would only be one last game. Numbers were called and very quickly my blocks filled up. Imagine the look on my face when I had a BINGO. I hesitantly raised my hand, convinced that I’d screwed up, but when an adult checked my game board, I had won. I was escorted to the front and was presented with a tiny piece of candy. It didn’t matter the prize. What stood out was that I had been declared a winner.

            Your character might have had a similar experience. Ribbons were earned, certificates were given, and promotions handed out. Or not.

            Your task is to write a story that involves some type of competition in which your character loses over and over. In time, though, what does she do? Keep playing or walk away.

            Setting is important so that the reader can “see” where the story takes place and enough dialogue that it’s apparent how the character feels about what’s happening.

            Have fun with this one.

Pursing One’s Dreams

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            When you ask a little kid what they want to be when they grow up, they might say fireman, policeman or teacher. Those are the most visible careers in a child’s eyes. As their world view expands, they will dream of being a professional athlete, actor, singer, musician, and in some cases, scientist.

            Many times something happens that interferes with those dreams and the child has to put them aside to work to support self and family.  The astronaut becomes a mechanic, the athlete a coach of her child’s soccer team, and the fireman becomes a sous chef.

            Society needs all those jobs, but the individual might still harbor dreams of creating a new vaccine, curing a specific type of cancer or designing a more powerful wind turbine.

            It’s important to hold onto dreams, to cherish the reasons that the job appealed to you, to still maybe want to do something in the field.

            Your task is to write a story in which pursuing a dream career plays a major role. Any genre is possible, ranging from Speculative Fiction, to memoir, to Romantic Comedy, to thriller.

            Have fun with this one.

Forgiveness

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            It’s not easy to forgive someone when they hurt you in some way. There are any number of potential offenses, such as stealing a boy/girlfriend, getting the promotion you felt was yours, wooing away what you thought were your friends.

            Family relationships fall into that category as well. The mom who seems to hate you, the sibling who physically hurts you, the aunt who gives your sister gifts but never a single thing to you.

            Your task is to write a story in which the act of forgiveness (or not) plays an important role.

            Depending upon the age of your protagonist, the act might be rather insignificant or life-altering. What hurts a child is vastly different than what pains an adult. In most cases.

Dialogue will be crucial in showing the reactions of the characters. Narrative helps to set the scene as well as increases the causes of tension.

Have fun with this one.

The Virtues of Hard Work

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            Most of us were told as children that hard work pays off. That when you “put your back into” a task, that you will be rewarded at the end.

            Slackers are made fun of, ridiculed, set up as examples of who not to be.

            Even so, we all probably know someone who didn’t put in the hard work during their school years, but ended up with a good paying job as an adult. They most likely started cleaning floors or washing dishes, then received promotion after promotion until they were the store manager or the sous chef in a fancy restaurant.

            Students are told that the path to success is through a college education, but the above scenarios show the opposite. A poor student can become a revered chef, while an excellent student might turn down lower-level jobs, waiting for the “perfect” one to appear.

            Your task is tow write a story in which hard work, or the lack thereof, plays an important role.

            Have fun with this one.

Public Speaking

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            Some are quite comfortable speaking before a crowd. They love the attention, love being at the podium sharing their writing, reading a speech, offering a toast. Their faces light up, their eyes grow huge and when they begin to speak, the room quietens as they know something wonderful is going to be shared.

            Many of us hate public speaking, tremble at the thought of standing before others to say or read anything. Our voices shake, we break out in a deep sweat, and there are moments in which we think we’re going to be ill.

            Your task is to write a story in which your protagonist has to give a speech. First, determine the setting and the purpose of the speech. Then decide how your character is going to react when asked to speak.

            Both scenarios work to make interesting stories.

            Have fun with this one.

Autobiographical Fiction

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When I was young my father worked at a union-based factory in Dayton, Ohio. Every winter there was a Christmas party in which a jolly Santa distributed gifts while some type of performer kept the kids entertained. I was most amazed when the famous Sherry Lewis walked out on stage with her sock puppets. After all, I’d seen her on our small black and white television. Another Christmas it was a TV cowboy, and sometimes, near Easter, there’d be others whose names I don’t recall.

While the memories are fuzzy, I could use these stories as a springboard in the creation of   original characters and situations.

You can do the same.

Your task is to begin with something that occurred when you were young. If possible, look at photos from albums, or go online, in order to return to that time and place. Adding in sensory details, fill out the scene so that your readers will be there with you.

You could write a serious piece of one with a comedic element.

Have fun with this one.

Pet Ownership

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Pet stores flourish because they often offer sad-looking dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, and various amphibians enclosed in tiny spaces. Is this done so that potential buyers will feel sympathy and so buy one as a rescue?

Are the displays set up so that the most desirable choice is at eye-level?

What about pet rescue societies? When they bring pets up for adoption, do they showcase the fluffiest, the cutest, the one with the most outgoing personality?

Or, do we choose our pets as a spur-of-the-moment decision, enticed by the large brown eyes and drooping ears?

Or do we select based or prior experience? What if a child was scratched by a cat? Well, that person is most likely to never choose a cat as a pet.

There’s also some degree of owner-neediness. Cats are notoriously independent, while dogs seek the approval of the leader.

Some pets are unappealing. A tarantula is not cuddly. Neither is a snake or lizard. Guinea pigs squeal loudly and might not be litter-box trained.

Your task is to write a story in which a pet plays a major role. Your character might have a preference, or might be open to just about anything alive.

Have fun with this one.

Game Day

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            There are individuals who enjoy creating games. All kinds of games: computer games, board games, card games and outdoors physical games. They have incredible imaginations. They can see the overall scope of a game, from the beginning to end, the obstacles that make the game interesting, the players’ skills and abilities, and the setting under which the game is played.

            Many people prefer purchased games because all they have to do is spread out the pieces or long on to play.

            Some families have official game days in which groups join together to play one game, then reform around another. Others prefer to play individually, on the computer or tablet.

            Your task is to write a story in which the playing of games is a major part of the action. To add tension, include actions by players that lead to disagreements, perhaps even physical altercations.

            Use dialogue to control the ebb and flow, ever increasing the agitation and anger of the players.

            Have fun with this one.