Prompts for when the humor well runs dry

[batyler65]

Okay, gang. I'm starting this thread to spark ideas for our humorous endeavors. I'm going to lock it so that it doesn't fill up with chit-chat (which would kind of make it hard to find the prompts, don't you agree?).

If you have ideas for prompts you would like to see posted here, please send me a PM and I will be happy to oblige and give you credit for the idea.

If the prompts inspire you to write something you'd like feedback on, please post it in Share Your Work. I'll pin a separate thread in here where you can notify us that you have posted your work and request crits.

Happy Writing, Gang.

[batyler65]

Prompt 1:

Lists, lists, lists. To-do lists, Honey do lists, check lists, punch lists, laundry lists... Seems like there is a list for everything. Write a humorous list of things you are NOT going to do today.

[batyler65]

Prompt 2:

The word "extreme" is enjoying extreme popularity these days. We seem to have extreme EVERYTHING. This fits well with humor, because exaggeration can make or break a humor piece.

For this prompt, let's take it up a notch. Take an everyday experience and make it extreme. Extreme Dog Walking. Extreme Birthday Parties. Extreme weed prevention.

Whatever you pick, make it funny in the extreme.

If you'd like feedback on the results, post your piece in Share Your Work and drop a note in "THE OFFICIAL "I NEED A HUMOR CRIT" THREAD.

And don't forget, if you have an idea for a prompt, send me a PM.

Barb

[batyler65]

Prompt 3

Create a ridiculous holiday to celebrate. You can use your holiday to rant about holidays in general, or go the opposite direction and create a silly holiday for something that you can't live without. (Post-it notes, anyone?)

Still not inspired? Try looking at some of the REAL holidays that made it into the books.
http://www.butlerwebs.com/holidays/default.htm

Wanna post what you wrote for feedback? Take it to Share Your Work (the humor category), then drop us a note in the OFFICIAL "I NEED A HUMOR CRIT" THREAD.

Have fun!

[batyler65]

Prompt 4:

Reality TV. Go ahead, make fun of it. You know you want to.

List ten humorous ideas for reality TV shows. Pick the one that appeals to you the most and write 500 (or more) words about what viewers would see on your show.

Wanna share? Post your efforts in Share Your Work and drop by the OFFICIAL "I NEED A HUMOR CRIT" THREAD to let us know.

[batyler65]

Prompt 5:

The "How To" article is a staple of popular magazines. We are humorists. We don't need "How To" ho hum articles. What we need are "How NOT To" articles.

Examples:

• How NOT to get a cat out of a tree.
• Ten things NOT to do if you want to get lucky with the ladies.
• How NOT to find serenity through the art of Feng Shui.

Brainstorm a list of five. Write about the one that tickles your funny bone the most.

(Can you tell I write "how to's" when I'm not writing humor? )

As always, you can share your results by posting in Share Your Work. Drop us a note in the OFFICIAL "I NEED A HUMOR CRIT" THREAD, if you want feedback.

Happy writing!

[batyler65]

Prompt 6

I own an alarm clock that is smarter than the average human. It automatically sets itself to the correct time, has an alarm that only sounds on weekdays and a separate alarm for weekends. It even knows the day of the week without any input from me. I suspect it is plotting to take control of the VCR any day now; microwave and laser printer to follow.

Are you technologically challenged? Does a universal remote make you want to run screaming in the streets? Or maybe you are one of the gifted. Maybe you have a talent for bailing out the techno-challenged and can't help but shake your head at all the fuss. (In which case I will feel perfectly justified in hating you. Be warned.)

Write about the challenges of today's technology, or about belly button lint. Your choice.

Looking for a place to get feedback? Post in the humor section of Share Your Work. Drop a line in THE "OFFICIAL I NEED A HUMOR CRIT" THREAD to let us know.

Ideas for a humor prompt of your own? Drop me a PM. I'd love to hear it.

[batyler65]

Prompt 7:

Internal dialogue. Thinking one thing, but saying another. The interplay of opposites can really punch up humor.

For today's prompt, brainstorm 5 people you might have a mundane conversation with (spouse, telemarketer, neighbor) and use an internal dialogue to punch up the humor of an otherwise routine exchange. Think in terms of: I said... but I thought...

Don't forget, if you want feedback, post in Share Your Work and drop us a note in THE OFFICIAL "I NEED A HUMOR CRIT" THREAD.

[batyler65]

Prompt 8:

You know, you can sell just about anything on eBay. I've seen some tremendously creative ads. So far, my favorite have been the items put up for auction by a fellow who had just ended a bad relationship. Every item was something his significant other had given to him before the breakup. Each had a history. Each was flat out hysterical.

Imagine that you have had a falling out with a friend, lover, spouse, child, coworker... your pick. What would you put up for auction? (The items don't have to be gifts... use your imagination!

Write a humorous listing for your eBay auction. Include the history of the item you are selling and why you are getting rid of it.

Go ahead, make 'em laugh!

If you have ideas for prompts you would like to see here, send them to me via PM. If you need someone to read your work, post it in Share Your Work, and drop a note in THE OFFICIAL "I NEED A HUMOR CRIT" THREAD.

chuckles,
Barb

[batyler65]

Prompt 9:

At my house, two of the clocks are set on what I refer to as: kitchen and bathroom time. Those clocks are set ten minutes faster than any other clocks in the house. So if it is 4:08 in the living room, it is already 4:18 on bathroom time. My hubby just KNOWS that if he can fool himself into thinking it is ten minutes later than it actually is, life will somehow work out. I just KNOW that somebody needs a hobby.

Write a humorous story or essay that revolves around a harmless mind game.

[batyler65]

Prompt 10:

Take a look at the winners for this year's Wacky Warning Label contest. http://www.wackywarnings.com/

Devote 500 words to a humorous warning label that doesn't exist but should. Be sure to include your version of the label and why it is needed.

[batyler65]

Prompt 11:

Idea from user:
Entelechy


Take a few minutes today to read something by your favorite humorist. Then pick a topic and write a piece in the same style.

[batyler65]

Prompt 12:

Idea from User:
Entelechy

Take something you are frustrated with: The toilet seat left up again? The folks who seem to hold family reunions in the middle of the aisle at Wal-Mart? Whatever it is, take the incident and write a humorous revenge piece. What are the ridiculous lengths you would go to?

[batyler65]

Lucky Prompt 13:

Idea from User:
Entelechy

Turn on CNN or another news show and watch for absurdity. On slow news days, there is no telling WHAT will get reported as news. Choose a story and run with it.

[batyler65]

Prompt 14:

Idea from User:
Jane007

Write the "real" definitions of words or catch-phrases. What is your meaning of "user friendly". How do you define "some assembly required"? Make a list of ten related words and define them.

Jane007 used this approach in a recent blog post:
http://lingoslinger.blogspot.com/

[batyler65]

Prompt 15:

Sometimes you just have to embrace silliness and see what happens.

Today, while getting my morning exercise, I encountered a turtle. I don't know what a box turtle was doing wandering down the side of a city street, but I took it upon myself to rescue him. I realized about halfway home that he may not have viewed it as a rescue. Most likely he viewed it as alien abduction.

When I got home, I sent an e-mail to a friend, detailing the adventure from Mr. Turtle's POV. Here is an excerpt:

One fine and sunny morning, Mr. Turtle had an adventure.

Where am I? he wondered as he stared at the tall concrete curb. What is all this asphalt? Where is Miss Lola? And my wallet?

Try as he might, Mr. Turtle had very little memory of the previous night. Now, it could be that he didn't remember because he was a small amphibian with a teeny, tiny brain. Or, it could have been all the margaritas. Either way, his head hurt.

Mr. Turtle was having a bad morning.

"Perhaps," he said to nobody in particular, "I should lay here and bake myself to death!"

Just then, a shadow approached. Mr. Turtle ducked inside his shell. Next thing he knew, he was airborne! he poked his head out and had a look around. He was flying!

"Maybe this is all just a very bad dream," he said.

But no. It wasn't a dream. Mr. Turtle found himself the captive of a giant hand. The hand was the strong silent type. It didn't say a word. It's companion, The Enormous Head did all the talking. Unfortunately, Mr. Turtle didn't speak Enormous Headese.


Today, take a normal event and write about it from a skewed point of view. Run with it and don't look back. Most importantly, have fun!

[batyler65]

Prompt 16:

Take this job and shove it. How many times have you looked at some unsavory task and thought those words? Well, maybe not those EXACT words.

Your mission for prompt 16 is to write a letter of resignation. Quit your day job (at least on paper). Rebel against doing yet another load of laundry. Abandon your post as jack-of-all-trades. Just make your explanation funny.

[batyler65]

Prompt 17:

I have an affinity for those stores where everything is a dollar. I just can't help myself.

Today, while browsing the Halloween displays (also a weakness) I became enamored of rows and rows of little, brightly-painted, ceramic witch shoes. Did I stop to ask myself: "Self, what on earth does anyone need with little ceramic witch shoes?" No. That would be a rational act. Impulses are not rational. Instead, I found myself admiring each different style and plotting where they fit in with my holiday decor. I entertained the notion of lining them up outside my front door so that people might think I had miniature witches with very sore feet living inside my house. I also entertained the notion of testing my witch cackle right there in the store, just to see what would happen, but fortunately, regained my senses in time.

Your mission: Write 500 words about a silly impulse. It could be something you have done. It might be someone else's impulse that had an impact on you.

Maybe you will write about the consequences of your impulse. Or maybe, like me, you can say you overcame your impulse when you realized you had WALKED to the dollar store and couldn't imagine carrying all those clanking ceramic shoes home inside a plastic bag.

[batyler65]

Prompt 18:

Long before Jeff Foxworthy came up with "You may be a redneck if..." series, humorists have been using this formula to get laughs. Why not try your hand at it? Some possible jumping off points:

1: You know the birthday party has gone south when...

2: Signs that there is trouble in paradise...

3: It might be time to get more exercise if...

4: You know the vacation is over when...

5: You know the home improvement has gotten out of control when...


If none of these strike your fancy, brainstorm a few of your own. Choose one and create a list of at least ten funny "reasons".




Got prompts? Send them to me via PM and I'll be happy to include them here.

[batyler65]

Prompt 19:

Humor is all about poking fun at things. Big things, small things, commonplace and rare all can be funny if you look at them in the right light.

The author of this piece, which mimics a product review, does a fine job.

http://www.educationworld.com/At_Hom...arent017.shtml

For this prompt, look around and come up with your own humorous, product review list. What's your specialty? Gardening? Automotive? Sporting Goods? Cleaning Supplies?


Enjoy!


Got Prompts? Send them to me via PM and I'll happily include them here.

[batyler65]

Prompt 20:

Consider this opening to a humor piece about my faulty memory:

Recently, I opened a fortune cookie and read: "Your mind is creative, original and alert." That is good to know. When I find my mind, it will have to live up to much higher expectations.

Little jumping off points like this are everywhere if you keep yourself open to them. Today, look to fortune cookies (or if you don't like fortune cookies, goody-goody more for me! read through some proverbs) and look for fun ways to apply them to modern life.

Cheers!


Got Prompts? I'd love to post them here. Send me a PM.

[batyler65]

Prompt 21:

Humor lives in our insecurities. It's those human flaws that unite us, that make humor something universal.

Cooking is one of my insecure places. I don't mean that I'm a complete incompetent in the kitchen. I have things that I do extremely well with food (like, eat it, for example) and dishes that my family requests often. However, I suspect that my improvisation skills might be lacking. Conversations like this one started by my twelve year old son are a sure tip-off:

"Um… Mom, the chick—"

"It's beef," interrupts my husband.

"Um… yeah, I knew that. Ha-ha, just teasing, Mom." My son flashes a somewhat dubious look at his father before continuing. It's a look that is somewhere between dare and plea. A look that says he has debated the issue of dinner and reached some serious conclusions about his word choices. A look that betrays his thought that there is a possibility that if he treads very carefully he might be allowed to fix a frozen pizza later before he starves.

"It's really good," he says earnestly.

"Suck-up," responds my husband under his breath.


Where do your insecurities live? Take them out, dust off a few. Maybe you are the mom who failed at baking cupcakes for the second grade party. Maybe you are the macho dude who freaks out buying lingerie for his wife/girl. Maybe you have recently discovered that you would rather have a root canal than give "the talk" to your adolescent child. Brainstorm a list of at least ten. (If you can't be insecure about at least ten things, I don't want to know about it. I might have to hurt you.)

Choose one and write about a related anecdotal incident.


Make a donation! Send me your humorous prompt ideas via PM.

[batyler65]

Prompt 22:

The thrill of bargain hunting is lost on my son. On a recent shopping trip, he grew more and more bored as I scanned the clearance clothing racks.

"Can we go now?" he asked.

"Just a minute, Honey," I said, nodding at the current rack. "You never know when that perfect something will jump out, grab me and say 'take me home'."

A few seconds later, he popped up in front of me, wrapped me in a tight hug and grinned.

"Take me home," he said.





Humor pieces don't have to be long essays. Fillers like this 86 word nugget frequently make their way into the pages of magazines like Reader's Digest and Woman's World. They typically have these things in common:

• Are simple, everyday occurrences that anyone can relate to.
• Contain less than 100 words.
• Have a joke structure with three parts: an introductory sentence, details for the setup and a punch line at the end.

Close your eyes and search the back of your mind for funny incidents you have witnessed or been a part of. Keep trying until you come up with five. Break them down into the three parts. Devote 100 words to each one, then polish them up and send them out!

Happy Writing!

Give to the cause: Send me a PM with your prompt ideas!

[Birol]

[Barb really wanted this prompt recovered from the old boards.]

PROMPT 23:

Steven Wright may just be the King of the Random Thought.
He once said: Is "tired, old cliche" one?

Today, try your hand at a humorous random thought. On second thought, try your hand at ten to twenty random thoughts. Whaddya mean you have no ideas?

Take a look here: http://www.gadzillionthings.net for an extensive index of things to think about.

[batyler65]

Prompt 24:

Don't have time to plot out a humorous short story or pull together an essay? Try your hand at a Top Ten list. Your list can be about ANYTHING. Need examples of just how wide-open the topics are? Check out the Top Ten List archive from the Late Show with David Letterman. They're arranged by month and year and date back all the way to 1993!

http://www.cbs.com/latenight/lateshow/top_ten/archive/