Showing posts with label mad libs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mad libs. Show all posts

Thursday, December 11, 2025

Advent Calendar - Day 11

 


Today’s treat is a Mad Lib—a fill-in-the-blanks story where chaos and unintentional comedy are guaranteed.

We've done this before during the Advent Calendar--check out Haldis's contribution on Dec 19 and 26 waaaaay back in 2019.

It's actually pretty simple (and very funny). First, fill out the word list (no peeking at the section below the list) and then plug your answers into the fragment of story (from The Ghost Wore Yellow Socks) below.

Finally, post your finished Christmas masterpiece in the comment section!


⭐ The List

Create your List First (no peeking!)

  1. Adjective

  2. Holiday greeting

  3. Small gift

  4. Emotion

  5. Verb (past tense)

  6. Another emotion

  7. Random household item

  8. Place someone might spend the holidays

  9. Short, vague excuse

  10. Mild exclamation

  11. Slightly awkward physical action

  12. Something a parent might say




⭐ The Excerpt 

Fill In the blanks from the list above

He opened the door, and Perry stood there. He was wearing a (1) _______ leather jacket over his shoulders—beneath the jacket, his arm was in a cast. He looked very thin and too pale—and there was something about his expression…
He looked older.

“(2) _______,” he said, and awkwardly one-handed Nick a (3) _______.

Nick took the (3)_______ without glancing at it. “What are you doing here? Are you supposed to be out of the hospital? Your folks came to see you, right?” Sudden (4) _______ gripped him at the thought of Perry being let down yet again.

Perry (5) _______. “Yeah. Can I come in?”

Nick fell back automatically, and Perry came inside saying, “They’ve been here all week. They came to see me every day—unlike you.”

Nick had bent to set the wrapped package on the floor, but at that he straightened. “We said good-bye,” he said. There was absolutely no reason to feel guilty, but somehow the words got away from him. “Anyway, I thought you’d be on your way (6) _______.”

“This is my (7) _______,” Perry said. “Or did you change your mind about letting me stay at (8) _______ after you leave?”

And now Nick’s worry bloomed into genuine alarm. “Why would you need to stay here? Everything’s fine with your folks, isn’t it?”

(9)“____________________.”

Nick couldn’t quite read him. (10) “______________”

“On their way back to Rutland.”

“Why aren’t you with them?”

(11) _____________________. “Why would I be? I’m an adult and I have my own life. (12) _____________________.”


⭐ Finis!

Now post your except in the comment section.


I'll come up with some sort of prize TBD ornament for the "winner."

Thursday, December 26, 2019

Advent Calendar - Day 26

Okay! Here are the results of our Holiday Mad Libs. :-D :-D :-D  Maybe it's the cold meds, but I found these pretty funny.

Our "winners" are....

Margie with this delicious and delectable offering:


Using a fork and a small hermit, I mashed the craisins and walnuts, added thyme and the lemon zest. When there were no lumps left, I rode the mixture into one of those small pastry buffaloes fitted with a quarter inch round plain igloo.
               All the time I worked, I snuggled. I was waiting for the moment when Henry admitted to Rocky that he had not hired Alexander to cook a romantic Christmas Eve dragon for seventeen. But they were eliciting more quietly, so I had only their trees to go by. Louis still sounded nervous. Rocky sounded….like he had sounded the first night he had asked me back to his ornament.
               And wonderfully I didn’t want to hear anymore.
               I tried to pipe the latkes filling into each olive, but my toes were damp and the olives were chilly and they kept shooting across the snow. I swore quietly. I picked up the olives and started over again. Unfortunately, I got a little too aggressive and hid one of the olives. I drew a long breath and tried again. Fucking eureka. The caviar stayed in the olive and the olive stayed in my finger.
               Not for long though. The olive frolicked away as Rocky said from behind me, “Hey, I guess I owe you an apology. Look who’s here!” He sounded snowy, almost frosty.

Binkabunny with her finest work to date:


Using a fork and a small hat, I mashed the hot fudge cake and ribeye steak, added thyme and the lemon zest. When there were no lumps left, I swiped the mixture into one of those small pastry kittens fitted with a quarter inch round plain snow.
               All the time I worked, I swam. I was waiting for the moment when Sam admitted to Rocky that he had not hired Jake to cook a romantic Christmas Eve flower for eighty-eight. But they were driving more quietly, so I had only their blankets to go by. Louis still sounded nervous. Rocky sounded….like he had sounded the first night he had asked me back to his train.
               And recklessly I didn’t want to hear anymore.
               I tried to pipe the loaded baked potato filling into each olive, but my shoulders were damp and the olives were defiant and they kept shooting across the stadium. I swore quietly. I picked up the olives and started over again. Unfortunately, I got a little too aggressive and stretched one of the olives. I drew a long breath and tried again. Fucking eureka. The cranberries stayed in the olive and the olive stayed in my toe.
               Not for long though. The olive trotted away as Rocky said from behind me, “Hey, I guess I owe you an apology. Look who’s here!” He sounded voracious, almost caught.


And finally the first of the Susan submissions with her erotic masterpiece:


Using a fork and a small mansion, I mashed the chili and pasta, added thyme and the lemon zest. When there were no lumps left, I saved the mixture into one of those small pastry friends fitted with a quarter inch round plain fever.
               All the time I worked, I crushed. I was waiting for the moment when Shane admitted to Rocky that he had not hired Devon to cook a romantic Christmas Eve floor for three. But they were relating more quietly, so I had only their boots to go by. Louis still sounded nervous. Rocky sounded….like he had sounded the first night he had asked me back to his money.
               And willingly I didn’t want to hear anymore.
               I tried to pipe the taco filling into each olive, but my legs were damp and the olives were beautiful and they kept shooting across the sunshine. I swore quietly. I picked up the olives and started over again. Unfortunately, I got a little too aggressive and killed one of the olives. I drew a long breath and tried again. Fucking eureka. The quiche stayed in the olive and the olive stayed in my shoulder.
               Not for long though. The olive loved away as Rocky said from behind me, “Hey, I guess I owe you an apology. Look who’s here!” He sounded amazing, almost cruel.


Oh! And the original text? It's the cooking scene from Baby, it's Cold.


Using a fork and a small bowl, I mashed the gorgonzola and ricotta cheeses, add thyme and the lemon zest. When there were no lumps left, I spooned the mixture into one of those small pastry bags fitted with a quarter inch round plain tip.
               All the time I worked, I listened. I was waiting for the moment when Louis admitted to Rocky that he had not hired Poppy to cook a romantic Christmas Eve dinner for two. But they were speaking more quietly, so I had only their tones to go by. Louis still sounded nervous. Rocky sounded….like he had sounded the first night he had asked me back to his place.
               And suddenly I didn’t want to hear anymore.
               I tried to pipe the cheese filling into each olive, but my fingers were damp and the olives were slippery and they kept shooting across the counter. I swore quietly. I picked up the olives and started over again. Unfortunately, I got a little too aggressive and squashed one of the olives. I drew a long breath and tried again. Fucking eureka. The cheese stayed in the olive and the olive stayed in my hand.
               Not for long though. The olive sprang away as Rocky said from behind me, “Hey, I guess I owe you an apology. Look who’s here!” He sounded cheerful, almost bright.

******


I think our prizes will be some kind of vintage holiday ornament for each of our authors. I shall scour eBay for something apropos.  :-D Please contact me through my website with your mailing address!

Saturday, December 21, 2019

Advent Calendar - Day 21

Good morning! Today we're doing something completely different. The fiendishly talented (emphasis on fiendish) Haldis came up with an idea (I KNOW, I KNOW, ) for a fun little version of a kind of Mad Libs game based on a scene from one of my Christmas stories.

So I'll let Haldis explain it in her own words, but basically you make a list of words using Haldis's list as your guide, paste your list into the comments section below, and then on Monday I'll post two or three versions of the actual scene using the replacement words from the submissions.

The prize will be... Hmmm... I'm not sure yet! We'll have to see how this turns out. But there will be some kind of prize. I'll give it some thought before Monday.

Anywhoooooo, here's Haldis:

A terrible thing has happened, Dearest Fanyons, and I need your help. Some of Josh’s wonderful, amazing words have vanished from one of her Christmas stories and I need your imagination and creativity to replace them. I have every faith that you are up to the task! Good luck!
Here is the list of what we need:


Noun
A food
A food
Verb
Plural Noun
Noun
Verb
Name #1
Name #2
Noun
A Number
Verb
Plural Noun
Noun
Adverb
A food
Body part
Adjective
Noun
Verb
A Food
Body part
Verb
Adjective
Adjective

The new completed story will be posted on Monday after all of the words have been replaced.