So, it’s like this.  I was noodling ideas for my Monday blog posts, and came up with an idea to share some of the goofy results from Prompt Circles over the past several years.  Today’s is about … well, you’ll see in a moment.  I entered “funny pictures dog bathtub” into Google, thinking I’d find something funny.

THIS poor sod is one of the first pictures that popped up and I think I pulled something laughing.

For those of you unfamiliar with Prompt Circles and writing prompts, a little explanation will help.  A writing prompt is designed to help germinate ideas, and can take many forms: a short statement, an image, a scent, a song… anything that will give the writer something to start from.  The Prompt Circles that I run in Writer Zen Garden are designed to be a group event where we share prompts, write for a set amount of time, (say ten or fifteen minutes), and then those who wish to, can share what they wrote.

A popular tool is called the Amazing Story Generator, which is a lot of fun to play with.  I’ve pasted details on it below the prompt, in case you want to try it out for yourself.  Without further ado, I give you:

Suffering from amnesia / a talking dog / refused to leave the bathtub

“No.”

“Ralph, come on. You have to get out of that tub! Now!”

“Why? And who are you, anyway?”

“Oh, Ralph. I’m Louise.”

“Louise, come on. Just leave him in there.”

“Dad, you can’t. He’s gonna clog the drain!”

“Janey, don’t whine. And put your phone down; this does not need to go on Facebook.”

“Oh, Mom.”

“I’m hungry. Are you people part of my pack? Where’s the food?”

“Yes, hello? Animal Control? Harry, I got through. Yes, hello? This is Louis Hancock and six-two-five Crescent. The dog won’t get out of the tub.”

“Damn right I won’t. None of you will give me a straight answer. I’m hungry, too. Hey, is that a cat? I could eat a cat.”

“Mooom!”

“Yes, he’s a Siberian Husky, but he’s from Canada, not Siberia. He doesn’t have any Russian accent at all. What? Who? No, Harry’s from Poughkeepsie. The dog’s from Saskatoon.”

“Janey, your mother said no Facebook. Ralph, you may not eat the cat. You love that cat. You’ve known him since he was a kitten.”

If this seems like fun to you, give it a try.  The Amazing Story Generator is a lot of fun.  You can use it with your family, your church or community group, or your writers group.  Or, give yourself a challenge and post the results on your blog.

Or, give it a try with this prompt.  Set your timer on your smartphone for ten minutes and see what comes out of your pen or keyboard.  Have fun!

If you’re near Chicago, join me in Writer Zen Garden: