Saturday, March 11, 2017

Title-Tale (Poetry and Flash Fiction with Magaly)

Greetings, dear Toads.

Today’s mini-challenge is simple (and funny, I hope). The world is so gloomy right now, that most of us could probably use a laugh (or fifty). I invite you to choose one of the 13 titles below, and use it as inspiration to write a new three-stanza poem or a very short story (of 313 words or fewer). I request that you battle curiosity, and abstain from finding out anything about the actual books. Please include the chosen title, as a note, somewhere in your post.

After you are done crafting your word yum, feed the direct link to your entry to Mr. Linky. Visit other Toads. And as always, have a blast!

One more thing, Garden dwellers, just because some of the book titles might inspire hysteric laughter (or excessive blinking), this doesn’t mean that your poem must be humorous. Let your muse do what she wants… as long as what she wants is inspired by one of the given book titles.

1. Bodybuilders in Tutus and 35 Other Obscure Business-Boosting Observations, by Philipp Lomboy

2. Dating for Under a Dollar: 301 Ideas, by Blair Tolman

3. The Do It Yourself Lobotomy: Open Your Mind to Greater Creative Thinking, by Tom Monahan

4. Goblinproofing One’s Chicken Coop: And Other Practical Advice in Our Campaign Against the Fairy Kingdom, by Reginald Bakeley

5. How to Survive a Garden Gnome Attack: Defend Yourself When the Lawn Warriors Strike (and They Will), by Chuck Sambuchino

6. Knitting with Dog Hair: Better a Sweater from a Dog You Know and Love Than from a Sheep You’ll Never Meet, by Kendall Crolius and Anne Montgomery

7. Living with Crazy Buttocks, by Kaz Cooke

8. The Madam as Entrepreneur: Career Management in House Prostitution, by Barbara Sherman Heyl

9. Manifold Destiny: The One! The Only! Guide to Cooking on Your Car Engine!, by Chris Maynard and Bill Scheller

10. Natural Bust Enlargement with Total Mind Power: How to Use the Other 90% of Your Mind to Increase the Size of Your Breasts, by Donald L. Wilson

11. Oral Sadism and the Vegetarian Personality, by Glen C. Ellenbogen

12. People Who Don’t Know They’re Dead: How They Attach Themselves to Unsuspecting Bystanders and What to Do About It, by Gary Leon Hill

13. Strangers Have the Best Candy, by Margaret Meps Schulte

Image (and titles) borrowed from “39 Weird Books That Really Exist”.


19 comments:

Magaly Guerrero said...

Bring it on, my dear Toads. I'm rather curious to see what today's prompt will breed.

I hope you are having a fantastic weekend!

Kerry O'Connor said...

Ha! What an array of weird book titles which strangely make sense.

Sherry Blue Sky said...

Oh my goodness, these are wonderful and I am already smiling. Promising prompt indeed. You so rock, Magaly!

Sanaa Rizvi said...

LOVED the prompt Magaly❤️ sharing my poem "Dead (or alive)" Happy Weekend y'all❤️

Fireblossom said...

I've actually read "oral sadism and the vegetarian personality" in december of 1987! it was one of the very first books i recorded in my book journal which I have kept for 30 years now.

Fireblossom said...

ps--i don't remember a blessed thing about it!

Gillena Cox said...

Nice prompt; you took me to Salt and its saltiness

much love...

brudberg said...

Hard choice... really hard choice..

Magaly Guerrero said...

@Kerry, some of them are rather creepy too.

@Sherry, I'm glad the prompt made you smile at first sight, because I've laughing aloud ever since I read your poem. Such hysterical yumminess!

@Thank you, Sanaa. I really enjoyed the pair you showed us in your poem.

@Fireblossom, I might have to give some these titles a go. They are just too strange not to try.

@Gillena, I truly enjoyed your response.

@Bjorn, I'm so glad you went with the bang!

Frank Hubeny said...

I posted on about the goblin problem in the chicken house. I think they could be classified as three stanzas of "poetry".

Magaly Guerrero said...

@Frank, I really enjoyed what you did.

Kim M. Russell said...

How did you find all these wonderful titles, Magaly? Love them and found it hard to choose but, as usual, I was drawn to the supernatural.

Magaly Guerrero said...

@Kim, a Facebook friend posted a link to the article ages ago. After I was done giggling, I told myself that it might make an interesting prompt. And of course we went with the supernatural--it's yummy. ;-D

hedgewitch said...

I really appreciate the originality of this challenge, Magaly, and I hoped to be able to find some words for it, but so far my recalcitrant muse has refused to cooperate. But I have some notes, and we'll hope something will someday emerge, upon which I will give this prompt its due credit.

Susie Clevenger said...

This was so much fun!! Thanks Magaly

Bekkie Sanchez said...

I'm with Susie, this was fun! I couldn't make it any shorter as my muse dictated that it had to be 7 lines (please forgive me) but it's still micro-poetry so I hope it's ok. One day late but it's up.

Have a great week Toads and don't forget to spring forward with your clocks.

Hugs!

Magaly Guerrero said...

@hedgewitch, I suspect your bloom will sprout with the spring... or with Dark Poetry for the Cruellest Month *cough, cough*

@Susie, I am so glad!

@Bekkie, the prompt asks for 3 stanzas. You mean that your poem is only 7 lines? I'm confused... either that, or I need a nap.

Bekkie Sanchez said...

Oh my! I don't know what's wrong with me today no wonder you're confused. I guess I got confused, Magaly. I read stanzas as lines for no good reason other than I'm getting old and had a brain fart. Well, since I followed no instructions I hope it's enough that I picked a title. I'm off to take a nap now I must need one. Lol! Next time I'll do better.

Magaly Guerrero said...

@Bekkie, LOL!