The DIY Tutorial Disaster
Write a comedic essay on the trials and tribulations of someone attempting to follow an online DIY tutorial, where everything that can go wrong, does.
Suggested length: An essay or article: 800 to 2,500 words
Start the clock
Pick a sprint, press start and keep going until it stops. Momentum beats polish on a first draft.
Make it yours
Three ways to take this prompt somewhere nobody else will.
- Cut every sentence that only repeats the one before it.
- Find one surprising fact and build around it.
- Use one example from your own life.
Writing humor and satire books
Laughs first, with a point under the punchline.
Comic fiction sets out to make readers laugh; satire uses that laughter to skewer something real, from war to bureaucracy to the publishing industry. Either way, the jokes have to land on almost every page.
What readers expect
- A distinctive comic voice
- Absurd situations played straight
- A target, in satire
- Running jokes that pay off
A tip before you start
Play it straight. Characters who take the absurd seriously are funnier than ones winking at the reader.
More Humor prompts
- Fashion's Strangest FadsPen a light-hearted critique of the most bizarre fashion trends that have appeared over the decades. Include your own illustrations or hypothetical…
- A Pet's Very Busy DayChronicle a day in the life of a pet from the pet’s perspective, using humor to imagine their thoughts on everyday events and their human's odd…
- When the Trend Goes Too FarCreate a satirical piece about the latest trend that you think has gone too far. Use irony and exaggeration to highlight the absurdity of the trend…
- My Most Embarrassing MomentWrite an essay exploring the comedic potential of your most embarrassing moment. Include not just what happened, but also the thoughts that ran…
Fifteen minutes in? Keep going.
Chapterly gives a draft somewhere to grow: chapters, daily word goals, and readers when you're ready.
Plans from $9.99 a month. Cancel any time. Your words are always yours.