So, What’s Your Story?
Welcome to 2026 folks! For my first blog post of this new year, I’ll do my best to pass along some encouragement and also make you think. I know, I know, thinking can be like work sometimes, especially in the middle of a week, but if you bear with me, I’ll reward you by letting you play a game after. Seem like a fun idea? Okay, let’s get into it.
As the title suggests, I’d like you to think about writing your story. I don’t mean a novel or even an essay, since that’s my job. I’m talking about your personal life’s story. How much of a hand have you had in writing it? Sure, when you were a kid, adults filled in a lot of your pages, which is understandable, but even then, you took what they wrote and added your own paragraphs to create the compelling tale that is all you.
Now that you’re an adult yourself, are you the author of your own story? How many blank pages have you filled in, and how many have you let others write for you? I realize life has a weird way of changing a story’s course, but regardless of your age or history, I want you to see how much creative license you possess in determining which way your story flows.
Will it be a thriller, where you chase your passion across ever-expanding landscapes? You could play the starring role in a romance, one which finds you forging your life’s path side-by-side with your soulmate. Heck, maybe it’s a comedy, where you bring the comfort of laughter to others in need. The possibilities are bounded only by your imagination.
So, that’s your homework for this first week of the new year. Take a moment to think about your life to date. You may not be able to go back and rewrite your story’s pages, but you do have the ability to fill in the blanks moving forward. Your bestseller awaits, and I look forward to reading it!
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Speaking of filling in the blanks, here’s where we have some fun. Back in my day (All you young’uns insert your version of an old man’s voice here), we enjoyed something called Mad Libs, which was a word game where you told a story by filling in the blanks. The twist was you didn’t know what the story was, or which blanks you were filling in. You’d receive instructions to give the reader nouns, verbs, adjectives, and so on. The reader would then fill in the blanks of an existing story in the Mad Libs booklet and read the hilarious results.
For instance, the reader might ask you for: a noun, noun, verb (ending in ing), noun, and an adverb. Your response might be: dog, banana, jumping, house, and loudly. They’d plug those into the pre-written story and come out with the following:
One day, a dog was walking outside, when he saw a banana that was jumping in the middle of the road. He warned the house to run loudly so it wouldn’t get run over.
Now that you’ve got the idea, let’s play! I’ve already created a story with strategic blanks sprinkled throughout. I want you to use the comments field below and give me the following types of words: verb, verb, adverb (ending in: ly), noun, adjective (ending in: ing), noun, noun, and an adjective.
I’ll use your words to fill in the blanks and then share the results with you. Yes, I realize this requires you to actually respond and participate, but humor us both, will ya? You know how we writers love feedback 😊
Hey, and whether you decide to play or not, please remember today’s message: We all have a say in how our story is written, so get out there and fill in those blanks! Sure, the results might not be exactly how you pictured them, but they could end up being even more fulfilling than you thought. The first step is to sharpen that #2 pencil and get scratching.
Thank you so much for reading today. It’s been almost a full year of posts, and it means a lot that you’ve stuck with me thus far. If you haven’t signed up to receive these posts direct to your email’s inbox, what are you waiting for? I’d also love it if you could spread the word and ask your friends and family to sign up as well. It helps to not only foster my ego, but to let the publishing world know there are people who like reading my words. Thanks again!
Until then, whatever you are, be a good one.
-Dave
