Top Ten Reasons Why I Stopped Writing Stories and Started Making Lists

Bloggers and journalists insist that people love to read lists.  I know several confirmed “list-o-holics” and to tell the truth, I am enamored of the bullet point list, myself.  Lists, particularly Top 10 lists, appeal to people with short attention spans,  to those who want relevant information without all the filler words, and to those who hate thinking for themselves.

Therefore, I will embark on this list journey because I am told that you, dear readers, will love it.  You’ll notice that in my title, I said I’d explain the top ten reasons for why I stopped writing stories and making lists.  This is a dreadfully sinful LIE.

1. Once upon a time, there was a chicken. It danced in the moonlight. (Go on, you might as well check out List Item #2; it may be relevant)

2. It attracted the attention of some nearby gorillas.

3. The gorillas, being more powerful than the chicken, considered biting its head off and consuming it for a snack.

4. Then they realized that because the chicken was so small and there wasn’t enough for all of them, they’d have to fight each other for the chicken.

5. Given that fighting is a pain in the ass, and lying in the grass scratching one’s butt is easier, they decided to ignore the chicken.

6. The chicken continued its avian ballet, unaware of its brush with death.

7. A clever reader asked, “Why exactly would a chicken dance in the moonlight? Wouldn’t it be in a coop somewhere?  And chickens don’t really dance, do they?”

8. The author, in the interest of artistic expression for poultry (won’t somebody please think of the chickens?), had to clobber the reader, duct-tape his mouth shut, and shove him in a closet.

9. The chicken, frightened by the unexpected clobbering noise, fled the scene.

10. The gorillas cried, for they had been enjoying the graceful dance of the chicken.

11. The sun rose mournfully in a cold gray sky over an empty field. A mime dropped a rose.

12. This story was made into a film and won awards at the Sundance festival because of its innovation and embodiment of all the qualities of a good independent film.

13. The author’s readers sent hate mail because not only had the author subjected them to a stupid story that mercilessly consumed a tiny portion of their lives, but because the author had also lied about the number of list items. Also, the film was totally different than the story and that was like, a total sell out.

14. Devasted by the harsh words, the author committed suicide.

15. The author’s spirit woke up in a world where happy rainbow unicorns pranced about. Nice flower fairies made her a princess outfit out of rose petals. She was satisfied by hearing the sad thoughts of those who sent the mean letters: “I’m really sorry now that she is dead. It’s all my fault that she killed herself. I am truly a pathetic excuse for a human being.”

16. All the mean people felt so bad that they killed themselves, too. They showed up in the afterlife alongside the author.

17. Forced to accomodate the influx of contrite people, the rainbow unicorns left her. The flower fairies made everyone else princess outfits, too. The mean people, feeling much better about themselves now that they were princesses, went back to writing hate mail and leaving it where the author could find it.

18. She tried to kill herself again.

19. Turns out you can only kill herself once.

20. There is no happy ending to this story. The moral is: don’t think “they’ll be sorry when I’m dead!” and kill yourself, because they might feel so sorry about it all that they’ll kill themselves, too, and then they’ll be there to annoy you for all eternity. Defiantly keep on writing pointless stories simply to amuse yourself. You can buy princess outfits at the costume store, anyway. It’s not like flower fairies have a monopoly on the costume industry.

THE END

—————-

The fabulous fairy doll in the photo above is titled “Rude Obnoxious Fairy” and can be found at www.off-with-the-fairies.com.

COMMENT, DAMN IT!

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7 Responses to “Top Ten Reasons Why I Stopped Writing Stories and Started Making Lists”

  1. I’m still giggling, great stuff! And I *love* that fairy – reminds me of the one that made Cathy’s life so miserable in the other Split Worlds stories I wrote recently, I’m off to that site now too!

    Lovely to meet you, and thanks for stopping by at my place! x

  2. Likewise, Emma! I have a few other stories here about fairies. I’m looking forward to catching up on your stories. I didn’t realize they were part of a series–the one I read was a great stand-alone.

  3. You are so funny. I too have a penchant for lists of stories but they’ze no way nearly as humorous as this.

    When I read your 3 blogs it’s like 3 completely different people – which to me is what a rounded human being should be like.

    I’ve often imagined a life after suicide surrounded by people that drive you nuts. Better to face things now than a life time of damnation !

  4. Hi! Very clever stuff I like reading it :D Do you live in Colorado? I’m from Boulder and wondering if I know you.

    Cheers.

  5. Hi Matt,

    I lived in Boulder up until a year ago. Sorry we didn’t connect while I was still in town! Glad you enjoyed the story.

  6. Okay…I don’t get it. Your list looks like a story that is just broken down into a list.

    7. I just don’t understand the clever reader. I guess most chickens would be asleep and not dancing, but this chicken just might have been suffering from insomnia. And why would a chicken dance in a chicken coop? It’s far too cooped up to dance, not to mention all the chicken poop you’d be stepping in. And of course chickens can dance. Where else did the dance ‘The Chicken’ come from?

    step 1. Stand with feet together and put right heel out.

    step 2. Jump back into place with right foot, landing with left toe on ground, left heel raised.

    step 3. Put heel of left foot out to left side.

    step 4. Jump back in place with left foot, landing with right toe on ground, right heel raised. Repeat over and over in place. The body moves easily from side to side by dropping the opposite shoulder each time the foot goes out.

    The counts are 1-2-3-4. Repeat it over and over

    I guess that reader wasn’t as clever as he thought he was.

    12. Now I just can’t imagine what this film was like and how it could have won an award. The closest I can imagine is Martha Stewart cooking meatloaf(booring!).

    13. They are totally right! The list is bigger than 10 items, and now I’m pissed because it took me till item 13 to realize it. And I guess the film would HAVE to be WAY different from the story, cause I just can’t see how Martha Stewart can sell on the big screen. (I personally think selling out is okay. It’s going to take a few million dollars in your retirement plan to live comfortably when you retire, the way inflation is going.)

    14. This makes me sad.

    15. This makes me HAPPY! Yay! Happy prancing unicorns! I just love emotional rollercoaster rides.

    17. Mean people suck. I guess they JUST had to take happy prancing unicorns for granted.

    20. I guess we grow wiser everyday. Well, maybe not. I really didn’t get Aesop. I guess I should have tried to understand him better, cause I’m pretty screwed when I retire. But more likely than not, if I were to reread Aesop, I bet I’d find that he’s just full of shit.

    :P

  7. Ha, Spaghetti, you do get it! You shall be my next Clever Reader.

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