How to Fill in a Mad Lib

Purchase and bring home your Mad Lib book. A Mad Lib book must be yours to keep - especially since it will be filled in. Mad Libs are essentially a book of games that are created by you - the reader. Big Box bookstores often have them - check there first. However, some of the other big box supermarkets (Target and Walmart) will often have them. Look online, if necessary - or if delivery is a necessity.

• Although you might not find any Mad Lib books at your local library, it won't hurt to try. However, keep in mind that library book pages must be photocopied (for your use) and filled in that way instead.

Open the book up to a game that seems enticing. Games consist of two pages facing each other. One corresponding to a list of words you'll need to fill in, and the other the story.

Turn the book to the first list page. You mustn't look at the "story" as Mad Libs must be filled in impromptu. Answers must be somewhat comical and you'll be amazed at the end how the story ends if you don't read the story itself.

• Pages are both labeled by title. The "top" page (when filling in) with the list designates the first page you'll always want to fill in first - before moving on to the bottom (main story) one.

Utilize your knowledge of your language to fill in all missing answers. Although they may seem funky when you don't have the storyline to go by at first (and not knowing where each word will go), use what the descriptor Mad Libs tell you to fill in the fields. You may need nouns, pronouns, adjectives, verbs, etc. to fill in all the blanks.

• Mad Lib books describe types of words that might be necessary to understand right at the beginning of the book. These types of speech that might be necessary that are mentioned include adjective, adverb, noun, verb, place, exclamation/silly word, number/color/animal/body part, or a pluralized word.
  • At times, look for "past tense" mentioning. These verbs designate actions happening in the past after something else is happening.
• Look for designators of type of verb, if necessary - because the word may need to end in a certain style when filled in on the story page.

Fill in the list. Repeat this for every line until the lists are complete.

Fill in the storyline. The way that your list is compiled, Mad Libs get filled in in the same order. Keep the top page open as you fill in the bottom, but do not read along. Skim through the lines and fill in as you see empty lines - do not sight-read to "correct" any missing pieces that may seem wiser to "the reader".

• Do not concern yourself with what the story says - as that's the joy and funkiness of a Mad Lib - and it makes for one imaginative storyline/game.
• Cross out/off or checkmark each item on the list so that it is not used again in the story.

Read the story aloud. Stories filled in on a mad lib will often seem hilarious when read aloud, and may break up the day filling you with some comedy relief some people much need.