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 This groaner is in honor of the annual O. Henry Pun-Off World Championships. (It was going to be in honor of Halloween, but I didn't want to wait half a year to post.) See http://www.punpunpun.com/ for more information about the contest. As always, all feedback much appreciated. Joy, Lynn
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Top Banana
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Top Banana
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That ending was so groan-inducing, I had to laugh. Great work!
"Oh, you can’t help that," said the Cat: "we’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad."
"How do you know I’m mad?" said Alice.
"You must be," said the Cat, "or you wouldn’t have come here.”
- Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland
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Boards Chief Administrator Nobel Peace Prize Winner
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Boards Chief Administrator Nobel Peace Prize Winner
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Hi Lynn! The Case of the Missing Artwork Ooooh! A Sherlock Holmes homage? It was having to be the beacon of hope for the world when he, himself, had precious little hope left for himself or for Lois. Oh? It had been just over a month since he had last seen his wife. Phone tag? ten-foot-long paintings (still in their original frames) out of the country. Fancy! The last time Clark had seen Lois, she had just hung up the phone and told him that one of their sources had called in a tip. An angstful story by Lynn? In a short story?  As it was, Lois just -- disappeared.  "Clark! I'm so glad you're home. I could really use you-know-who's help right now. Can he come get me?"  "I'm fine, now. I'm in France. I'm sorry I worried you; I was unable to call before. She was stuck in a container? As soon as the lackeys left, I went in to explore. Then the walls started closing in and I blacked out Really, Lois? Walking *inside* a man cave? I woke up about an hour ago and saw the walls expanding.  So, how did she survive? Was she in some sort of extra-dimensional vortex, held in stasis until she returned to our realm? And is Nestor the explanation how Superman is able to store his clothes while wearing the suit? "That's right. He's a werehouse."  And he’s only doing these heists every other month because he can only become a house during a full moon? Unexpected this is. Jar-Jar: Meesa likin’ these!  Michael
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Top Banana
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Top Banana
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"Where's Clark?" "Right here."
...two simple sentences--with so much meaning.
~Lois and Clark in 'House of Luthor'~
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Nobel Peace Prize Winner
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Nobel Peace Prize Winner
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 Really funny! Poor Lois. What a place to be stuck for a month. 
VirginiaR.
"On the long road, take small steps." -- Jor-el, "The Foundling"
---
"clearly there is a lack of understanding between those two... he speaks Lunkheadanian and she Stubbornanian" -- chelo.
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Pulitzer
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Pulitzer
Joined: Apr 2010
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Yup, this was a groaner, but a fun one!
Morgana
A writer's job is to think of new plots and create characters who stay with you long after the final page has been read. If that mission is accomplished than we have done what we set out to do, which is to entertain and hopefully educate.
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Pulitzer
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Thank you all for the feedback. Annie, I'm delighted that my story went all the way through the groaner phase and back into laughworthy territory for you.  Michael, An angstful story by Lynn? In a short story? They are pretty rare, but there are a few... just not this one. Really, Lois? Walking *inside* a man cave? Literally! And he’s only doing these heists every other month because he can only become a house during a full moon? Exactly. One full moon to lad him up with valuables, and the next one to empty him. Lather, rinse, repeat. Unexpected this is.
Jar-Jar: Meesa likin’ these! Someone has been watching Star Wars, methinks. (This summer I'll be able to geek out when I can watch for the first time both The Force Awakens and Batman v. Superman.) Virginia, agreed. Fortunately for Lois, she was not aware of the passage of time. Laura and Morgana, I'm glad you both enjoyed it. One never knows how humour writing will be received, and that goes double for puns. I also wasn't sure how the (hopefully) unexpected ending would be received -- whether the sudden shift in tone would be jarring. (But, Michael, I hadn't thought it would be Jar-Jaring!  ) Joy, Lynn
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Beat Reporter
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Beat Reporter
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Hi dcarson,
Thank you for sharing that link. That song was hysterical and a delightful way to start my morning.
Joy,
Lynn
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Joined: Apr 2007
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Boards Chief Administrator Nobel Peace Prize Winner
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Boards Chief Administrator Nobel Peace Prize Winner
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Someone has been watching Star Wars, methinks. Michael
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Columnist
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Columnist
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As I was getting close to the end of the story, I was kind of shaking my head at how ridiculous and lame it was - all the action's off-camera (as it were), and it wrapped up too easily. I judged too soon. That last line was awesome. I love elaborate pun set-ups. I also wasn't sure how the (hopefully) unexpected ending would be received -- whether the sudden shift in tone would be jarring. I didn't find the shift in tone jarring; for me it really sold the pun. I can't believe that I never made the connection between warehouse and werehouse. It seems so obvious now that you've so very delightfully illustrated the idea.
"It is a remarkable dichotomy. In many ways, Clark is the most human of us all. Then...he shoots fire from the skies, and it is difficult not to think of him as a god. And how fortunate we all are that it does not occur to him." -Batman (in Superman/Batman #3 by Jeph Loeb)
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Pulitzer
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Hello Mrs. Mxy,
Thanks for sticking it out through what I'll agree would have been pretty weak writing had this been a straight-forward story. I'm glad you made it to the end and realized why I made the writing choices I did. I'm also thrilled that the you found payoff to be worth the build-up.
And thanks for the feedback. It put a wonderful end to a very-hectic work week.
Joy,
Lynn
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