Type: Creativity, Improv
Purpose: Similar to one word story, this is a beginning improv game that helps students create interesting stories by thinking quickly and creatively.
Procedure:
1. Have the players stand in a circle.
2. The goal of the group is to tell a coherent story going around the circle, each player contributing one line at a time.
3. A leader will begin the story with one establishing sentence.
4. Then every line must alternate between “Fortunately…” and “Unfortunately…”.
EXAMPLE:
- LEADER: “Once there was a monkey who wanted to be a movie star.”
- PLAYER 1: “Unfortunately, she lived in the wild far away from civilization.”
- PLAYER 2: “Fortunately, she had a cousin who lived in Los Angeles.”
- PLAYER 3: “Unfortunately, she had no money to buy a plane ticket to Los Angeles.”
- PLAYER 4: “Fortunately, she was a very fast at swinging through trees so she began her journey to California.”
- PLAYER 5: “Unfortunately, her arms go so tired she had to stop and take a nap in a bear cave.”
- PLAYER 6: “Fortunately, the bear was out running errands so she had the whole cave to herself.”
- PLAYER 7: etc.
Have a comment or suggestion? Leave it below!
I have heard of another ‘alternating fortunes’ story. It’s like this. Fortunately it was a clear day for flying. Unfortunately, the man was late to the flying club, fortunately he got a chance in half an hour, unfortunately the plane developed engine trouble, fortunately there was a parachute, unfortunately it did not open, fortunately he managed to spot a huge haystack below him, unfortunately there was a needle in the haystack, fortunately he missed the needle, unfortunately he missed the haystack! You can improvise as you go along….
Leader: There once was a shark who liked dancing
player 2: Unfortunately, there were no dance classes in his coral reef
player 3: Fortunately he had google and could google how to dance
player 4: Unfortunately he had no service
player 5: Fortunately he could by a router
Player 6: Unfortunately it was a Sunday and the store was closed
player 7: Fortunately his friend had service
Player 8: Unfortunately his friend was out of town
player 9: Fortunately he could pick up a new hobby!