Got a blank notebook staring at you? That empty page can feel like a bully. “Write something good!” it seems to say. But what if you wrote something silly instead? Notebooks don’t all need to be filled with boring stuff like shopping lists and meeting notes.
I have a stack of notebooks that sat empty for years. Then one day, I started filling them with funny stuff. Now my friends beg to look at my notebooks when they visit. My kids think I’m a comedy genius (this might be the only time they think I’m cool).
Let me share some laugh-worthy things you can write in your notebooks too. Your future self will thank you when you flip back through the pages!
Funny Things to Write in a Notebook
Want to make your notebook time more fun? These ideas will turn that boring paper into a laugh factory. No fancy writing skills needed!
1. A Fake Diary of Your Pet
My cat Stanley has strong opinions about everything. In his diary, he plots to take over the house and complains about the “big hairless cats” (that’s us humans) who don’t feed him enough.
Try writing from your pet’s point of view for a few days. What does your dog think about that new mailman? How does your goldfish feel about its bowl? Even if you don’t have a pet, make one up! Your pretend pet iguana might have lots to say.
2. Lists of Made-Up Rules
“Rule #1: All cookies must be taste-tested by me before serving to guests. Rule #2: Monday meetings cannot last longer than a goldfish’s attention span (3 seconds).”
Create a list of silly rules for your home, office, or an imaginary place. Bonus points if you make official-looking checkboxes next to each rule. Share these with family members with a straight face and see if they play along.
3. Fake Product Reviews
“This toothpaste changed my life! Before using Sparkle Bright, my teeth were so yellow that cars would stop thinking I was a traffic light. Five stars!”
Pick random items around your house and write over-the-top reviews as if you’re posting online. The more boring the item, the funnier it is to praise it like it’s the greatest invention ever. Your pencil sharpener might deserve a Nobel Prize!
4. Letters to Historical Figures
“Dear Benjamin Franklin, I tried your kite-in-a-storm trick. Now my hair stands up all the time. Please send tips for fixing this. P.S. Electricity is doing great, thanks for asking!”
Write notes to famous people from history asking for advice or telling them how their inventions turned out. You can ask Shakespeare what he thinks of emoji or tell Alexander Graham Bell about smartphones.
5. Excuses List
“Can’t come to work today because my cat has arranged an intervention for my coffee addiction.”
Start a collection of the most outlandish excuses you can think of. Keep adding to it whenever inspiration strikes. Next time someone asks why you’re late, you’ll have plenty of creative options ready to go!
6. Fictional Conversations with Objects
“Me: Why do you always hide when I need you most? Keys: It’s funny watching you tear apart the house looking for me. Me: That’s mean. Keys: Yeah, but the remote control taught me how to do it.”
Write dialogues between you and everyday objects that cause you grief. Your constantly tangled earphones might have some explaining to do. Your printer probably has a good reason for jamming only when you’re in a rush.
7. Absurd To-Do Lists
“1. Find out who keeps stealing my left socks. 2. Learn to speak whale. 3. Figure out why cats purr. 4. Buy milk.”
Mix completely impossible tasks with normal everyday ones. The contrast makes both funny. Read it with a straight face to family members as if all the items are equally important and doable.
8. Wrong Facts Book
“Fact: Giraffes were originally short until they kept getting stretched by curious humans pulling on their necks.”
Fill pages with “facts” that are completely made up but sound almost believable for a split second. The sillier, the better! Share these at parties and see who falls for them.
9. Movie Plots Gone Wrong
“Titanic: Ship hits iceberg. Jack and Rose find a door big enough for both of them. They live happily ever after. Movie ends after 45 minutes.”
Rewrite famous movie endings in the most anticlimactic or absurd way possible. Fix plot holes with ridiculous solutions. Your version of Star Wars might involve Darth Vader and Luke starting a father-son band instead of fighting.
10. Poorly Explained Jobs
“Computer Programmer: Professional Googler who types magic words that make pictures appear on screens. Sometimes cries when the magic words don’t work.”
Take any job and explain it in the most confused, oversimplified way possible. This works great for your own job—you’ll find yourself laughing at how silly your daily tasks sound when stripped down to basics.
11. Conversations You Wish You’d Had
“What I said: ‘Thank you for your feedback.’ What I wish I’d said: ‘I’m sorry, I can’t hear you over the sound of how awesome I am.'”
We all think of perfect comebacks hours after conversations end. Write down those zingers you wish you’d thought of in the moment. Next time, you might be ready!
12. Secret Codes and Ciphers
“D ehp cvzjoh up qbtt uijt opuf jo nffujoh.” (This is a simple cipher where each letter is replaced with the next letter in the alphabet—it says “I am bored in this meeting.”)
Create your own secret language or code system. Use it to write messages only you can understand. Leave coded notes for family members to puzzle over. You’ll feel like a spy on a top-secret mission!
13. Rename Everything
“Kitchen Items: Food Warmer (microwave), Water Maker (faucet), Cold Food Cave (refrigerator), Burn Circle (stovetop).”
Pick a room in your house and rename every object based on what it actually does. Cars become “Road Zoom Boxes.” Phones are “Pocket Scream Rectangles.” Your way might make more sense!
14. Fake Horoscopes
“Pisces: Today you will find that sock that went missing three months ago. It won’t match anything you own now. The stars suggest buying new socks.”
Write daily horoscopes for each zodiac sign that are highly specific yet completely useless. Predict strange events with oddly precise details. Read them aloud at breakfast like they’re real.
15. Instructions for Simple Tasks
“How to Drink Water: Step 1: Locate water. Step 2: Open mouth. Step 3: Tilt container toward face at 45-degree angle. Step 4: Stop before drowning.”
Write overly complicated, step-by-step instructions for extremely basic activities. The more steps you can break it into, the funnier it gets. Add warnings about ridiculous dangers that could never happen.
16. Complaint Letters to Made-Up Companies
“Dear Sock Separation Inc., I am writing to express my extreme dissatisfaction with your service. Despite careful matching, your sock portal continues to steal one sock from each pair.”
Address passionate complaints to fictional businesses responsible for life’s small annoyances. Demand impossible solutions and compensation for your troubles. Add corporate letterhead for extra laughs.
17. Misheard Song Lyrics
“Original: ‘All the other kids with the pumped up kicks.’ What I heard: ‘All the other kids with the ducks and fish.'”
Keep a running list of song lyrics you’ve misheard. When you learn the real words, write those too. You’ll be surprised how many songs you’ve been singing wrong your whole life!
18. Sketches of People With Funny Captions
“This is Bob. Bob thinks no one notices when he picks his nose in traffic. We all see you, Bob.”
You don’t need to be good at drawing! Stick figures work great. Add thought bubbles or captions that reveal what they’re really thinking. Make fun of universal human behaviors we all do but don’t admit.
19. Fortune Cookie Rewrites
“You will find great fortune… behind your couch, but it’s just a dusty quarter.”
Start with the typical fortune cookie opening but take an unexpected turn. The vaguer the beginning and the more specific the ending, the funnier the contrast. Save real fortune cookies and rewrite them in your notebook.
20. Bad Advice Column
“Dear Smart Friend: How do I get my crush to notice me? Signed, Invisible. Dear Invisible: Have you tried setting yourself on fire? You’ll definitely get noticed. Results may vary.”
Create your own advice column where you give the worst possible suggestions to common problems. The more earnest your terrible advice sounds, the funnier the effect. Add follow-up letters from people who took your advice.
21. Imaginary Email Threads
“From: Boss@work.com Subject: Meeting Tomorrow. Message: Can everyone attend the 8am meeting? Reply-all storm: 47 people saying ‘ok’ separately. Last reply: Can we please stop using reply all!!!”
Write out an email chain that spirals out of control. Start with a simple message and show how it devolves into chaos as more people join the thread. We’ve all been stuck in these conversations!
22. Passive-Aggressive Notes
“To whoever keeps eating my lunch: I hope you enjoyed my special sandwich today. I added extra ‘sauce.’ Let’s talk about your theft problem soon!”
Draft notes you’d love to leave but never would. Address them to annoying neighbors, office lunch thieves, or family members who never replace the toilet paper roll. The key is making them sound sweet while being clear about your fury.
23. Grocery Lists from Famous People
“Dracula’s Shopping List: Blood oranges, Bloody Mary mix, neck pillows, sunscreen (SPF 1000), blackout curtains.”
Imagine what fictional characters or historical figures would buy at the store. What would be on Batman’s shopping list? What would Marie Antoinette buy at Costco? The contrast of extraordinary people doing ordinary things creates instant humor.
24. Overheard Conversations
“Kid at park: ‘Mom, if I eat this bug, will I get superpowers?’ Mom, not looking up from phone: ‘Sure, honey.'”
Keep a log of weird snippets of conversation you hear in public. With no context, many everyday exchanges sound hilarious. Add your own thoughts or commentary for extra laughs.
25. New Words and Definitions
“Textamnesia: The condition of forgetting what you were going to text someone the moment you open the messaging app.”
Make up words for experiences that don’t have names yet. Focus on modern problems or those oddly specific feelings everyone has but can’t describe. Share your best ones with friends and see if they catch on.
26. Random Stats About Your Day
“Tuesday: Tripped over nothing (3 times). Said ‘you too’ when the server said ‘enjoy your meal’ (1 time). Pretended to text when feeling awkward (17 times).”
Keep track of silly statistics about your daily life. Count meaningless things and present them as important data. Bonus points for making simple graphs or charts showing your “progress” over time.
27. Questions for Aliens
“Dear Space Visitors: Why probe humans when you could just ask questions? Also, do you have homework on your planet? If not, can I come live with you?”
Write a list of questions you’d ask aliens if they landed in your backyard. Mix profound philosophical questions with totally trivial ones. This works as a fun thought experiment that reveals what you find most puzzling about human life.
28. Dramatic Retellings of Boring Events
“The Epic Battle of Tuesday Morning: The alarm clock struck with a vengeance. I parried with a mighty snooze button slam, buying myself nine more minutes of precious slumber.”
Take the most ordinary part of your day and write about it as if it’s an action movie or fantasy epic. Use over-the-top language to describe making breakfast or tying your shoes. The contrast makes everyday activities seem heroic.
29. Classroom Notes From Parallel Universe
“History Class Notes: The Great Pizza War of 2002 ended when both sides realized they could just order half-and-half. Peace treaty signed with pepperoni border drawn down the middle.”
Imagine you’re taking notes in a class from an alternate reality where history, science, and math are completely different. What would students learn in that world? This lets you rewrite reality with absurd rules and events.
30. Life Hacks That Make Things Worse
“Tired of losing socks in the laundry? Try stapling pairs together before washing! Bonus: Creates interesting holes for ventilation.”
Create a collection of life “hacks” that actually make tasks more difficult or dangerous. Present them with the enthusiasm and authority of real advice. The less helpful and more complicated, the funnier they become.
Wrapping Up
A notebook filled with funny stuff is like having a comedy show in your pocket. On bad days, flip it open for a quick laugh. On good days, add more silly ideas to make future-you smile.
The best part? There are no rules. Your notebook is a judgment-free zone where your weirdest thoughts can live happily. So grab that pen and let the funny flow. Your boring notebook is about to become your favorite possession!