Learn › Games & Activities › Three-Word Story
Storytelling
🧵 Three-Word Story
Build a complete story around three words that seem to have absolutely nothing to do with each other.
What you need
Three random words, such as: penguin, elevator, apology.
How to play
- Choose three unrelated words.
- Create a story with a beginning, problem, and ending.
- Use all three words naturally.
- Make sure each word matters to the story.
See one in action
Words: penguin, elevator, apology.
“The hotel elevator opened on the 18th floor and a penguin stepped out. Mia stared at it, then at the apology note her brother had slipped under her door that morning. Suddenly, the sentence ‘I may have borrowed something from the aquarium’ made much more sense.”
All three words should matter to the story, not just appear randomly.
“The hotel elevator opened on the 18th floor and a penguin stepped out. Mia stared at it, then at the apology note her brother had slipped under her door that morning. Suddenly, the sentence ‘I may have borrowed something from the aquarium’ made much more sense.”
All three words should matter to the story, not just appear randomly.
10 ideas to try
Choose any one of these prompts and use the activity steps above:
- Penguin + elevator + apology.
- Robot + wedding + sandwich.
- Umbrella + dragon + dentist.
- Banana + airport + secret.
- Suitcase + moon + apology.
- Dog + violin + thunderstorm.
- Pizza + museum + detective.
- Bicycle + crown + midnight.
- Teacher + treasure map + popcorn.
- Snowman + taxi + birthday cake.
Make it harder / funnier
A listener chooses where in the story each word must appear: beginning, middle, or ending.
Why it helps
Practices story structure, transitions, creativity, and making unrelated ideas feel connected.
Ready to use this skill?
Try it in Public Speaking →Take the activity into a full SpeakCoachLab practice session.