Problem: Write an article based on this summary: Think about what you want in a potential partner. Take care of yourself before looking for other people. Develop a strong network of friends. Learn to flirt. Sign up for an online dating profile. Give your number out first. Ask someone on a date. Set a specific time and place for the date.

Answer: Everyone has different preferences for romantic partners. You should think beyond physical attributes about what personalities you enjoy, what you need in a partner, and what you want out of dating. That said, there is no need to be super picky -- just give yourself some guidelines. For example, you might ask:  What kind attributes do I look for in my friends (funny, serious, creative, etc.)? Do I want a serious relationship or to casually meet new men/women? What are the "deal-breakers" that I absolutely do not want in a relationship? Many people want to find a partner who will "solve all of their problems," but unfortunately such a knight-in-shining-armor rarely exists in real life. By having self-confidence, taking care of your body with diet and exercise, and looking presentable you signal to people that you are ready to meet a partner and are capable of having a relationship.  Remember that you are not trying to trick someone into liking you. If the feeling is not mutual than that person is not worth your time.   Keep yourself clean and hygienic. This is one of the most obvious reasons someone would turn down a date with you. Having a solid social life not only helps you find people to date, it gives you a chance to go out into social settings without being alone. A strong group of friends will support you when dates go wrong and help you navigate the world of relationships as you start dating.  Building a social network exposes you to many new people and personalities that can help you find dates. Ask your friends if they know anyone who might be interested in a casual date.  Friends can often make the best romantic partners, when done correctly. Flirting is often viewed as a secret art form, but in reality it is pretty easy. Study after study has shown that eye contact and smiling is the single most effective flirting technique around, so be happy and respectful and connections will follow. Flirting is great way to try "pre-dating." Smile, make eye-contact, and have casual conversations to see if you want to see someone more often or start dating. If you think they might be a good match, slowly ramp up your flirting to show your interest by:  Breaking the touch barrier -- touch a shoulder or knee lean in for a hug, or brush something off their clothes. Teasing-- light teasing, like making a joke about their drink choice or taste in a movie, is one of the oldest techniques in the book. If they tease back then you've made a connection. Asking questions. Genuine interest in someone is not only flattering, it lets you find out more about them and if they are a good match for you. These sites and apps, like Match and OkCupid, help you find compatible dates in your area easily and safely, and are a great way to start dating. When things go well, you've made a great new connection. But if you two aren't a match then you will likely never see each other again and you can move on to other dates without feeling awkward. If you are chatting with someone online for more than 1-2 days it is time to pony up and ask them on a date. Make the first move and hand someone your number instead of asking for theirs. This shows that you have confidence and puts the ball in their court. If they are interested they will either call you or give your their number in return. Don't always expect someone to give you their number in return. If they are interested they will get in touch, and this is a great sign that there is chemistry between you two. This is the simplest, but hardest, step to start dating. If you never ask someone out then you will never start dating. Remember, however, that dating is supposed to be casual. So keep it casual! You do not need to profess your love and ask someone to a romantic dinner. Simply ask them if they want to come grab a drink or some food with you and see what happens.  Just because it is "normal" for a guy to ask out a girl doesn't mean it is the only way to do things. No matter who you are, make the first move and ask. Try lines like, "I've loved talking to you, would you want to grab coffee sometime?" Be receptive when people ask you out. It takes a lot of courage to ask someone out. Unless you know fully well that you would never date someone, a casual date won't hurt you. If someone is interested, schedule a time to meet and exchange numbers. Don't wait for them to suggest something, or make your move without having specifics ready. If they say yes, suggest a time or location and figure out when the best time is to meet.  Give them one or two options so that they don't feel like you're forcing anything. For example: "That's great, are you free Saturday or Sunday morning around 11?"


Problem: Write an article based on this summary: Talk to your friends. Know who you are. Examine your behavior.

Answer: Your friends might be able to help you shed some light on your annoying behavior. They can tell you what behavior gets on your nerves and possibly give you some ideas to correct the behavior. Talk to a friend or friends who will tell you their opinion kindly and honestly.  You could ask, “I realize that you guys get annoyed with me when I get really hyper. Have you noticed anything about my annoying behavior? I really want to stop it and am trying to figure it out.” Press your friend for specifics. They might be uncomfortable and not want to make you feel bad, and say something like, “Oh, I don’t know, sometimes you just get annoying.” You could say, “What specifically do I do that gets on your nerves?” Acknowledge to your friend that is an uncomfortable conversation for the both of you. You could say, “I really hate talking about this, and I think you do, too, but I really want to change my behavior, so I’d appreciate your insight.” Keep the conversation light: “I know; I drive myself crazy sometimes!” Don’t try to be someone you’re not. Resist the urge to change who you are just to fit in. You will be unhappy, and you will not be able to cultivate healthy friendships.  If you think you need to change yourself to fit in a group, maybe you should change the group instead.  Make new friends by getting involved in new activities at your school, religious organization, or in your community. Consider spending some time looking at your behavior and understanding why people find you annoying. Figure out what is the underlying reason for the behavior. This might be something you do with an adult you trust or a counselor, or something you do on your own.  For example, do you talk incessantly because you get nervous? Do you mope and drag everyone down because you want to talk to someone about how you really feel? You could try writing in a journal to sort out your behavior and emotions. Journaling helps clarify what you feel and learn more about yourself.


Problem: Write an article based on this summary: Identify your style of humor. Decide what your story is about. Create a conflict and tension. Choose a point of view. Set up funny situations. Create funny characters.

Answer:
When you sit down to write a funny story, you need to be aware of your personal style of humor. If you're trying to write in a style that doesn't fit your strengths as a comedian or storyteller, then your story may not be as strong as it could be. There are many different types/styles of humor. Some of the most popular include:   Observational humor involves pointing out humorous or mundane situations in everyday life, as well as poking fun at others, often in a playful manner.  Anecdotal humor focuses on humorous personal stories, which may be slightly embellished for comedic effect.  Burlesque involves caricature and imitation, often with exaggerated characteristics.  Dark (or gallows) humor involves death and other types of misfortune, often with a comically pessimistic viewpoint.  Dry (or deadpan) humor uses a lack of emotion or expression to deliver funny material.  Farcical (or screwball) humor uses skits or satire involving highly improbable circumstances, often with exaggerated reactions and frantic movements.  High (or highbrow) humor involves cultured or intelligent topics/themes.  Hyperbolic humor uses excess and exaggeration for comedic effect.  Ironic humor involves either a split from normalcy or a situation in which the audience knows more than the characters know.  Satirical humor points out a person's or society's weaknesses and downfalls with comedic effect.  Self-deprecating humor features the comedian or storyteller making fun of themself.  Situational humor employs some elements of farce, screwball, or slapstick comedy to make fun of everyday situations.  Slapstick involves acting out mock violence or bodily harm through physical comedy. Before you can write a funny story, you need to have some idea about the story itself. It's not enough to have jokes or a funny scenario; the story needs to be strong so that it can support the humorous elements.   Brainstorm ideas. If you're stuck, try watching funny movies and reading funny stories for inspiration. Write down strange or funny situations you've experienced in the past. Don't worry about making them funny right now. Just write out what you can remember about the experience and why you found it humorous. Choose a vivid setting that your audience will be able to imagine. They'll be better able to understand the humor if they can imagine the setting. The setting itself doesn't have to be funny (though it can be), but it should make sense for the characters and plot you're creating. Think about what you ultimately want your story to say. What will the overarching point of your story be? Is it a story about overcoming adversity? Is it a commentary on modern society? Ideally, the tension and its resolution in your story should illustrate some aspect of human nature. Once you create your story's conflict, tell your readers the stakes facing your characters if they don't resolve it. Your readers will find the events of your story more interesting if you create conflict and tension that move your plot forward.  Your story's conflict should create tension. Because it's a funny story, that tension may be funny itself, or the circumstances around it (how it builds, or how it is resolved) could be humorous. Most commonly, the way you resolve the tension in a comedic story will provide much of the humor. Additionally, always create some kind of stakes. A good story has some outcome on the line for the characters, which may be funny or tragic (but needs to be realistic). Sketch out the rising action, climax, and falling action. The climax is typically the high point of tension, and the rising and falling actions build up and relieve that tension (respectively). In the Chris Farley movie Tommy Boy, for example, the conflict is the risk that Tommy's evil mother-in-law and her secret husband will sell the business and get away with it. The tension arises from that conflict as the narrative builds to a point where everything must be resolved. Choosing a story's point of view requires you to decide who would tell the story best, and how that information should be delivered. The main options at your disposal are first person, second person, and third person. There is no objectively right or wrong choice, because it all depends on what you think works best for your story.  First person - this is where a story is told using "I," "me," and "mine." It's one character's subjective take on the events of your story, and the narrator is usually either the protagonist (the main character) or a close secondary character telling the protagonist's story. Second person - a story told in second person is told directly to "you" (without any "I," except in dialogue). The reader imagines herself as being part of the plot, with the action written in the following manner: "You follow him down the stairs, and you're surprised at what you see." Third person omniscient - this is where an omniscient (all-seeing and all-knowing) narrator delivers the story, without ever referring to an "I" or addressing the reader as "you." The reader comes to understand the events, thoughts, and motivations each character experiences. Third person limited - while told in a similar narrative style as third person omniscient, third person limited only offers insights into the thoughts/feelings of one character. The narrative follows the protagonist and delivers the world as he/she experiences it. Choose an initial funny setting or incident, then build the rest of your story's plot off of that idea. For example, an inappropriate or unusual setting or event can make great comedy. As another option, use a classic comedic situation, like having a mistaken identity, being in the wrong place at the wrong time, or inserting a character or object into a situation where it doesn't belong. Let's say your story is about a man who is invited out to lunch. He shows up to lunch wearing a t-shirt, shorts, and flip flops, plus he brought his dog. However, the restaurant turns out to be an upscale 5-star eatery with a dress code. Although the situation itself might not seem funny, it's a great source of humor because it flips your expectations. By contrasting the classy restaurant with the man's casual attire, you can set the scene for readers and help them relate to the character's funny situation. Good characters are vital to any story, and funny stories are no different. It may be more difficult to make a character well-written and funny, but it's not impossible. Focus on making the characters funny in their own way, whether it's because of the way they look, the way the talk/behave, or the situations that they find themselves in.  Remember that there are many different kinds of humor. Your characters might be sarcastic, dumb, observant, and so on. The Three Stooges program offers a great example of funny characters. Their style of humor was predominantly slapstick, but much of the humor arises from their personalities, quirks, and reactions to both situations and each other. Let each character's humor arise from his or her personality, and be consistent with that character's traits. Don't worry about crafting the character's entire backstory yet (though you will have to do this once you begin the actual writing process). For now, focus on getting a clear idea in your head about what the characters look like and how they behave.