Exercise Your Imagination with a Caption Game

“A picture is worth a thousand words.”

Do you remember saying that or hearing that? I think it used to be true. Pictures back when didn’t lie. If somebody took a picture of you, you might not like how you looked but you had to admit it was how you had looked at that instant of the shutter clicking.

Now, things can be different with photo-shopping. With a little digital help, you can change how things look. But it’s still fun to think about that picture worth a thousand words. The phrase came into use in the United States way back in the early 1900’s. Some say it was started by Frederick R. Barnard who was pushing for graphics in advertising instead of simply print in 1921 when he wrote “One look is worth a thousand words” in Printer’s Ink. AT the time, he claimed his source was an unnamed famous Japanese philosopher. In 1927, Printer’s Ink published another form of the phrase, this time saying it was a Chinese proverb. “One picture is worth ten thousand words.”

Later, these origins were debunked, but somehow the phrase did make it into our language as a common saying whether we know who may have coined the phrase or not.  But however you say it,  I’ve heard the phrase often over the years . The thought was always that you might be able to trick people with words but not a picture. How things change! But whether pictures can be depended on to show the truth and nothing but the truth these days, they are still fun to take and share.

A New Caption Game Giveaway

It can also be fun to think up special captions for fun pictures. I’ve been promising a new giveaway game and finally here we go. We’ve done the caption game in the past but it’s been a while. So first up is this picture of a very patient horse and a group of curious kids. Free your imagination and leave a descriptive caption. Maybe you can try one about what the kids are thinking or saying or even what the horse is thinking. Feel free to go crazy with words, but do remember it all has to be family friendly.

We’ll play the game for a couple of weeks. Each time I post a new photo for your imaginative caption, you can leave a comment with your suggestion for a caption to throw your name in my drawing hat for the giveaway. Each new caption suggestion gets you a new entry. Deadline for entries will be midnight EST March 24, 2020 and I’ll plan to name two winners on March 25th.  You must be at least 18 to enter. The prize will be books as usual. Two winner, picked by random drawing, will get their choice of one of my published books and a grab bag book. (I’ll give the winners a choice of some books of other authors.) Nothing special is required to enter other than that comment with your idea for a caption for the pictures.

If you don’t feel very imaginative, you can just leave a comment saying you’d like to win a book. But come on and play. Having to think up some unique captions will be sure to keep that brain of yours thinking young. Thanks, as always,  for reading.

So what caption would you suggest for the above picture?