Writing Prompt: Embarassing Holiday Party Moments

By Lorinda Toledo

It was an ugly Christmas Sweater Party. Or at least it was supposed to be.

As it turned out, I was the only one who actually showed up wearing an ugly Christmas sweater.

Everyone else showed up looking like they were ready for the VIP list at a Hollywood club. Even my friend who was hosting the party was looked adorable in a little Christmas-y vest that could definitely not be called be called ugly. At least not on her.

I, on the other hand, had gone to an Echo Park thrift store with my boyfriend, who made sure he picked out the most hideous sweater he could find for me. It couldn’t even be a little flattering. It was three sizes too big and had garish kittens silk-screened on the front. The shade of green cast a sickly glow on my skin. To top it all off, it had a built in white collar. At first, I wasn’t the least bit embarrassed about my ugly Christmas sweater – but when I got to the party, I soon realized I was the only one not in on the joke.

Last Thursday, Writing Pad hosted an amazing holiday party attended by 175 people! We served delicious glogg and enjoyed holiday-themed stories by successful writers Nia Vardalos, Issa Rae, DC Pierson, Ben Loory, Taffy Brodesser-Akner.

This Saturday night, enjoy our last holiday event for 2013, a one-person show showcase where Lauren Weedman‘s (Hung, Looking) talented students perform a sample of their one-person shows. It’s free and includes sangria and is sure to be an excellent show. RSVP before it’s full!

It’s that time of year too. Give a gift from the heart: a Writing Pad gift certificate! And don’t forget to check out our 2014 classes (including new live online classes) and scroll down for a free writing prompt!

Writing Prompt:

For this week’s writing prompt make a list of three embarrassing holiday memories. Pick one. Add a sensory detail to it (the taste of eggnog, the scent of cinnamon, the color of the mistletoe).

My ugly sweater snafu was a true test of holiday spirit. I could have run home and changed or begged my friend for a blouse, but instead, I decided to just laugh about the situation. In the end, I had a fun evening. The best part was, the party got so crazy, it wasn’t long before my embarrassment was overshadowed by other holiday party shenanigans.

What was your most embarrassing holiday moment? Was it something your family or friends did to embarrass you?  Or was it something you did yourself? Maybe you witnessed someone else’s moment of shame, and will never be able to forget it.

Write about an embarrassing holiday moment for 10 minutes, and post your story in the comments of this blog. You could win a free class!