Wordplay: The Moth welcomes funny stories from fun people at Cliff Bell's

Let's have a party with people telling stories, any stories, as long as they are funny. Here's how: sign up to tell a story, volunteer to be on a judging team or just sit back and listen at the Moth's StorySLAM, held this Thursday at Cliff Bell's.

The event will go something like this: at 7:30 p.m. (sharp, add the organizers), the first storyteller will be selected and the show will begin. Each speaker will have five minutes to tell his or her laugh-filled tale. After each story, the judges confer, and give a score. The teller with the highest score becomes our StorySLAM winner. The winner will compete with the year's other winners in the next GrandSLAM Championship.

The Moth is not a venue for readings; it is a serious venue for storytelling. No notes, papers or cheat sheets allowed. Contestants are judged on sticking to the five-minute time frame, sticking to the theme and having a story that sticks, one that has a conflict and a resolution sure helps.

A few rules: No standup routines are allowed. The Moth wants funny people to tell funny stories. Period. Steer clear of meandering endings. Your last line should be clear from your head to ours. The event is Sponsored by WDET public radio.

Cliff Bell's is at 2030 Park Avenue, in downtown Detroit.