Six Word Story

The story goes that Ernest Hemingway was challenged with a bet to write a story in six words. Not a good bet. Hemingway supposedly wrote, “For sale: baby shoes. Never worn.” Hemingway went on to write six word sequels. But upon closer examination of history, there are serious doubts about where the story really came from. A story in the Spokane Press on May 16, 1910 recounts a story that originally appeared in 1906 about the death of a baby. Hemingway would have been seven years old at the time. The grieving mother wrote an ad selling her child’s clothing. It read, “Baby’s hand made trousseau and baby’s bed for sale. Never been used.” Through twists of history the story was attributed to Hemingway thirty years after his death.

Hemingway was known for his short, declarative sentences. It showed the power of uncluttered writing and how sometimes less is more. Words are the most powerful weapon possessed by humans. It separates us from the rest of the animal kingdom. Words allow us to communicate. They can express every emotion. They can make us happy, sad, angry, soothed, hurt, understand, reflect, even start and end wars. History doesn’t remember the long, flowery, over wrought speeches. The Gettysburg Address was two-hundred-seventy-two words. Patrick Henry was short to the point. “Give me liberty, or give me death!” He was just one word over the six word limit. In the age of social media, we have created the world of “lol”. I think that diminishes the creative use of words. Humans want stories. Even short ones. They want a beginning, middle and end. In today’s world of short attention spans, the six word story fulfills a need.

Seeds planted. Stalks sway. Sweet corn.

Four cousins. Sweet laughter. Memories forever.

Rocket launch. Streaming fire. Space silence.

Skip. Run. Swim. Play. Kids’ Summer.

Kicks up. Ball Sails. Crossbar doink!

Candidates debate. Points scored. Voters decide.

Deer bounds. Tires screech. Heart pounds.

Fire bell. Screaming trucks. Children saved.

Ship sails. Rough seas. Distress call.

Chess board. Strangers meet. New friends.

Dark night. Phone rings. Bad news.

Shots fired. Screams heard. Neighborhood weeps.

Softball diamond. Ponytails flying. Girls competing.

Blank canvas. Colorful strokes. Art revealed.

Loud argument. Strained silence. Understanding words.

All successful writers believe in the value of editing. The more you cut out, the stronger the writing. Thomas Jefferson said, “The most valuable of all talents is that of never using two words when one will do.” Or in six words, “Start writing. Edit mercilessly. Happy ending.”