Narrative Magazine, the online journal, has a great literary puzzler this week: write a story in six words, the way Hemingway famously did when he wrote on an Algonquin napkin: "For sale: baby shoes, never worn." (Sad, huh? Makes your throat choke up. I always marvel when writers can bring tears to your eyes in no time flat. Pixar just did it with their movie, "Up." There's a short segment near the start of the film that does not feature a single word and that leaves everyone in tears....)
I use the six-word exercise in the writing classes I teach, because it forces you to distill your thoughts and your story and your point. It's interesting to see how the six words change depending on how you change the frame of your story -- where you start, where you start, what is in the center. I find that artists other than writers like the challenge, too.
I've never written a six word story I adore, but that doesn't stop me from trying. Here's my six-word story for today: "Novel done. Have to do laundry."
I led the six word story exericse in my daughter's AP English class this year. I asked the kids to write about their school year. What defined it, what was the story? My daughter, who is a student-athlete, wrote this: "I work hard and love it." It made me cry.
1 comment:
Funny, you've got me thinking about the various ways to interpret Hemingway's six words. I imagine it thus (thusly?) I was such a big fat baby that I didn't need shoes and preferred to run around barefoot.
So, why does it make you cry?
Mine: http://bkclubcare.wordpress.com/2008/02/21/a-memoir-in-six-words/
But my 'other blog' had this from one year ago:
http://ideajump.wordpress.com/2008/06/25/me-in-six/
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