Six: It's One More Than Five


MeetingBranches, originally uploaded by carolWorldLeader.

Legend has it that Ernest Hemingway was once challenged in a gentleman’s bet to produce a story, “in six words or less.” Inspired by classified advertisements in his newspaper, he rose to the challenge (“For sale: baby shoes, never used”) and the legend of the six word story was born. More recently, SMITH magazine challenged writers to come up with a six word memoir-detailing their entire lives in six words or less. And, so the legend of the six word story (or memoir) continues.

Most people fall into one of two lots: they can either write six word stories (and they can write them, and write them, and write them) or they just simply cannot fathom how you could fit any amount of literature into such a small package. “My life’s bigger than six words!” they cry out, meanwhile the odd-ball, crafty terse folks sit in the back room and churn out more by the minute.

As you can probably guess, I fall into the camp of “writing them and writing them and writing them.” I could live my entire life continually producing six word stories. And, since this is “blog a day or die” month, I thought it fitting to devote at least one post to the fabled “six word story” since, well, since I’ve got nothing else fantastic to yap about today. So, here goes…

Some memoir type six word stories include:
“I’m a photographer; go click this”
“I’m just in search of Doritos”
“Living in my own little world” (what? like that is a surprise? Oh crap, there is another one.)
“My brain: they say it’s safe”
“Drive away mad/forgot French fries”
“My bubble hasn’t quite popped yet”
“Day late, dollar short, perpetually pissed”
“Wisdom through experience has taught me…”
“My mind, circa nineteen seventy three.”
“Always asking questions, never finding answers.”
“Lived until I died, now what?”
“For sale: crazy mind. Rarely used.” (Sorry, that one’s really just plagiarism)
“On the whole, this isn’t Philadelphia.” (Same as above, only different author)
“Insanity: there when you need it.”
“Never quite getting what you want”
“Love is another four letter word.”
“Dead flowers in my garden again?”
“Ace of hearts, queen of denial.”
“Nuts: not just for breakfast anymore.”
“Not another blog/Oh the humanity”
“She yaps, she snaps, she blogs.”
“Been there, seen that, blogged again.”

Some stories inspired by my Tivo:
“Nicolas Cage: Tivo’s all booped up”
“Models that thin should be shot.”
“Screaming cooks: TiVo has them all”
“Nicolas Cage: Hero, villain, TiVo man”
“F***ing Gordon f***ing Ramsay, on again?”
“Good thing you can’t smell it.”
“Too many cooks, not enough kitchen.”
“My Tivo: It just does things”
“I’d laugh but it’s not funny.”
“Tivo: Hijacks TV, makes you cry.”
“Not another flipping cooking show again.”
“I’d cry but you already did.”

It just keeps getting better now:
“Flickr blogger, now I tell all.”
“From where I sit, you’re funny.”
“Lost socks, found lint, not fair”
“Do I look like a wiki?”
“Oh the humanity! I’m helplessly addicted.”
“Just another RSS feed run amok”
“Traveled there, took shots, posting now.”
“Carol: Always needs more Compact Flash”
“Not enough compact flash in the….”
“Not enough compact flash going around”
“My camera, my eyes, my pen.”
“Carol’s Little World: now with pictures”

“Seven? Damn! Can’t quite count again.”

“Somebody please shut it off now.”

Until next time I blog again…

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4 Comments

  1. CraftyGuy
    Author
    November 10, 2007 / 12:30 pm

    Holy crap – she’s at it again!

  2. Carol
    Author
    November 11, 2007 / 2:26 am

    At least my Tivo’s now resting. I’m getting something to eat now. Thanks for your wonderfully supercool comment.

    (What? You wanted me to stop?)

  3. CraftyGuy
    Author
    November 11, 2007 / 3:45 am

    Oy vey! The verbiage continues on!

    Oh alright, I will stop now.

  4. Carol
    Author
    November 12, 2007 / 1:20 am

    No, no, no, you will not. You can’t stop, you’re helplessly addicted. It’s gone and gotten you too. U2, aren’t they like a band?

    Oh good Lord, shut it off!

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