Six-word novels from 25 influential writers
Ernest Hemingway was once challenged to write a story in six words. The result: “For sale: baby shoes, never used.” Rumor has it that Hemingway regarded it as his greatest work. Stirred by this masterwork, the editors of BlackBook asked 25 of today’s most renowned writers to offer their own original six-word stories. Some offered more than 10 narratives in less than an hour’s time, while others took weeks to labor over each of their six words. In spite of its economy, the collection delivers the same humor, drama, irony, and suspense found in literature’s lengthier tomes.
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“Forgive me!” “What for?” “Never mind.” –John Updike
Eyeballed me, killed him. Slight exaggeration. –Irvine Welsh
Satan—Jehovah—fifteen rounds. A draw. –Norman Mailer
“Welcome to Moeshe Christiansen’s Bar Mitzvah.” –Andrea Seigel
grass, cow, calf, milk, cheese, France –Rick Moody
He remembered something that never happened. –A.M. Homes
Saigon Hotel. Decades later. He weeps. –Robert Olen Butler
—I love you . . . –Love ya back. –Courtney Eldridge
She gave. He took. He forgot. –Tobias Wolff
You are not shit. You are! –Memoir, Jerry Stahl
All her life: half a house. –Jamie O’Neill
Poison; meditation; skiing; ants—nothing worked. –Edward Albee
My nemesis is dead. Now what? –Michael Cunningham
I saw. I conquered. Couldn’t come. –David Lodge
“Cyanide? Bitter almonds.” He knew. How? –Brian Bouldrey
Father died. Mother triumphed. I left. –Mary Gaitskill
“You? Her? No dice, fat boy.” –Pinckney Benedict
Oh, that? It’s nothing. Not contagious. –Augusten Burroughs
Mother’s Day came, doubling Oedipus’ pleasure. –Bruce Benderson
Tossed remorselessly, whiffle balls sure hurt. –J.T. LeRoy
As she fell, her mind wandered. –Rebecca Miller
It’s negative. Say hi to Mom. –Ben Greenman
Horny professor. Failing coed. No tenure. –“A Short History of Academia,” by Sue Grafton
Shiva destroys Earth: “Well, that’s that.” –A.G. Pasquella
Havana’s no place for hockey, coach. –Nicholas Weinstock.
The above appeared in the Utne Reader, July-August 2005, reprinted from the Fall 2004 Arts Issue of BlackBook.
Just enough makeup to escape unscathed.
Anything for the sake of patriotism.
“Chocolate covered jumping beans!”, says Hunter-gatherer.
Droopy cheek skin allure. Fetish realized.
Artsy-fartsy girl lost in binary code.
study marathon leaves flat buttocks remnant.
gone to pick fruit. -love, eve
(not mine!)
Showered infrequently. Contracted airborne disease. Lonely.
Born and bred to kill jackalopes.
“Can’t touch this”, said museum curator.
(Just stumbled on this after looking at the “writing” tag… I remember when this Hemmingway-inspired book came out and thought it was a great idea, but never got to read any of them! Now for my attempt…)
He taps me; I roll over.
He proceeded to cough out offspring.
Thanks for the posts! Keep coming with them!
“You’re barking up the wrong tree.”
Guy gets burned by girls daily.
I can’t believe it’s not butter…
“time machine! I have invented a “
New Zealand. new adventure. crash landing.
i have nothing left to offer
everything i know is a lie
“I can’t stop dancing!”, chuckled Grandpa.
“someday you will,” grandma replied nonchalantly.
All hail the ingest-or of cosmos!
home is where your heart is
There, I commented. You happy now?
Vampire porn!? I am not surprise.
going off on what irving wrote…
home is where your heart is. it’s never more than 90 feet away.
oops, i didn’t get the game. 6 words!
You can do it! Try again!
Oh and irving, you might want to *surprised your comment.
Jesus abjectly died and triumphantly rose.
Sorry, no. Story requires conflict resolution.
“You’re the highlight of my life.”
“Love, as a matter of fact.”
He came; he saw; he melted.
I went and ate 60 mcnuggets. BARF!
Smile through a fistfight.
i came,i saw, i wrote.
under wrong trees, roamed the zombies.
drinks from my father, i mused.
and talking about six, check out this site.
sixsentences.blogspot.com
sixsentences.ning.com
What can you say in six-sentences?
Good tidings,
Boyfulani, Kenya.
Lonely soldiers left cities in ruin.
Sparkly Vampires. Highly Overrated. Hyped $erie$.