Ernest Hemingway was once challenged to tell a story in only six words. His response: “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.”
I’m sniffling already, and it’s only a six-word story!
Since then, similar challenges have been thrown out in magazines, books, and blogs: can you tell your life story in six words?
Well, can you?
Here’s a few I’ve come up with:
Well, that’s not my life story, but sometimes it’s what I scream to myself in the morning.
LIFE’S HARD, LOVE SOFTENS IT UP
Life IS hard, I think we all agree. But can you imagine how much harder it would be without your loved ones? Your friends, your spouse or significant other, your children or nieces/nephews? Since I’ve been old enough to wonder about the meaning of life, about why we’re even here, I’ve figured out that it’s all about the love.
I’M STILL 30, KIDS CATCHING UP
That’s how I feel – like I’m 30 years old and having a heck of a time each day making it through my job, my joys, my fears, my … but wait. My son tells me he’s 30? How’d he catch up to me like that?
I love the title of a book that published six-word memoirs by “Writers Famous and Obscure” (2008) called Not Quite What I Was Planning.
I imagine that’s how most of us feel by the time we’ve reached a certain age. Are you nodding your head? Did you plan to be where you are, who you are, years ago? Doubtful!
Oh, here’s another one I just thought of:
BORN. EDUCATED. MARRIED. FAMILY. NOW FUN!
Spoken like the empty nester that I am. Yes, Virginia, there is life after 50 (um, and even later!)
My turn now to challenge YOU. I dare you to send me (in the comment section) your six-word story or memoir.
Come on, you can do it!
Daughter. Friend. Wife. Mother. Gramma. Me?
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I know exactly what you mean!!!
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Type. Type. Type. Type. Finish. Repeat.
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You are a writer, for sure!
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Keep making the best of things.
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And pray that ‘things’ are good. :+)
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WOW – am I ever thankful for my life! Marcia
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Am I ever thankful for YOU.
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I have 2 sentences that only work when they are together.
Take a minute for your self.
Give a lifetime to other people.
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A wonderful philosophy for good living!
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It was a dark, stormy night.
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Perfect way to start a story. :+)
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Unexpected writer, loves being a grandma!
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And good at both, I bet!
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Life changes, roller coaster ~ up/down….
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Hopefully, more UP than down times. :+0
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Hi,
I loved the little stories you came up with, well done. 😀
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I love how we share them!
(THANK YOU!!)
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Life is a journey, enjoy it!
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The miles go by so fast.
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My kids are catching up too! How does that happen, lol?
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They age faster than we do!! :+)
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I like that concept, lol.
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And thanks for stopping by my blog yesterday 🙂
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The pleasure part of MY passion.
(plagerized from YOU..)
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LOL. You would have gotten away with plagerizing me. I already forgot I said that 🙂
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every new moment, wisdom, understanding, love
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Beautiful words from a wise woman…
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Let’s just keep things very simple!
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To quote Thoreau: “Simplify, simplify, simplify.”
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Hi!
Your blog post and challenge is one of the better writing ones I’ve read. And this is my 1st visit. I came because of a tweet on Twitter.
Here I go:
Too many bends in my road
Monique
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That is a new classic! “TOO MANY BENDS IN MY ROAD.” Thank you, wonderful job. Glad you stopped on by.
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I adjusted my blog name, which is a reflection of my life story:
http://www.BendsInTheRoad.com
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Perfect – I subscribed.
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You won’t believe this, but today at “Old Home Day” there was a booth that posted peoples feelings about the day “in six words”! Here I go…Wishing every day was July 4th
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Enjoy each day as a celebration!
What a wonderful town that celebrates “Old Home Day,” a true celebration of the 4th.
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The fun never ends. More, please!
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When you smile, the world smiles. :+)
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Do titles count? Aw heck.
Pride goeth
Slick fashion runway. Ten inch platforms.
Joy
Buttery puppy belly and milk breath.
Grandma
You’re talking. Lemme hold the baby!
Murder 101
Empty pill ring, Empty glass. Thud.
In imitation of a master
For sale: wedding dress. Got divorce. 🙂
I think that’s all I can think of for the moment! Great challenge.
Here’s a whole site of them: http://www.sixwordstories.net/
Hope you have fun!
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Your titles lead to fascinating stories.
Thanks for joining in the challenge so creatively!
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confused, okay with it, I’m 41
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Sorry Pam,, that was me Shannon, not sure why it showed up as anonymous
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Confusion doesn’t get better at 60! :+)
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Southern lawyer, mother, dreamer, wannabe writer.
(Whew. That is hard!)
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Not wannabe – all that and more!
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Education. Career. Success. Retire. Peace. Joy!
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Congrats. Congrats. Congrats. Congrats. Congrats. Congrats! :+)
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In case you missed my first ‘six-word’ reply here’s another:
Too Much Work, Now Play Time!
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I stink at short and sweet.
Very tongue-in-cheek of me 🙂
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You write these six words well!
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Difficult challenge… Take a look at this: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18768430
In the meantime, my fortune-cookie sized memoir: Don’t know how now, but I will soon.
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Great npr link. And wonderful bite-sized memoir. Makes me think of where I am now, which is: Know how, just don’t know when!
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Not enough time for friends….SMILE!!
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Thank goodness for friends who smile!
Loved that you played along with the 6-word story.
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Can I come up with six words? Yes. But mine sounds more like a list that a story:
Flush toilet, be thankful, start party.
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Wonderful words to live by happily! :+)
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Release the pain – write it out!
🙂
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Yes, writing is the best therapy!
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I always thought the song ‘No milk today’ told a great story in three words. But that was not mine My stories start – Gone for a walk, back soon. Once it finished ‘hung up my boots twisted ankle’.
Good game, it was fun writing.
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Ohhh, I think I’ll ‘borrow’ yours – ‘gone for a walk, back soon.’ Yes, that one is perfect for me too. Thanks for playing!
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You are welcome. 🙂
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Dad wanted a boy …
Only four words – summing up a deep sense of rejection, which led me to subtly sabotage my creative talents for decades. However, it also made me study subjects Joseph Campbell encapsulated in these words: ‘A myth is a public dream, a dream is a private myth.’ My novels deal with such themes.
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Here is my 6 word life-story:
‘Looking for Home, finding my Heart’
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Exactly where the heart should be!
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I wake. I eat. I write. I sleep.
Shoot! That’s eight words!
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But I hear you, Just try:
My life: wake. eat. write. sleep.
Perfect! Happy writing life to you.
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Yay! Look at you go! I try to be all noun-verby
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:+)
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god gives peace, love and wisdom
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Halleluiah, and amen to that.
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God provides. Connection matters. Family’s sacred.
[Okay, so I cheated a bit with “Family’s” :-).
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That’s not cheating. That’s the truth!
Beautiful six-word-story job. Thanks.
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What fun to read your 6 word stories and to read your followers’ stories as well! I know when I was asked to write mine, I had a lot of fun trying to find ways of making it fit within the word limit (parameters often help creativity in a funny way, right?).
So wonderful to have discovered your blog!
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Right back at you! I’m now following your blog and your Twitter account (and loved that blog post you recommended on the awesomeness of blogging – FUN!).
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So happy we’ve connected 🙂
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How about this one:
Peace – look for it inside you!
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Absolutely!!
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