Are These 6-Word Stories Any Good?
Have you heard of 6-word stories? Stories told in a simple sextet of words exist, and they can be powerful, funny and even moving.
They’re a type of flash fiction — a loosely defined category of stories told in very few words. Flash fiction could be 50, 100, 500 or 1,000 words. Or it could be reduced to one of its simplest forms, just 6 words. A number of websites focus on this form, including the one simply titled Six Word Stories.
The work most often cited as the first of this type is usually attributed (probably incorrectly) to Ernest Hemingway:
For sale: Baby shoes. Never worn.
It tells a tale of loss quickly and effectively, doesn’t it? The idea is to write a 6-word story that’s complete as it is. And it’s harder than you might imagine.
But I have to admit that I’ve never spent the time to master these extra-brief stories.
What do you think of the eight (perhaps mediocre) attempts below? Are these 6-word stories any good? You could leave a comment for me on Twitter. I would very much like to know what you think.
Olivia replied. But Jeff left early.
The horsefly sang “Hallelujah!” Raid’s over.
The DJ’s late. Panic at the disco.
Greg pleaded sincerely. She laughed riotously.
Aaron’s life drained. Carl finally relaxed.
I expected rain. I got gushing.
Larry left alone; Bill regretted accusing.
Good or bad, the posts on Gip’s Front Yard are written by Gip Plaster, a professional web content writer. If you need content that will help your site look and feel alive – or any kind of high-quality text at an affordable rate – please email writergip@gmail.com.