Exercise: A Story In Six Words

by korg20000bc on August 30, 2008

By Matthew

A local radio station I listen to recently ran a competition for the best six word story.

I thought it might be a good exercise to get our creative juices flowing and who knows, maybe Travis will judge the best and start handing out more prizes.

I hear that he has a huge cache of ill-gotten booty.

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{ 39 comments… read them below or add one }

1 korg20000bcNo Gravatar August 30, 2008 at 2:58 am

Ok.
With the intention of getting things started- here I go.

That thing was there again today.

2 VictoriaNo Gravatar August 30, 2008 at 3:35 am

Wow, those six words strongly remind me of Richard Matheson’s I Am Legend. Marvelous story (much better than the badly adapted hollywood version).

My two knuts;

‘And then finally he slipped away.’

3 PersephoneNo Gravatar August 30, 2008 at 4:21 am

First time leaving a comment here after many months of lurking– here’s my entry:

Fenrir picked his teeth, saying, “Yummy . . .”

Persephone

4 Red RockerNo Gravatar August 30, 2008 at 11:24 am

Wow, Korg, good way to perk up interest.

I really like your Lovecraftian intro. And Victoria’s and Persephone’s codas. Which brings up a question: are the six words supposed to be an intros or codas, or are they supposed to tell the whole story?

5 Red RockerNo Gravatar August 30, 2008 at 11:53 am

I started looking. There’s a lot of six-word stuff out there: stories, memoirs.

Some cool ones I’ve come across:

The baby’s blood type? Human, mostly. – Orson Scott Card

For sale: baby shoes, never worn. – Ernest Hemmingway.

To save humankind he died again. – Ben Bova

He liked vodka more than me. - Lauren Mitchell

And my personal favorite:

Deadline postponed. Five words enough…?
- David Brin

Here’s a link if you want more:

http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/14.11/sixwords.html

6 revgeorgeNo Gravatar August 30, 2008 at 12:01 pm

Okay, I’m going to typecast myself here. But here’s a shot.

Gambon said, “I DON’T take direction!”

Not really a story, but best I can do. This is even harder than writing haiku.

7 korg20000bcNo Gravatar August 30, 2008 at 5:06 pm

Red Rocker,
Some beaut stuff, there. I’d heard a couple of those before. It is amazing how so much can be put into six words.

The six words can be anything you like. I look forward to reading what you come up with.

8 korg20000bcNo Gravatar August 30, 2008 at 6:19 pm

Victoria,
I like that. I’ve never read I am Legend, worth it?

Persephone,
Thanks for taking the plunge and posting. Do you imagine its bits of Bill that Fenrir is picking out?

revgeorge,
… I’m starting to detect a theme here.

9 Red RockerNo Gravatar August 30, 2008 at 6:42 pm

Nodding at O’Toole, Yates shouted: “Action!”

10 Red RockerNo Gravatar August 30, 2008 at 7:00 pm

Dumbledore sighed. Tom’s train had arrived.

11 Amy H. SturgisNo Gravatar August 30, 2008 at 7:02 pm

The Sorting Hat made a mistake.

12 korg20000bcNo Gravatar August 30, 2008 at 7:07 pm

Great stuff.

Tom Riddle’s soul has hairy palms.

13 VictoriaNo Gravatar August 30, 2008 at 7:11 pm

Red Rocker – your number 10 is fabulous ! Praise :D

Korg Thnx. Oh yes, absolutely worth it. I thinks it’s more of a novella, because the audiobook is not that long. Eight or nine hours or so. I would definitely recommend the book to people who like dark, gloomy fiction and can appreciate humor noir.

14 Red RockerNo Gravatar August 30, 2008 at 7:34 pm

Teddy was really his father’s son.

15 Red RockerNo Gravatar August 30, 2008 at 8:15 pm

Albus Severus never mentioned the snakes.

16 Red RockerNo Gravatar August 30, 2008 at 8:20 pm

Rose liked digging in the Forest.

17 Red RockerNo Gravatar August 30, 2008 at 8:25 pm

I’m going to stop now. But before I stop, one last one:

Had Dumbledore said six or seven?

18 Shane DealNo Gravatar August 30, 2008 at 8:36 pm

Our story starts.
End of Story.

19 Randy HoytNo Gravatar August 30, 2008 at 9:05 pm

“The Turtle went into his shell.”

20 ChelseaNo Gravatar August 30, 2008 at 9:29 pm

These are all fantastic! I don’t think I can compete really… but here I go:

Avada Kedavra! And it began again.

21 korg20000bcNo Gravatar August 30, 2008 at 11:37 pm

Red Rocker,
I really like post 15.

Here’s another:
Fleur weighs the cost of murder.

or

All night Draco thinks of torture

22 Travis PrinziNo Gravatar August 30, 2008 at 11:44 pm

Great idea, Matthew!

Morning came. I finally fell asleep.

23 Travis PrinziNo Gravatar August 30, 2008 at 11:45 pm

Let me echo Matthew’s welcome to Persephone! Always so glad to have a new commenter, and a great first contribution!

24 PersephoneNo Gravatar August 31, 2008 at 8:26 am

Thanks for the warm welcome. :)

As for Fenrir, for the canon-inclined, it could be Bill, Remus or Lav-Lav. For those not so inclined, anyone you like!

Fenrir isn’t fussy — he enjoys nomming.

;F

Persephone

25 korg20000bcNo Gravatar August 31, 2008 at 8:54 am

Persephone,
I know the options, I was wondering who YOU imagine.

26 Red RockerNo Gravatar August 31, 2008 at 11:03 am

Hermione passed Fenrir the tofu burger.

27 Red RockerNo Gravatar August 31, 2008 at 11:12 am

Arthur faithfully visited Molly in Azkaban.

28 Red RockerNo Gravatar August 31, 2008 at 11:38 am

SWM seeks SWF – Owl post Rodolphus L.

29 BethNo Gravatar August 31, 2008 at 4:44 pm

“Look! Professor Longbottom’s wearing pink earmuffs!”

30 korg20000bcNo Gravatar August 31, 2008 at 6:31 pm

I experienced what “Dumbledore’s Man” meant.

31 Black AngusNo Gravatar August 31, 2008 at 6:46 pm

The red dawn came too late.

32 korg20000bcNo Gravatar August 31, 2008 at 7:03 pm

I’m pathetic. Even Lovegood teases me…

Hogwarts denies knowledge of abusing teachers.

Black Angus,
That’s one to get me thinking while I work today

33 Red RockerNo Gravatar August 31, 2008 at 10:52 pm

Merope gave birth to identical twins.

34 VictoriaNo Gravatar September 1, 2008 at 2:44 am

Red Rocker – That last one is disturbing !

35 Red RockerNo Gravatar September 2, 2008 at 12:16 pm

Gnil work jyb retfas reayy tnewt.

36 librarylilyNo Gravatar September 3, 2008 at 8:31 pm

Matthew, this is a superb exercise! I couldn’t resist contributing, even though I’m a day or two late. It’s been a blast reading down through everyone else’s.

Red Rocker, that last one is intriguing, and the mirror effect makes me even more curious. And I agree with Victoria: the one about Merope is definitely disturbing :P

Here are my first forays into fan fiction:

For once, Binns had Ron’s attention.

The Snitch bounced off Harry’s forehead.

A little alchemical fun:

“It’s black and white”, said Rubeus.

I like Dudley, so writing this one made me feel a little guilty (depending upon the circumstances in which he might say this):

Dudley’s face reddened alarmingly. “Forget magic.”

“Severus,” said Lily, “what is this?”

37 Red RockerNo Gravatar September 3, 2008 at 9:28 pm

librarylily,

All good. You have to wonder how Binns could possibly capture Ron’s attention, and under what circumstances Dudley could possibly tell anyone to forget magic: I mean, those two things just aren’t in their respective repertoires, are they? But my favorite is the question by Lily. It seems to introduce a scene which fills a gap in their history together: how and why she stopped being his friend.

As for my last offering, it was what I was holding in my hands when I looked in the mirror.

38 Dave the LongwindedNo Gravatar September 4, 2008 at 12:25 pm

Not really HP, but:

“Watch out! That rabbit is dynamite!”

39 Red RockerNo Gravatar September 4, 2008 at 12:39 pm

What’s he do? Nibble your bum?

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