Six-Word Memoir
- Complete the intro packet on paper
- Create your own 6 Word Memoir in Teams
http://www.smithmag.net/
6WM Intro Packet--click to get the packet in Word
Legend has it that author Ernest Hemingway was once challenged to write a story in only six words. He responded with this classic line: “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.”
The success of Hemingway’s story lies in the multiple questions and possible meanings between the lines. For example: Why is the narrator selling the shoes? Is the baby grown? Did she die? Did she simply go barefoot or was she never able to walk? Is the narrator the mother, father, a sibling, the former baby? Is the story about the end of childhood or the end of parenthood?
The success of Hemingway’s story lies in the multiple questions and possible meanings between the lines. For example: Why is the narrator selling the shoes? Is the baby grown? Did she die? Did she simply go barefoot or was she never able to walk? Is the narrator the mother, father, a sibling, the former baby? Is the story about the end of childhood or the end of parenthood?
What's a memoir?
A memoir is an account of one's life and experiences. Rather than presenting an overview of one’s whole life, the memoir focuses on one slim section of one’s life and experiences. The story can be told chronologically, but events do not need to be recounted in the order in which they have occurred.
An autobiography, unlike a memoir, is defined as a written work about someone’s own life, which gives an overview of the author’s entire life. Therefore, autobiographies are meant to cover many aspects of someone’s life.
In memoir, “The writer of a memoir takes us back to a corner of his or her life that was unusually vivid or intense…. By narrowing the lens, the writer achieves a focus that isn’t possible in autobiography; memoir is a window into a life” (William Zinsser). “Memoir involves the whittling away of a whole lot of stuff that you have lived and a focusing on one slim section, full of power, that demands to be told” (Lisa Dale Norton).
An autobiography, unlike a memoir, is defined as a written work about someone’s own life, which gives an overview of the author’s entire life. Therefore, autobiographies are meant to cover many aspects of someone’s life.
In memoir, “The writer of a memoir takes us back to a corner of his or her life that was unusually vivid or intense…. By narrowing the lens, the writer achieves a focus that isn’t possible in autobiography; memoir is a window into a life” (William Zinsser). “Memoir involves the whittling away of a whole lot of stuff that you have lived and a focusing on one slim section, full of power, that demands to be told” (Lisa Dale Norton).
Choose a person in one of the pictures.
- Write words and phrases to describe that person. What are they like? What are they thinking? Feeling? What do they see?
- Write a six-word memoir about the person in the picture you described.
Examples of Six-Word Memoirs
Awkward girl takes chances. Fun ensues.
-- Charlotte Riley
I auditioned. I got the part.
-- Faith Hoffman
Never lived up to my potential.
--Leslie Sterling
Carbohydrates call my name every day.
--Mary Petersdorf
Anything possible—but I was tired.
--Cheryl Family
Girlfriend is pregnant, my husband said.
--Shonna MacDonald
I am awfully bored at work.
-- Chris Ponchak
Learned reading, writing, forgot arithmetic.
--Elizabeth Rose Gruner
A sundress will solve life’s woes.
--Kristen Grimm
I recognize red flags faster now.
--Barbara Burri
Never should have bought that ring.
--Pete Bellows
Stranded by ten-thousand-mile crush.
--Will Cockrell
(Technically, this one bends the rules as hyphenated words count as one word!)
College was fun. Damn student loans.
--Randy Boland
Time heals all wounds? Not quite.
--Jonathan Miles
Taking a lifetime to grow up.
--Mirona Iliescu
Bad brakes discovered at high speed.
--Paul Schultz
Danced in Fields of Infinite Possibilities.
--Deepak Chopra
I am trying, in every regard.
--Lionel Shriver
Happiest when ignoring huge financial debt.
--Ayanna Bryan
I threw away my teddy bear.
--Margot Loren
My baby’s name was Sydney Jane.
--Margot Bertoni
All night phone calls complete me.
--Harry Manning
Tragic childhood can lead to wisdom.
--Kristin Ahlemieir-Olfe
Found true love. Married someone else.
--Bjorn Stromberg
On her birthday, my life began.
--Lisa Parrack
Afraid of becoming like my mother.
--Gail Reilly
I’m enjoying even this downward dance.
--Columm McCann
One tooth. One cavity. Life’s cruel.
--John Bettencourt
Couldn’t cope so I wrote songs.
--Aimee Mann
With three cats, I’m never unloved.
--Cynthia MacDonald
I write because I can’t sleep.
--Ben Mezrich
Mistook streetlight for the moon. Climbed.
--Zack Wentz
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you enjoyed reading these 6WMs, you can visit:
http://www.sixwordmemoir.com
Through the website, you can also submit your own six-word memoirs, which you may even see published on the website!
Awkward girl takes chances. Fun ensues.
-- Charlotte Riley
I auditioned. I got the part.
-- Faith Hoffman
Never lived up to my potential.
--Leslie Sterling
Carbohydrates call my name every day.
--Mary Petersdorf
Anything possible—but I was tired.
--Cheryl Family
Girlfriend is pregnant, my husband said.
--Shonna MacDonald
I am awfully bored at work.
-- Chris Ponchak
Learned reading, writing, forgot arithmetic.
--Elizabeth Rose Gruner
A sundress will solve life’s woes.
--Kristen Grimm
I recognize red flags faster now.
--Barbara Burri
Never should have bought that ring.
--Pete Bellows
Stranded by ten-thousand-mile crush.
--Will Cockrell
(Technically, this one bends the rules as hyphenated words count as one word!)
College was fun. Damn student loans.
--Randy Boland
Time heals all wounds? Not quite.
--Jonathan Miles
Taking a lifetime to grow up.
--Mirona Iliescu
Bad brakes discovered at high speed.
--Paul Schultz
Danced in Fields of Infinite Possibilities.
--Deepak Chopra
I am trying, in every regard.
--Lionel Shriver
Happiest when ignoring huge financial debt.
--Ayanna Bryan
I threw away my teddy bear.
--Margot Loren
My baby’s name was Sydney Jane.
--Margot Bertoni
All night phone calls complete me.
--Harry Manning
Tragic childhood can lead to wisdom.
--Kristin Ahlemieir-Olfe
Found true love. Married someone else.
--Bjorn Stromberg
On her birthday, my life began.
--Lisa Parrack
Afraid of becoming like my mother.
--Gail Reilly
I’m enjoying even this downward dance.
--Columm McCann
One tooth. One cavity. Life’s cruel.
--John Bettencourt
Couldn’t cope so I wrote songs.
--Aimee Mann
With three cats, I’m never unloved.
--Cynthia MacDonald
I write because I can’t sleep.
--Ben Mezrich
Mistook streetlight for the moon. Climbed.
--Zack Wentz
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you enjoyed reading these 6WMs, you can visit:
http://www.sixwordmemoir.com
Through the website, you can also submit your own six-word memoirs, which you may even see published on the website!
Everyone has a story to tell. What's yours?