Six Word story

August 1, 2010 Off By Pramathesh Borkotoky

The latest buzz in Fried Eye is the six word story. It all started with when our Contributing Editor Sankhya Samhita came up with the idea that we should start a new section for other kinds of micro-fiction like six word story. The tradition of six word story started through a bet where Ernest Hemingway was asked to write a six word story and he won. Hemingway won the bet. He maintained that it was one of his best creations. William Faulkner famously said that a novelist is a failed short story writer, and a short story writer is a failed poet. Hemingway, with his creation of the six-word story, combined poetry and drama into a short form that has grown in popularity while remaining difficult to achieve. With time many tried this genre. Here are a few:

For sale: Baby shoes. Never worn. —Ernest Hemingway

Longed for him. Got him. Shit. —Margaret Atwood

Well, I thought it was funny. —Stephen Colbert

Revenge is living well, without you. —Joyce Carol Oates

“Release me!”
“No.”
“Please?”
“Never again.” – Eddie

“Procrastinating?” “No. Flash fiction.” “The difference?” – Andy Rogers


Our in-house micro-fiction writer Mani Padma also tried 6 Six Word Stories:

The soldier waved. His last wave.

An angel fell. The pedophile escaped.

They lived happily ever after divorce.

Come”
“Why?”
“Sorry…!”
“Never”
“Then?”
“Goodbye!”

Darren defeated, depressed, deprived, damned, died!

Bathed. Dressed. Prayed. Smiled. Married. Doomed!

We welcome your comments at letters@friedeye.com