How to Write a Six-Word Story: In Six Steps

Let’s talk about a fast and fun way to hone your narrative skills- the six-word story. This practice is perfect for a daily writing exercise that will engage your creative mind. Writers can use the six-word story as a warm-up or a way to prompt flash fiction, short stories, or even longer-form fiction. If you created a six-word story every morning for a year, you would have almost four hundred creative ideas to explore and expand on. So, let’s get started by writing our first six-word story!

What is a Six-Word Story?

A Six-Word Story is a form of flash fiction that tells a complete story in just six words. This concise storytelling method challenges the writer to convey a narrative, evoke emotions, and often provide a twist or surprise within the limited word count. The most famous example attributed to Ernest Hemingway is: “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.”

How to Write a Six-Word Story in Six Steps: 

Here’s a six-step guide to writing a Six Word Story:

1. Choose a Theme or Emotion:
   • Decide on the central theme or emotion you want to convey. This could be anything from love to loss to joy to suspense.
2. Identify Key Elements:
   • Think about the essential elements of your story: character, setting, and conflict. These elements should be implied rather than explicitly stated.
3. Draft a Sentence:
   • Write a sentence that captures the essence of your story. Focus on the core idea and ensure a reader can understand with minimal words.
4. Refine and Edit:
   • Trim unnecessary words and refine your sentence to exactly six words. Each word should add significant meaning to the story.
5. Add Depth and Emotion:
   • Ensure your six words evoke emotion or intrigue. The reader should feel something or be curious about the larger story behind the words.
6. Test and Revise:
   • Share your story with others to see if it resonates with them or sparks their imagination. Based on the feedback, make any necessary revisions.

Here’s an example following these steps:

1. Theme: Loss
2. Key Elements: Baby, unused item
3. Draft: “Selling baby shoes, never worn.”
4. Refine: “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.”
5. Add Depth: The brevity and word choice hint at a tragic backstory.
6. Test and Revise: Ensure it evokes the intended emotion.

Following these steps should help you craft a compelling Six Word Story.

Examples of Six Word Stories: 

Here are some famous examples of Six Word Stories:

1. Ernest Hemingway: “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.”
2. Margaret Atwood: “Longed for him. Got him. Shit.”
3. Frank Miller: “With bloody hands, I say goodbye.”
4. Harlan Ellison: “I’m dead. What’s your excuse?”
5. Alan Moore: “Machine. Unexpectedly, I’d invented a time.”
6. Joss Whedon: “Gown removed carelessly. Head, less so.”

These examples show how much can be conveyed with just six words, often suggesting a deeper story behind the brief statement.

Six Word Stories for Students

Six-word stories are fantastic for students to develop creativity, conciseness, and storytelling abilities. Here are some ideas to inspire young writers:

Six Word Story Prompts:

• Based on a picture: Show students an image and ask them to write a story about it.
• Based on a word: Give students a word to start with, like “dream,” “friendship,” or “fear.”
• Based on a genre: Challenge students to write a six-word story in a specific genre, such as horror, mystery, or comedy.
• Personal experience: Encourage students to share a small moment from their lives in six words.
• Character study: Ask students to create a character and tell their story in six words.

Example Prompts:

• A photo of a sunset: “Golden hues painted the sky’s canvas.”
• The word “loneliness”: “Empty room, echoes of silent thoughts.”
• Horror genre: “Creaking floorboard, blood-curdling scream ahead.”

Six Word Memoirs 

A Six-Word Memoir is a personal narrative that captures a significant aspect of someone’s life or personality in just six words. This form of storytelling, popularized by the storytelling project SMITH Magazine, encourages individuals to distill their experiences, memories, or identities into a brief yet meaningful statement.

Examples of Six Word Memoirs:

1. “Not quite what I was planning.”
2. “Cursed with cancer, blessed with friends.”
3. “Found love in an unexpected place.”
4. “Always learning, growing, never truly arrived.”
5. “Dreamed big, failed often, tried again.”
6. “Traveled the world, found myself home.”

How to Write a Six-Word Memoir:

1. Reflect on Your Life:
   • Think about significant moments, achievements, challenges, or themes in your life.
2. Choose a Focus:
   • Decide on one aspect or experience you want to encapsulate in your memoir.
3. Draft and Condense:
   • Write a longer sentence or paragraph about the chosen aspect, then refine it to six essential words.
4. Use Powerful Words:
   • Select words that carry weight and evoke emotion or imagery.
5. Convey a Story or Insight:
   • Aim to provide insight into your personality, experiences, or life philosophy.
6. Revise for Impact:
   • Edit your memoir to ensure it is impactful and resonates with you or others.

This concise format encourages introspection and creativity, making it a popular exercise in self-expression.

Six Word Horror Stories

A Six-Word Horror Story is a concise story that aims to evoke fear, suspense, or unease in just six words. The format forces the writer to be highly creative and to choose words that can imply a larger, chilling narrative.

Examples of Six Word Horror Stories:

1. “Found dead, phone still ringing.”
2. “The last man on Earth heard.”
3. “She heard her dead child calling.”
4. “Voices from the attic, I’m alone.”
5. “Forgotten child in mirror waves back.”
6. “There’s a stranger in my bed.”

These examples show how much can be suggested in just six words, often leaving much to the reader’s imagination and creating a sense of dread or horror through implication and brevity.

How to Write a Six-Word Horror Story

Writing a Six Word Horror Story involves crafting a concise yet chilling narrative. Here’s a step-by-step guide:

1. Choose a Horror Theme:

• Decide on a central theme or horror element you want to convey, such as ghosts, isolation, monsters, or psychological terror.

1. Identify Key Elements:

• Consider the essential elements that create fear or suspense, such as a creepy setting, a mysterious event, or a sudden revelation.

1. Draft a Sentence:

• Write a sentence that captures the essence of your horror story. Focus on the core idea and ensure your reader can understand with minimal words.

1. Trim and Edit:

• Cut unnecessary words and refine your sentence to exactly six words. Each word should contribute significantly to the story’s impact.

1. Imply a Larger Narrative:

• Ensure your six words hint at a larger, unsettling story or scenario. The reader should sense the horror beyond what is explicitly stated.

1. Test and Revise:

• Share your story with others to see if it evokes the intended fear or suspense. Based on the feedback, make any necessary revisions.

Examples:

1. Theme: Ghosts
   • Key Elements: Unexpected appearance, familiar voice
   • Draft: “I heard grandma’s voice. She’s been dead five years.”
   • Refine: “Heard grandma’s voice. She’s been dead.”
2. Theme: Isolation
   • Key Elements: Solitude, realization
   • Draft: “Alone in the dark, but I feel someone watching.”
   • Refine: “Alone in the dark. Someone’s watching.”
3. Theme: Monsters
   • Key Elements: Creature, surprise
   • Draft: “There’s a monster under bed. It’s not mine.”
   • Refine: “Monster under bed. It’s not mine.”
4. Theme: Psychological Terror
   • Key Elements: Mind games, doubt
   • Draft: “My reflection moves, but I’m standing still.”
   • Refine: “Mirror reflection moves. I’m still.”

Following these steps, you can create a brief yet profoundly unsettling Six-Word Horror Story.

Wrapping Up: 

So, there are three ways to write your six-word horror story. You can use this technique for microfiction, write a brief memoir, or, finally, a spine-tingling tale. This practice is the perfect writing exercise to incorporate into your daily habits!

Continued reading on Six Word Stories: 

The Write Practice- Six Word Stories