Good things famously come in small packages and often the same can be said for literature. We don’t always need to read 700 pages to be captivated by a story (we're looking at you, Donna Tartt). Often, it’s more fun to read something shorter and let our imaginations fill in the gaps.
Enter: the six-word story, an extreme offshoot of flash fiction, which does exactly what it says on the tin. The most famous example is probably: "For sale: baby shoes, never worn," which is often attributed (many believe wrongly) to Ernest Hemingway. See? A sentence containing just a handful of perfectly placed words is enough to hint at a larger story and hook a reader in.
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT
Writing six-word stories isn't easy, though, as you'll know if you've ever spent a stupid amount of time crafting the perfect tweet or Instagram caption (haven't we all?). But this didn't deter Twitter users from giving it a go after the actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt set his followers a six-word story challenge yesterday.
Write a story using only 6 words — https://t.co/jHbHsg8GZg
— Joseph Gordon-Levitt (@hitRECordJoe) May 11, 2017
Here are some of the most powerful and intriguing examples of "Twitterature" that had us crafting whole novels in our heads.
@SerenaAliell @hitRECordJoe I'll confess, I never loved you
— Randy Chevrier (@randychevrier) May 12, 2017
@hitRECordJoe She supposed to be 27 today.
— Kate (@BeifongRunaway) May 11, 2017
@hitRECordJoe Her hello changed his life forever.
— Brett Toward (@BrettToward) May 11, 2017
@hitRECordJoe "Shit Happens".When you don't vote.
— David Anthony (@youngdavid133) May 11, 2017
@hitRECordJoe She hit snooze one more time.
— wafflehouseprincess (@lindseyb615) May 11, 2017
@hitRECordJoe Broken glass, blood pool. Rehab...again. #sixwordchallenge
— Lisa Westerfield (@Midwestocean) May 12, 2017
@hitRECordJoe And then Harry Potter woke up.
— Jake (@MasterJake_16) May 11, 2017
@hitRECordJoe "What she said didn't really matter."
— Matt Jenson (@mattjenson) May 11, 2017
@hitRECordJoe And her sins became his religion.
— Azrael (@azraelwrites) May 12, 2017
@hitRECordJoe The bunker is prepared, Mr. President.
— David Wakerley (@davewakerley) May 12, 2017
Are you up to the challenge?