Putting six words to paper could be a challenging life lesson.
Photo by Denise Jans on Unsplash
Do you have a story to tell? Have you ever considered writing your memoir?
Every day another celebrity writes an autobiography, or so it seems. As a result, the bookstores are teeming with them.
Conversely, there are only a smattering of stories we “common folk” have written. And many of us have led fascinating lives and have had extraordinary experiences. Others have had tragic, painful, or shocking events that colored their lives. Yet, these stories are typically unpublished.
One of my favorite creative and inspiring books is Art and Soul, Reloaded by Pam Grout. It is filled with exercises to jumpstart our creative juices and, at times, to be courageous despite our uncomfortableness.
One of the more captivating assignments she gives is to write our memoir in six words, no more, no less. This idea originated with the book Not Quite What I Was Planning, Six-word Memoirs By Famous and Obscure Writers, written by Larry Smith and Rachel Fershleiser.
There is a legend that Ernest Hemingway got into a fierce debate while sitting in a bar in the Florida Keys to write a novel in six words. So he scribbled this six-word book onto a napkin, delivering brilliance and depth:
“For sale: baby shoes, never worn.”
A Jumping-Off Point
Using Hemingway’s example, the online storytelling magazine Smith asked readers to submit their six-word memoirs rather than novels, demonstrating an unusual and engaging way to write one’s story. Smith’s and Fershleiser’s book came into being as a result of the submissions. The book took on a life of its own after various publications began holding reader contests and publishing the results. A few examples from the book are:
Author Dave Eggers: Fifteen years since last professional haircut.
Comedian Stephen Colbert: Well, I thought it was funny.
Author Joyce Carol Oates: Revenge is living well, without you.
Chef and restauranteur Mario Batali: Brought it to a boil, often.
Author and speaker Elizabeth Gilbert: Me see world! Me write stories!
And two post-Covid titles from un-famous people:
Welcome back, California. But stay vigilant.
Covid pounds not responding to vaccine.
Two touching titles from anonymous folks:
Found true love, married someone else.
After Harvard had baby with crackhead.
These narratives may invoke many emotions, reactions, and opinions in us. They capture a story in a few words: regret, bittersweet love, pride, vengeance, humor, and caution.
I have given a bit of thought to mine, and I’ve decided on:
Still curious after all these years.
I love learning, creating, and digging deep into conversations with people. The world is an endlessly fascinating place, so much yet to discover.
Not only is your story worth telling, but it can be told in words so painstakingly eloquent that it becomes a song. — Gloria Naylor, American novelist.
Photo by NeONBRAND on Unsplash
It’s fun yet not as easy as it sounds to compose a six-word memoir. We have to whittle our lives down to the very core.
Give it some thought. What would your memoir reveal?
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