Six Word Stories: Tucson Edition

On March tenth and eleventh, I appeared at the Tucson Festival of Books. One of the highlights was presenting to a group of talented up-and-coming writers from local high schools at the C.A.T.S. (Creative Arts Teen Summit) on Friday. During a writing exercise, I introduced students to the Six Word Story exercise, the most famous example of which is:

For sale: baby shoes, never worn.

After my presentation on story structure, I asked students to compose their own six word story. Here’s what they came up with. I’m very proud of their results!

• Ready set hike catch hit wheelchair.
• The wolf was actually a sheep.
• She ran until she couldn’t anymore.
• Another beating heart can stop yours.
• Loved me; where are you now?
• Last person on earth hears ringing.
• Alexia: Student, Bullied, Activist, Teacher, Author.
• Used armour: requires some extra repairs.
• Adventure, slaying monsters, obtaining treasure, kingdom.
• Be careful looking behind the curtain.
• Got married; three years, falling apart.
• Don’t fear death, fear life failure.
• A love story begins the downfall.
• Titanic: The unsinkable ship, thousands killed.
• Last goodbye still in the air.
• A miserable life turning into hope.
• Four year, crash land, ancient evil?
• Crazy girl, dead hamster, hamster funeral.
• No more food in the fridge.
• Bad dream, light, hand already there.
• Writer’s block, Harry Potter, cool books.
• Every day, bright early, great day. –Jimmy Foppe
• Wanting console: buys one; regrets it.
• Once great / now forsaken / forever forgotten.
• The snake hissed, sounded very human.
• He jumped into the dark pit.
• Step back jumpers against tall defenders.
• Stranded man says, “I’ll miss you.”
• Man saves his humanity, saving daughter.
• God makes life / God now rests. – Luis Robles
• A life lost, never fully lived.
• Light and darkness create a balance.
• Fat man, he loses, wife happy. –Nathan Leigh
• The cat runs away from home.
• Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. –Braden Gerrard
• Parent murdered; revenge, cause and effect.
• Travel where the people don’t go.
• Sunken dreams collapsed by teens. Howl.
• Feeling can grow, feels do die.
• Don’t tell, the human, and I.
• Red eye / Dead sky / Gone Goodbye
• Worst birthday; family gone, get revenge.
• An abandoned house there for centuries.
• Winter wind, dare enter? Forever warm.
• Some girl fell off a cliff.
• My love, never given, always wanted.
• Sunlight, guiding my way, but blinding.
• King dies, son takes over legacy.
• It makes tacos wonderfully delicious.
• I am gonna eat some pizza.
• The bright wings get him far.
• The moon created beautiful shadows.
• Stephen Curry made a buzzer beater.