Six Word Fiction

Back when I wrote poetry, I thought that I was writing very short works. My favorite, written on March 11, 1999, is "Slim Whitman."

Brian Eno looked at dad
O and what a dad he had

However, I didn't realize how verbose I was in that poem until today, when I read a post at Dethroner.

Recently, the UK-based site, G[ua]rdian Unlimited...held an interesting challenge based on Ernest Hemmingway’s assertion that his best work was only six words long: “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.”

Guardian Unlimited solicited similar stories, which you can find here. But I found some better stories in the retro mag Wired. Here are a few samples.

Failed SAT. Lost scholarship. Invented rocket.
- William Shatner

Gown removed carelessly. Head, less so.
- Joss Whedon

Automobile warranty expires. So does engine.
- Stan Lee

1940: Young Hitler! Such a cantor!
- Michael Moorcock

Bush told the truth. Hell froze.
- William Gibson

Mind of its own. Damn lawnmower.
- David Brin

Here's one I found on the web (Rebecca Jane):

Widower seeks companion who won't shoot.

And I wrote this one for Dethroner.

“Whoops!” The crochet needle lay still.

sixwordfiction

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