Ther is a legend that Ernest Hemingway, once wrote a whole story in six words. This sparked an idea where online magazine Smith decided to run a six-word memoir contest. Entries poured in by the thousands, some from established writers like Joyce Carol Oates, and others from writers who had never been published. It resulted in the Not Quite What I Was Planning Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous & Obscure which I reviewed.
As I read, some made me cry. Others made me laugh. Some left me confused.
In an article by Mem Fox about writing a picture book, she said, ‘The fewer words the better.’ Each word must be exactly right.
Many of the six-word memoirs concerned the big issues: death, jobs, love, family, marriage etc.
If you’ve only got 6 words to describe your life what would they be? Here’s one. ‘Cursed with cancer. Blessed with friends,’ is from 9 year old Hannah Davis. One I liked was this, ‘I couldn’t protect me from myself,’ Patrick Eleey.
What would your 6 word summary of your life be? Here’s mine ‘Life = dreams and desires fulfilled.’ This was the basis of a talk I gave recently at a ladies breakfast. Now maybe those dreams and desires were not fulfilled the way I initially expected and maybe they wouldn’t equal success and amount to more than ‘a hill of beans’ in the world’s eyes but I can see how they have all been fulfilled. I also see how Mick has always encouraged and supported me in them. Encouragement and support are both important aspects of marriage.
Typically, marriage and family relationships come in for their share in the memoirs, though they are not always positive. Here are two that present a contrast:
‘Found true love, married someone else,’ Bjorn Stromberg.
‘Sweet wife, good sons, I’m rich’- Roger Waggener.
If you had 6 words to describe your marriage what would they be? I had 6 and have deleted them, because I’m still thinking about mine to make sure I get the right 6 words. At the moment it stands at 7 and I can’t find a way to cut a word. So maybe we might have to make it 7 for marriage.I’d love to hear yours, for life or marriage in 6 0r 7 words.
Please vist these related blogs
What Works on the Court and in Marriage
Double Standards and Forgivness