•Wired Very short story challenge, -- your turn.

[alfredo]

Wired asked writers to submit 6 word short stories. The theme was science fiction.
http://blog.wired.com/sixwords/

We'll be brief: Hemingway once wrote a story in just six words ("For sale: baby shoes, never worn.") and is said to have called it his best work. So we asked sci-fi, fantasy, and horror writers from the realms of books, TV, movies, and games to take a shot themselves.

Dozens of our favorite auteurs put their words to paper, and five master graphic designers took them to the drawing board. Sure, Arthur C. Clarke refused to trim his ("God said, 'Cancel Program GENESIS.' The universe ceased to exist."), but the rest are concise masterpieces.

So your task, other than kicking this if you feel it is a worthy thread, is to compose a short story on any theme. The only rule is it has to be six words long.



Here's my first attempt:

Lunar Haiku short, there's no air

Or

The clock has no hands. Timeless.

[redqueen]

1. hmmmmmm

It visited twice. The first, friendly.

[alfredo]

3. Ha!

Not my blood, where's my mother?

[redqueen]

4. Finally, only desert and sea remain.

This is kinda fun. :)

[jobycom]

5. That's pretty good!

:applause:

[GoddessOfGuinness]

45. Oops...wrong spot

[ScreamingMeemie]

2. You broke my heart. I'll survive.

:hi:

[MrCoffee]

6. What's that smell? Time to go.

[alfredo]

9. that's the sequel to

Not my blood, where's my mother?

[MrCoffee]

7. Hey, what does this button do?

[alfredo]

10. Famous last words by the dead.

[jobycom]

8. Eden lost again. God was Nature.

[redqueen]

11. Oooh I love that one.

:hi:

[redqueen]

12. More!

Please. :)

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

13. Joe was born, grew up, died. -nt

[wildhorses]

14. wild horses, grazing in the grass.

for sale: wedding band. tarnished. cheap.


help needed. 4 sets of twins.


please, don't eat the daisies.

[wildhorses]

15. for sale cheap. wedding band. tarnished.

[wildhorses]

16. help needed. 4 sets of twins.

[wildhorses]

17. I came. I saw. I ate.

[wildhorses]

18. Please, don't eat the daisies.

[regularguy]

19. Tell me about it! Actually, don't.

[wildhorses]

20. Bring own weapons. Paid on return.

[wildhorses]

21. Borned peacefully. Lived freely. Died quietly.

[Xithras]

22. Dammit men, I said NO KILLING!

:)


The objective of a six word story is to paint a scene in your head. To instantly evoke a "situation" where the mind fills in the blanks and creates the rest of the story instantly. If your scene can evoke emotion in the viewer, it's a masterpiece.

That's why Hemingway's six word story worked so well. It painted a mental picture, and made you sad at the loss the picture drew.

[alfredo]

23. Exactly.

No job, no food, have gun.

He's dead, first night, sleep alone.

She's sixteen, I'm toast, start car.

[Dukkha]

24. Experiment failed. Subjects executed annihilation from orbit.

or another Arthur C Clarke six word short:

"My God! It's full of stars!"

[alfredo]

43. Very good.

Here's one"

A girl, a gun, a note.

The rocker empty, the gate open.

[NNadir]

25. Carbonaceous comets fell, thus life began.

[Xipe Totec]

26. Smells like bitter almonds

the end

[sarge43]

27. Eve! Don't feed the snake. Oooops. n/t

[cobalt1999]

28. Sex thread. In before the lock.

[Throckmorton]

29. Aliens, ate my brain, I died.

Giggity, Giggity, Giggity, goo.

[otherlander]

30. "Do you suppose they were brothers?"

[ejbrush]

31. Village missing idiot, nation missing point.

[ccinamon]

50. It would make a great bumper sticker as well!! n/t

[ejbrush]

32. Brakes? No, why do you ask?

[WCGreen]

33. Three nights. Three Dates. The Clap....

[alfredo]

34. Is that the voice of experience?

[WCGreen]

35. Clap free for 49 years....

luck and protection...

[alfredo]

42. Good for you.

[Robb]

36. "Hold my beer and watch this."

One of my all-time favorites. :D

[cobalt1999]

39. You win my vote.

[AllegroRondo]

37. Theres no intelligent life here; reboot.

my first attempt. but not bad.

[trackfan]

38. "Let that Antichrist Napoleon try Russia!"

[Cygnusx2112]

40. Hey BillyBob, is this thing loaded?

[otherlander]

41. "What's his name?" "Who, Erin's boyfriend?"

[bridgit]

44. Rune moon luna, soon bloon pop!

[GoddessOfGuinness]

46. Oops. I forgot the oxygen ta-ha-ha-haaaaaank.

[Zavulon]

47. Voted Republican, died, went to hell.

[alfredo]

48. Ha!

[BreweryYardRat]

49. Neo-cons returning from Sirius. Send reinforcements.

[Aristus]

51. "Gentle tears fell for dead boys."

n/t

[acmavm]

52. Came home, went inside. OMG!

[acmavm]

56. Whoops, won't work.

Came home, went inside, OH GOD!!

[Bossy Monkey]

53. Boy and girl meet, separate, reunite. n/t

[Bossy Monkey]

54. Hell, I can do Clarke's for him: God: "Cancel Genesis." No universe Monday.

Maybe living in Sri Lanka for 100 years makes you wordy.:)

[otherlander]

55. Flight cancelled. Listen to the bees.

[Bryan]

57. Some of these are great

I especially liked Charles Stross' "Osama’s time machine: President Gore concerned."