Good things famously come in small packages and often the same can be said for literature. We don’t always need to read 700 pages to be captivated by a story (we're looking at you, Donna Tartt). Often, it’s more fun to read something shorter and let our imaginations fill in the gaps.
Enter: the six-word story, an extreme offshoot of flash fiction, which does exactly what it says on the tin. The most famous example is probably: "For sale: baby shoes, never worn," which is often attributed (many believe wrongly) to Ernest Hemingway. See? A sentence containing just a handful of perfectly placed words is enough to hint at a larger story and hook a reader in.
Writing six-word stories isn't easy, though, as you'll know if you've ever spent a stupid amount of time crafting the perfect tweet or Instagram caption (haven't we all?). But this didn't deter Twitter users from giving it a go after the actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt set his followers a six-word story challenge yesterday.
Write a story using only 6 words — https://t.co/jHbHsg8GZg
— Joseph Gordon-Levitt (@hitRECordJoe) May 11, 2017
Here are some of the most powerful and intriguing examples of "Twitterature" that had us crafting whole novels in our heads.
@SerenaAliell @hitRECordJoe I'll confess, I never loved you
— Randy Chevrier (@randychevrier) May 12, 2017
@hitRECordJoe She supposed to be 27 today.
— Kate (@BeifongRunaway) May 11, 2017
@hitRECordJoe Her hello changed his life forever.
— Brett Toward (@BrettToward) May 11, 2017
@hitRECordJoe "Shit Happens".When you don't vote.
— David Anthony (@youngdavid133) May 11, 2017
@hitRECordJoe She hit snooze one more time.
— wafflehouseprincess (@lindseyb615) May 11, 2017
@hitRECordJoe Broken glass, blood pool. Rehab...again. #sixwordchallenge
— Lisa Westerfield (@Midwestocean) May 12, 2017
@hitRECordJoe And then Harry Potter woke up.
— Jake (@MasterJake_16) May 11, 2017
@hitRECordJoe "What she said didn't really matter."
— Matt Jenson (@mattjenson) May 11, 2017
@hitRECordJoe And her sins became his religion.
— Azrael (@azraelwrites) May 12, 2017
@hitRECordJoe The bunker is prepared, Mr. President.
— David Wakerley (@davewakerley) May 12, 2017
Are you up to the challenge?
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
As Medical Marijuana Is Legalised, One Woman Shares Why This Will Change Her Life
I Had To Lie To Get A Divorce – This Is Why The Law Needs To Change