Elegance? Creating worlds with six words.

The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > Creative Convention > Elegance? Creating worlds with six words.

Sentient Data: Aug 31, 2011; My molecule scrambler ray will disintegrate your armor with one blow!

I'm sure we all know the famous Hemingway story, "For sale: baby shoes, never worn". Well, why not do the same? I certainly follow the school of thought that creativity can be encouraged by limitations, so let's go for it.

Keep in mind that this is not another version of the three word thread - we're not trying to build a novel using six words at a time, nor should the stories try to follow a common thread or feel the need to exist in the same universe as each other.

The rules are simple enough:

If you are posting a story, it should be in its own line and bold at the top or bottom of your post.
A story is not required every time you post to this thread, but you're strongly encouraged to post one.
Only one story per post, and try to stick to one story per day at most. The whole point of this exercise is refinement - if you are flooded with ideas, choose only the very best one.
The story must only contain six words - no fewer, no more.
Punctuation is irrelevant - Commas, periods, question marks, interrobangs, it doesn't matter.
Tell a story. As easy as it is to stray, this isn't about sarcastic quips or Confucius impersonations - you should be painting as vivid of a picture as possible in six words.

For a real challenge, you should also try to avoid the topic of death - my friends and I came up with some of these stories earlier, and the ones that always seem to "stick" the most are those that involve recent death or someone who is currently in a life-threatening situation. By no means am I saying that those stories aren't allowed here, I'm just pointing out it can be an extra layer of challenge - death seems to be the "press button to win" of six word stories.

My well's a little dry at the moment since I don't want to plagiarize my own stories, but here's an attempt to kick things off:

Breathless time traveler miscalculated planets' orbits.

_{Yeah, easy mode for now, so sue me}

Sentient Data fucked around with this message at 17:01 on Jun 5, 2013

# ? Jun 5, 2013 04:01

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# ? Apr 24, 2024 20:46

MartingaleJack: Aug 26, 2004; I'll split you open and I don't even like coconuts.

Raccoons do not belong in elevators.

# ? Jun 5, 2013 07:04

aeonicals: Sep 28, 2012

A swamp? For our loving honeymoon?

# ? Jun 5, 2013 12:27

Purple Prince: Aug 20, 2011

Please send $300 for mother's funeral.

edit: I broke the 'no death' rule! Mea culpa.

Purple Prince fucked around with this message at 13:21 on Jun 5, 2013

# ? Jun 5, 2013 13:18

Punting: Sep 9, 2007; I am very witty: nit-witty, dim-witty, and half-witty.

We're so glad you finally arrived.

# ? Jun 5, 2013 13:24

Null Profusion: Dec 30, 2008; by R. Guyovich

My rival slain, now I'm alone.

# ? Jun 5, 2013 15:20

Null Profusion: Dec 30, 2008; by R. Guyovich

Her voice cracked. "They've found us."

# ? Jun 5, 2013 15:24

Null Profusion: Dec 30, 2008; by R. Guyovich

The screams echoed, faded. "It's coming."

# ? Jun 5, 2013 15:29

Null Profusion: Dec 30, 2008; by R. Guyovich

My chainslayer revved gutturally. "Bring it!"

# ? Jun 5, 2013 15:35

Lets Pickle: Jul 9, 2007

World peace unsatisfactory. Press the button.
Hell freezes over, is still unbearable
Spectral narcs bust ghost for possession
penis pinata cringe-inducing to watch
Lazy lotto winner unchanged by money

# ? Jun 5, 2013 16:20

SurreptitiousMuffin: Mar 21, 2010

Sentient Data posted:

[*]Only one story per post. The whole point of this exercise is refinement - if you are flooded with ideas, choose only the very best one.

Christ, it didn't take people long to miss this one, did it? I don't think posting four separate replies with different stories in them counts, either. If you write more than one, choose the best and post that.

Pregnancy ends "Mile in her shoes."

# ? Jun 5, 2013 16:46

Sentient Data: Aug 31, 2011; My molecule scrambler ray will disintegrate your armor with one blow!

SurreptitiousMuffin posted:

Christ, it didn't take people long to miss this one, did it? I don't think posting four separate replies with different stories in them counts, either. If you write more than one, choose the best and post that.

Pregnancy ends "Mile in her shoes."

Well, the tag on the thread does say "Writing", it says nothing about needing to read...

Another day, another round. Still relatively easy mode for now:

Innocence, tearfully sold to afford food

# ? Jun 5, 2013 17:00

IAmKale: Jun 7, 2007; やらないか; Fun Shoe

What a fun exercise! Here's mine:

Please pick up after your shark.

# ? Jun 5, 2013 17:43

Purple Prince: Aug 20, 2011

Hemingway owes library fines exceeding �1m.

# ? Jun 5, 2013 18:24

Stabbey_the_Clown: Sep 21, 2002; Are... are you quite sure you really want to say that?; Taco Defender

Penalty for overdue "Forbidden Library" book.

# ? Jun 5, 2013 18:34

MartingaleJack: Aug 26, 2004; I'll split you open and I don't even like coconuts.

These suck, y'all. Please try harder.

# ? Jun 5, 2013 18:36

Sitting Here: Dec 31, 2007

I got drunk and posted.

Fumblemouse continues reading posts.

Click here to read on

Click here to go back to the beginning

Sitting Here fucked around with this message at 01:12 on May 6, 2014

# ? Jun 5, 2013 18:50

Purple Prince: Aug 20, 2011

BananaNutkins posted:

These suck, y'all. Please try harder.

Pots shouldn't cast aspersions on kettles.

# ? Jun 5, 2013 18:51

deptstoremook: Jan 12, 2004; my mom got scared and said "you're moving with your Aunt and Uncle in Bel-Air!"

Coronae, whetherwithered flora fauna, then blake

# ? Jun 5, 2013 18:58

SurreptitiousMuffin: Mar 21, 2010

BananaNutkins posted:

These suck, y'all. Please try harder.

"Cleavage, milk white"

^ you wrote this.

# ? Jun 5, 2013 18:58

MartingaleJack: Aug 26, 2004; I'll split you open and I don't even like coconuts.

^
Evelyn's breasts were my greatest accomplishment.

# ? Jun 5, 2013 19:22

Illegibly Eligible: Jul 21, 2009

Hemingway these goons certainly are not.

# ? Jun 5, 2013 19:39

Djeser: Mar 22, 2013; it's crow time again

"Your survival, captain," to fleshy slug.

# ? Jun 5, 2013 19:39

ScaryJen: Jan 27, 2008; Keepin' it classy.; College Slice

"The power's gone out. I'm trapped."

# ? Jun 5, 2013 21:12

Nemesis Of Moles: Jul 25, 2007

"And of course, the moon left."

# ? Jun 5, 2013 21:16

Tonsured: Jan 14, 2005; I came across mention of a Gnostic codex called The Unreal God and the Aspects of His Nonexistent Universe, an idea which reduced me to helpless laughter. What kind of person would write about something that he knows doesn't exist, and how can something that doesn't exist have aspects?

Please, Someone Stop the Duck Rape

# ? Jun 5, 2013 21:34

Sentient Data: Aug 31, 2011; My molecule scrambler ray will disintegrate your armor with one blow!

I've been a fan of more abstract stories like

Nemesis Of Moles posted:

"And of course, the moon left."

But this one sure as hell paints a vivid picture - kudos

Tonsured posted:

Please, Someone Stop the Duck Rape

# ? Jun 5, 2013 22:02

Tonsured: Jan 14, 2005; I came across mention of a Gnostic codex called The Unreal God and the Aspects of His Nonexistent Universe, an idea which reduced me to helpless laughter. What kind of person would write about something that he knows doesn't exist, and how can something that doesn't exist have aspects?

Preserving Your Son's Falsetto with Shears

# ? Jun 5, 2013 22:11

us vs also us: Jul 8, 2007; Hello! I hope you are having a nice day!

"...And?"
"And what?"
"Oh."
"What?"
"Sorry."

# ? Jun 5, 2013 23:14

Sentient Data: Aug 31, 2011; My molecule scrambler ray will disintegrate your armor with one blow!

The leper's optimism wasn't as contagious.

# ? Jun 5, 2013 23:52

Sitting Here: Dec 31, 2007

"Where's your pet spider?"
"Dunno."
"Ouch!"

Lol Fumblemouse is a hack who couldn't write his way out of a bag

fight me u babby kiwi bitch

Click here to go back to the beginning

Sitting Here fucked around with this message at 01:12 on May 6, 2014

# ? Jun 6, 2013 00:20

Kaishai: Nov 3, 2010; Scoffing at modernity.

Two hands; two rings; one kiss.

# ? Jun 6, 2013 01:00

Pick: Jul 19, 2009; Nap Ghost

Bitters? No thanks, I'm dying young.

# ? Jun 6, 2013 01:06

DarkUltim8Hedgehog: Dec 5, 2012

One silencing breath... All is lost.

# ? Jun 6, 2013 01:14

MartingaleJack: Aug 26, 2004; I'll split you open and I don't even like coconuts.

Sentient Data posted:

The leper's optimism wasn't as contagious.

This is a good one.

# ? Jun 6, 2013 04:14

Nemesis Of Moles: Jul 25, 2007

She grabbed the eggs, and ran.

# ? Jun 6, 2013 15:39

Djeser: Mar 22, 2013; it's crow time again

The roast beef left two messages.

# ? Jun 6, 2013 18:04

MartingaleJack: Aug 26, 2004; I'll split you open and I don't even like coconuts.

I'm not a fan of the ones that sound like regurgitated Yoda, but I think this might be a good exercise for generating attention grabbing first lines if the prose is kept natural.

# ? Jun 6, 2013 18:21

ScaryJen: Jan 27, 2008; Keepin' it classy.; College Slice

Your cat stole my cigarettes again.

# ? Jun 6, 2013 18:37

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# ? Apr 24, 2024 20:46

LP97S: Apr 25, 2008

There's no gas or smokes there

# ? Jun 7, 2013 01:09

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