⚡Day 13. Baby shoes.
Going as short as possible.
Welcome back for the final week of Flash February!
So far we’ve: searched for inspiration, nudged our anecdotes towards stories, and played with form a little bit. This week, we’re exploring how structural constraints can foster creativity.
Today, we’re going to find power in extreme brevity.
PROMPT #13
Sometimes, as in the 6-word story often (mis)attributed to Hemingway,1 a few words can speak volumes.
For example, in “Seesaw,” Danielle Huggins uses a short series of mostly one-word sentences (except when they’re not) to mimic the up-down feeling of bipolar life. In “Cheap Cuts,” Jodi Sh. Doff limits herself to two brief paragraphs, and in “Bosom Buddies” Deborah Sosin tells an entire story in only 70 words.
How low can you(r word count) go?
You could start fresh today, but this is an especially good revision exercise. Think about what’s at the heart of your story and how you can pare your writing down to the essentials. You might experiment with one-word sentences or limit yourself to a specific number of words (perhaps your age). Think about using verbs that pack a punch. Get rid of small words that take up space without adding anything. How can you pack the most power into the smallest space?
Share: The entire, very very short, story.
Read the full Wikipedia entry for “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.”
Thanks for the shout-out, Short Reads team! Honored to be in such great company! :)
I watched as the white stuff fell, as I sat in my warm, underground bunker, live via satellite TV.