On the Media is one of many NPR shows that I really like, but rarely catch. This weekend I managed to catch four segments and they all interested me very much: one on the hype surrounding Hurricane Irene, two on retractions in scientific journals, and one on teens in television shows. Can you guess which one I am going to comment on?
On the way back from the Hudson Children’s Book Festival (which was so awesome!), my husband and I were listening to This American Life. Though I love this show, I don’t often catch it. So it was doubly exciting when one of the guests was Joss Whedon. Singing!
Of course he’s singing about DVD commentaries, but it pretty much summed up my ambivalence about writers being expected to reveal so much online, especially teen authors.
One of the fun trends in the lit world lately is the Six-Word Memoir or Six-Word Story. According to most accounts, this arose from Ernest Hemingway’s claim that any story could be told in six words. His contribution to the genre: “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.” Generally I’m not a fan of Hemingway’s sparse style, but, wow.
Some of my favorite sites to look for these stories are Six Word Stories and Six-Word Memoirs: Life Stories Distilled from NPR (click on the photo gallery for illustrated memoirs).
Inspired, I wrote some six-word memoirs from the perspective of my protagonist, Dara.
My first attempt was a little clumsy: Parents let her go. Me next?
A sillier try: Chose cupcakes for revenge. Plan backfired.
Then I think this one really did it: Lost a family, found a home.
So, fellow writers, what are your six-word stories? I’d love to hear them!