Six Word Memoirs A How To Guide

As the story goes… Ernest Hemmingway once bet he could write an entire story in just 6 words. Apparently, he wrote this: For Sale: baby shoes, never worn.

Writing a six-word memoir In order to narrow down a life into six words, you need to begin with many.

Start with a List List as many words as you can about yourself— thing you do, things you like, feelings you have. Don’t edit, cross-out, change or re-write anything. Don’t worry about spelling—just write! Write as much as you can in 3 minutes

My List Charlie, husband, dogs, giraffes, baby, girl, scrapbooking, the zoo, Abe Lincoln, shopping, dream house, California, motherhood, traveling, globes, vacations, England, weekend, walking trail, fall, leaves, pumpkins, teacher, pink, camping, tired, adulting, friends, relaxation, pedicure, gym, the farm, planning parties, crafts, date night, difficult, growing up

Now that you have your list… Circle the 2-3 words that stand out for you, the ones that you could say more about

My List Charlie, husband, dogs, giraffes, baby, girl, scrapbooking, the zoo, Abe Lincoln, shopping, dream house, California, motherhood, traveling, globes, vacations, England, weekend, walking trail, fall, leaves, pumpkins, teacher, pink, camping, tired, adulting, friends, relaxation, pedicure, gym, the farm, planning parties, crafts, date night, difficult, growing up,

Free Write Pick one item and free write about it. That means you just start writing about that idea, object, role, or event The only rule is: DON’T STOP WRITING for 2 minutes. Whatever comes to mind is fair game.

My Free Write I love to travel. I love everything about it. Getting ready for a trip, the rush at the airport, arriving in a hotel or bed and breakfast. I have always wanted to travel because my Grandma traveled all over. She would always bring me souvenirs from places she’d been and still entertains me with her vivid memories of far-away places. I always especially wanted to go to England. Since I was a little girl, England fascinated me. I’ve been twice and hope to make it back across the pond at least once more. I have a long list of places I’d like to see, foods I’d love to try, cultures I want to experience. Traveling has been put on hold for a few years but I hope to make it to South America sometime in the next 5 years. I have a bucket list dream of stepping foot on all 7 continents. Yes, even Antarctica! We’ll see if it happens…

Synthesize Now that you have a sense of your topic, synthesize (put it together) into a phrase (six-words) that captures what your topic means to you. My topic: Traveling My idea: I have a life long dream to travel the world, quite literally

Stand on seven continents, a must! My Six-Word Memoir Stand on seven continents, a must! -Mrs. Acosta

Final Project Decorate a card to go along with your six-word memoir. This can be done by creating a collage, illustrating, coloring, or adding photos to your card. Your card must also include your six-word memoir and your first name on the front. Put your first and last name on the BACK of your card. You will be given the opportunity to share your memoirs with the class.