Writing
Ten Word Story Challenge
Fiction or nonfiction: take your pick
Lo Everlasting tagged me in her ten word story challenge post, itself inspired by a prompt from Sheri Jacobs.
The idea is to try and tell a whole story in ten words exactly. You could sit down and write several of these while relaxing on the couch at night — or fit them in between tasks during the day…
The prompt reminded me of the six word memoir idea, which I heard of some years ago. There are a bunch of samples on this page from The Kelly Writers House. Can you write a mini version of your life story in just a few words?
My Process
I sat down this afternoon and wrote a few of these. Are they fiction or memoir? All I can say is that we often write what we know.
I thought I’d go ahead and share these in a post before I spent a bunch of time trying to make myself write a mini-story that feels really “good” and finished. I tried to just write down what came to mind, without judging or editing too much.
I also think this is a great prompt to use a warm-up or when you’re journaling and feel stuck. Working with the limit of ten words (or six words or whatever limit you set for yourself) can lead to some ideas you might not find otherwise.
My ten-word stories
Same suburb, same houseplants, same job, new year, new love.
Bookish meets street smarts, and tiny dog meets sturdy cat.
She loved and lost, trying to write it all down.
And a bonus one, inspired by the image below:
We’re waiting patiently for you to come home for dinner.
I’m tagging ten writers I thought might enjoy this short exercise. No pressure to do it! :)
