Legend has it that Ernest Hemingway considered his best work to be his shortest, a six-word story that went like this:

For sale: baby shoes, never worn.

Last November, Wired lined up a lot of writers to take a crack at the six-word short. In that vein, here are three such devilish, abbreviated tales for the Halloween season.

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“Let’s split up.” Later: “Nooo!” “Nooo!”

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The world ends not with a—.

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“Brains!”
“Brains!”
“Brains!”
BLAM!
BLAM!
Click.

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This entry was posted on Sunday, October 21st, 2007 at 10:58 pm.
Categories: Uncategorized.

16 Comments, Comment or Ping

  1. Teresa

    OK what about this one:

    Rain falls. Girl stumbles. Knife glistens.

    Oct 22nd, 2007

  2. Brian Bird

    No more shall I suffer. Blam!

    Oct 22nd, 2007

  3. Dave Wilson

    If not for you meddling kids…

    Oct 22nd, 2007

  4. Matt Forbeck

    Nice ones! Here’s another.

    Blood-stained coffin. Sold as is.

    Oct 22nd, 2007

  5. RCJ

    The brains-blam-click bit reminds me of Russian Roulette,except that the latter would be
    Click
    Click
    Click
    Click
    Click
    Blam

    Oct 22nd, 2007

  6. Elizabeth Massie

    Love the “Brains” tale! Got an audible laugh and “oh no!” out of me, and that says a whole lot for six words!

    Beth

    Oct 23rd, 2007

  7. Matt Forbeck

    Thanks, Beth!

    Oct 23rd, 2007

  8. Brian Bird

    It hurts.
    I know honey. Shhhhh

    Oct 25th, 2007

  9. Brian Bird

    This poses the question of, whether or not one could do a 6 Panel Comic? Not the daily type strips, but a 6 panel comic like a comic book.

    Oct 25th, 2007

  10. Matt Forbeck

    Creepy, Brian.

    I’m sure a six-panel comic could be done. An anthology of such would be a great exercise. Hmmm.

    Oct 25th, 2007

  11. GFS3

    Great site you have here. I stumbled upon your blog looking up Ernest Hemingway. Thought you might be interested in an insightful interview about Papa from Bill Newmiller, president of the Hemingway Society.

    http://darkpartyreview.blogspot.com/2007/10/5-questions-about-ernest-hemingway.html

    Oct 25th, 2007

  12. Matt Forbeck

    Thanks! I’m a huge Hemingway fan, as you might guess.

    Oct 26th, 2007

  13. Brian Bird

    Sorry bout that one, its more in teh horroe vein than anything else.

    Would be an interesting!!

    Oct 26th, 2007

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