Monday, April 14, 2008

My Six-word Memoir

I am not the most word-efficient person around. In conversations, I tend to take 10 minutes to say something that really could have been said in one or two sentences. And I re-phrase things all the time. I'm not ashamed of this...it's just a fact. Some might also call it endearing. And by "some," I mean my husband and my mother. And maybe not even them.

Anyway. When I was tagged by Clueless Cat at Twentysomething and Clueless to write my six-word memoir (an idea originating here at SMITH, a site for writers and storytellers), I had a brief moment of panic.

How could I possibly sum up my life in a short essay, let alone a short sentence? How could that accurately portray anything of substance?! Then I realized that's the point of the six-word memoir. There's beauty and poignancy in simplicity, and I don't need lots of words to justify myself and my life. I have the freedom to sum up my journey in six words, and still know that it is more complex than any description (even a 600-page novel) could ever impart.

So without further ado, here's my six-word memoir:

Left the island for big adventure.

If you haven't written your own six-word memoir, then TAG. Write yours in the comments, or on your own blog. If I can do it, so can you!

16 comments:

  1. Yours is awesome! I'm all about that book--I think it's a brilliant idea. You should go to the site and submit yours--they're collecting entries for the sequel. I wrote about my experience creating a six word memoir here: http://halfdesertedstreets.blogspot.com/2008/03/yay-me.html
    but my favorite ended up being "Part time superhero, full time dreamer."

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  2. I went with "She loves to run. Not fast."

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  3. oh larissa i love your memoir!

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  4. You know, I was reading this in my feeds and it was like dang! what a GREAT idea! For once I'm eager to take on an open tag. Thanks!

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  5. Love the memoir! I'll have to try and think of one for myself today...

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  6. I did this yesterday too.

    I love yours.

    I feel like I could come up with a million.

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  7. Dang, this is hard! Great idea, too, and yours is so beautiful.

    I'm at work at the moment, and the best I can come up with is "I should have been a stewardess." No, that is NOT my final answer. I'll have to think on it...

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  8. I love this idea, and yours is great.

    It would be hard for me to not write at least twenty six-word memoirs, which would be considered cheating, I would guess.

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  9. I love your 6 word memoir!

    Ernest Hemingway wrote a story in 6 words that broke my heart.

    "Baby shoes for sale. Never Used."

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  10. Ooo, excellent. Mine was/is: fueled by great passion- and wine

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  11. I love your 6 word memoir. I feel overwhelmed at the idea of it though, like you were.

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  12. I already got tagged for this but, like you, am not very word-efficient AT ALL!

    I love yours though...nice work!

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  13. I love this idea! I love yours. :) I may have to do this soon.

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  14. there are so many! i posted on my blog: "Adult? Nope, just a kid, overwhelmed"

    but i also like: "Carpe Diem: Easier said than done"

    i come up with new ones all the time. i'm gonna keep a log of them!

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