The Six-Word Memoir A memoir is like an auto-biography; however, it generally focuses on one period of a person’s life. "For sale: Baby shoes, never worn” – Ernest Hemmingway Six-Word Memoirs share the same characteristics as any narrative. The difference is that the reader must fill-in- the-blanks or infer some elements of the plot. Like in poetry word choice is of the utmost importance. Each word is specifically chosen for effect.

Let’s Read a Few… We kissed. She melted. Mop please! Failed SAT. Lost scholarship. Invented rocket. T.H.C., L.S.D., D.U.I., C.P.R., D.O.A., R.I.P. I’m beside myself, cloning machine works I leave. Dog panics. Furniture shopping.

Practice in Pairs 1.Get groups from Ms. Dombrow. 2.Find the illustration of a Six-Word Memoir that corresponds with your group number. 3.Come up with your explanation of the story beyond the six words. 4.Share with the class.

Six-Word Narrative You are going to write a Six-Word Memoir about a specific period or aspect of yourself. Remember, the best writers start by writing what they know. In order to narrow down a story into six words, a writer needs to begin with many words and ideas. Follow these instructions to complete a six-word narrative.

Step 1: Pre-Writing Start with a list List as many words, topics, memories, or personality traits as you can about yourself or about a story you’d like to tell– activities you do, items, belongings, places you like, and feelings you have. Don’t edit, cross out, change, or rewrite words. Don’t worry about spelling – just write. You are going for quantity, so write as much as you can in about five minutes. You should fill at least one full page.

Example list: Teacher, family, Chihuahuas, laughter, delicious meals, long nights, early mornings, shiny metals, old books, antiques, sweaters, daughter, sister, being in love, holding little hands, warm fireplace, conversations, fights, never-ending, inside jokes, tea, big hugs, loud music, constant music, dancing, new cities, bright lights, beautiful people, heartache, distance, reality TV, bad horror movies.

Now, circle the two or three words that stand out for you, the ones that you could say more about. Step 2: Pick three words

Example list: Teacher, family, Chihuahuas, laughter, delicious meals, long nights, early mornings, shiny metals, old books, antiques, sweaters, daughter, sister, being in love, holding little hands, warm fireplace, conversations, fights, never-ending, inside jokes, tea, big hugs, loud music, constant music, dancing, new cities, bright lights, beautiful people, heartache, distance, reality TV, bad horror movies.

Pick one item and freewrite about the thought. That means you just start writing about that idea, object, role, or event. The only rule is don’t stop writing for at least minutes. Whatever comes to mind is fair game. Delicious Meals Step 3 : Free Write

Freewrite example… Some of the best moments of my life have occurred around a table, with friends and family, enjoying a delicious meal. The food is very important. I love to try new cuisines and interesting dishes. I love bonding over the pure enjoyment that food can bring. Beyond that, some of the best conversations, worst fights, hardest laughter, and strongest tears have all occurred around a dinner table. It reminds me of times spent sipping coffee with family after a holiday meal reminiscing about all of the stupid things my brothers and I have done as children.

It reminds me of times out for Birthday Dinners with friends where we laughed so loudly and for such a long time that we were kindly asked to “keep it down.” It reminds me of new restaurants downtown and getting lost in my boyfriend’s stories until I feel like we are the only two people in the restaurant. It reminds me of late nights in college recapping our days, talking about how we are going to change the world, and eating Easy Mac. Delicious meals don’t only please the palate, but they please the soul. They ease your mind, and, above all else, they bring people closer. Freewrite continued …

As a result of the freewrite, you have a sense of your topic. Synthesize, combine the individual elements into an understandable whole, your writing into a phrase that captures the essence of what your topic means to you. My topic was “delicious meals.” This idea captured the love and laughter that can occur while enjoying a meal. Step 4 : Synthesizing/Drafting

Living and loving around the table I am starting to see that the commonality here is that I am at my most intimate with someone during a conversation. I truly love to get to know people on every level: good, bad, and ugly. Meal time is just the catalyst to spark that conversation. Step 7: Six-Word Memoir It’s all out on the table Step 5: Draft… Step 6: Revise…

Now create a final six-word memoir by using these steps: 1.Create a list – fill the page. 2.Pick 2-3 items that inspire you to say more. 3.From those items you circled, select one. 4.Freewrite about your idea for several minutes/a full page or two. 5.Develop a 6-word phrase that captures a sense of your writing. 6.Self-Edit: Make at least one type of change-- word choice, varying sentences, or punctuation. 7.2nd Draft: Conference with another student 8.Create your 6-Word Memoir final draft -Write 6-word Memoir -Use correct grammar and punctuations - Decorate using symbols, pictures, and colors that relate to your memoir.