1. Six Word Memoirs
What is a memoir?

2. In Brief:
Once asked to write a full story in six words, legend has it that novelist Ernest Hemingway responded: "For Sale: baby shoes, never worn."

3. Origins of the Six Word Memoir
Smith Magazine asked readers to write the story of their own lives in a single sentence. The result is Not Quite What I Was Planning, a collection of six- word memoirs by famous and not-so-famous writers, artists and musicians. Their stories are sometimes sad, often funny — and always interesting.

4. Famous Examples What do these memoirs tell us about their authors?
Dave Eggers--Writer
Aimee Mann—Singer
Stephen Colbert--Comedian
Fifteen years since last professional haircut
Couldn't cope so I wrote songs
Well, I thought it was funny.

5. The collection has plenty of six-word insights from everyday folks as well.
Here’s one found scrawled on a hand dryer in a public bathroom:
And one penned by a 27-year-old who had just been dumped:
Love me or leave me alone.
I still make coffee for two.

6. So, what makes a good six word memoir?
It has to be something that tells a story.
It has to be something that allows the reader to “infer” something about the writer.
Let’s look at some other examples…

7. Still like to play with matches.
What can we infer about this person?
Does it tell a story?
So, does this one work?

8. How can we make them better?
What about these?
I like to eat pepperoni pizza.
I really love my dog.
How can we make them better?

9. Okay, now it’s your turn.
Pre-writing… Write your own six word memoirs on your sheet. (Try for at least three. If you finish early, keep writing more.)

10. Next Step:
Drafting… Pick the best of the three you wrote and write it next to #2 on your handout.
Introduce yourself and then share your best six word memoir with your “shoulder” partner. (That is the person sitting next to you.)

11. Final Step:
On your memoir handout, write down everything you can infer about your partner based on their memoir. (It must be based on the text and you should think of at least three deeper level inferences.)