Fifty-Five Word Stories, and Six Word Memoirs

A memoir is a story based on a personal memory.  55 Word Stories are told in just 55 words as writers carefully choose what to cut, and figure out what must be included to tell their story in a concise way.

A six-word memoir is an impossible exercise trying to tell a story in only six words.  That means you must choose your words precisely so your memoir has as much meaning as you can squeeze into those few words.  It must be six words that hint at a much larger, more intricate story (i.e. Hemingway’s “For Sale: baby shoes, never worn”).  Those six words point at a very interesting story. 

1) Students wrote out a two page memoir of an event in their life that was important in shaping who they are.

2) They then wrote a one-hundred word draft of their story.

3) After studying many fifty-five word stories, students reworked their memoir into just fifty-five carefully chosen words over several revisions.

4) They then reworked that story into a few six word memoirs, each attempting to capture as much of the story's complexity as possible in only six words. After choosing one memoir to focus on they revised, revised, and revised, attempting to use the most specific words possible to get as much meaning into those six words as possible.

5) After revisions and final drafts were polished students presented their memoirs to their peers. They then took questions and accepted constructive criticism, then posted their final drafts to the classroom blog: http://andreeinstitute.blogspot.com/

Parties, Vacations, Bliss

by O. Lanagan

"It's a dog party!" Little me sat on the couch, reading Go Dog Go! without looking at the book.
    "Great job!" my parents said.
    * * *
    "The sound of a motor drowned out my screams."
    Thirteen year-old me finished the book I started yesterday. Reading's a mini-vacation, exciting and relaxing. The chracter's experiences become part of me.

    Go Dog Go! 365 vacations, bliss.

Phelps: My Mentor

by L. Machado

“Step up! Take your mark! GO!”
    Splash! Chlorine rushed through me like adrenaline. Even though Phelps didn’t break the records till I was twelve, I started at six. I’d looked up to him before all that. He inspired me to work hard to succeed. My new life began: multitudinous hours of practice and heart-filled dedication.

Famous Natator motivated young Phelps Phanatics!

Unbalancing Act

by K. Sethares

At five, I got my first bike. Cousin Sheila taught my sister Jill and me to ride. Dad eventually took off the training wheels. Sheila would patiently hold up the bikes while we rode around the yard. I thought it was the best activity ever because it was the first thing I really practiced at.

 Unbalanced, Sheila teaches

balancing act: biking.

Parachuter

by M. Geldmacher

    People were jumping out of planes. I decided to try. I ascended the tree, jumped, hit the ground, and started screaming. Mom looking nervous called 911. Came home limp and on crutches from Toby Hospital. I learned not to be impulsive, and not to do anything thinking it’s easy. It also brought my family closer.

    Jumps. Falls.

Lands on cold crutches.

The Orlando April Vacation

by K. Beauregard

“Budump!” The car hit my leg. Diesel filled my nose as it stopped, backed up I saw the accessories: spinners, shiny orange paint, lambo doors, and a booming stereo being turned down. The windows rolled down, four Jamaicans jamming. Came up with some odd excuses. Now I always pay attention when out in the street.

 Car. Impact. Jamaicans jamming. Consequences paid.

Death Lies

by K.Medeiros

“Nakida fell asleep under the maple tree and never woke up,” Mom said. I was five and didn’t know what death was so I felt guilty because she fell asleep under my tree. I’ll always have memories of those who passed, we have to move on and remember the impact they had on our lives.

Under the maple tree, death lies.

One drop of paint goes a long way.

by S. Ribeiro

Smack! A hand hits my face. Dripping with paint, my hand raises. Justin gets a mask of paint. A riot erupts. There's only two left. Aunt Nancy watches as we paint the exterior of the house. For once "Quiet Sarah" came out of her shell. Quiet Sarah's gone. It's like the paint never washed away.

Saved by paint party.

Goodbye introvert.

The Stomping of a Lifetime

by K. Buler

"Ouch!, The horse stepped on my foot!" It started when my mom signed up to be a horse instructor. This has a relationship to me because I was the one who got hurt. Today I still hate horses... That problem is never going to be solved.

Affliction, enmity,

and the dumb horse.

Gymnastics = Life

by H. Talty

Energetic three- year old turned to gymnastics. The “Little Gym” closed, so I started at a new one. Competition season came in level four, I joined. Nervous excitement and new responsibility followed. After five years, I switched again. Longer practices, better coaches, new friends. In competition, I took gold. This Fall, new challenge: level eight.

Baby tumbling turns

into lifetime sport.

Choosing My Future

by M. Downey

Stang/ORR. Make a choice. Both good schools. Deciscion will reflect on my future. Brothers went to stang, didn't love it. Owen transferred. Stang: cousins, friends. ORR: more friends, brother. Many people didn't like stang: teachers, religion, but many did like ORR: teachers, well-organized schedule. This will have an impact on life. Choose carefully.