"HOW short can a short story get? I've always loved the world's shortest science-fiction story - in nine words, 'Boy meets girl. Boy loses girl. Boy builds girl'.
Poetry can get even briefer. Ogden Nash has a poem called 'Microbes' that goes 'Adam / Had 'em', and the Argentinian writer Borges has a lovely (not too long) short story about a man who travels to find a tribe who have been refining their epic poem for generations. When he eventually hears it, it's been whittled down to the word 'Wonder'.
Between these two, there's a new challenge reported on bookninja in the States - the six-word short story. It's attracted some big names, such as former Star Trek captain William Shatner - 'Failed SAT. Lost scholarship. Invented rocket' - and Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator, Joss Whedon - 'Gown removed carefully. Head, less so'.
The highbrow are in on the game as well: Margaret Atwood offers 'Longed for him. Got him. S**t'."
Link: Scotsman.com Living - Books - Tell me a story... but if it's this long, you've written way too much.
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