Take a classic story and distill it to six words.

Don’t try to tell it in six right away. You might start with complete sentences, sentence fragments, poetry or bullet points. Once you isolate its core, identify its meaning and message, what is the beginning, middle and end?  With a strategic choice of words these don’t have to be explicit – they can be implied.

Save each draft, making your editing a progression. Cut and paste from the first, from the second, the third and so on.  That way, as you experiment and distill, you can see what you may have lost or gained by adding or eliminating words.

What is a six word ‘Frankenstein’ story?

 photo: Sowls Art, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

or

 photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Little Red Riding Hood in six?