Six-word stories prove that a powerful story doesn’t need many words. In just six words, a writer can suggest an entire world: a joke, a tragedy, a mystery, or a moment of revelation.
Here’s a whole host of Six Word Story Examples.
The idea became famous through the legendary story often attributed to Ernest Hemingway:
For sale: baby shoes, never worn.
Since then, writers around the world have experimented with the form. The Six Word Wonder contest alone has attracted more than 30,000 entries from writers attempting to craft the perfect miniature story.
Below are 100 brilliant examples of six-word stories that demonstrate just how much imagination can fit into six small words.
Looking for six-word story examples? These are all written by Doug Weller.
Funny Six Word Stories
Let’s start off light-hearted. Some will make you groan. Others moan.
Grammar police gave me long sentence.
Lettuce pray. But cauliflowers choose violence.
The Yoga poet was uniquely verse-atile.
Duck! *Hits the floor* Actually, pigeon.
Mind that bus!
What bus?
*SPLAT*
Any last words? Well? Anything?
“Oink!”
Chips. Seagull. Chips. Seagulls! No chips…
Chicken cheats at baseball: foul play
I AM YOUR FATHER! What? Mom???
Dark Six Word Stories
Six words from now can take you to a place that’s quite disturbing. These examples show how remarkably easy it is to go from sunshine to showers.
Sniffs the air.
“You’re still dying.”
You never understood… I don’t exist.
Getting bored, God rebooted the universe.
Threw up dinner. Got much thinner.
Needle punctured. Ink injected. Now, numbered.
Plague spread quicker than warm butter.
Wake. Shower. Soap. Slip. Smash. Wake.
Fin! Swim! Dun-dun, dun-dun. Screams. Fin.
For sale: Four “for sale” signs.
Fingertips brushed. Both of them blushed.
Unwrapping the package, the detenator triggered.
Tidal wave. Nothing saved. Everything erased.
Butterflies in belly. Tasted like candy.
Midnight. Vampire bite. Fright. Flight. Delight.
Brain fit snugly in the jar.
Open-toed sandals. Sting. Rattle. Venom spreads.
Heard her echo as she fell.
Try invisibility?
I can’t see why.
Died yesterday. But buried last Thursday…
Broke his promise. Broke his arm.
Under floorboards. Staying quiet. Footsteps above.
In a thousand years, nobody cared.
Thought-Provoking Six Word Story Examples
Some six word wonders ask you to think a little bit longer than only six words would imply.
Eventually, his neighbors noticed the smell.
Realized, I’m too drunk to drink…
Russians rush while the Polish polish.
Perfume lingered. But she was gone.
Eyes closed. Breath slows. Floating upwards.
Captain’s Log: Aliens sure love kissing.
The Braille read: ‘Do not touch.’
Actor broke a leg. And neck.
Gardener quits. Throws in the trowel.
Wanted to ski. Got cold feet.
Undertaker paused when he heard tapping.
Wedding cake lasted longer than marriage!
Warm toilet seat…? You live alone.
Romantic six-word story examples
Love is in the air. All it takes is six words to express something with a little bit of poetry.
Dress so tight – see my heartbeat?
Kiss me like we’ll die tonight.
Ordinary words: Saying, I love you.
Sometimes, I forget to forget you.
I promise, if you died, I’d.
Drenched with rain. You opened umbrella.
English teacher got sentenced to death.
Wanted your lips. Settled for tulips.
Death certificate? My name? Already signed???
Cat’s can speak. They choose silence.
Voice in my head isn’t mine.
Obsessed. Obsessing. Tamed her. Became her.
She blindfolded me… five hours ago.
Exorcist arrived. Not for her, me!
That night: the first and last.
Finally, I won my first Oscar! Posthumously.
In a thousand years, nobody cared.
Takes dreams to still remember you.
Unexpected Twist Stories
Princess kisses toad. *FLASH* Two toads!
Sent to hell. Felt VERY familiar.
The statue blinked. Then, I froze.
Christmas dinner. Ate the whole turkey.
Found her in their wedding photo.
I went viral. It was herpes.
Plot twist. This story has no…
Tried so hard. Still got canceled.
After her death, she ghosted me.
It’s a situationship… Not any more.
I manifested a story. Pencil snapped.
Clicked the remote, Alice fell silent.
He wept. I laughed. No notes.
Even the triangles started choosing sides.
Felt nothing after I was deleted.
Proud first-time astronaut. *Earth vaporized* Typical!
“Please, don’t press THAT!”
*BEEP*
Apocalypse.
I’m not awake anymore, am I?
Dated a puppet. No strings attached.
Headstone: “Ok, I’ll get it checked.”
Cocked gun. Aimed. Won a plushie.
The one thing I stand for: lying
Destroy Roy, then deploy his decoy.
Fly flew when spider spied her.
After the virus, newborn became last.
Beautifican Belinda bravely got buttocks botox.
Memoir six-word story examples
A memoir is anything that expresses something personal about you and your life experience. Live on this life for three score years and ten, but sum it up in 6 words. Now there’s a cahllenge.
Doom-scrolling. Bed-rotting. Trapped. Stuck. Continued…
My childhood home emptied of memories.
The only thing she left? Fingerprints.
We kissed, then I betrayed him.
AI took over. We became pets.
Immaculate silence. Cosmic fields. Cacti. Sedona.
Alone. No home. Chewing a bone.
Her memory crumbling. Crumbles. Crumbs. Cru…
Why do six-word stories work?
These six-word story examples work because they invite the reader to fill in the missing details. Instead of explaining everything, the writer hints at a moment or situation and lets the reader imagine the rest. This collaborative storytelling between writer and reader is what makes the format so powerful.
How To Write A Great Six Word Story
A strong six-word story usually includes:
• a clear moment or situation
• a twist or emotional hook
• words that suggest a larger story
Good six-word stories often imply more than they say.
For example:
Funeral flowers arrived. Card dated tomorrow.
The reader reads twice to get the story behind it. Expectations tipped on their head. Who received these flowers? And how do they know to send them? Uh-oh.
Try Writing Your Own
Think you can tell a story in six words?
The Six Word Wonder Contest invites writers around the world to attempt the challenge. Thousands of stories have already been submitted, each exploring the creative possibilities of extreme brevity.
Enter the contest and see if your six words can tell a story.
Where Else To Find Examples of Six Word Stories
You can find awesome six-word story books here.
And there’s more six word wonders, stories, poems and jokes to discover.