If you're new here, I just want to say how much I appreciate your dropping by! Oh, and you may want to subscribe to my feed. Thanks, and a tip o' the hat to ya!

Last Updated 2/27/07 at 11:48 am CST (UTC -6) If you’re looking for the winners of the contest, click here.

Gasp! I finally had enough time to compile all the Let’s Be Brief contest entries (sorry about the delay - when you work 40 hours a week, it’s tough to make everything else fit into the remaining 40 hours!) Up to now, visitors to the contest have only been able to view the six-word stories submitted via comments. But don’t worry, that’s all changed now.

Anyway, here’s the list of participants along with all their entries so far. I say that because several of you have been adding more - and I say, Keep ‘em comin’! I’m trying not to say much about each (I mean, after all, I am one of the judges), but I must say, I’m impressed with the range of creativity, expression, and outright imagination being demonstrated. You should all stand up and give yourselves a hand (sound of wild audience cheering and applause)!

I invite you to take a look at the entries and decide for yourselves what the stories are saying. Pick your own favorites and even add your own comments if you like - who knows, you may even influence the judges (we’re not above bribery; cash or high-end electronics are best): John Koetsier, Shawn Callahan, Andy Nulman and yours truly.

So here are listed 446 six-word stories from 73 different people, in no particular order other than those with links are at the beginning (no reason - really!) I’m warning you now, the list is pretty long, and getting longer each day! It will be updated as I have the time, so check back to see if yours is there. (And yes, mine are at the bottom of the list - why not?)

I hope I didn’t accidently leave anybody’s stories or names out, but if don’t see ours, please accept my apologies! Drop me an email and I’ll correct it. (Feel free to do the same if it turns out I can’t count, and the totals above are wrong.)

And now, without further ado:

Director Tom (8)

• Write story. Make millions. Save world.
• Practice! Practice!! Practice!!! Perform. Sign contract.
• Smash! He grinned. Finally. Now what?
• Born a killer. Died a saint.
• In between her smiles, despair danced.
• A thought appeared…then disappeared…then…
• Hey, wait for me! Too late.
• Tom films. Tells story. Grins endlessly.

Lolita Barnsworth (11)

• Book still unfinished. Blogging wins again.
• “You’re incoherent!” they scoffed. “No, look.”
• Though mediocre, she entered them anyway.
• Married in haste. Repenting at leisure.
• Kittens are harmless! (Sophie’s last words.)
• Upon tasting, discovered it was manure.
• “I wasn’t always a woman, Darling.”
• Never was cutting toenails so fatal.
• Their final course was Roger sorbet.
• No bright light – atheists were right!
• Her heart sank. Fish ate it.

indigoGlyph (10)

• Wrote perfect story. World promptly ends.
• He longed to be found out.
• “He slipped”, she said, bustling on.
• During the eclipse, they prayed indoors.
• Hanged man. Locked Door. Wet floor.
• Men learn - women forget - bookshops close.
• She shouted - lied - cried. He packed.
• Under the tree, they discovered Spring.
• “Nice skin”, he said, replacing it.
• Bolting the door, she breathed again.

Isabella Mori (30)

• depressed, manic. manic, depressed. depressed, manic.
• marry you? you gotta be kidding.
• have anxiety, will not travel. help!
• too thin. better eat. that’s hard.
• “can’t think straight.” “relax.” “oh, wow!”
• booze, cocaine and needles? that’s over.
• drank all day. joined AA. recovered.
• felt crazy. psych hospital. crazier yet!
• “i laugh too much!” “thatta problem?”
• mom can’t remember my name. sad.
• ouch! can you help me? sure.
• dentists scared me. shrink helped me.
• wedding cake, kids, debt, divorce, freedom.
• pink elephants, hear voices? me, too.
• found higher power. feel better now.
• morning, day, night: awake. need pills!
• sweet love? made his teeth hurt.
• you smell. itchy itchy scratchy scratchy.
• full moon. late, midnight. happy murmurs.
• she blogged about cats. no hits.
• baby cries. no money. sell body.
• american idol: guy croons. i vomit.
• always wake, work, eat, sleep? escape!
• making better lives, making lives better.
• paints nails, smokes dope, rolls eyes.
• work, work, work, work, work, sleep.
• long legs, full lips – but mean.
• women who run with puppies.
• ball, pumpkin, slipper, wedding. then what?
• he came, he saw, he conquered
• their women work, their men pray.

David Armano (1)

• I awoke to find her gone.

Pete Aldin (5)

• Liked fatty meats, bought the farm.
• December brought closure; January lost it.
• Climbed the fence, grass wasn’t greener.
• Tried to be clever - couldn’t. Left.
• I came, I saw, I blogged.

DP (8)

• Solo doc blogs; not dead yet!
• Doc hides identity, is a blogaholic.
• Diabetes doesn’t stop this talented journalist.
• Doc goes solo, will see success.
• Friday Fellowship–with a covered dish?
• Watch out Vijay, you’ll be next!
• Even attorneys are addicted to medblogs.
• Difficult no more; free at last. Thanks!

Scott Byrd and here (6)

• He said, “I am your father.”
• I can watch but not speak.
• Inked, pierced, cut, hanged. No more.
• Note said: “this is the gun”.
• Ran hard; didn’t quite make it.
• Rebirth: doorstep, addiction, sentence, freedom, education.

Ben Yoskovitz (2)

• I learned. And the world shrank.
• “Marry me Susan.” “Yes.” “Really?” “No.”

Lois Kelly (7)

• Sleeping Beauty. Cinderella. Same charming prince?
• She struggled and then just laughed.
• The answer came from weird questions.
• Keeping lids on passion screwed them.
• Addicted to love, seduced by cotton.
• Housework kept her life uncomfortably tidy.
• Would you look at that? Uneffingbelievable.

Liz Strauss (1)

• Open the door. Lights on. Surprise!

Hartley B. Singer (HART) (10)

• HART’s FAMOUS HASH BROWNS AND EGGS
• When nothing else is around. Enjoy!
• Unless you like HART’s PASTA Recipe
• I’m just playing with your minds!
• Please do not penalize my efforts.
• I should probably get some sleep.
• Dang You Bob! Make ‘Em Yourself!
• Lots of entries! Could be more.
• Pets don’t mind if you fart.
• This is fun .. Can’t you tell?

Ellen Weber (1)

• Three words shrink brains. One expands!

ispf (1)

• Budget; Save; Invest; Retire early, comfortably!

Sam Brougher (15)

• The forest just ate me–almost.
• The box jumped up, kissed her.
• St. Andrew fished his last smile.
• Cigarettes distort truth; or misty lies.
• Running the wave distorted the reality.
• Saving his money got him killed.
• Drowning got him all the girls.
• Boxers like to fight out of pants.
• He kicked the ground. Yesterday arrived.
• Sonic spun south, slamming slippery snakes.
• Flowers. Dinner. Shampagne. Pregnancy. Shotgun. Marriage.
• Then oatmeal ate me for breakfast.
• Hocky stick slaps puck into eye.
• Fight ensues. “You care about asparagus?”
• “Your arm’s off!” “No it’s not!”

Robyn McMaster (1)

• Sirloins, Spuds, Sundaes, Shakes, Oops, S P R E A D!!!!!!!!

Andrew Flusche (5)

• Objection, hearsay! Who said? He did.
• May it please the court? NO!!
• Lawyer driving; hit bumper for lawsuit.
• Ambulance chaser fell, bought running shoes.
• Collect, process, organize, review, do. Breathe.

Troy Worman (8)

• I bought Halliburton stock. Viva Bush!
• Osama killed. Halliburton stock plummets. Oops!
• Jeb Bush elected president. Mexico Annexed.
• Jeb elected president. George W. pardoned.
• Jeb elected president. Halliburton stock skyrockets!
• Mexico City aquifer collapses. Halliburton deployed.
• Watts loses watts. Gangs burn L.A.
• Down in front. Quiet please. Fire!
• Thanks for putting this on, Robert.

Allen Canning (1)

• Heavy breathing. Quiver and shake. Done…

Roger von Oech (1)

• Six-word storytelling? Harder than haikuing!

Miguel dos Santos (8)

• mistaken identity nearly got me killed
• seas of violent terror, protect me
• innocent bystanders, panic ensued, then ended
• sound the alarms, intruders with umbrellas
• havoc ceased, silence reigned, everyone laughed
• until she fell she never rose
• rushing out, rushing in, now relax
• where is my mind, oh there!

Michael DeWitt (1)

• Flash. Bang. Duck. Cover. Happy Birthday!
• One dessert. Two spoons. Three shots.
• The wedding has been cancelled. Again.
• “Who needs legs, anyhow?” She Segue’d.

Andy Nulman (1)

• No, I won’t back down (Again!)

Mike Kaspari (3)

• Great idea, that contest (6 words)
• Tangerines….seemed like a good idea.
• Ants. Ants! Omigod, thousands of ants!

Sherry (7)

• Not always right but never wrong.
• I was wrong, argument is over.
• Blog, Google ads, traffic, make money.
• Water running, phone rings, I forgot.
• News: bullet still in her yet.
• Kissed his bride, whispered in ear.
• Dreamed I’m awake-awoke, was asleep.

Kate Anne (28)

• She justified procrastination with six words.
• Big tomes? Six words. Enough said.
• Choices lead to utter confusion. Breathe.
• Sex in the City — on TV.
• Change yourself. Change the world. Today.
• Read. Giggle. Focus. Type. Create. Share.
• Congress got involved. Troops surged home.
• Profiteering eliminated. Little reason for war.
• Bush admits mistake. Hell freezes over.
• Martians attack. United nations at last.
• Too sleepy to write too deeply
• Dreamed it. Wrote it. Blogged it.
• Sweet dreams of lost love, peace.
• Pondering disaster, she sang peace songs.
• Mother talks. Kids squirm. Enough already.
• Six words travel on subway trains.
• Six words: serendipitous free for all
• Down times fill with six words.
• Positive accentuated, negative eliminated. Sirens? Arrested!
• “Change is good?” Titanic floats, sinks.
• Door closed. Window opened. Maybe not.
• Caring deeply, she said too much.
• Trust. Things work out. Soon, please.
• Things happen. God’s time. Not mine.
• Tears shed. Prayers whispered. Answer awaited.
• Sleep now — all will be well.
• Closed eyes. Dreams beckoned. Daylight awaits.
• Blessings counted, and counted upon. Faith.

Cam Beck (2)

• Sale: Unfired rifle. Only dropped once.
• Estate sale: Parachute. Never been opened.

Nathan Snell (12)

• I’m cold. The new fireplace? Anarchy.
• Keep laughing. I drop-kick puppies.
• Walking alone, I stop. A puddle!
• “… but in the best way possible.”
• Cat like reflexes. I’m no cat.
• Have you seen my pants? Really?
• “Cut the lights.” They did. Laughter.
• Love at first sight? My ideas.
• Not enough time? Only sleep Sundays.
• You poked me in the eye!
• Internet. Cellphone. Laptop. Don’t unplug me.
• I wiggled my fingers. Like pineapples.

Bob Glaza (9)

• Can’t stop writing, too much fun!
• List here for better or worse!
• Blogger comments. Feedback happens. Community Grows.
• Plane slides resulting in passenger panic.
• Winter settles in. Birds fly south.
• First day of school. Mothers cry.
• Powder snow falls. Skiers dream downhill.
• Cat snatches mouse. No more pets.
• Corn pops, previews flash, movie rolls.

Sandra Renshaw (2)

• Eat chips. Fatten up. Diet now.
• His life ended. Her life began.

Cody McKibben (10)

• Tried saving the world. Still struggling…
• Humans came. Emissions rose. Animals left.
• Dude worked in office. …Office won.
• My innovation beats your stagnation. KEEYA!!
• Best friends drifted. Work killed relationship!
• Woman accepted challenge. Eventually she succeeded!
• Robb recorded goals. Then kicked ASSES!
• Cubicle slaves overthrew “system.” Utopia remained…
• Successful Entrepreneur says: “Just DO it!”
• Happy dandelions spread JOY throughout Kingdom.

Candice Broom (6)

• Can not breathe. Inside plastic bag.
• Gone to Grandpa’s. Grandma already dead.
• Dear kids: have a nice life!
• Please. Don’t touch me. It’s contagious
• Where’s OUR baby? Who is THIS?
• Evicted? I don’t even live here.

Rafiq Phillips (17)

• Online Industry Summit, who is who?
• WebPR+ Conference, meet the new fish.
• Have no computer, use your mobile.
• Web Expert CV, Frontpage only skill.
• Between rock and hard place? innovate.
• acronym: Thank You For Your Comment.
• VeloCITI bridging Course, over unknown waters.
• Will blog for bandwidth and coffee.
• TED Global fellowship feedback in February.
• Success in RSS, Who you IM.
• Think you don’t need, think again.
• Difficulties exist to be surmounted, surmounting.
• Do business online, world bank suggests.
• Eat Mango, Fly with Travel Start.
• When you need a tweak, ask.
• 27Dinner logo, half of table mountain.
• Get indexed before, not after launch.

Luc (1)

• Once upon a time… The End.

Hi Kooky (11)

• Slick shoes, icy hill, farewell dignity.
• Chili dinner leads to separate beds.
• Unchecked interpretive dance puts eye out.
• Pigs flew and politician kept promise.
• Mom gives up sleeping, accomplishes much.
• Pluto demoted, inexplicably maintains stony silence.
• “Where’s my finger?” asks the butcher.
• “Where’s my head?” asks the chicken.
• Mama had baby; head popped off.
• Captured tiger hollered; fined fifty dollars.
• Steve swaps puppy for rock guitar.

Denise Aday (1)

• Found in empty nest: lost self.

Arun Rajagopal (8)

• I resigned. Before they fired me.
• Finally I’m in love. With myself.
• I proposed. She promptly disposed me.
• Wine is more precious than water.
• Help! My guardian angel just quit.
• I refuse to conform to conformity.
• Sure, you rock! In your dreams.
• Once married. Forever bitten and shy.

Ellen Janssens (1)

• Will This World Continue In Reality?

Dennis McMullin (3)

• Addicted to blogging. Seeking new job.
• Uncommon valor was a common virtue.
• Go ahead; nobody will ever know.

Chris Edgington (9)

• She dove. He lunged. Lost forever.
• A few more steps; finally, home.
• Shots rang out, then total silence.
• Too late. Already taken. Love lost.
• Pain again, from him. Please stop.
• Moving home today, dreams become reality.
• Baghdad chaos, explosions everywhere. Returning home.
• The dreaded call came, heartbreaking news.
• She waited anxiously; finally he arrived.

Nowcleomind (2)

• Full moon, snapping branch, I whirled.
• shooting star, alien visitors,no dawn

G.P. (1)

• Fish Creek House Making Montana Memories

Lucy (1)

• Neoconservatives’ mistakes. We pay the price.

Karin (8)

• The catchphrase, it tells the story.
• Wood You Like, Natural Wooden Flooring
• Learned something again, just by reading.
• Like thinking, like sharing - enter blog
• One more for the road? Addictive
• Time zones, you’re early, I’m late
• Sunday morning, laying in, newspaper read.
• The sun Bob, is it back?

Daniel Scocco (3)

• He laughed and people cried, gone!
• Harmonica cried. Rain poured. Deep breath.
• Smoking, thinking about his lost passions.

halfnuts (6)

• Disappointed, I discovered my true self.
• One testicle, two children. Cancer lost.
• Robotic hand like dad’s. Jedis triumph.
• Built-in theater, interest-only ARM hides reality.
• Inability to complete thoughts continues to
• All die but Ishmael and whale.

Rahul Prabakar (2)

• Desperation, infidelity, divorce, pain, and death.
• Darkness unfolds, story told, movie over.

Dr. A (1)

• Bad DNA. Drop charges. Leave case.

Yu^2 (6)

• Global Warming. Thanks Bush & Co.
• Everything is one. One is Google.
• Can’t sleep. Too much caffeine.
• Thoughts in six word sentences.
• Oui, c’est moi. Replied Yu^2
• Falls asleep. Dreams in six words.

darrell (1)

• awake! buried! alive! but not alone!

Tedward! (2)

• the longest story here is supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
• Does the internet validify mundane lives?

Jennifer Gee (1)

• Coasting on autopilot. Wasted whole life.

Tammy Allen (4)

• walking on boiled eggs takes talent.
• she sang. he cried. she died.
• birds fly south for comfort food.
• stupid man becomes president for oil.

Michael Wagner (1)

• Don’t let stupid get you killed!

Mike Sansone (3)

• Didn’t pay attention; paid the Price.
• Living rich, wanting what you have.
• See me through my dog’s eyes.

Ryan (7)

• She has a sea inside her.
• Naively, i chronicled her little noises.
• “True… but isn’t all love false?”
• “Yes, it’s a boy… kind of.”
• Perfect: no. Happy: no. Armed? YES.
• Errant though he was, he loved.
• Boy meets girl. Girl eats joy.

Moda de Magno (7)

• He annoyed me, so I left.
• Human Resources professional? I think not.
• What was I thinking? I wasn’t!
• Cat yacks again - not my turn.
• Yes, I really do hate you.
• Why are you making me mad?
• Get Lost! That was an instruction.

mikel (2)

• Diet, moot; split pants, radioactive suit.
• How you say, (pause), deja vu?

Steve Bridger (1)

• The day we should have moved

mitchgroup (1)

• Mom, dad together. Son daughter better.

Roberta Rosenberg (2)

• Key turn. Fumble. Rustle. Open window.
• Click, click. Sigh. Coffee still warm.

Aldana (4)

• Wine: drink in moderation (not always).
• Feeling ugly is not too pretty.
• Some defects are better if yours.
• I rather observe than be observed.

Phillip (3)

• One mystery. One deadman. One shot.
• ‘Ah…’ she sighed ‘I love arsenic’.
• One bungee jump to save her.

Sage (2)

• Apology necklace. Foreign earring. BMW keyed.
• Remembering tiny boots during “I do’s”.

Eric Turkowitz (1)

• Need publicity. Start contest. Six Words?

Sid Schwab (1)

• Wrong cut. Man suffers. I die.

Metapilot (6)

• Earth heaved and mountains were born.
• Water flowed and valleys peeked through.
• Energy coalesced and naively became animate.
• Variation thrives, it struggles, it expands.
• Awareness, instinct develop into identity, values.
• A collective mind boldly parses space.

Jack Vinson (5)

• Kissed; heaven hell, repeat. Kiss; bliss.
• Crossed turnstile sideways, man visits Bangkok.
• Nappies galore, eighteen years, not enough.
• Mortgage, drip, ignore, *creak*, no equity.
• Few good, infinite bad, few prevail.

Kaye Vivian (7)

• 2008 Presidential Election. Hilary wins. And?
• Oh no! Wrong way! New car.
• No warning. Yellow smoke. Burning. Burning!
• A bloody shirt. Mother. A flag.
• Laughing hysterically at Homer, she choked.
• Oats, peas, beans, and barley. Darfur.
• Morphine fog’s lifting. Look! The light.

Tariq Khan (1)

• Governors’ pardon arrives. Two minutes late.

tinasam (1)

• He lied She sighed He died.

Robert Hruzek (11)

• Walked dog. Tripped, fell. Dog gone.
• Blue sky; daydreams drifting like clouds.
• *Ring* Help! He’s– Bang! *Click* Hmmmmmmm
• ‘Way too fast! Hey, look out–
• “I’m hungry,” it said, “come closer.”
• She lived badly, but died well.
• Bam! Pow! Oof! Splat! Thanks, Batman!
• Get back! I think it’s alive!
• You didn’t eat that, did you?
• “No problem,” he transmitted. Then, nothing.
• Green wire, he thought. *Clip* Phew!

Finally, to round things off, here are the ones Mrs. MZM wrote. Alas, she was excluded from the judging part to keep things “kosher”. (Uh, what’s that honey? Ice cream? Cookies? But dear…)

• His joy is far beyond words.
• All aboard! Train with NO stops.
• She paints… tenderly… of his love.
• Dollars; cents; but far from “common”.
• New house plus love… new home.
• Eggs, butter, flour, mixer… ingredients everywhere!
• He laughed at her five words!
• Friends provide proof of my life.
• Cigar in mouth. Volleyball game. Smashed.
• Tears flowing, side hurts, too hilarious!
• Culinary conflict – pizza, with or without?
• Culinary conflict – steak, potatoes? liver, spinach?
• Culinary conflict – cook in? go out?
• Culinary conflict – burned meal, Chick Fil-A
• Is there a reason for this?
• Cooking is fun – eating more fun!
• Hey, it’s really OK… enjoy yourself.
• Not against the law… do nothing.
• Excuse me! Would you repeat that?
• You saw yourself for first time.
• Hearing that noise… she ran out!
• It’s cloudy… I miss my shadow!
• My shadow and me… best buds.
• My shadow reveals the real me.
• Silently my shadow is beside me.
• We cannot escape our own shadows.
• Deal with your shadow… walk uprightly.
• My shadow mocks my every move
• My shadow is with me even now.
• Silently grass grows; loudly grass mowed.
• Oh, man! What did you do?
• A picnic, a skunk; picnic over!
• Rain, snow, sleet; just liquid sunshine.
• He said, “Trust me.” Last words.
• Forget yesterday; live today; anticipate tomorrow.
• Start from here, end over there.
• Thinking twice didn’t work for you!
• I know you tried – stop it!
• Fire, marshmallow on stick – fire out!
• He doesn’t know yet… but soon!
• Without a doubt. Sure! I think…
• Maybe, perhaps, probably, sure… no way!
• How? But why? When? Where? Perhaps.
• I love you more than yesterday.
• Rise and shine; make a difference.
• Colors mixed will create new palette.
• Mucky, humid, damp – another word: Rain
• Are you sure you are right?
• Shake, rattle and roll – an earthquake!
• Wedding bands – endless circle of love.
• Forgiveness; forgetting heals injured scarred relationships.
• Praying, waiting, praying, waiting… thank You!
• Every good boy does fine… sometimes.
• Horses, cattle, oil-rig; every Texan, right?
• Your arm hurt? Now it does!
• Do you remember when you did…?
• Why is your lawyer here now?
• What time does the clock say?
• Birds of a feather fly wetter.
• Darkness became light… one small candle.

And as proof that Mrs. MZM and I were truly made for each other, I give you my personal favorite:

• Stop! Or the chicken gets it!

You know, it would just be absolutely finer than a frogs hair if you would subscribe to my RSS feed!