May I have the Envelope Please?

I know you are all out there waiting with bated breath (go ahead – I double-dog dare you to look it up), so I’m proud to announce: it’s time! (cue the fireworks) Ladies and gentlemen, the moment you’ve all been waiting for has finally arrived! Yessir, it’s time to announce the judges choices for The Best of the Let’s Be Brief contest!

First the obligatory thanks to the participants and their entries, all of which are listed here for posterior posterity. You guys did a stupendous job, and I thank you all for your tireless efforts in making this contest the overwhelming success it really was. Thanks a bazillion, and a wave of the blue flipper to you!!

Just so you know, each judge labored independently of the others to determine the ones that somehow stood out above the rest. Our judges, Shawn Callahan, John Koetsier, Andy Nulman and Yours Truly would like to express our thanks and admiration for the both the quantity (435 total, include mine and Mrs. MZM’s which were excluded from judging) and the quality (which ranged from weird to fantastic) of your stories. Amazing! Extraordinary! Mama Mia! Magnifique!

So without further ado (that noise you make when you sneeze with a stopped up nose), here’s our picks.

John Koetsier:

From indigoGlyph:
She shouted – lied – cried. He packed.

From Ben Yoskovitz:
“Marry me Susan.” “Yes.” “Really?” “No.”

From Denise Aday:
Found in empty nest: lost self.

And honorable mention, from Eric Turkewitz:
Need publicity. Start contest. Six Words?

Shawn Callahan:

The one I enjoyed the most, from Candice Broom
Dear kids: have a nice life!

It is a sad little story. It conjured up for me pictures of an elderly parent writing a note to the kids as one of the last things she ever does. Like many of other good six word stories, I could easily identify the protagonist and the story immediately generated strong emotions. Well done Candice.

Funniest, from Hi Kooky
Chili dinner leads to separate beds.

Creepiest, from indigoGlyph
“Nice skin”, he said, replacing it.

Cleverest, from halfnuts
Inability to complete thoughts continues to

Most Dramatic, from Moda de Magno
Yes, I really do hate you.

Most Suspenseful, from Dennis McMullin
Go ahead; nobody will ever know.

Robert Hruzek:

My Favorite, from Ben Yoskovitz:
“Marry me Susan.” “Yes.” “Really?” “No.”

This one caught me by surprise. Not only is the scene a common enough one in most people’s minds, but the last word turns an otherwise ordinary story into a truly unexpected one! Good one, Ben!

Most Tragic, from Chris Edgington:
She dove. He lunged. Lost forever.

Best Suspense, from nowcleomind:
Full moon, snapping branch, I whirled.

Most Upbeat, from mitchgroup:
Mom, dad together. Son daughter better.

And honorable mentions to:

Most Enigmatic, from Director Tom:
In between her smiles, despair danced.

Best Film Noir, from Daniel Scocco:
Smoking, thinking about his lost passions.

And this one, although not a story, would make the Best Bumper Sticker, from Hartley B. Singer:
Pets don’t mind if you fart.

There were also two who took up the “Whole New Energy Level” challenge and submitted these:

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

And from Kate Anne:
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.

Andy Nulman

The first surprise is how many people responded to the challenge! Yikes…there went my Monday evening. The second surprise was the caliber of the stories. As Shakespeare said (in six words, no less), “Brevity is the soul of wit,” and indeed it is. It was also the soul of much drama (like “The final course was Roger sorbet”), action (“Martians attack. United Nations at last”, insight (“Liked fatty meats. Bought the farm”) and inspiration (“One testicle. Two children. Cancer lost.”). Seriously, sincerely, I was very impressed.

What I looked for, more than a mere “Gasp!”, was if the author could actually capture a thematic arc in six words, and paint a picture in my head. Many entries were great “headlines” per se (like “Jeb elected president. George W. pardoned”), effective at Surprise, but limited in their actual creation of what could be labeled a “story.”

That said, without any further adue, comes the winner, from indigoGlyph:

“Nice skin,” he said, removing it.

A Few Parting Thoughts

For the most part, we found there were many good beginnings or even good endings, but the goal was to write a story that was complete in and of itself, and that was much harder (as you no doubt discovered). Overall, though, you guys did a great job, exercising your creativity in some really surprising ways.

Our choices are entirely based on our own preferences, etc., so of course you may have your own thoughts about which ones were better or worse than others. Feel free to add your comments if you like. In fact, please do – I think everyone would benefit.

Oh, by the way, the title for this post was my favorite story from Mrs. MZM.

IT’S OVER!

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the Let’s Be Brief contest has officially come to a grinding halt (that grinding noise you hear). To all those who participated, let me just take a moment to express my appreciation to you for a stupendous effort! What a fantastic response! Good job, everyone, good job; it wouldn’t have been a success without YOU!

(If you want to see the contest entries, click here.)

Even as we speak (uh, so to speak) the judges are working feverishly to tally up the scores (we’re even using specially-made dart boards).

Please bear with us – we’re coordinating our efforts from three different locations around the world. Rest assured, as soon as I have the results I’ll post them here, so check back occasionally.

I also want to say thanks to all who sent in kind words about the contest. It’s been great fun, and I hope it was for you as well. You are of course all invited to drop by the Zone anytime – you never know – you might like what you see, and occasionally we might even talk about serious stuff once and a while (seriously)!

Well, It ain’t over yet, folks… but it’s close!

Instead of a progress report today, I need to say a few words regarding Judgement Day. (I know we’re not supposed to be all judgemental and everything, but sometimes ya just gotta make the call.)

Anyway – once the floating contest notice is gone, folks, it’s over. BUT (and that’s a BIG but), if you are still in a creative mood, by all means keep ‘em coming. I’ll be happy to keep posting them as long as you want to keep writing ‘em. (At least until I, you know, die. Or something.)

However, once the contest is closed (when the contest notice disappears), I’ll ship the sealed list of contest entries via special courier (OK, email) to our all-star panel of judges, who will then deliberate over them until they either run screaming from the room, or successfully identify the winners (whichever comes first – so cross your fingers).

Anyway, what we’ve got here is what you might call the pregnant pause (Get it? A pregnant dog? With paws? A pregnant paws? Oh, forget it.), that period of time between the end of the contest and when the winners are announced. So please bear with us a bit (one of the judges, Shawn Callahan, lives in Australia and he has to sleep sometime, you know). So keep your eye on this space – hopefully it won’t take too long.

And speaking of winners, I think each and every one of you should consider yourselves winners! I mean it! You guys were stupendous! What a great response to a simple idea – I’m truly honored and humbled to have been your host for this little exercise.

I want to take this moment and again thank you all for your fantastic effort and participation; all I can say is:

‘way to go!

T-minus 1 and counting! There’s only one day left in the Let’s Be Brief contest, and I’m sorry to say time is rapidly running out! At the moment, the current totals are:

Story count: 307
Authors: 61

Who woulda thunk it? You guys are unbelievable! And to think it all started with a dream. (Cue the violins.) A dream to reach out to my fellow bloggers; to encourage you to break out of the box a bit and see what you’re capable of when the chips are down. A dream to – (sound of needle scratching across a record).

Ah, who am I kidding? I just wanted to have some fun!

And now the Last Day begins. As of midnight tonight, you have just one more day to think of and submit your six-word stories before this contest passes into the annals of history. Just think, your name will be preserved for all time as one who took up the gauntlet, prevailed against all odds, feverishly worked day and night, and then submitted your stories for all the world to see (and, by the way, judge).

So who ever heard of quitting just before the finish line? You still have plenty of time left before the deadline. And speaking of deadlines, since there are really no geographical boundaries here the actual end will probably be a bit “fuzzy”, if you know what I mean. But know this – once the stories are handed over to the judges – baby, it’s over!

So dare I hope that we can get the total up to 400? Is it too lofty a goal? What say you, my friends? Do you accept the challenge?

Ready… set… GO!

Holy short stories, Batman! This is more fun than sneaking out for midnight burgers in the Batmobile!

Yessir, ladies and gentlemen, it’s been quite a day here at the Zone with the total number of entries in the Let’s Be Brief contest surging from 199 yesterday to 247 by 5 pm today. Mama Mia!

Let’s see now: multiply by 4, carry the 3, divide by seven (hold on while I get my other shoe off) – that’s 1,482 words, written six at a time! I think we’re well on our way to writing that great American novel.

I am also gratified and honored that the inspiration for this contest, Roger von Oech, mentioned it with a link at Creative Think. Thanks a herd group bunch, Roger! Y’all go check out his blog – it’s chock full of tasty stuff about innovation and – you guessed it – creative thinking.

Well, as day 5 draws to a close (sound of shade being pulled down), I just know you will be tossing and turning in bed tonight, feverishly thinking of more six-word stories that you’ll toss this way tomorrow. (Please don’t disillusion me!)

So take a break and get some rest, friends, because tomorrow’s going to be a big day!

Two days left!

Alas, I’ve discovered an unexpected consequence of focusing so much on the Let’s Be Brief contest: now I constantly find myself thinking of ways to convert everything into six-word sentences! Even Mrs. MZM is getting in on the act, leading to some hilarious conversations at home.

It made me wonder, though (it’s that noise you hear), about how far we could go with the concept.

Sure, six-word stories aren’t that easy, at least at first. With practice, though, you start seeing them everywhere! (Even now, it’s taking superhuman effort to keep from writing this post entirely in six-word sentences!) But what if you wanted to, as Albert Einstein might say, “Take it to a whole new energy level?”

Therefore, to those who are getting bored with simple (hah!), ordinary (what?) six-word stories, try this one on for size: Write a six-sentence story, where each sentence must also be its own complete six-word story! Here’s an example of what I mean:

Moving On

The breakup was hard, but inevitable.
Her future was looking strangely bleak.
“Can I go on?” she wondered.
Suddenly, a knock at the door!
It opened; he stood there, smiling.
She ran gladly into his arms!

Hmm, not bad for a first try, if I do say so myself. In a way, it’s actually easier than a single-sentence story because the other sentences provide more context. The hardest part of the six-word story challenge has always been packing enough context into only six words such that readers will perceive it as a story, and not just an ordinary sentence.

So your mission, Mr. Phelps (should you choose to accept it) is to come up with a story in the form shown above. For the sake of this mission, remember to make each sentence complete and able to stand on its own. (As usual, should you or any of your team be caught (oops!) or killed (ouch!), the Secretary will disavow all knowledge of your actions.)

Now all we need is to think of a name for such a construction. How does hexanumdrum sound? Dodecawordiphone? Polywordaphonic?

Suggestions, anyone?

VERY interesting day today – now with 199 entries (rats! didn’t quite make 200) from 42 people, we’re getting over the hump now and going for the gold. We’re rounding second and going for third. We’re over the 50 yard line and heading for the goal line. We’re coming in for the home stretch – hey, what’s with all the sports analogies, anyway?

I just gotta say – you guys are doing fantastic! As a group you’ve displayed extraordinarily wonderful creativivity (is that superlative enough?), and I’m continually being surprised by what I’ve been reading.

Prior to starting this contest, I had no idea just how far this meme might spread. I knew it might get some traction, but (I’ll freely admit it) probably like most bloggers I fantasized about getting on the front page of Digg (at least once in my lifetime). Of course, I always hoped it would be for, you know, something I said or did, like a genuinely workable plan for world peace, or cold fusion or… something profound!

Ah, well, c’est la vie.

I do have an exciting new development to share with you, though. Andy Nulman, of the always-surprising POW! Right Between the Eyes! blog has agreed to join your extinguished distinguished rank of judges in a special capacity: Andy will determine the story with the best surprise ending!

When I issued the invitation to Andy, I have to admit I truly expected to be turned down. But wouldn’t you know it – to my surprise he not only accepted the challenge, he even posted about it on POW! What a guy! Thanks, Andy, and when you come down to Texas, how about bringing some of that warm weather with you?

Okay, by now some of you may be suffering from a mild case of writer’s block. No problem, just get up from the keyboard, walk around the room a few times, and shake it off. (Hey, it’s less painful than Roger von Oech’s method: a whack on the side of the head.)

I finally managed to post the complete list of all 156 entries (so far) of the Let’s Be Brief contest for everyone to enjoy. Actually, there were two I had to disqualify – one only had five words (couldn’t get their other shoe off?), and another exceeded the G-rating (only TWO rules, people, and that was one of them!) But no worries, you’re still represented; just try again.

Some of you are just too clever! One person submitted their six-word stories in the form of links to other people, and each story also described the person. (I won’t say who – you’ll have to explore the links to find it.)

We have many genres represented, too, including mystery, romance, horror, sci-fi, action, documentary, reality, comedy, philosophy, crime, drama, and soap opera. There are also many that reference well-known movie lines. Some are actually commercials.

You’re doing great! I’m truly humbled and honored that so many of you have taken the time to participate, and I encourage you to keep thinking, keep writing, and bring this baby home!

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!

Way down here in Houston, Texas, where winter lasts only three weeks and the humidity reaches new heights, we’re having a sudden blast of Old Man Winter. It might actually get below freezing tonight! Makes you want to sit inside by the fire with a favorite warm beverage and… write six-word stories!

My, but you guys are getting creative out there! In only two days I’ve received 118 six-word stories from 24 participants, both via your comments and on various and assorted blogs. Not bad, people, not bad at all!

The roll of participants to date (in no particular order):

Director Tom, Lolita Barnsworth , indigoGlyph, David Armano, Pete Aldin, D.P., Scott Byrd, Ben Yoskovitz, Lois Kelly, Liz Strauss, Hartley B. Singer, ispf, Dennis McMullin, Chris Edgington, nowcleomind, G.P., Lucy, Karin, Daniel Scocco, halfnuts, and Rahul Prabakar. And these are only the ones I know of! I have a feeling there are a few more out there…

Special mention today goes to Isabella Mori, who has entered twice with a total of 20 stories (so far – still waiting for more, Isabella!), and Dr. Ellen Weber for the most incomprehensible entry (but she promised to explain it soon on her blog – I can’t wait!)

I’m continually fascinated by the variety of the entries. There are mystery, action and horror stories; upbeat, downbeat, and everything in between. Some are very thoughtful, while others are hilarious. What a great expression of creativity within a very narrow framework!

Give yourselves a hand! And keep writing – you still have through Sunday!

Well, as the first day of the Let’s Be Brief writing contest draws to a close, I can report with considerable gratitude the idea has generated some genuine buzz out there. Yes, I can see the huddled masses, poring over their notebooks, sweat-stained brows furrowed as they ponder the intricacies of the six-word story challenge. (Then again, I could be imagining it.)

The list so far, in no particular order (via comments and/or email notification):
Liz Strauss, Hartley B. Singer, nowcleomind, Dennis McMullin, Chris Edgington, the mysterious indigoGlyph, someone named G.P., Dr. Ellen Weber, Lolita Barnsworth, David Armano, and Lucy. (Note: I’d like to link to you if I can – don’t forget to provide a URL!)

Special mention to Director Tom, who holds the distinction of being the very first to enter the fray, and Isabella Mori, who on her own tagged seven others to get in on the fun! (Gee, what a great idea; now if everyone would do that… hmm, I wonder how viral this could be? Front page of Digg, anyone?)

Keep ‘em coming, folks! You’re doing great!

Welcome to the first Middle Zone Musings Writing Contest, Let’s be Brief (and that’s briefs only, no boxers, if you please). If you were following along last week you probably already have a pretty good idea what’s up. But for the sake of clarity and to put everyone on the same level playing field, we shall, as Lewis Carroll put it, “Begin at the beginning and go on till you come to the end: then stop”. (Get it? The end? Briefs? Oh, forget it.)First, some background

In the business world (and other worlds too, I suppose), it occasionally pays to be brief (thank goodness blogging doesn’t!) Not everyone has the gift, I know, but perhaps practice is all you really need. I’m guessing lawyers would be good at it (because they’re always writing in their briefs) but I know one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do was write an abstract for the first proposal I ever did. Have you ever tried to condense and summarize 96 pages into two paragraphs? (Well, I couldn’t do it either – mine was almost two pages. Umm, I’m almost sure that’s why we didn’t get the work.)

Roger von Oech from Creative Think recently wrote about imposing limitations on yourself as one method of enhancing the creative thought process. It’s especially true when writing; limiting yourself to a specific word count or small space makes you very aware of every single word you put on the page.Have you ever tried writing within extremely severe constraints (time, space, words, content)? Sure you have! Not so easy, is it? What if you were given an assignment where you had to write a complete story, but were limited to, let’s see… we’ll make this a hard one: six – yep, you read it right – only six words?

By way of explanation, check out this article from Wired, November 2006:

“We’ll be brief: Hemingway once wrote a story in just six words (“For sale: baby shoes, never worn.”) and is said to have called it his best work. So we asked sci-fi, fantasy, and horror writers from the realms of books, TV, movies, and games to take a shot themselves.”

I’ve picked a few choice ones to demonstrate what I mean. (You can find the complete list of – ahem – shorts here.):

• “Failed SAT. Lost scholarship. Invented rocket.” – William Shatner
• “Gown removed carelessly. Head, less so.” – Joss Whedon
• “Automobile warranty expires. So does engine.” – Stan Lee
• “We kissed. She melted. Mop please!” – James Patrick Kelly
• “The baby’s blood type? Human, mostly.” – Orson Scott Card
• “I couldn’t believe she’d shoot me.” – Howard Chaykin
• “I win lottery. Sun goes nova.” – Stephen Meretzky
• “In the beginning was the word” – Gregory Maguire (although Gregory apparently missed the fact that the actual author of this line was John the Apostle, and it’s from, you know, the Bible.)

I remember long ago reading the world’s shortest horror story (“The last man on Earth sat alone in a room. There was a knock on the door…”) but this – ah, this is simply brilliant! By way of example, here’s one way you might tell a similar (and somewhat modernized) version of this little story using only six words: The last Earthling’s cell phone rang.So Readers, how’s that for a challenge? Feel the creative juices flowing yet? (You do? Well, I hope you’re wearing dark pants ’cause it’s gonna show!)

The Gauntlet is Thrown (sound of gauntlet being thrown)

Alright, readers, let’s see how many aspiring writers there really are out there. Are you willing to take the challenge? If you had exactly six words to tell an entire story, what would you say? It’s important to remember that the words you don’t use can be as important as the words you do. Since you only have six words, the key to this challenge is to make your reader’s imagination fill in the details. There can be absolutely no context or additional explanation – your reader’s imagination must do it for you.

Remember, you’re not just writing a sentence: John hugged Mary; they kissed passionately. We’re looking for six words that tell a story; words that let you know there’s a whole lot going on that hasn’t been explicitly stated: Tearfully embracing, hearts bursting, they kissed. The second one obviously has much more going on in between the written words, don’t you think?

The Contest is now officially open, and I will be accepting entries through Sunday, January 21. Here’s all you have to do:

1. Read (if you like) the stories in the Wired article above to get a feel for how it’s done.
2. Write a six-word story! In fact, write a bunch – the more the merrier. (There are really only two rules to this contest: a) use exactly six words, and b) because this is for general consumption, I would appreciate it if you would please keep them G-rated!)
3. For those of you with blogs, post your entries on your blog, be sure to mention Middle Zone Musings, and place this hyperlink somewhere in your post (very important!) . Then, send me an email to let me know.
4. For those of you without blogs (and why haven’t you started one yet?), you can enter your submissions via the comments on this post. No need to email me in this case.
5. In return, I will link back to your post (or mention you by name, if you don’t have a blog) several times during the week, and once more in the archive post.

Also (in order to leave no one out), I will be happy to post your entries anonymously. Just send me an email with your entries and make sure you let me know of your wishes. I promise on my sweet grandmother’s Christmas tacos (hey, you gotta try these things to know what I mean) I will preserve your anonyminity ananominitie anonomousness secret.

AND… as a special bonus, to help determine the winners I’ve lined up a special international cast of judges from across the globe to render their opinions and pick the best (in various categories we will make up on the spot):

• John Koetsier – our distinguished Canadian judge; John runs, among other things, bizhack, a technology and business blog especially focused on “the intersection of business and technology”
• Shawn Callahan – the outstanding Australian judge; Shawn is the founder of Anecdote, a consulting firm that “tackles complex problems like organizational change, learning and project evaluation” with particular attention to storytelling and knowledge gathering
• Yours truly – representing America (with an admittedly slightly twisted point of view); an unparalleled engineering project manager, the founder and sole proprieter of Middle Zone Musings, and an imaginative, all-around nice guy (hey, it’s my blog and I can say it if I want to)

Alas, for this inaugural project I have no prizes to offer (but how would you feel about a pair of commemorative briefs?) except to say that I offer you an opportunity to exercise those creative muscles and break out of the box a bit (although it seems more like climbing into the box and nailing it shut!)But if you’re wondering, “What’s in it for me?” you might consider this: I offer you a simple way to increase the number of links to your blog (similar to the Z-blogs list floating around out there) and, more importantly, perhaps find a new friend or two “out here” in the blogosphere.

Just think – you’ll finally be able to tell everyone you’re a published author. Won’t that be a kick in the shorts! So get those cards and letters in, folks, you may be only a few keystrokes away from fame and fortune, no matter how, er, brief. (Sorry.)

Oh, and by the way, here’s some of the ones I came up with:

• 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?

NOTE: This will be the last post prior to the upcoming Let’s Be Brief writing contest. The continuing theme of posts this week and next will be generally (and sometimes loosely) on the subject of writing.

The other day I ran across a page of what is laughingly called Research Definitions. They are phrases useful for writing research papers and other types of reports.

Since the idea behind Let’s Be Brief (see below) is to write sparingly (after all, you only get six words), I thought this might be a good example of writing tips that have gone amazingly, horribly bad. I have no idea who gets the credit for starting these, but whoever you are, many thanks, your legacy remains!

RESEARCH DEFINITIONS

For when you searching for that certain phrase…

• “IT HAS LONG BEEN KNOWN” – I haven’t bothered to look up the original reference.

• “WHILE IT HAS NOT BEEN POSSIBLE TO PROVIDE DEFINITE ANSWERS TO THESE QUESTIONS” – The experiments didn’t work out, but I figured I could get publicity out of it.

• “OF GREAT THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL IMPORTANCE” – Interesting to me.

• “THREE OF THE SAMPLES WERE CHOSEN FOR DETAILED STUDY” – The results of the others didn’t make sense and were ignored.

• “ACCIDENTLY STAINED DURING MOUNTING” – Accidentally dropped on the floor.

• “HANDLED WITH EXTREME CARE DURING THE EXPERIMENTS” – Not dropped on the floor.

• “TYPICAL RESULTS WERE SHOWN” – My best results are shown.

• “PRESUMABLY AT LONGER TIMES” – I didn’t take the time to find out.

• “THESE RESULTS WILL BE REPORTED AT A LATER DATE” – Forget that one, baby!

• “THE BEST VALUES WERE THOSE OF JONES” – He was a student of mine.

• “IT IS BELIEVED THAT” – I think.

• “IT IS GENERALLY BELIEVED THAT” – A couple of others think so too.

• “IT MIGHT BE ARGUED THAT” – I have such a good argument for this objection I want to make sure I get to use it.

• “CORRECT WITHIN AN ORDER OF MAGNITUDE” – Wrong.

• “IT IS HOPED THAT THIS WORK WILL STIMULATE FURTHER WORK IN THE FIELD” – This paper is not very good, but neither are any of the others on this miserable subject.

• “THANKS ARE DUE TO JOE GLOTZ FOR ASSISTANCE WITH THE EXPERIMENT AND TO JOHN DOE FOR VALUABLE ADVICE” – Glotz did the work and John explained to me what it meant.

So, if you are writing a report and are searching for ways to express how you REALLY feel (without those pesky embarrassing statements that may haunt you forever), these helpful tips may be just what the doctor ordered. And by the way, if you are guilty of using these flowery phrases, then rest assured we ALL know what you REALLY mean!

OK, now it’s YOUR turn

Don’t just sit there like a wart on a pickle, how about entering the Let’s Be Brief writing contest? Try your hand at writing a story, any story, but with a twist – you can only use six words! Yes, you read it right. Think it’s not possible? Think again!

Check this article from Wired Online where 38 authors and designers tried their hands at six-word stories. Hey, just because they’re rich and famous doesn’t mean they’re the only ones who can do it, right? Why not you?

Starting Monday, January 15th, I will be accepting your entries thru Sunday, January 21st. All entries will be judged (for your extinguished distinguished panel of judges, see below), and the best will be showcased. In addition, you will have plenty of opportunities to share links (for those of you who are interested in that sort of thing).

For further details, please read my previous posts this week.

Here’s all you have to do to enter the contest:

1. Read (if you like) the stories in the Wired article to get a feel for how it’s done.

2. Write a six-word story (a kinda obvious step, I know). In fact, write a bunch – the more the merrier. There are really only two rules to this contest: a) use exactly six words, and b) because this is for general consumption, I would appreciate it if you would please keep it G-rated!

3. For those of you with blogs, post your entry on your blog, and link back to the kickoff post on Monday, January 15th. Then send me an email to let me know. (You’ll have to wait until Monday for the link to link to to be ready to be linked to. I think.)

4. For those of you without blogs (and why haven’t you started one yet?), you can enter your submissions via the comments on this post. No need to email me in this case.

5. In return, I will link back to your post several times, and once more in the contest archive post.

6. If you are a lurker and would still like to participate but have a hard time breaking the habit, I will be happy to post your entries anonymously. Just send me an email with your entries and make sure you let me know of your wishes. I promise on my sweet grandmother’s Christmas tacos (hey, you gotta try these things to know what I mean) I will preserve your anonyminity ananominitie anonomousness secret.

To help determine the winners, I’ve lined up a special international cast of judges from across the globe to render their opinions and pick the best (in various categories we will make up on the spot):

• John Koetsier – our distinguished Canadian judge who, among other things, runs bizhack, a technology and business blog especially focused on “the intersection of business and technology”

• Shawn Callahan – the outstanding Australian judge and founder of Anecdote, a consulting firm that “tackles complex problems like organizational change, learning and project evaluation”, with particular attention to storytelling and knowledge gathering

• Yours truly – representing the United States of America (albeit with an admittedly slightly twisted point of view); an unparallelled engineering project manager, the imaginative founder and sole proprieter of Middle Zone Musings, and an all-around nice guy (hey, it’s my blog and I can say it if I want to)

Do yourself a favor and drop by John’s and Shawn’s blogs for a good read, and thank them for participating. You’ll make their day (and mine, too!)

Now get crackin’ people, you only have a few days left before it starts!

NOTE: In preparation for the upcoming Let’s Be Brief writing contest, the continuing theme of posts this week and next will be generally (and admittedly sometimes very loosely) on the subject of writing. (For more information on the contest and how to enter, read my previous posts this week.)

What is the imagination?

During this past Christmas season, one of the movies Mrs. MZM and I had a chance to watch again (for about the nth time) was Miracle on 34th Street (the 1947 black & white version, that is – I can’t stand the new version). Near the beginning, there was an interesting conversation between skeptical young Suzy and the persuasive Kris Kringle about just what the imagination was.

KRIS: Do you know what the imagination is?
Suzy: Oh, sure. That’s when you see things, but they’re not really there.
KRIS: That can be caused by other things, too. No, to me the imagination is a place all by itself… a separate country. You’ve heard of the French or the British nation. Well, this is the imagine nation. It’s a wonderful place.

I love that image – the imagination as a whole a “separate country” (or, as we say in Texas: “It’s a whole other country.”) It’s a place all its own, with special qualities and rules that don’t necessarily exist in the “real” world. That’s what makes it so powerful.

As I pointed out in my post Eschew Obfuscation, imagination plays a big role in how readers interpret what they read. Hence the challenge of the Let’s Be Brief contest: how to write a six-word story that lets the readers fill in the rest such that a complete story is told.

A little story

Remember Hemmingway’s six-word story? (“For Sale: baby shoes, never worn.”) What did you hear? I don’t mean those six words, but what information did your brain fill in between the words? How did your imagination fill in the blanks? Your answer is going to depend largely on several things: how much you know (or think you know) about Hemmingway, your background and experiences, and how vivid your imagination is.

I’ll be the first to admit, without looking the man up on Wikipedia, I know very little about him, other than that he was a prolific writer, lived awhile back, in later years was considered a drunkard and something of a pain-in-the-butt… and has a line of furniture at Ethan Allen (OK, it’s only named for him). So my knowledge, or lack of it, influences greatly what I hear when I read that little story. My interpretation was that Hemmingway considered himself to have never had a childhood and was more-or-less “born grown up”, thus justifying his own behavior. To me, that was sufficiently bizarre as to appeal to me in a somewhat humorous way.

But when I shared the story with a friend of mine, his comment was, “Wow, that’s really sad.” Naturally I was surprised, and asked why. He answered that he and his wife had lost a baby and it made him think of “baby shoes, never worn” in that context. I’ve since discovered that Hemmingway did indeed loose a baby, and now my own interpretation of the story is totally different.

See what I mean?

And so it begins

OK, you’re primed and ready! Lined up at the starting line, waiting for the gun to go off, eager to prove to the world you have the stuff it takes to make it!

Once again, starting on Monday, January 15th, here’s all you have to do:

1. Read (if you like) the stories in this Wired article to get a feel for how it’s done.
2. Write a six-word story (a kinda obvious step, I know). In fact, write a group herd bunch – the more the merrier. (There are really only two rules to this contest: a) use exactly six words, and b) because this is for general consumption, I would appreciate it if you would please keep them G-rated!)
3. For those of you with blogs, post your entry on your blog, and link back to this post here at Middle Zone Musings. Then send me an email to let me know.
4. For those of you without blogs (and why haven’t you started one yet?), you can enter your submissions via the comments on this post. No need to email me in this case.
5. In return, I will link back to your post (or mention you by name, if you don’t have a blog) several times during the week, and once more in the archive post.

OK, writers get on your marks… get set…

NOTE: In preparation for the upcoming Let’s Be Brief writing contest, the continuing theme of posts this week and next (see yesterday’s post here) will generally be on the subject of writing. For today, I just feel like telling you a story.

Ever since I was a kid (a child, that is; I’m not talking about when I graduated from being a young goat), I enjoyed reading, and particularly enjoyed science fiction. I can even remember what got me started – it was my grandmother’s attic.

You see, when I was very young (I was about 7 or 8 years old at the time), my mother, sister and I moved into my grandmother’s house, a big old semi-Victorian residence located in the Heights area of Houston, Texas. (Of course, it was probably big to me because I was rather small at the time.) Living there was fun because there was a large lot with several big old oak and pecan trees, and plenty of room to explore. The neighbors had two kids my age, and a big, friendly Collie named Butch.

But one day as I was exploring the house, I discovered, quite by accident, a secret door in the stairwell! It had been papered over some time in the distant past, but the outline was still visible if you knew where to look. Now to someone my age, this was too good to be true! I stealthily obtained a razor blade from my grandfather’s bathroom and cut the wallpaper so the door would open. After procuring various and sundry survival supplies (OK, it was a flashlight) I managed to work the door open, and voila! a whole new world opened before my eyes!

I’m sure you’ve seen in TV and movies the usual depiction of an attic: boxes of stuff, old furniture, clothes, etc. all lying around and covered in dust like they’d been forgotten by time itself. This attic was much the same, only dustier. It was unfinished (by that I mean you could see the frame of the house), and one really great feature was a window located in a small gable. The wood frames formed a kind of seat that was just perfect for gazing out onto the back yard. What a view! I was up where the birds lived, and loving it.

Then I found the real treasure: boxes and boxes of old magazines. And not just any magazines, it turned out there were literally hundreds of old Analog science-fiction magazines. Once I’d figured out what they were, I started reading one or two out of curiosity, and was hooked!

Having noticed that most of the magazines contained only one part of the cover story (they were serials, after all), the first thing I did was lay them all out in date order. Then, starting with the oldest one, I read every one of them. The best thing was, this was summer (no school!), and I had my own perfect, private spot to read: the window seat in the attic.

It was heaven.

I’ve never lost my love of good science fiction, and I think the reason I like it so much is that it exercises my imagination in ways no other fiction can. To me, my favorites were always forward-looking (although there are some that go back in time), and almost always, well, so hopeful. They gave me visions of possible futures that in many ways seemed as real as everyday life.

That’s what I like about (my particular favorite) science fiction stories: they show what’s possible. In fact, I still personally prefer the more correct term speculative fiction, because that’s exactly what it is – speculations about the future and where it could lead.

Now it’s your turn

One thing that came of reading so much as a child was that I never lost a spelling bee! Another is that it inspired my dream of becoming a writer of (you guessed it) science fiction. Alas, I’m not quite the rich and famous author – yet. But who knows?

Well, if you’ve ever nurtured the dream of becoming a writer, here’s your chance!

Starting Monday, January 15th, I give you the chance to show the world your ability to tell a story in print. Ah, but not just any story – there’s a catch. You have to write a complete story, but you can only use six words!

“Six words?” you say. “You must be crazy!”

Well, sure, but what has that got to do with it? The first MZM writing contest: Let’s Be Brief will be open and accepting entries from Monday thru Sunday, January 21st, so “point up” a pile of pencils and get ready to start exercising those little grey cells, because this is gonna be fun!

I’m getting tired of typing now, so if you’re interested and want more details, scroll down to Monday’s and Tuesday’s posts. (Or, you know, click on the links.)

One late-breaking detail to add: Shawn Callahan from Anecdote has agreed to join John Koetsier from bizhack and yours truly on the judge’s stand and help me pick out the best of the best. Thanks, Shawn and John! (You can put your arms down now – the gun wasn’t loaded!)