Six Word Memoirs on Life Stories

Staraj says,

Obviously, a six can stand alone.

This is a backstory about a six standing alone. The backstory also stands alone because the six's theme requires no extensive explication beyond the simple fact that a six can stand alone. However, existentially speaking, a backstory is only created because of the pre-existing condition of the six. Thus, the moment the backstory comes into being, it and the six become a couple. A stand alone couple, as it were, composed of two singles who should agree with each other – lest conflict destroy them both. Whereby, they will stand apart and alone.

accidentaltourist says,

I'll trump that with "many sixes more platitude than memoir."

Does that thought stand alone? Sure. But I won't post it because it's not a memoir...it's an observation.

accidentaltourist says,

P.S. All backstories can be hidden.

RaisedByWolves says,

Six with a picture is a (caption) A six with a (backstory) is a title. A six by itself is a (memoir). A six {with brackets} is a hug
Frankly, six by any other name sux [{(:)}]

Staraj says,

Au contraire, AT. All observations are memoirs. Whether they be internal observations or external observations, if they are remembered, they are memoirs. However, the QUALITY of the memoir? That, sahib . . . is another story.

No offense intended, hieronimo, but if "the best sixes are admired because through a miracle of compression they contain almost endless meaning", then we must proclaim "Vaginal Spittoons" King/Queen of the Sixes. Indeed, like Jason Voorhees, it recently spawned yet another comment from presumed dormancy – if not death. Kudos.

RaisedByWolves says,

Paraphrasing Alan Watts, "all six word memoirs are just barking"

Loon says,

Staraj has given us the most accurate definition of "memoir" ever birthed ... read Staraj's commentary above which begins with "au contraire..." Thank you, Staraj, for your insight. Bullseye.

accidentaltourist says,

That's it, Staraj....you disagreed with me, we're breaking up. Just when I thought we might really have something. *sigh*

Wait....hmm....I never said observations weren't memoirs, I said platitudes are not memoirs. I don't consider "there's always a rainbow after rain" a memoir....but I would consider "jumping puddles, dodging lightning, seeking rainbows" a memoir.

Maybe we don't have to break up after all. I still have the feathers. ;)

Dragonflower says,

So, Loon. With all due respect, I don't think I would understand your memoir, if it wasn't for the backstory and I read it simply because it had a backstory that I thought would explain it. Plus it piqued my curiosity. Most memoirs that have a backstory make the memoir more interesting to me. Not that I would want ALL memoirs to have a backstory; that would be tedious. I like the memoirs that are universal; that they could mean anything to anyone at any given time. They make me feel they are meant just for me. And some just make me laugh out loud. I LOVE the creativity of this place. I appreciate the backstories and comments. When I first came to this site, I thought the memoirs were just to be read as they presented. That is, I didn't realize you could click on them. One day I wondered what the "BS" meant next to some of the memoirs and I discovered I could click on the memoir and there was MORE--wow, I immediately felt a remarkable connection to perfect strangers because of the backstories and the comments. I have been so happy I found a place I could express "stuff" from the day. In only six words. And sometimes when the "stuff" is too much, I appreciate being able to elaborate a bit. I enjoy all the comments; they seem so thoughtful--meaning that they aren't of the rude and crude variety. I've always been a big rules person, so I've liked how this site doesn't have many rules, the biggest being the six word maximum. It has been so free-ing for me. So, Loon, I suppose you are right, I don't agree with your memoir, but it is sort of like when I attended 12 step meetings. We were told to "take what we like and leave the rest." There are options here too. Like AT says, the "hide backtory" or you can block certain writers that you don't want to read or see. I think it is just great. It is a very thoughtful and fun site, in my opinion. Six words has enlarged my life.

Staraj says,

Perhaps, AT, this is simply a matter of first person vis-a-vis third person. "there's always a rainbow after rain" is third person. "jumping puddles, dodging lightning, seeking rainbows" is understood as first person. So strictly speaking, you're right. But who wants to be strict here? :-)

If Six-Word Memoirs are for the proletariat, then by definition, some memoirs will be proletarian in scope; e.g., "This morning, I stretched and scratched." Six words. And also a "memoir". Ergo, a six-word memoir. But likely, information for which most denizens of this site would prefer to remain blissfully ignorant.

Sure, some – perhaps many – of us would like to compose a six worthy of a Pulitzer Prize for Six Word Memoir. Me too. And, to be sure, some of us compose sixes that, as AT states, are rather mundane. Some are inscrutable. Some, rather preachy (moi). And some aren't even six words. (?) But, with the possible exception of Larry or his delegate, there is no police officer on patrol for offending sixes. So far as I can tell, the credo here is "O come, all ye sixers." Readers: bring your own sieves.

With six: That's how I roll.

P.S. – AT, can we at least maintain a platonic relationship? (As in Plato's Retreat.) :->

accidentaltourist says,

As I said elsewhere, a little wiggle room in the restraints makes playtime much more interesting. Ah, Staraj...we're good.....meet me at the Club....you'll know me by the fishnet stockings, feather boa, and body glitter.

RaisedByWolves says,

Would the backstory (writing on the back) of the Mona Lisa enrich our understanding of her shy smile? Like Bob Dylan said 'if I can sing it, it's a song. If I can't sing it its a poem'. If it fits in six words it's a Six word memoir.

Dragonflower says,

To Backstory, or not to Backstory?

canadafreeze says,

Whew ...

Dragonflower says,

Whew, indeed!

favepeep says,

My thoughts (and here’s hoping they are relevant to the discussion): I provide a backstory when there is something I want to share or if I think elucidating the meaning of the memoir adds to its substance/merit, e.g., “I want my mom; it's automatic.”

I usually don’t include a backstory when I think the memoir is universally “relatable,” e.g., “Naps shouldn't be taken lightly.” or if it’s open to lots of different interpretations, e.g., “Some fun now. Some fun later.”

Also, it’s important to me that my memoir (especially when I don’t include a backstory) is relevant to my life in some way. Although, like a lot of people on Six, I am endlessly playing with words, I rarely write memoirs just to attempt to be clever, or to create a form of wordplay, though I love it when a memoir turns out to do either or both! In regards to other people’s memoirs, I like a backstory when the memoir is either very intriguing (I want to know more!) or fairly generic, (why specifically does this memoir resonate with you?).

~Examples above are my own memoirs.
p.s. An observation (not a critique of hieronimo's recent greatly commented on memoir): memoirs mentioning genitalia or breasts are rarely passed over, i.e., they often get a lot of comments/favorites.

favepeep says,

In regards to one of the examples above, I guess it should be "Naps should not be taken lightly." to qualify for six words...ah, imperfection.

Staraj says,

Don't look now, "Vaginal Spittoons", but this baby might have legs. And there are no genitalia in sight. *sheepishly* . . . except . . . full disclosure . . . I'm a leg man.

Oh well, on with the agreeable agreements and disagreements.

Staraj says,

Afterthought – Think about this: When we believe we have a comment ready for shipment, as it were, we click a button labeled "Submit Your Comment". Submit. Do you suppose, in that instant, we become a tad bit submissive? Because once those words are away, we know we can't pull them back. We can only send in more cavalry. Either reinforcements to finish the job, or guerrillas to further foment discord, or some kind of a peace party to draw up a truce.

And that's how a thread becomes a patchwork. Sometimes a large and very elaborate patchwork.

(Here's me belly up again.)

accidentaltourist says,

Interesting to me: when you people that they won't agree, they will go to great lengths to tell YOU why.

P.S. Loon, both your backstory and the six would stand alone...but the six would not necessarily follow the path the backstory does.

accidentaltourist says,

*you tell people (SIGH it's early for my fingers)

ctgoods2 says,

On both sides of the fence, so I guess I'm not in the most category.
In either case - a beginning a middle and an end would be nice.

canadafreeze says,

Occasionally, one of my sixes will elicit an entirely different response than expected. They are, of course, the six-word memoirs without a backstory. I enjoy the poignancy of a zinger - six words that leave you wanting more, but let the reader's imagination provide it. I also appreciate the memoirs that are fleshed out by a backstory. As to the original six with backstory to which we are all responding - nicely done, Loon. Great discussion.

Wench says,

Backstories are how we've gotten to know each other. A six-word creation may not always stand alone in the way that you intend it to unless you further explain it. Sometimes, that's fine. Other times, it's nice to explain. Writer decides. I call everything written here a memoir. It's not, usually, in the traditional understanding of the word. There is wordplay, comic relief, political, religious and social commentary and a whole lot of other things that don't fall under the category of traditional memoir. But the project is called Six Word Memoirs, and it just seems easier and less confusing to say 'memoir' than to nitpick over 'titles' and 'captions' and 'paragraphs'. We're choosing to write within the confines of this website - we could go to others. This website offers these features. There's nothing wrong with using them.

Staraj says,

This sixer agrees with that sixer: Wench

Amapola says,

Backstories have sparked my love for writing. They have made me open up and lose the fear of exposing my mind, my heart, my aching.

There's beauty in just six words, there is beauty in discovering more about each other. And there is beauty in the silences in between.

Staraj says,

"There is beauty in the silences in between." Well put. The famous pianist Arthur Rubinstein was quoted as saying the sounds he produced from striking key notes were no different than those of anyone else striking the same notes. What made him great, he said, were the SPACES he put between the notes.

Believe says,

Without reading the backstory or any of the comments I would like to disagree with this just so I can fit in with Loon's most sixers.

RaisedByWolves says,

The six is a roadside billboard. The backstory is an explanation of how you wound up in the boondocks, with a cop in a straw hat frisking you.

accidentaltourist says,

I'll let you in on a secret: I'm not a real cop. ;)

RaisedByWolves says,

But you are frisky!

Staraj says,

As a person who has seen the movie "Deliverance" more than once, I am absolutely TERRIFIED that one of my backstories may sidetrack me to the boondocks, where a cop in a straw hat will "frisk" me. With glee.

Layne says,

I think some of the best sixes are those without a backstory. They can leave you wondering, but still within constraints that it allots. I try to make my sixes without the explanation of a paragraph or two, however sometimes I believe this is necessary to express a point. Do I think this makes the six a title; possibly. But a title summarizes a work, while a backstory is the sustenance that makes an already great six, greater.

Redx3 says,

Wench's word has my vote, as the giver usually knows when to make the right call. Staraj's backstory on the drywall I truly needed. I didn't know I needed it. How could I? When heironimo pins down the universe in six short words, there is magic there as well. The gift is in the giving.

Staraj says,

"The gift is in the giving."

I just Googled that line, Redx3. Can't find an attribution, even though it seems like something I've heard before. Unless it's been around so long the author is the ubiquitous Anonymous, I think that six is yours. Kudos.

Staraj says,

UPDATE

I just found the six above in the title of this book:

http://www.reachandteach.com/store/index.php?l=product_detail&p=1374

marymc says,

I'm with Wench. Creating a community with people I genuinely care about is way more important to me than my writing. Hell, right now, my "writing" is keeping me off a psychiatrists couch. People I respect have sent prayers, love and support. Do I write well? Right now I don't give a shit.

KharisJo says,

The facility is provided to include backstories and pictures, which enhance the six and let's face it, are only a minute proportion of the stand alone sixes that members submit. I enjoy the backstories, photos, poems, artwork and anything else anyone wants to share to personalise their sixes because I find people as interesting as their creations and enjoy learning more about them. I regularly visit GOMA (Gallery of Modern Art) here in Brisbane and there is a trend to add words, verse, captions etc to visual artworks, a trend also found in interior design.

notjustagirlintheworld says,

I prefer the mystery of a stand alone six that can and should mean different things to different readers, but enjoy the back stories, color me confused. To quote one of my lesser known sixes (a vast category) "My backstory is front and center."

Loon says,

we are surrounded by people of intelligence

Staraj says,

"There are eight million stories in the Naked City. This has been one of them." Thus did a somber-toned narrator close an episode of a television show from my youth.

So far, around 350,000 stories have been told here. Yet, because of the available anonymity on the web, we feel safe being "naked" on SMITH, and are more prone to bare our souls, and discuss our dreams, our nightmares, our foibles, our successes. Our fantastic occurrences. Our commonplace doings. Whether in six words or six words plus. On this site, we stand alone among many others standing alone, and thereby stand in a unique community.

RaisedByWolves says,

I have a Physic ghost writer helping me to reconstruct the shattered backstories of the many back road friskings that I have experienced. When composed and illustrated, these back stories will accompany future six word memoirs. Many of these stories contain haunting images of sholder length gloves and sawed off shotguns.

Dragonflower says,

"This has been one of them." That somber-toned narrator was a six word person before his time. Man, he used to scare me when I was a kid! My mom liked that show. Nice, eloquent comment, Staraj.

Dhani says,

WOLF: Do you know Alan Watts' actual quote? Were 'six-word memoirs' actually around then?

Dhani says,

WATTS: He does have a point....

LOON: I agree with your memoir, but I disagree with your backstory. Six words and/or a Backstory can each stand alone. After all, they are 'featured' here alone, right?

ba_miracle says,

I wouldn't completely disagree ;-)

lillybrook says,

But, do we love the six-alone best or the six-BS (back story) best? Seems like the ones with stories start the biggest conversations...

L2L3 says,

Great backstories beautifully embellish the memoir or sometimes surprise the reader with an entirely different context than the one that was assumed. In my mind, a "backstory" consisting of a one-liner that serves to provide a necessary explanation of a vague memoir or add a witty quip isn't a story at all. I'm disappointed when expecting to read a story and find that brief comment instead. Some writers rarely, if ever, disappoint. Others rarely, if ever, write a story. I'm betting that they could and would do an excellent job of it though. More true backstories would add even more substance to the Six-Word portion of the site.

accidentaltourist says,

I agree with you, L2. I like a good backstory. It doesn't have to be long, but it has to be complete. I am also drawn to memoirs with several comments. It's enlightening to follow the thread, even if I have little to contribute to the conversation.

Staraj says,

So, it appears what most – but not all – of us are saying is what Justin Moore said in song: "Back That Thing Up"