The Shortest Story Ever Written
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- čas přidán 11. 08. 2022
- A man once bet a group of writers that he could write a story in just six words. They didn’t believe him, so he challenged them to a bet. He won, and crafted the shortest story ever written, all while birthing a literary category called flash fiction. There is a contest still held to this day called “The Six Word Story” that people continue to participate in. I believe that this proves that anyone can be a storyteller, all you need is six words and some creativity.
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#DrewMalou #FlashFiction #ErnestHemingway - Zábava
Here is my Six Word Short Story:
We awoke, some less than before.
I don't get it
I get it, what's being implied here is that the narrator and a few others have awoken after a disaster or something otherwise post apocalyptic has gone down and that there were more people but those people are dead
Yep! 😁 That pretty much sums it up exactly, haha.
Interesting, my interpretation was more of an “enlightenment” awakening of some kind
You could take it literally too. You've been in a world of your dreams and got woken up. Some choose to remain in the fake word because it's perfect. Like in matrix. But if matrix was a perfect world
"She smiled, but not at me."
There's my attempt.
damn
Bruh, why you gotta hurt me?? Haha, I feel like everyone can relate to this. That old familiar pain. Very good submission, thank you for sharing!
ooh this is like a dream i had: one vial lithium, one vial flesh
That sounds like a wild dream!! Haha. But I like the story! I'm definitely getting Frankenstein or android/cyborg vibes. Thanks for sharing!
Great video! Here's 2 stories I came up with after watching this:
-I didn't cry when she left
-I tried becoming a Hero, but...
Thanks, Javier! And I like both of those! That second one is quite the open ended statement, haha.
_It is so lonely up here._
There are indeed people who say fun is a waste; I like writing stories based on things that spark my interest, most of them fanfiction. If someone likes my story it's because they are into things that I am into, and I'd much prefer that to being liked because I was famous, as happened with Stephen King.
hmmmmm, it sounds innocent to me, like the mind of a playful individual being let into sadness for the first time
I like this story! There are so many directions you can take it, but the one that comes to mind most is someone who spent their entire life trying to achieve a specific, high level goal, only to achieve it and to realize it doesn't bring them the fulfillment they were looking for. It's lonely because of everything they had to sacrifice to get there. No clue if that's what you were aiming for, but that's where my brain went, haha. And yeah, I'm with you... I would much rather have my writing liked because it resonated with people, than to sell copies of a book just because of celebrity. Although selling copies would be pretty nice, too! 😅
That's an interesting interpretation! I think the innocence angle makes sense because it feels like they didn't expect the solitude to be there when they reached that height.
-The dragon roared, possibly its last.
-Falling passes quickly as a thought.
-"I would quip but I'm choked"
-They couldn't find the final words
Interesting concept and video, I thought I couldn't do it but I really like the idea of a limitation on writing that envelops so much more!
Yeah limitations bread ingenuity.
These are great stories! It makes me happy that you liked the video and that you tried, I think they came out really well. It feels like you hit a few different genres, too, which is really cool. Thanks for watching, and for sharing your stories!
It definitely does! 😄
me: i dont ike it give me my money back
Lol, no refunds! 😂
That's one we can all relate to xD
I ordered the “Life is Daijoubu” shirt immediately. That’s so goofy lol
also,
“The gun was my christmas gift”
Hahaha, well thank you so much! I'm glad you thought it was goofy, haha! 😆 You're my first buyer, so please let me know what you think of the quality. I haven't actually ordered one for myself yet, lol. And sheeeeeeesh, that story is intense! I love it so much. There are so many different ways you can interpret it, which is cool. Thanks for sharing, and for your constant support! ❤
"Just let me say goodbye, please"
This one hurts. You can take the story in so many different directions, but all of them feel traumatic and painful. I love it. Thanks for sharing!
“Fallen. Yet, our end was sun-like.”
This format is cool. Different meanings and points of view create unique stories.
I love your story! And yeah, the format is a lot of fun. Leaves no room for waste, that's for sure! Thanks for sharing, and watching!
"I talk about animation all of the time, and I can barely draw a stick figure"
That sure describe me talking to my friends about animation.
Glad to see new content coming! I still need to watch the Broly and the Silent Voice movies before checking the videos.
And my Six Word Short Story:
If you proceed, humanity will vanish.
Haha, I'm glad I'm not the only one who loves animation but am not that great at drawing! 😅 And yeah, I think those movies are both fantastic. I'd love to hear what you think of them after your first viewing!
And that short story is awesome! Talk about a dilemma, haha. I love it, thank you for sharing!
"I opened my eyes... big mistake"
This is awesome! It leaves the reader on the edge of their seat, and makes them fill in the "mistake" with their own fears, which is really cool. You could literally take this story in any direction, which is neat! Thanks for sharing!
Here is my six word short story:
Time flies, life's short, mine's gone.
melancholic!
More than six words tho
@@onylink6147 please how is it more than six
Bro this one is straightforward and sad, lol. I have a big fear of wasting time and doing things that I'll later regret, so this one hits me hard. Although, I still liked it. Thanks for sharing!
@@nanakofi-sama1729 Time flies, life is short, mine is gone
It's not because you make it shorter by replacing "is" by "'s" that the word is not here
Graveyards are quiet... when you're alive.
Cool vid! Definitely deserves more views/likes, keep up the good work!
Ohhhhhhh, I like this story a lot! Thanks for sharing. And thank you so much! 😄 That is very kind of you to say. I will do my best!
My 6 word story:
Same side, different reasons. Conflicting reasons.
Ahhh, this is an interesting one! Thank you for sharing!
We loved, lost, and rose again.
I like this one a lot!! Thanks for sharing.
I think flash fiction is super awesome! There's a subreddit for it and it's blowing me away by the economy of description and information exposition, every word no more than essential. Anyway, here's one for the record: So many longings, so very futile.
Yes, flash fiction is a lot of fun! And that's awesome, I'll have to check out that subreddit as well. And I like your story, thank you for sharing!
I should have trusted my instincts
This is a good one! There are infinite ways you could interpret this story, haha. I can see it being used for almost every genre, which is really cool. Very versatile. Thanks for sharing your story!
Careful, it can wake very easily.
Oh heck yeah! This one is tight. My brain instantly thinks of a giant monster, but it could easily be something else. I think that's the beauty of your story, the reader fills in the "it" with their own creature or object of fear. Very nice. Thanks for sharing!
WARNING: Avert your eyes on sight!
Timid smile, summer warmth, first kiss...
Katana went home, came out bloody.
These are great! You definitely captured a range of different emotions with these stories. I liked them a lot, thanks for sharing!
@@DrewMalou Haha thanks...Great video! I saw some comments from a month ago so I guess this is a reupload but apparently I didn't catch it when it was originally published. Really interesting!
Thank you! Glad you liked it. 😄 And this video wasn't a re-upload, but was posted on Patreon a while back for my patrons to get early access.
This channel is brilian and I love your content.
Also heres my story :
"Not black, he would not mourn"
Thank you so much! I'm glad you like the content. 😄 And I like your story! I'm very intrigued by it. Definitely leaves me wanting more, which I think is a sign of success! Thanks for sharing!
@@DrewMalou thank you very much !
It was actually smothering, kinda personal. Call it a whish if you will :D
You're very welcome! And that's interesting.... I'm even more intrigued now, haha. 😅
" Somewhere without me, She's happier now."
"My Dad loves Animals, Not Me."
"Life is really short, like Moe"
"Yes all these stories are true"
"And Yes including that last one."
"I Did it again Dang it"
"Help me please I can't stop"
"This isn't funny anymore I'll stop"
These are great! Some really interesting stories in here. The first one is so sad. The one about Dad loving animals is really intriguing to me. I think this story could lead to several conclusions that are each fascinating in their own way! Thanks for sharing. 😄
@@DrewMalou Thank you I tried my best, Great video btw.
Thank you! I tried my best as well. 😄
Had to do a 8 word story.
The afterlife is peaceful except for the screaming
This is dope! I feel like this could be the opening line to a novel, haha. Thanks for sharing your story!
@@DrewMalou thank you for making great videos all the time
Haha, it's my pleasure! Thank you for watching them. 😁
I find it really hard to get a 6 word story... Mostly cause I feel like: that baby shoe thing is a masterpiece and I want something like that! An ending, for which the story is still to be told.
But I'm gonna still try for my teenager self who started a few stories and never ended even one xD
"My shoes... Have you seen them?"
That's the spirit!
Haha, yeah, I know what you mean! It took me a while to come up with mine... And I'm glad you tried! I think your story is great! There are plenty of open ended ways you could take the conclusion of your story. It definitely is hard with the constraint of only using six words. Thank you for sharing! 😊
The algorithm did this video dirty.
Loool, well, thanks for watching it!
hmmmmmmmmm, ill give you a better one, 5 words, 5 stories.
-when at dawn....run away
-its dead, but hates still
-a woman....it wasnt one
-id remember asking myself....right?
-"loved you" the corpse stutters
My friend, you should consider being a writer! Definitely feels like you favor the horror genre, but there's nothing wrong with that! These were awesome! The fourth one sounds like it could be the tag line for the film Memento, if you've seen that movie. Thank you for sharing!
@@DrewMalou well I'm already ahead of ya on that one lol! Currently a freelance manga writer/artist, and yes I do love the horror genre, that along with mystery, hence why memento is amongst my favourite films ever! Great vid, loved it
That doesn't surprise me at all! 😆 That totally makes sense, and I'm so glad you like Memento! Such a great film. And thank you very much, that's so kind of you to say. I'm glad you liked the video, thank you for watching!
Listen to mine.
Once upon a time,
The End!
Nice! A twist on tradition, with a little pause in there for the audience to fill the story up with their own tale. Thanks for sharing!
How I wish you get the attention your channel deserves! Again, such a nice video!
My 6 word story: desired questions answered, only more regrets.
Thank you! That's very kind of you to say. And ohhhh, I like that story! It's straightforward, but leaves thing open ended for people to fill in what those regrets might be. Thanks for sharing!
The blood, was green, not red.
This is a good one!! Makes me think of "The Thing" or like a sci-fi horror story. Thanks for sharing!
Everyone can write lies, mangaka's won't.
Oooohhh, I like this. A nice story about artistic integrity. Thanks for sharing!
@@DrewMalou Ummm, thanks. i just wouldn't thought it can matter to anyone, and it sounds very biased, but kind'a cool, because... you know what i will not elaborate and leave it to the imagination to anyone who'll read it. thanks for the heart.
You're very welcome. 😊 And yeah, it's nice to leave a little to the imagination!
-If wasn't black, would have lived.
Ohhhh, this is an interesting one. Thank you for sharing!
I've been trying to figure out a 6 word story, but I'm learning that I'm much too long winded. 🤣😅 as always, great video Drew!
Thanks Meghann! I'm glad you liked it. And I know, it's so hard to fit something that makes sense into just six words! It took me a while, it's like a riddle. Thanks for watching!
1. Run!!
2. Hate as.
3. Silence our home.
4. "What are you?" "Me"
5. Rise up, die and comeback.
6. "Wind" "Hide their coming!" "Who is ..."
7. "Where are we?" "Where you should be!"
8. "How is she?" "Alive but in the afterlife."
9. Our home outside of time broken, pillaged and destroyed.
10. "Time flies here better than tomorrow" "What you thought ... slower?"
Okay enough for today maybe in future I will add more.
Edit: 10 stories for now
0. …
11. " 'Halcyon days' bad than I don't have
them" "Good for you"
12. Shadows, shadowws ... shadowss.
We're back ... back ... are real.
Friends ... Where are you?
13. What is a god than the most powerful being that you can imagine?
14. Serene, nice name but describing how you are, will be an oxymoron or contradiction.
15. The cacophony of our engines in the atmosphere will be the only warning to surrender!
16. “Mmyy … loovvve … come out of the sanctuaryy.” “Stop using his voice!” “I’m himm” “Lies!!” cries.
17. “What’s our greatest virtues!?” “Determination!” “Perseverance!” “Morals which we uphold!” “What’s our sins!?” “Fear!” “Inaction!” “Indifference!” “Heedlessness!”
18. The numbness of the rulers hearts awoke a beast which will tear the six bustling spheres asunder anew.
19. "I'm mortal, you're almost immortal. You're reactive, I'm proactive. You're true born, I'm false born but you're dying tonight."
20. “We awoke from the cryogenic chambers … They weren’t perfect … some like me we’re lucky … others not so … like my husband.”
Edit[01XI22]: 11 more stories
These are cool! I love the one word short story: "Run!!" 😄 That one is great, but I think my favorite one is: "Time flies here better than tomorrow". There are a lot of directions you can take that story. Thanks for sharing!
@@DrewMalou Maybe, but for me the 10nth story doesn't create much thoughts in my head. "Time travel", "some kind of matrix", "apocalypse", "end of time" thats all the thought that appear to me. The story could be of how he/she/it stops from the past what'll happen or them simply going back in time to live in peacefully, before the tomorrow happens or how the go to past to see what made the tomorrow. My favs are 3, 5, 2 (most to least)because they makes as curious what the story/setting is. Rest of my personal ranking of this stories is 9, 8, 10, 6, 7, 4, 1. I'll add in future another 10 stories and enumerate the stories. Good day or night, bye.
I've got a soft spot for time travel stories, maybe that's probably why I liked it so much, haha. I feel like there is a lot you could do with a story like that. And I understand what you mean about wanting to know the story/setting for the others, you're definitely right about that! And I look forward to reading more, if you ever get around to it! 😄
@@DrewMalou New stories. Will you want be notified next time because I don't want to be annoying?
Yes, please notify me! I would love to read them. 😁
My daughter looked just like him.
I'm going to be completely honest... This video is so old that I forgot that this was your six word short story, and I legitimately thought you were saying your daughter looked just like Hemingway! 😂😂 I love this story! Definitely a lot of unpacking that can be done with this one. Thank you for sharing!
haha brilliant @@DrewMalou
What about 5 words ?........ " Why ? TELL me Why ? Try ! "
Oh dang!! 5 words is impressive. I love this! That last "try" works so well, and adds some great layers to the story. Thank you for sharing!
1 word ? Misunderstood.
@@DrewMalou and if you think the 1 word book "Misunderstood ,"is Too Long , here is the shortest 1 word book ," Me ? ".
And if THAT is Too long , the Zero word book ,: " ? "
From there you go to the quantum world 😄
LOOOOL My mind has been blown, lol. I am now in the quantum realm, never to return, haha. Thanks for sharing!
Wow, when you were talking about the challenge before revealing what the original story was, I was thinking about “Baby shoes, never worn,” but I thought it was just those words (which isn’t six) and only that it was a contemporary dark joke! I had no idea it stretched back a hundred years! The more you know! Thanks for a very cool video, Drew!
Oh, and my submission is the following:
-I though you died? Didn’t take. (I feel like this is a quote from something I’d watched or read, but I can’t remember if that’s the case or not, so I’ll include some variations on it)
-Weren’t you dead? *shrugs* Didn’t take.
-I thought I killed you. Wait
That's so funny, I've never heard of this being used in part as a dark joke, but it makes sense, and definitely fits! The more I know as well, haha. Thanks for watching, even though it was a little different than my normal videos. 😁
And that story does sound familiar, but I can't place it either. It feels like big villain energy to me, haha. I like it, and thanks for sharing!
@@DrewMalou Yeah, I'd first heard of it on one of Jacksfilms' videos from a few months back, and it was interesting to see that it had origins much older than a CZcams video hahahaha! Oh yeah, I'm very glad I did, as it's such an interesting concept, and definitely a video I want to share with other people who love writing! It's even an interesting challenge, and one that might make a fun party game!
Right? Okay, I'm glad it's not just me. I feel like it's from something, but I can't place where... Thanks! The mental picture I have is some immortal, antihero protagonist who can't die, but wishes to once their task is done!
Oh, interesting. Do you remember which video it was in? I'd be curious to see what jacksfilms says about the story. And thank you! I'm glad you think other writers would be interested in my video! 😊 And you're right, the six word short story would definitely make an awesome party game!
And it does sound like an anti-hero of some sort, you're right. Still can't place it, though. Lol.
@@DrewMalou I just looked it up, and I think it's this video: czcams.com/video/ia7wyd-aCUw/video.html (the section is from 1:19 to 1:57, and I realized that Jack explained the challenge, but I didn't catch that until trying to find the video tonight!)
You're welcome, and I'll let you know what they think, assuming they watch your video! I thought it had a wider appeal, and it really made me think that any writer could appreciate your video! 😁
It makes me want to try that out next time I have a dinner party haha!
Right? I just wish we could figure out where it came from hahahaha!
Ohhhh, yeah. I can see what you mean about it being a dark humor joke! 😅 And yes, I'd love to hear what they thought about it. I think I'll start making more content specifically geared towards writing and exploring the mechanics of storytelling. Been wanting to do that for a while now!
And I'm sure one day, many moons from now, on a dreary afternoon, it will click and one of us will remember, haha.
My friend was not my friend
Ooooh, I like this. I smell a betrayal afoot. Thanks for sharing!
@@DrewMalou thank YOU
This was a great idea
Haha, thanks, I'm glad you liked it!
Damnnnn this was a very interesting topic :O
Thanks! I remember being really intrigued by this story the first time I heard it, so I had to make a video about it!
@@DrewMalou I'm glad you did because I went down a rabbit hole on the topic lmao
Haha, heck yeah! Rabbit Holes are a lot of fun. Did you find anything interesting out about the subject?
Writing these is tedious, once said.
restraining myself from describing it to allow any and all guesses to foster... AUUGH
It will get worse, don't worry.
As you go further, I'm farther.
Before you go, can we be?
that one might be nonsensical or you'd need to make a stretch to make sense of it
Nonsense, liege. We cannot execute it.
im probably bad and shouldn't be rapidfiring them, i may come back to this with slightly renewed creativity
Haha, these are dope! Thank you for sharing!
But why comment? For the algorithm.
Bahahahaha!! I should post this on each of my videos. 😆 Thanks for sharing!
who are you and Why me?
Ohhh, I like this. Also, I'm sorry I'm just now getting back to you. Thank you for sharing your story!
The and,
I don't know if this was the intent or not, but this one feels kind of spooky to me... Like something happened, and the sentence just gets cut off. I like it!