Not Quite What I Was Planning, Revised and Expanded Deluxe Edition: Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure

by: SMITH Magazine, Editor, Larry Smith

Published by: Harper

Reviewed by Connie Anderson

(Revised and expanded deluxe edition, first offered as Not Quite What I Was Planning)

In a little bet with some other writers, Ernest Hemmingway won the bet on who could write a story with the fewest words. He famously wrote: “For Sale: Baby Shoes, Never Worn.

SMITH, the online storytelling magazine, asked readers to submit six-word memoirs. This book is filled with hundreds of them–humorous, poignant, right on and brilliant use of words.

I am in love with this book that was a New York Times bestseller. Anyone who appreciates brief and clear statements will too. Now I am cursed with trying to write some myself. The effort to use words to tell stories in a short, powerful way is a gift.

Here are some related to writing/reading:

Can’t read all the time. Bummer – Rina Bander

I wrote a poem. Nobody cared. – Joe Heaps Nelson

I write because I can’t sleep – Ben Mezrich

Yes, you can edit this biography. – Jimmy Wales

Couldn’t cope so I wrote songs. – Aimee Mann

How about:

Married for money. Divorced for love. – Rose Abraham

Women Seek Man–High Pain Threshold. – Yin Shih

School geek married a luscious cheerleader. – Christopher Clucheg

Now SMITH Magazine has a new version released by Valentine Day. This is one is Six-Word Memoris on Love & Heartbreak by Writers Famous & Obscure. More fun indeed. More than 20,000 submissions were received by the magazine.

This book is a GREAT GIFT to anyone who loves words, and that is everyone who reads or writes or wants to.

Armchair Interviews says: If you like what Kyla E. Town in Love & Heartbreak said: “We were roadkill on love’s highway,” this book is for you.

Web site: http://www.SmithMag.net/sixwords.com