Torchwood and Shakespeare: Six word storytelling...

[fajrdrako]

kikibug13 posted a livejournal meme:

Hemingway was once challenged to write a story in only six words. His response? “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.” He is believed to have called it his greatest literary work ever. Can you write a story in six words? - Submitted by femspectre

Ah, well, Hemingway liked his brevity. maaseru would not approve.

I amuse myself by summarizing Shakespeare plays in six words, from various points of view. For example:

• The Taming of the Shrew's Kate: "Destroyed with a kiss. No regrets."
  
• Much Ado About Nothing's Benedick: "Banter will surely lead to love."
  
• Hamlet: "The ghost made me do it."
  
• Macbeth: "Crown, wife, life, by ambition lost."

And then I do it with Torchwood characters:

• Owen Harper: "Finding meaning in sex and medicine."
  
• Gwen Cooper: "Curiosity killed the cat, not me."
  
• Ianto Jones: "Jack needs me, I need him."
  
• Toshiko Sato: "Ask the right questions; science answers."
  
• Rhys Williams: "Proud to be a Torchwood widower."
  
• Captain Jack Harkness: "Use the past, save the future."
  

Comments

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Love those. Especially, "Lie detector eyeglasses perfected: Civilization collapses." And "It’s behind you! Hurry before it" - which sounds as if it's straight out of a Doctor Who episode!

[kikibug13.livejournal.com]

Grins. I've had whole conversations with muses, 50+ tags, where each comment was six words. (okay, occasional strikethrough, but tags made sense in six words.)

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I wonder if 'six words' is some kind of creative magic number, or if the same effects could be created with 5 words or 7 words. Sort of like doing drabbles of 101 or 99 words.

[maaseru.livejournal.com]

or even haiku.

Ah, well, Hemingway liked his brevity. maaseru would not approve.

Nay, not true. I love many art forms. Only, as I have said before, I regret that dribbles, drabbles, and the like have usurped writers' efforts to create longer stores. More difficult to be sure, but much better than snacking endlessly.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I agree with you. Sadly.