Six words. Many communities.
A curated map of the websites, publications, books, contests and classrooms keeping six-word storytelling lively, inventive and gloriously difficult.
Published and editorially reviewed 29 July 2026
A small form with a big history
Six-word writing has grown through books, classrooms, online communities, literary magazines and contests. We rank the strongest starting points, then organize the wider field by purpose. These are independent destinations with different rules and editorial approaches.
Six essential starting points
Ranked for influence, usefulness, depth and current relevance. Different destinations win for different reasons.
Six-Word Memoirs
Larry Smith’s landmark project has collected more than two million six-word memoirs and helped turn the form into a worldwide movement.
Visit website ↗2Best independent archiveSix Word Stories
A long-running, searchable collection with thousands of miniature narratives and a strong emphasis on the story form.
Visit website ↗3Best literary submissionNarrative Magazine
A respected literary magazine with a permanent six-word category. It pays accepted writers, although submissions currently carry a fee.
Visit website ↗4Best open discussionr/sixwordstories
A public Reddit community where writers post new work, receive responses and see how the form behaves in a conversational setting.
Visit website ↗5Best illustrated archiveWIRED: Six by Six
An inventive archive from WIRED that paired reader-written six-word stories with editorial themes and commissioned illustrations.
Visit website ↗6Best free international contestSix Word Wonder Contest
The annual free-to-enter contest for original six-word stories, memoirs, poems and jokes, with publication for shortlisted work.
Visit website ↗Living communities
Places where six-word writing is still being posted, discussed, selected or shared.
Where writers can submit
Always check the destination’s current eligibility, rights, deadline and fee before sending work.
Teaching the form
Thoughtful lesson plans and projects that use six words to teach precision, identity and visual storytelling.
A compact six-word shelf
The books that established the modern memoir movement, plus collections devoted to six-word stories, poems and jokes.
Understand the movement
Useful background on how six-word storytelling spread through publishing, classrooms and online culture.
Know a remarkable six-word project?
We are interested in active, useful and distinctive communities, archives, books, teaching projects and submission opportunities. Suggestions are reviewed before inclusion.
Last editorial review: July 29, 2026. Rankings are our judgment, not traffic measurements. Inclusion does not imply partnership or endorsement. External sites set their own rules, privacy policies, fees and submission terms.