Six Word Story Contest 2024: Winners!

Congratulations to the winners of the 2024 Six Word Story Contest! This is the 11th year for our annual March contest, and we received just under 300 entries from all over the world!

We had three separate classes participate this year, including an entire classroom of ESL students from a school in France, as well as entries from places as far away as Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland!

And now, what you've been waiting for...here are this year's winners.

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Contest Winners:

• 1st: AI generated dystopian novel wins Nobel.
  - Sue Liwanag (Sherwood)
• 2nd: "Wait!" He blinked, and unplugged me.
  - Amber Rose Cusick (Sherwood)
• 3rd: Rainy Day.
           Mud puddles.
           Bubble bath.
  - Brenda Bartell (Portland) 

Youth Winners:

• Winner: "My donut!" "No, mine!" CRUNCH "Hey!"
  - Dylan R. (Sherwood, age 15)
• 2nd: Fresh ink, paper, candle, stained hands.
  - Orly F. (Portland, age 12)
• 3rd: Daddy, the dolls are back again!
  - Marina Y. (San Ramon, CA., age 11)

International Winner:

• Winner: Homework due tomorrow morning. Hungry dog?
  - Villum E. (Normandy, France, age 16)

Other Honorable Mentions and Staff Favorites (in no particular order):

• Overthinking six words generated endless possibilities.
  - Wendy Gigliotti (Sherwood)
• Ghosts of childhood haunted our potential.
  - Jessica Pearl Lorenz (Sherwood)
• "There is time!" He was wrong.
  - Cian Horan (Ireland)
• Best place to hide: detective school.
  - Gene N., age 12 (Sherwood)
• My first love was my last.
  - Margaret Federspiel (Tualatin)
• Cherry Brown Eyes with Unconditional Love.
  - Priyanee Perera (Sherwood)
• Mountains divided us. We went hiking.
  - Norbert Kovacs (Hartford, CT)
• First talk, first laughs, first love.
  - Feist A., age 16 (Normandy, France)
• Ships had sailed; she preferred swimming.
  - Jason Jones (Sherwood)
• For her dying wish, she lived.
  - Yohanna M., age 13 (Sherwood)
• Failing auditions. Please tip your waiter.
  - Shannon Prince (Portland)
• Admiring cozy homes through mansion windows.
  - Lisa Marie Lopez (Concord, CA)
• A hidden star whispers a tale.
  - Alyssa B., age 9 (Lake Oswego)

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The literary legend that started it all: While having dinner with fellow writers of the famous Algonquin Round Table in New York City, Hemingway bet he could write a story in just six words. They bet not. He grabbed a pen and a napkin and wrote: “For Sale: baby shoes, never worn.”  They paid up and Hemingway called it his best work.

Our local and youth winners receive magnetic poetry sets and gift cards to local businesses. Big thanks to this year’s judges: Melanie Dobson, local author; Jo Guediri, Sherwood Engineering Program Associate and local author; Ray Pitz, editor of the Sherwood Gazette; Shruti P., High School Student Representative on our Library Advisory Board.

Look for a celebration of the winners and honorable mentions on social media this week.