6 Word Memoir Debrief

What did I learn about storytelling?

During this assignment I learned that storytelling doesn’t just have to be in novel format. Before this, I used to think that a story was something that was explained in pages worth of words. But now I have learned that you can use only six words to get your point across, and it’s just as effective. Sometimes less is more, and too much detail is overwhelming and ineffective. I also learned that it’s not as easy as it seems to say something in exactly six words. It takes a lot of creativity and word play skills to condense what you want to say into six words.

Where did I show my knowledge about using storytelling skills?

I tried to show my knowledge about storytelling skills in my usage of punctuation, but most of my memoirs didn’t have a huge need for punctuation. I think I conveyed it more in the way I put my words together. When I was thinking of words to put with my pictures, a lot of the time my memoirs ended up being either one too little or one too many letters, and I had to find a way to fix it into six. I tried to keep them as simple and relevant to the picture as possible. With the punctuation I did use, I used it to convey a certain type of emotion with each memoir so readers could understand how I felt during that time.

What did I learn as a reader, writer, thinker, and/or storyteller?

As a reader, I learned that just because a story is short, it doesn’t mean it’s written poorly or has a bad storyline. Each story has its own meaning and purpose, and just like you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, you shouldn’t judge a story by its length. As a writer, I learned that sometimes you’ll find less is more. You don’t always need a paragraph, a page or even 500 pages to get the point across. Sometimes as little as a photo and a couple words will suffice. It’s just your choice of words and use of punctuation that matters.