“We need to first be limited in order to become limitless.”—Phil Hansen
THE SIX-WORD STORY
Ernest Miller Hemingway was one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century. He coined a style of writing that exercised the reader’s intellect and wisdom. The style is known as the Iceberg Theory. The Iceberg Theory is a minimalistic style that allows readers to infer underlying deeper meanings by letting them shine through the words instead of explicitly stating them. He mastered the power of knowing what not to say. Hemingway wrote elegantly while conveying most of the information and emotion in a few words. He believed that the meaning of a story should be hinted at and left to the reader’s interpretation, like an iceberg where only a small part is visible above the water while the majority is beneath the surface.
There’s a tale about when Hemingway was challenged to limit his creative freedom. He was having lunch with fellow writers, and Hemingway claimed he could write a six-word story. The writers were reluctant to believe that anyone, regardless of their talent, could write a story interesting enough to capture the hearts of the reader in six words. Hemingway sensed the denial in their voice. He told them to each place a ten-dollar bet on his ability to accomplish this feat, and they instantly agreed.
Grazing his mustache softly, Hemingway thought deeply while his peers continued to enjoy their food. As lunch was wrapping up, the other writers nagged him with boastful comments about how they planned to spend the most effortless ten dollars they’d ever made. Suddenly, Hemingway’s eyes lit up. He reached across the table, grabbed a napkin, and pulled a pen from his shirt pocket. He quickly jotted down six words on the napkin and passed it around the table. The table grew strikingly silent. Tears streamed down their faces.
The words read: “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.”
FLASH FICTION
This general concept of telling a story with the absolute minimum of words is known today as flash fiction. Flash fiction is an ultra-short form of storytelling that emphasizes brevity and efficiency. Flash fiction has many types defined by word count, including the 50-word “minisaga,” the 100-word “microfiction,” the 750-word “sudden fiction,” and the 1,000-word “flash fiction.”
These stories convey an entire narrative arc using precise language and imagery. It often focuses on a single character, moment, or idea. Flash fiction shows us that creativity can fit within limitations while offering deep emotional triggers.
CHOICE PARALYSIS
When creators experience a creative block, it often stems from a psychological effect called choice paralysis. Choice paralysis happens when we’re presented with too many similar choices. Not only are we less likely to choose effectively, but we also get less satisfaction from our selection.
The more choices we have, the more negative emotions and stress we have. These negative experiences can accrue to the point that they outweigh any joy we derive from making a choice. It can completely drain our energy, rendering us incapable of acting on our choice even after we have made it. Without constraints, creativity can lead to complacency. Psychologists refer to this phenomenon as the path of least resistance, where individuals settle for the first intuitive idea that comes to mind rather than pushing themselves to develop even better ideas.