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Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/122995522-let-s-write-a-six-word-story-or-a-poem

How do you contain a life, a loss, a moment of joy—in six words?

M.A. Quigley’s Let’s Write a Six-word Story or a Poem doesn’t answer that question so much as it dares you to try. With quiet prompts and generous whitespace, the book becomes a kind of personal atlas—each reader sketching their own emotional coordinates, one line at a time.

This is not a book of examples. It doesn’t teach, instruct, or correct. It offers something subtler: a repeated invitation to map your inner world with a pen.

A Book That Listens

The format is minimal—each page presents a prompt, followed by a blank space. But the experience is expansive. You might begin with something simple: “Write a six-word story about your childhood.” That’s it. No preamble, no filler.

The real work happens when the silence around that question stretches. When you stop and think, what matters most?
This is a book that listens more than it speaks. And that makes it feel, at times, like a confidant.

Ordinary Prompts, Extraordinary Reach

Quigley’s prompts touch on themes universal and deeply human—family, identity, growth, grief, wonder. There are playful entries too (yes, even dogs and dreams), but always with a sense of care. Whether you’re ten or seventy, you’ll find something here that resonates. And unlike some writing guides, this one trusts the reader to find meaning on their own terms.

It’s a slim book, but it respects your inner life more than many volumes three times its size.

Across Borders, Within Ourselves

At Atlas of Stories, we think often about how stories cross thresholds—between languages, cultures, generations. This book does the same in miniature. A six-word story written in Sydney might echo a memory in Mumbai. A poem jotted in a Glasgow notebook might mirror a moment felt in rural Kenya.

There’s something powerful about a form so brief it can be spoken aloud in a single breath. That power becomes connection—quiet, personal, yet profound.

Not Just for Writers

While designed for individual use, the book’s strength lies in its openness. It could be used in classrooms, around kitchen tables, in counseling sessions, or during long solo train rides. Anywhere someone is willing to write is a place this book belongs.

And you don’t have to call yourself a writer. You only need to have lived—and be willing to look back, forward, or inward with honesty.

Final Thought

In a world of fast content and loud advice, Let’s Write a Six-word Story or a Poem is a soft-spoken companion. It reminds us that stories don’t need to be long to be meaningful. Sometimes, all it takes is six words—and the courage to write them down.

M.A. Quigley has created a space where readers can become storytellers, quietly and clearly. And in doing so, she’s offered not just a writing book, but a mirror.

Atlas of Stories Award

This book is a recipient of the Atlas of Stories Award, an accolade that celebrates works mapping the literary world with creativity and depth. Aligned with our mission of “Mapping the World Through Books,” this award honors stories that inspire, educate, and entertain while transcending cultural and imaginative borders. These remarkable narratives explore universal themes, fostering connection and understanding as they take readers on a journey through the richness of global storytelling.

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