Memoir writing has become a trend. Whether it’s the 90210 starlet Tori Spelling’s “Stori Telling” or presidential hopeful Barack Obama’s “The Audacity of Hope,” books bearing true-life stories maintain a formidable presence on the New York Times best-seller list.

I, too, have boarded the bandwagon. To date, I’ve written eight memoirs. I plan to write a half dozen more by the end of the week.

Unlike most of today’s best-sellers, which spend hundreds of pages chronicling life’s adventures, my memoirs resemble one of Ernest Hemingway’s stories.

According to Smith magazine, Hemingway was once challenged to write a story in only six words. Hemmingway responded, “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.”

Smith magazine posed a similar challenge to its readers: Tell your life story in six words.

The editors at Smith compiled the six-word entries -- from writers famous and not -- into a book, “Not Quite What I was Planning” (six-word title, of course).

Some entries are funny: “I like big butts, can’t lie.” Some poignant: "Cursed with cancer. Blessed by friends." Others, like comedian Amy Sedaris’s, are, well, odd: "Mushrooms. Clowns. Wands. Five. Wig. Thatched."

Smith is now re-issuing its call for entries and plans to publish an encore.

My six-word memoir? “Not exactly a box of chocolates.”

Smith is making it a little easier for those who might find their lives too big and messy -- or beautiful -- to fit into six words by creating six (there’s that number again) sub-categories:

1. The Creative Life. (I wrote: “There’s a reason it’s called “deadline.’”)

2. A Life in Bites - about food. (I wrote: “The best diet: falling in love.”)

3. Love & Heartbreak. (I wrote: “Wanted a knight, got Don Quixote.”)

4. MOMoirs - about motherhood. (I wrote: “Kids aren’t around, I watch Spongebob.”)

5. The Green Life - about tree-hugging. (I wrote: “Can’t give up hot showers. Sorry.”)

6. Six-word Memoirs by Teens. (I wrote: “Old lady now. Category not applicable.”)

I invite my blog readers to share six-worders, here. Or submit them to Smith. Preferably, both.

I’d also like to propose a new category, especially for this blog: Winona life in six words.

Here’s my six-word thought on Winona life: “No place I’d rather call home.”

Now, your turn. In six words: What do you have to lose?

Learn more:

Watch the Six-word Memoir video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBnP0DoGjRI

Enter the Six-word Memoir contest:

http://www.smithmag.net/sixwords/

Food for Thought: “Words should be weighed, not counted.” -- Jewish folk saying.