The story of a first kiss gone wrong. An encounter on a snowy city sidewalk. A profound realization about a stepparent. An embarrassing moment on a soccer field.
These are the subjects of some of the best of the nearly 13,000 “tiny memoir” submissions we received for our fall contest, in which we invited teenagers to tell true stories about meaningful life experiences in 100 words or fewer.
Though the work of our winners is quick to read, the tales they tell will stay with you. Here is one:
Nap Time With a Kindergartner Who Doesn’t Know English
Cocooned in my Minnie Mouse blanket, I squint through dimness, scrutinizing Ms. Johnson’s nose wart.
Surprise strikes when Blonde Girl turns over. Smiles at me. Whispering English gibberish. She giddily uncaps a pink ChapStick, twisting it under my nose.
“Birthday cake!” I think —
She chomps off half the ChapStick. Chewing, Blonde Girl offers me to do the same. I panic, realizing: 1. The tube’s dripping saliva. 2. I’m also friendless. Best solution? I’ll swipe on her ChapStick. Just a wee bit.
I accept, eyeing the wax’s glisten before staring into Blonde Girl’s blue raspberry irises.
My teeth sink into ooey-gooey friendship.
— Grace Huang, 16, West High School, Madison, Wis.
We invite you to visit this page and read all 15 tiny stories, and then tell us:
Which stories were most interesting to you? What would you like to say to those writers?
Which ones reminded you of moments from your own life? Why?
Which of them showed you something new? What did you learn?
Which did you most wish continued beyond the 100 words? What do you imagine might happen next?
What “writer’s moves” did you most admire? Be specific: Are there stories, sentences or even single words or marks of punctuation that especially impressed you? Which and why?
What do you think: Is it possible to tell a satisfying story in 100 words? Can a tale that length still have character development, a plot, conflict and even suspense or a truly surprising ending? Which of these stories would you use as evidence for your answer?
Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public and may appear in print.
Find more Student Opinion questions here. Teachers, check out this guide to learn how you can incorporate these prompts into your classroom.
