Doug Weller is a storyteller and the creator of the Six Word Wonder. His mission is to entertain and amuse, and he has a terrible beard.
Doug’s books explore storytelling in both its smallest and most imaginative forms. Doug writes his own books, and also champions the Six Word writing form.
Six Word Wonder
Stories told in exactly six words.
We have books, contests, writing prompts, and stories galore.
The Six Word Wonder Contest has attracted over 30,000 entries.
The idea is simple, but the results can be remarkable. In just six words, a writer can create humour, mystery, tragedy, or revelation. A tiny story can suggest an entire world, leaving the reader to fill in the rest.
Inspired by the famous six-word story often attributed to Ernest Hemingway — “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.” — Six Word Wonder celebrates the art of extreme brevity and the creativity that emerges from tight constraints.
Over time, Six Word Wonder has grown into a global storytelling project. The site features collections of six-word stories, creative writing prompts, books devoted to the format, and regular contests inviting writers to test their skill.
The most recent Six Word Wonder Contest attracted more than 20,000 entries from writers around the world, each attempting to craft the perfect miniature story.
You’ll find examples, inspiration, and opportunities to participate throughout the site.
Because sometimes six words are all a story needs.
Find out more about Six Word Wonders
Find the Winner of the Six Word Wonder contest 2024.
Read the announcement of the winner of the 2023 Six Word Wonder contest
And the next contest is coming soon… Watch this space to be first to enter!
Six Word Stories is a BEST SELLER across Short Stories, Anthologies, and Poetry.
Doug Weller’s Books
Doug Weller’s books explore storytelling in both its smallest and most imaginative forms. He is best known for the Six Word Wonder series, collections of tiny stories, poems, memoirs, and jokes told in exactly six words. These miniature pieces reveal how powerful brevity can be. In just a handful of words, writers create moments of humour, mystery, sadness, and surprise. The books bring together hundreds of these tiny stories from writers around the world, celebrating the creativity that can emerge from a simple constraint.
The Six Word Wonder project has grown into a global writing challenge, with thousands of writers submitting their own six-word stories through contests and community events. The best entries are collected in the Six Word Wonder books, offering readers a wide range of voices and ideas packed into the smallest possible storytelling space.
Alongside these micro-fiction collections, Doug has also written longer works of fiction. His adult novel The Forgetting Cycle explores memory, identity, and the fragile nature of reality, taking readers into a darker and more complex narrative world. For younger readers, Doug has written imaginative adventures including Calico Rae – The Twisted Towers and Boy In A Box, stories that blend mystery, humour, and inventive storytelling.
Across all his work, Doug’s writing celebrates imagination and the idea that powerful stories do not always need many words. Whether through a six-word story that lingers in the mind or a longer tale that invites readers into new worlds, his books explore the many ways storytelling can surprise, challenge, and inspire readers.
You can find out more details of the Winner and finalists here.
Watch out for the next Six Word Wonder Contest
The Six Word Wonder Contest – Write up to six of your best stories, poems, memoirs, or jokes, told in only six words. Entry is FREE and you have the chance to get published and win $100.
Six Word Wonder of the Day
