best 55 word short stories

For sale: baby shoes, never worn.

They are concise. Just six words can convey a whole story, like 'Goodbye, cruel world. Hello, abyss.' which gives a sense of despair in a very short form.

One common theme could be self - discovery. In a short space of 1000 words, characters might start out not knowing themselves well and through some events, they gain a better understanding of who they are.

Love is a common theme. Stories often show how love can change a person or a situation. Another theme is hope, like in stories of people overcoming difficulties.

Sure. 'The Gift of the Magi' by O. Henry is a great 1000 - word short story. It tells the story of a young couple who are very poor but want to give each other special Christmas gifts. The wife cuts and sells her long hair to buy a chain for her husband's watch, while the husband sells his watch to buy combs for his wife's hair. It's a touching story about love and sacrifice.

Yes. There's 'The Necklace' by Guy de Maupassant. It's about a woman who borrows a diamond necklace for a party, loses it, and then has to endure years of hardship to pay for a replacement, only to find out in the end that the original necklace was fake. Also, 'Hills Like White Elephants' by Ernest Hemingway is a short but powerful story that leaves much to the reader's interpretation through its sparse dialogue.

Love is a common theme. For example, in stories like 'The Gift of the Magi', it shows selfless love between a couple. Another theme is society and its norms. 'The Lottery' explores the dark side of following traditions blindly. And often, there's the theme of human nature, like in 'A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings' which shows how people react to the unknown and the different.

Another could be 'Lost keys, late for work.' It shows a common, relatable situation that even beginners can easily picture. Just a few words but it tells a whole mini - drama of someone's morning going wrong.

Yes. It could include tales of adventure. Think about a story where a young adventurer sets out to explore an uncharted island within the limit of 1000 words. There might also be stories with a moral lesson at the end, teaching readers about kindness or perseverance.

There's no one - size - fits - all answer. However, generally, a short story can range from about 1,500 to 30,000 words. For very short ones, like flash fiction, it could be as few as 500 words. If you're aiming for a traditional short story for a literary magazine, around 3,000 - 5,000 words is often a good target. It gives you enough space to develop characters, plot, and theme without getting too long - winded.