Can love be captured in just five words? The whole sweeping, passionate arc of a romance novel? Twitter users think so! Well, sort of.
In the trending hashtag #My5WordRomanceNovel, tweeters have been composing super-succinct flash stories that capture a love story. For some, that looks sentimental or desolate; for others, it looks like "let's order another large pizza." In fact, many of the stories from the hashtag game lean tongue-in-cheek rather than earnest. It's pretty tough, it seems, to convey epic ardor spanning decades via just five words.
The classic several-word story challenge is often traced back to Ernest Hemingway's legendary (and contested) six-word heartbreaker, "For sale: baby shoes, never worn." This construct allows one whole word more than the #My5WordRomanceNovel game -- that's another 20 percent of storytelling time.
In the five-word romance version, things must be snappier, though not all participants handled the loss of that word with aplomb:
Brands being brands, of course, corporate accounts hopped on this hashtag like their businesses were at stake. From Qdoba ("You and Me. Qdoba. Forever.") to Peanut Butter & Co. ("Peanut butter and jelly sandwich") to Bruegger's Bagels ("Us. Together. Forever. With bagels.") to the more tenuously linked brands (has anyone ever fallen in love in a way that involved homeowner's insurance, protein powder, or Zippo lighters?), corporate Twitter handlers know one thing everyone else on the social media site should: Hashtag games are a delightful way to challenge yourself as a writer and to discover cool new people to follow. And of course (duh), to get cool new people to follow you.
Plus, this magazine's Twitter maven might have found the most romantic five words in the English language:
Here are more of our favorite five-word romance novels -- contribute your own in the comments or on Twitter!
#My5WordRomanceNovel A large pizza for one.
— Danielle Henderson (@knottyyarn) March 28, 2016
#My5WordRomanceNovel
— Mitch Benn (@MitchBenn) March 28, 2016
They missed their train. Deliberately.
#My5WordRomanceNovel He made her coffee daily.
— Caissie St.Onge (@Caissie) March 28, 2016
Hopefully he will change soon #My5WordRomanceNovel
— AmberTozer (@AmberTozer) March 28, 2016
And then they touched butts. #My5WordRomanceNovel
— HappiLeeErin (@HappiLeeErin) March 28, 2016
#My5WordRomanceNovel two lesbians meet in Ikea
— Tessa Kennedy (@T_Kennedy9) March 28, 2016
She realised she was dreaming. #My5WordRomanceNovel
— Lily Bailey (@LilyBaileyUK) March 28, 2016
Sometimes her retweets aren't pity-.#My5WordRomanceNovel
— Nick Douglas (@toomuchnick) March 28, 2016
he had a ring on #My5WordRomanceNovel
— Aparna Nancherla (@aparnapkin) March 28, 2016
@Michael5SOS is now following you #My5WordRomanceNovel
— 5sos as horses (@5sosashorses) March 28, 2016
#My5WordRomanceNovel She used the Oxford comma.
— Adam Carl (@AdamWho) March 28, 2016
#Hannibal intensely admires Will's curls 🍷 #My5WordRomanceNovel pic.twitter.com/tSFLGpDmAT
— Marie the Fannibal (@HannisElephants) March 28, 2016
Equal participation in housework/childcare. #My5WordRomanceNovel
— closetmystic (@closetmystic) March 28, 2016
Her breastesses were truly amazing. #My5WordRomanceNovel
— ItsJustJayNow (@ChocnessMonsta) March 28, 2016
Screw this, I'm dying alone
— Tara Dublin (@taradublinrocks) March 28, 2016
#My5WordRomanceNovel
i changed my mind oops #My5WordRomanceNovel
— Pretty. Odd. Shay! (@underdanstable) March 28, 2016
Do you do bodice repair? #My5WordRomanceNovel
— Michael McKean (@MJMcKean) March 28, 2016
Yes, batteries are included ma'am #My5WordRomanceNovel
— Lauren Brickman (@LaBrixx) March 28, 2016
"Vote Republican?"
— Eric Wolfson (@EricWolfson) March 28, 2016
"Never!"
*they kiss*#My5WordRomanceNovel #p2 pic.twitter.com/C6dgx67gFd
Boy meets Girl
— Jennifer Farrar (@jennfarrar7) March 28, 2016
who failed math.
#My5WordRomanceNovel
#My5WordRomanceNovel She really hates sand too.
— Old Luke Skywalker (@Hermit_Luke) March 28, 2016
#My5WordRomanceNovel "I sentence you ... to KISSES."
— Daniel Kibblesmith (@kibblesmith) March 28, 2016
We Disappointed Each Other Exclusively#My5WordRomanceNovel
— Sara Mansford (@SaraMansford) March 28, 2016
#My5WordRomanceNovel Here is my WiFi password
— Danielle Jackson (@hella_danielle) March 28, 2016
Lottery winner suddenly becomes irresistible #My5WordRomanceNovel
— Jaime Lopez (@Lopeezie) March 28, 2016
#My5WordRomanceNovel Anything is better than Twilight.
— Puppy (@PuppyAbbott) March 28, 2016
#My5WordRomanceNovel I am watching your grammar.
— I haven't (@witchesvictim) March 28, 2016
"Actually, novels are much longer." #My5WordRomanceNovel
— Eric Spratling (@ericspratling) March 28, 2016
You're damaged too? Let's marry. #My5WordRomanceNovel
— Patrick Strudwick (@PatrickStrud) March 28, 2016
Love me! Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? #My5WordRomanceNovel
— lilyroseloire (@lilyroseloire) March 28, 2016
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