Nano iTom

“Hunched”
Sunset in the grass; Aileen’s hunched, crying. I decide to leave. Standing, I remember her hair matted with rain, her wet lips kissing her husband.

“Chores”
She left yesterday, dresses stuffed in two red suitcases. Today I mowed, clipped hedges, chatted with Chet across the fence about dogs. It’s my fault.

“Sunday Morning”
I woke in a cold, empty bed, her pillow smelling like strawberries. She’s left a rose on the kitchen table. And a note, “Love you.”
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Here's my stab at it. This is a great exercise, Katie. Along with all the things you said in your email, I feel like the 25 words also force you to lay claim to your voice in a way long works don't. There aren't all those paragraphs to muck about in.

Katie, your first two are highly poetic and almost surreal in the way they reveal the moment and the plot. Your third also reads like a poem, but instead of surreal, feels grittier, more grounded in the conflict and character

This reminds me of a 6-word memoir site I saw a while back: http://www.smithmag.net/sixwords But let's be honest: unless you're Hemingway, there can be such a thing as too short.