Hemingway Memoirs
Hemingway Memoirs is an ideation warm-up exercise for divergent ideation: it helps participants open up more possible ideas before choosing a direction.
How to run it
- It's hard to top Hemingway's 6-word memoir, but asking participants to take a few minutes to write and share either a memoir, experience, mission, etc in only six words can really open minds
- Hemingway Memoirs Timing 5 - 15 minutes Purpose/Objectives - Quick Description Quickly and succinctly sum up your experiences in just six words. A great conversation starter for any JDWKHULQJ Process 6 Word Memoir "For sale baby shoes, never worn." by Ernest Hemingway. It's hard to top Hemingway's 6-word memoir, but asking participants to take a few minutes to write and share either a memoir, experience, mission, etc in only six words can really open minds. For inspiration, check out some others... KWWS // Logistics Post each persons Hemingway's 6 words in a central place for everyone to see. Cool Possibilities/Options Instead of sharing the memoir in a large group, have players write it at the top of their publishing board . as an icebreaker or conversation item throughout the day Tags 15 - 30 minutes, broaden your thinking, creativity, distilling information, exercise, hemingway, icebreaker, memoirs, networking, open minds, people science, small groups Source Ernest Hemingway 190
- KWWS // Logistics Post each persons Hemingway's 6 words in a central place for everyone to see.
- Cool Possibilities/Options Instead of sharing the memoir in a large group, have players write it at the top of their publishing board .
- as an icebreaker or conversation item throughout the day Tags 15 30 minutes, broaden your thinking, creativity, distilling information, exercise, hemingway, icebreaker, memoirs, networking, open minds, people science, small groups Source Ernest Hemingway 190
Run this exercise live
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What participants need now
Materials:
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Prompts to use +
It's hard to top Hemingway's 6-word memoir, but asking participants to take a few minutes to write and share either a memoir, experience, mission, etc in only six words can really open minds
Hemingway Memoirs Timing 5 - 15 minutes Purpose/Objectives - Quick Description Quickly and succinctly sum up your experiences in just six words. A great conversation starter for any JDWKHULQJ Process 6 Word Memoir "For sale baby shoes, never worn." by Ernest Hemingway. It's hard to top Hemingway's 6-word memoir, but asking participants to take a few minutes to write and share either a memoir, experience, mission, etc in only six words can really open minds. For inspiration, check out some others... KWWS // Logistics Post each persons Hemingway's 6 words in a central place for everyone to see. Cool Possibilities/Options Instead of sharing the memoir in a large group, have players write it at the top of their publishing board . as an icebreaker or conversation item throughout the day Tags 15 - 30 minutes, broaden your thinking, creativity, distilling information, exercise, hemingway, icebreaker, memoirs, networking, open minds, people science, small groups Source Ernest Hemingway 190
KWWS // Logistics Post each persons Hemingway's 6 words in a central place for everyone to see.
Cool Possibilities/Options Instead of sharing the memoir in a large group, have players write it at the top of their publishing board .
as an icebreaker or conversation item throughout the day Tags 15 30 minutes, broaden your thinking, creativity, distilling information, exercise, hemingway, icebreaker, memoirs, networking, open minds, people science, small groups Source Ernest Hemingway 190
Run this with your AI assistant +
Works with Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, or your own local model: paste this prompt and your AI will co-facilitate this exercise with you.
Adapt this exercise for my exact room. Exercise: Hemingway Memoirs. Readiness: Publishable Draft. Core moves: It's hard to top Hemingway's 6-word memoir, but asking participants to take a few minutes to write and share either a memoir, experience, mission, etc in only six words can really open minds; Hemingway Memoirs Timing 5 - 15 minutes Purpose/Objectives - Quick Description Quickly and succinctly sum up your experiences in just six words. A great conversation starter for any JDWKHULQJ Process 6 Word Memoir "For sale baby shoes, never worn." by Ernest Hemingway. It's hard to top Hemingway's 6-word memoir, but asking participants to take a few minutes to write and share either a memoir, experience, mission, etc in only six words can really open minds. For inspiration, check out some others... KWWS // Logistics Post each persons Hemingway's 6 words in a central place for everyone to see. Cool Possibilities/Options Instead of sharing the memoir in a large group, have players write it at the top of their publishing board . as an icebreaker or conversation item throughout the day Tags 15 - 30 minutes, broaden your thinking, creativity, distilling information, exercise, hemingway, icebreaker, memoirs, networking, open minds, people science, small groups Source Ernest Hemingway 190; KWWS // Logistics Post each persons Hemingway's 6 words in a central place for everyone to see.; Cool Possibilities/Options Instead of sharing the memoir in a large group, have players write it at the top of their publishing board .. Return a concise facilitator script with timing, wording, safety notes, and remote/in-person adjustments.
Origin unverified
- Where we observed it: The strongest current observations come from Relationship Makers Handbook; aggregators are listed as additional observations, not origin proof. (1 source observed, including Relationship Makers Handbook.)
- What that means: we track where an exercise has been observed in public sources. We do not claim to know who created it, or how popular it is.
- No efficacy claims: appearing in this library is not a claim that the exercise is proven effective. Facilitator judgment and context decide whether it works for a given room.
- Corrections: if you have evidence of an earlier or more accurate source, read our methodology and trust boundary and tell us.