Six-word stories: Share with the IJ what you would do if you won the lottery

Have you ever wondered what you’d do if you won the lottery? Me too. Every so often, I buy a lottery ticket and imagine what I’d do if I got the winning numbers. Who would I tell, if anyone? What would I change in my life? (Spoiler: probably not much.) Who would I help and where would I donate to? What would I treat myself to? How would I try to avoid the “lottery curse”? So, tell me, what would you do if you won the lottery?

Please make it a six-word story, a personal short story, with a beginning, middle and end — not six adjectives, not a cliche and not advice. Make us laugh or cry or at the very least feel something.

For an example, here is the famous story attributed to, but not proven to be written by, Ernest Hemingway: “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.” That’s quite the story! Need more examples? “It can’t be. I’m a virgin,” writes Kate Atkinson. “Set sail, great storm, all lost,” says John Banville.

If you want your story to run in the IJ, please:

• Write “Six-word story” in the subject line

• Send one six-word story. Just one

• Include your full name and Marin town in the body of the email, no attachments

• Write your short story in the body of the email, no attachments

• Use proper punctuation and spelling

• Use sentence style in one line

Please send to lifestyles@marinij.com by April 19 and look for it in the April 30 lifestyles section and online.