The First Annual Holiday Contest is officially open! Post your own version of Clement C. Moore’s traditional poem ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas. Your entry must be at least 12 lines/3 stanzas, not to exceed 40 lines/10 stanzas. Entries may refer to any winter holiday you celebrate (Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, etc.) or to any combination of winter holidays, or no holiday – just a good winter-time story if you’re not comfortable with a holiday. And if the idea of writing in rhyme strikes fear and loathing into your heart, you may write a prose version not to exceed 350 words (and if anyone dares suggest you’re wimping out well then you just tell them to talk to me!)
Entries must be posted on your blogs or, if you don’t have a blog, copied and pasted into the comments on my blog between now and Thursday December 22 at 11:59 PM EST. Once your entry is posted, please add the direct link of your post to the link list below. There will be no Would You Read It, and hence no new Wednesday post this week, so this post with any entries in the comments and the link list will remain up for the duration of the contest, making it easy for everyone to read all the entries!
And the prize, lest you may have forgotten? My lovely assistant judge and I will choose 3 finalists for you to vote on Monday December 26 (so you’ll still have something to look forward to even after you’ve opened your presents :)) The winner will receive their choice of a $15 Amazon gift card (to buy themselves whatever book they really wanted and didn’t get as a holiday gift :)) or the 2012 Children’s Writers and Illustrators Market!
We got 21 entries for the Thanksgiving Contest which was SO much fun! Let’s see if we can beat that!
As an aside, before I post my just-for-fun sample entry, I just have to tell you that any mention of ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas automatically makes me think of Larry The Cable Guy’s “‘Twas The Night Before A Non-Denominational Winter Holiday” – the supposedly PC version of this holiday tale. If you haven’t seen it, you owe it to yourself to check it out, but I can’t in good conscience link to it here on my child-friendly blog because it is a bit off color 🙂 (Still, if you’ve seen it or if you watch it, let me know what you think! I confess it causes me to ROTFL :))
Okay then, boys and girls, I hope you’re ready for some truly epic poetry 🙂
Now then, if that doesn’t cause fear and loathing of rhyme I don’t know what will! 🙂
I literally CANNOT WAIT! to read all your entries! They will surely be better than that one!
So. To the entries! Please post the direct link to your holiday contest post in the list below or paste your entry in the comments! Let the fun begin!!!
P.S. Although we won’t be having Would You Read It this week, we will still be having Perfect Picture Books on Friday so be sure to stop back for that!
Susanna Leonard Hill 
Kerry – thank you so much! I'm not familiar with Poetry Friday – I'll have to check that out!
Jim – so glad you entered! Have fun reading the others – everyone has done such a fantastic job!
Julie – thank you – you're very kind 🙂 I hope you enjoy reading everyone else's – they're all wonderful!
Oh Susanna, I loved that. It had thyme and pathos by the bucket-full. Happy Christmas.
Sorry that should read rhyme not thyme.
Rosalind – thank you 🙂 I'm glad you enjoyed it. If you have a couple minutes, read some of the entries – they're pretty amazing 🙂
Susanna – I just wrote to Santa and asked him to leave a 12 pack of Red Bull at your house so that you and your assistant are energized to review all these terrific entries over the holidays! They are so unique and marvelous!
I have seriously neglected my baking and wrapping duties while reading and commenting on the entries, but it has been worth it! Fun!
Merry Christmas!
Ha! I agree with bildebok! You will need energy for you and your assistant. This has been a load of fun. The entries are so clever. I have to say that I love The Night Before Christmas even more than I did before. I have had a ton of laughs!
I love, love, love it!
Merry Christmas!!
Of course the reindeer deserve a Hawaiian vacation! LOL Love it! Susanna–You sure do have your work cut out for you. I have read every single entry and am amazed at how good they are! I truly enjoyed reading every, single one of them. 🙂
Cathy – there's been a lot of neglect around here, too 🙂 Thanks for the Red Bull – I'm going to need it 🙂
Penny – I know, it's been sensational, hasn't it?
Peggy – thanks! Glad you liked it! Merry Christmas to you, too 🙂
Natalie – I have enjoyed reading them all so much, too! What talent! I hope you saw #28 which got added at the last minute because it was originally posted on the wrong list!
Susanna,
I noticed that by accident I had the link to my blog NOT the link to “A Jelly Bean's Christmas” on my blog. Therefore, seeing as I have been posting this week, it is not easy for people to find the story simply by clicking on the link I provided you. I tried to update the link, it might have posted again. Sorry! Can you please edit the link? It should be http://writeroutine.blogspot.com/2011/12/twas-holiday-contest.html
Thanks! This has been so much fun!
Marcie
thank you for fixing that! you are a busy blogger!
i will go visit, now that i know where to go =)
merry christmas!
Marcie – I think it's all fixed. Give it a whirl and make sure it works for you – you might have to refresh your browser. If it doesn't work, please let me know, but it's working for me now.
Tara – glad I could help (many tech questions are beyond my limited abilities!) Enjoy reading the others – it's an impressive showing!