Throw pink confetti! Open the chocolates! It’s here! It’s here!
And do you know why I’m so excited?
It’s not because I’m about to publicly humiliate myself with my sample entry. (Although I suppose that does beg for a certain amount of excitement.)
It’s because I’m going to get to read all of your FABULOUS entries!!!
At least I hope I am. Was anyone able (or willing?) to write one?
We shall see…
For any who may not have heard yet and who might like to join us in our contest, all the info is HERE. (Please scroll down below the slugs, and please note the word count, slightly raised from the original.)
Meanwhile, for your roll-on-the-floor-and-possibly-die-laughing-at-me pleasure, here is my sample:
So it’s Valentines Day and we’re in the Secret Clubhouse.
We is me, my little brother Ty, and our dog, Leroy.
Not Bronwyn.
I’m boss of the club because I can talk.
Ty and Leroy are perfect sidekicks because they can’t.
Bronwyn wore a dress to school today. Traitor.
“Here’s the problem,” I tell them. “Valentines Day is so full of silly it ruins the only decent girls.”
“Lala,” says Ty.
“Exactly,” I say. “Pink overload. It’s probably poisonous.”
Ty and Leroy do not disagree.
“Luckily, I have a plan.”
Here it is:
1. Cancel Valentines Day.
I am a master of simplicity.
Someone bangs on the clubhouse roof.
It’s Bronwyn.
“Go away!” I say.
Ty eats some dirt. Leroy wags his tail. Traitor.
“I’ve got worms,” says Bronwyn. “Want to do some Valentine fishing?”
Fishing Valentine?
Maybe her mother made her wear that dress. “Okay,” I say.
As we head for the fishing hole, I make up a Valentine for her.
Yikes! Looks like the pink poisoned me, too!
SO. After that, I think everyone should feel pret-ty confident they can do better! I had trouble getting an idea I could squeeze into such a low word count. This was 22,067 words at the outset. (Well. I may be exaggerating a little :))
This time I am remembering the link list on the first try (yay me!) so get your entry-specific links right on there so we can all come applaud your genius! I can’t wait to read everyone’s stories!!!
Remember, this post will stay up until Monday evening, and you have until 5PM EST Monday to post your link. Then we’ll have a special post Tuesday with the finalists for you to vote.
Ready?
GO!!!
(Oh, and P.S. I am being featured today, February 11, on Kai Strand’s blog, on the topic of industry love! Should you care to pop over and have a look, I wrote about my indie :))
Also, please check the comments – there are at least 2 entries posted there, one under jrzoch and one under my name due to posting trouble.
Susanna Leonard Hill 
Just put my link in. Had a lot of fun with this one!
Well, I want to read more! What a great start to a sweet story, the main character has such a strong personality right from word one. Thanks for sharing!
Ok I now have submitted a story for children, still with the tea theme. It can be found on my blog at http://darlenefoster.wordpress.com/2012/02/13/valentines-day-contest-tea-party/
This has been fun and now I have two valentine's day stories. Thanks!
I enjoyed your Valentine's Day story and look forward to reading the other entries! Best of luck to everyone!
Furry Love
As the day was ending and the sun began to fall,
Fox jumped in the garden over the red brick wall.
Squirrel heard him coming and ran quickly up the fence.
Rabbit tucked into the woodpile using her good sense.
The fox moved on and left their patch of veggies safe again,
Squirrel and rabbit soon came back as did rooster and his hen.
“Whew – that was lucky!” they agreed. “He’d have had us for a meal!”
That scared the fowl into their coop and rabbit gave a squeal!
Squirrel finally took notice of this cotton-tailed delight,
And he felt a little dizzy at the outset of the night.
“I’d like to have you over for a nutty bite to eat,
If you could only climb up to my lofty branch retreat”
“Then you shall come to my burrow where I sleep underground,
I dug it out myself and hung the walls with down.”
Mutual attraction joined the hearts of these fast friends,
Use your imagination to guess how this story ends.
Wow! Good for you! Cant wait to read it! I'm catching up after 9 hours of driving and haven't checked – I hope you added your link to the list so everyone will see your entry!!!
Thank you, Heather! I'm so glad you liked it 🙂
Thank you, Julie! I'm looking forward to reading the others too! 🙂
Very cute and creative! Thanks for joining in our little contest!
Oh, goody!!! I can't wait to read it! (Although I'm feeling a little cross-eyed after 9 hours of driving so I might have to wait until the morning ! :))
Oooh! I can't wait to tea your entry! But after 9 hours of driving I'm pretty much cross-eyed and squinting, so i probably won't get to it til tomorrow – you have time for any tweaking etc you want to do 🙂
Rebecca Fyfe (unregistered) wrote, in response to Cathy Mealey (unregistered):
I added mine. It's not showing yet, but it should soon. It's only about 123 words. I already have ideas for how I can lengthen it though, so if it weren't for the fact that Blogger is being difficult today, I would have waited until tomorrow to add it here and spent the time adding to the poem/story.
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No. Everyone else is going to cheer you guys on 🙂
Cathy Mealey (unregistered) wrote, in response to Susanna Leonard Hill:
SEVEN?? (gulp) OK, if Penny's in, I'm in. but I want everyone to play along!
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I am getting through reading them slowly. They are sooo good. Sorry, working on some deadlines for another project so won't make this one, but am loving the entries so far. Going to be hard to vote on this one, Susanna!
I know! It always is. Everyone is so talented! And I have to narrow it down to 3 for the vote. Yikes!
Julie,
Furry Love was as cute as the title! Really fun!
Great job Susanna, that was adorable. What a fun contest. I wanted to participate but never came up with anything worthwhile. Good luck to everyone!!
So cute and fun–look forward to checking out some more!
You still have nearly 6 hours….! 🙂
Where's your entry? 🙂
Okay, I'm going to try!! 🙂
That's the spirit! I'll be waiting with baited breath! Meanwhile, as you're creating, know that I am struggling along at the same time trying to write a picture book to keep my up with the PB marathon! Isn't it easier to work when you know someone else is working too 🙂
Jennifer Young (unregistered) wrote, in response to Susanna Leonard Hill:
Okay, I'm going to try!! 🙂
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Susanna – my entry – Which I changed to “You Fill Me Up” but was posted as “The Forbidden Love of Glassy and Dropper” isn't showing as a link under your contest. Can you let me know if it posts?
Valentines
Brenda made'em,
Then she gave'em,
To her hubby.
He's her lovey.
Hmmm…. it's not even showing up on the simplylinked manager list… let me see if i can enter it.
You're right, it does help!
OK. It's showing up on for me, now. Want to go check and see if you see it and the link works?
Such a fun idea! Love your prompt and look forward to reading all the entries!
That is lovely, Brenda 🙂 although hopefully not unlikely 🙂
They are quite a creative bunch! All so different! This poor judge has her work cut out for her 🙂
I see it now listed as You Fill Me Up and the link works – YAY!
Great story and title, Julie! It's usually in unlikely situations like this when one is not expecting to find love, that they find it. 🙂
This entry is from Rachel Frier who had trouble posting. Please enjoy!
Max’s Princess
Max was in love with Samara. She was his princess. He watched Winnie-the-Pooh with her, and he saved her a seat and fed her popcorn.
At school, they sat next to each other every day, and shared all the best crayons. At the park, they both stopped swinging when one felt sick. And when they lost their two front teeth, they compared gap-toothed grins and funny-sounding “eth-es.”
Samara loved Max. She told her mommy and all her friends that she wanted to marry him when they grew up.
But Bobby was in love with Samara, too. He liked her pretty dresses and her silly laugh. He wanted to be her Valentine.
Samara was conflicted.
“I love Max, and Max loves me,” she told her mommy. “But Bobby loves me too, and he wants to be my Valentine. So they have to take turns.”
Then she thought a little more.
“But really, I love Max more. He came to my party, and he gives me better hugs. He shouldn’t have to share me with Bobby. I want to be Max’s princess, not Bobby’s Valentine.” And she smiled, pleased with her decision, and showing off the gap-toothed grin that Max loved best.
You go girl!
Hi Susanna, I got it done, wahoo! Just can't add my link. What's new right?! lol. Here's my title- Catch and Release. Link- http://jennyleeyoung.blogspot.com/2012/02/valentines-day-contest.html
Woo-hoo! Good for you! I'll see if I can get the link up for you 🙂
Thats a funny story! valentines day is pretty infectious…
Hi Ben, and welcome! Yes, apparently it is 🙂 I just read your entry – very nice!
I loved your tale of royal love!
Aw…the classic love triangle! Even young love is complicated sometimes. Great work Rachel!
Just in case they don't show up after waiting a while, here are my two daughter's entries:
by Gabriella:
How Miss Mouse Became a Door Mouse: http://gabbysart.blogspot.com/2012/02/how-miss-mouse-became-door-mouse.html
The Key to Its Heart: http://gabbysart.blogspot.com/2012/02/my-mommys-friend-susannah-hill-has-blog.html
and
by Isabella:
Puppy & Kitten Love: http://isabellasimagination.blogspot.com/2012/02/puppy-kitten-love.html
Your daughters have made my day! What terrific entries! There is no age limit – they are perfectly welcome – and their entries are wonderful! I added Gabby's second one – for some reason only one linked up.
I'm totally writing that rhyme in my husband's card for tomorrow, but I'm switching boy for girl. 😀
I'm so glad I could perform a useful service 🙂 Maybe I have a future with Hallmark 🙂
Good job, Rachel! I'm glad she chose Max!
Aw, sweet story!
Best of luck to all the entries! And I like Bronwyn. Nice, sensible girl. 🙂
🙂
Susanna, thanks for having this writing challenge. I want to live where your story takes place — we would have Ice Fishing Valentine in Ohio!
This is so much fun reading through the entries! And yours is great, Susanna! Isn't it funny how hard we can be on ourselves? It was soooooo out of character for me to be willing to post something on my blog that I had written only 24 hours earlier. But that is something I am trying to work on in the new year…being more free to learn and grow and sometimes fail. So thank you for giving me the opportunity! 🙂
That poem is my new favorite! Best “Roses Are Red” ever.