Woo-hoo!!!
Spring is here!
And so is
The March Madness Writing Contest!
The Contest: Write a children’s story, in poetry or prose, maximum 400 words, that is a fractured fairy tale. Feel free to add a theme of spring, or mix in one of the spring holidays if you like – St. Patrick’s Day, April Fools Day, Easter or Passover, Arbor Day, Earth Day… Have fun with it! The madder* the better! 🙂
*as in wild and wacky, not angry 🙂
You do not have to include spring – that is optional.
The story can be a picture book or a short story – whatever you like.
If it’s a picture book, you may NOT include art notes, because we get into a weird area of whether that’s fair in terms of word count and added description etc. So if you write a picture book that’s wonderful, but make sure art notes aren’t necessary to understand it.
“Fairy Tale” apparently turned out to be a very debatable term, so my fellow judges and I will do our best to handle whatever you’ve come up with.
Title not included in word count.
Post: Your entry should be posted on your blog between right now this very second and Monday March 24 at 11:59 PM EST, and your post-specific link should be added to the link list below which will remain up through Wednesday March 26 so we can all take our time reading and enjoying everyone’s stories! (No PPBF on Friday March 21, no new post on Monday March 24, no WYRI on March 26). If you don’t have a blog but would like to enter, please copy and paste your entry into the comments below. (If anyone has trouble commenting, which unfortunately happens, please email me and I’ll post your entry for you!)
The Judge: My lovely assistant and I will narrow down the entrants to 6 finalists (or possibly a couple more depending on the number of entries :)) which will be posted here on Thursday March 27 for you to vote on for a winner. The vote will be closed at 5PM EST on Sunday March 30 and the winner will be announced on Monday March 31. (No PPBF on Friday March 28.)
The Prizes!:
– 1st Prize is a read and critique by
Karen Grencik of
Red Fox Literary!!! (Unless for some reason you don’t want a read and critique by an agent, in which case you may swap for any of the other prizes)
– 2nd Prize is a picture book manuscript critique (for rhyming mss only) by
Lori Degman, author of 1 ZANY ZOO and the forthcoming COCK-A-DOODLE-OOPS!
OR a picture book manuscript critique (for non-rhyming mss only) by
Cori Doerrfeld, author/illustrator of LITTLE BUNNY FOO FOO and PENNY LOVES PINK as well as illustrator of many others.
– 3rd Prize is personalized signed copies of THE THREE NINJA PIGS and GOLDI ROCKS & THE THREE BEARS by
Corey Rosen Schwartz PLUS a $25 Amazon Gift Card
– 4th and 5th Prizes are your choice of any two of the following picture books PLUS a $20 Amazon Gift Card:
– THE THREE LITTLE WOLVES AND THE BIG BAD PIG by Eugene Trivizas
– CINDY ELLEN: A WILD WESTERN CINDERELLA by Susan Lowell
– LITTLE RED WRITING by Joan Holub
– THE THREE LITTLE PIGS AND THE SOMEWHAT BAD WOLF by Mark Teague
– THE PRINCESS AND THE PEAS by Caryl Hart
– THE WOLF’S STORY: WHAT REALLY HAPPENED TO LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD by Toby Forward
– GOLDILOCKS AND THE THREE DINOSAURS by Mo Willems
– 6th Prize (which just skated in under the wire – thank you Sudipta!) is a personalized signed copy of hot-off-the-presses SNORING BEAUTY by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen
And don’t forget, all you illustrators, that this will be followed by a related Illustrator Contest in April!!! (to be announced and elaborated on as soon as the writing part of the contest is over! :))
And now, so that everyone will feel happy and confident about posting their stories, I will share my sample, a Wild West twist on The Gingerbread Boy at exactly 400 words (phew!):
The Cornpone Cowboy
Once upon a time (because that is the way all good fairy tales begin), Farmer Bubba and his lovely bride ThunderLily had the most beautiful ranch in the Wild West.
The grass was emerald green.
The rivers were pure as morning dew.
The cattle were sleek and fat and gave such rich, creamy milk that all the ice cream makers in the world fought over who would get it.
But even with all this beauty and excellent ice cream, Bubba and ThunderLily were sad. For though they were surrounded every spring by velvet-eyed calves and stilt-legged foals, fluffy chicks, pink piglets, and wooly lambs, they never had a child of their own.
Luckily, ThunderLily was not one to sit around moping. “If I can’t have a child, I’ll make one,” she told her darling Bubba.
She got cornmeal and buttermilk, eggs, salt, and bacon drippings, and quick as you like she whipped up a sturdy little Cornpone Cowboy.
“We’ll call him Charlemagne,” she said dreamily as she plucked the skillet from the barbeque pit.
“You’ll have to catch me first!” snorted the Cornpone Cowboy, and off he rode as fast as his cowpony could carry him.
He passed the pigpen and the piglets grunted, “Oh, Charlemagne! Come be our friend!”
“Don’t call me that!” said the Cornpone Cowboy, and he galloped on his way.
He passed the sheepfold and the lambs baahed, “Oh, Charlemagne! Come be our friend!”
“Don’t call me that!” said the Cornpone Cowboy, and he galloped on his way.
He passed the cow barn and the calves mooed, “Oh, Charlemagne! Come be our friend!”
“Why does everyone insist on calling me that?” said the Cornpone Cowboy, and he galloped on his way.
And so it was at the hen house…
. . . the horse pasture…
. . . and the goat shed.
Along about sundown a voice called, “Hey, Cowboy! Won’t you come set a spell by the campfire?”
“Don’t mind if I do,” said the Cornpone Cowboy, tuckered out from galloping. He hopped down from his pony, spurs a-janglin’, and came face to face with…
. . . COYOTE!
Quick as a wink he twirled his lariat. . .
. . . hog-tied Coyote . . .
. . . and lit out for home!
When Bubba and ThunderLily heard his story, ThunderLily said, “That’s our boy! Lightning fast!”
Which is how he came to be called LightningCharlie instead of Charlemagne (because really, who could live with that?) and they all lived happily ever after!
The End
Wasn’t that nice of me? Now you can all feel brave and smug, secure in the knowledge that your story is better than that!!! 🙂
Anyone besides me feeling an urge to sing?
“Like a Cornpone Cowboy
riding out on a horse in a star-spangled rodeo
Cornpone Cowboy…“
No? Darn! I was hoping the exceptional quality of my singing would distract you from that story even though “cornpone” doesn’t have quite the same ring to it as “rhinestone” 🙂
I can’t wait to read what you have all come up with! Let the fun begin! 🙂
And remember to check back here for entries added in the comments. I’ll list them as they come in 🙂 (Titles link to stories in comments – give them an extra moment to load)
Jennifer C – The Princess And The Pete
Pat H – Jack And The Giant
Angela – The Belle And The Sticker Burrs
Sean – No Spring Chicken Little
Shelly – Prince Frog
Kirsten B – Goldi And Red
Pen – The Sweetie Witch
Connie – Chocolocks And The Three Bunnies
Karen – Little Red Hen’s Shiny New Friend
Teresa S – Little Red’s Green Cloak
Eric – A Sleeping Beauty
Katie – Little Dead Riding Hood
Robert – Jack And The Beanstalk
Lisa – Rabbi Wolfberg And The Boarmans Celebrate Sukkot
Denise – The Biscuit Man
Kristen – The Boy Who Cried Spring
Jennifer Mc – Little Red Ray
Debbie – The Three Kittens
Gaye – Chocolate Muffins
Nancy – Big Bad Wolf And Red Riding Toad
Robert2 – The Emperor’s New Clothes
Kelsi – Goldinocks And The Three Scares
Jen – The Mischievous Fire Truck
Heather – Rap-unzel
Robert3 – Humpty
Hilary – Hare And Tortoise
Sandy – The Three Little Pigs And The Shoemaker
Kelly V – A Fractured Fairy Tail (Literally)
Susanna Leonard Hill 
Hi Ms. Hill! I was just linking my post today to your contest page and I don't see the linky thing for the entries…
Great story! I wasn't expecting the Cornpone Cowboy to come back! 😀
I'll sing with you (I'll sing a parody of Space Cowboy (though, 'cause my dad sings it, I have a feeling it's completely off)):
I'm a food cowboy!
Bet you weren't ready for that!
'Cuz I'm a food cowboy…
Hopefully, I'm doing this right — I've been a reading your blog for awhile but haven't commented before now. The word count on this challenge was — well, quite a challenge! — but I loved being able to rewrite my most-hated-of-all-time fairy tale.
Loved your story, by the way!
Here's my entry:
The “Princess” and the Pete
Late in the evening, in cold April showers
A maiden on horseback approached Prince Pete’s towers
“I hate to be forward,” she said, “but I’m beat!”
“Would you have a place I could hide from this sleet?”
Her warm, friendly smile…
Her natural glow…
Now here was a person Pete wanted to know!
He asked her inside
His mom piled the bed up
To give her the test that had Pete truly fed up
“This pea stuff!” Pete spluttered. “You’re always so pushy!”
“Who cares if the girl has a sensitive tushy?!”
But he knew that his mom glorified the elite
So to marry this girl he might just have to cheat
So just when his houseguest was washing her face
He took out the pea…
And put a squash in its place
But next morning, weirdly, the girl simply said
“I’m really enjoying this mile-high bed!”
The queen looked annoyed. “Not a princess, I see.”
The worried prince begged her for leniency.
And later when evening was starting to fall
He switched out the squash for his dad’s bowling ball
But next day, more thank you’s!
Our poor prince was shaken
And knew that this night drastic steps must be taken
So just as the girl said good night to the queen
He lifted a mattress and squeezed in between
And all through the night, hardly taking a breather
He wiggled and wriggled and kicked underneath her.
The prince felt her toss
Heard her groan “What the heck?”
In the morning he noticed her rubbing her neck
Still, when asked by the queen if she’d had a good rest
The girl simply beamed and said “It was the best!”
Prince Pete was confounded. Confused! Mystified!
He decided to fess up and ask if she’d lied.
She looked disbelieving. “Of course! I’m a guest!
When asked if I slept well I always say yes!”
Prince Pete couldn’t help it; he asked for her hand
She shook her head sadly, said “Please understand…”
“Someday I might marry (right now I’m all set)
But I’m not going to marry a guy I just met
And even a girl who’d get hitched in a hurry
Might find your MOTHER a real source of worry.
But I could use a friend, and some laughs, and a talk
So how about this… Let’s start with a walk?”
That's a nice twist to this story! 🙂
Hehehe! You are so funny Erik 🙂 Thanks for singing! And I apologize that I was so tired last night I forgot the link list, but it's up now!
Oh, wow, Jennifer! What a fabulous story! I love it! Such a clever twist, very funny, and how well done to have her stand up for herself and have some common sense! So glad you entered. Thanks for joining the contest fun! (And if you wanted to link to your blog and couldn't – my fault – I forgot the link list – so you can do it now!)
Loved your story, Susanna! And it's going to be so fun reading everyone's stories!
Here's my attempt.
Jack and the Giant
Once upon a time, I lived happily with my wife, in a home high above the clouds. I passed the time collecting gold coins, playing my golden harp and taking care of my golden goose. I bothered no one. And no one bothered me.
But one Spring morning all that changed when I noticed a beanstalk poking up through a hole in the ground. Curious, I walked over to it just as a boy climbed up through the hole.
“Hi,” he said. “My name is Jack.”
Now we don’t get many visitors up here, except the occasional dragon, so I was pleased to see the boy, small and smelly as he was. “Welcome, Jack,” I said. “I’m Giant.”
My wife made him a fine meal. I showed him my collection of gold coins, played him my golden harp and let Jack feed my golden goose.
He thanked me and went on his way. “Mum will worry if I’m not home by dark.”
“What a considerate lad,” I told my wife.
I didn’t notice my coins were missing until that night.
The next day, Jack was back. “Fee-fi-fo-fum, I smell the blood of an Englishman,” I said. “What a brave boy you are to come back after you stole my coins.”
“I didn’t steal your coins,” said Jack. But I will help you look for them.
Which he did.
That night, after he was gone, so was my golden harp.
“Grrr!” I said. “That boy is a thief! He is banned from my home.”
The next morning, I went to feed my goose. There was a smell in the air.
Jack!
“Fee-fi-fo-fum, I smell the blood of an Englishman!” I raced to the yard in time to see Jack running away with my goose tucked under his arm.
“Stop!” I yelled.
Jack slid down the beanstalk. I followed. Halfway down, the beanstalk
swayed. I sprinted back up, jumping off, just before it crashed to the ground.
Now Jack will tell you he cut down that beanstalk so I could not catch him.
But the truth is, the beanstalk was not strong enough to hold a giant. It collapsed under my weight.
Jack was right about one thing though. I could not catch him now.
But then, Jack could not climb back up either. And that’s his loss.
DidI tell you my wife spins gold?
Very nice!
What a great story, Susanna! You always write such terrific sample stories. Thanks for having these fun contests!
What a wonderful story! It's so fun and clever. I really like the ending. Great job!
The contests are fun, aren't they? I just got to read the first entry – Jennifer's below – and it was so fun and I was filled with anticipation for all the others to come because everyone is always so amazingly creative and clever! 🙂
Wonderful, Pat! Jack and the Beanstalk from the Giant's POV – very clever! 🙂 And I love the twist at the end! Great job! Thanks for joining in the madness 🙂
Underneath her post were a bunch of tags and at the end it says 4 comments (or whatever number it's up to)…
Thanks for your kind comments, Cheryl & Susanna!
🙂
Thanks, Susanna! Found it! 🙂
Thank You so much Cheryl! I'm trying to figure out my blog and how to make my comment tab more visible.
Maybe it's just me. Others seem to have found the comment link okay. lol. I posted my comment at your blog, too. 🙂
Susanna, the link for #5 doesn't seem to be working. (Unless it's just me. I seem to be having technical challenges today. lol.)
Comin' this weekend! Woo!
Hang on, let me check it. I hadn't seen past 3 yet 🙂
Can't wait! 🙂
Wonderful. I like the twist and the POV!
Thanks! 🙂
Congratulations. I love the girl's good manners! So glad you decided to participate.
Hi Susanna. Thanks for the fun. You never cease to amaze me. I know you pulled that story off in a matter of days. My hero! (And I won't be able to get Glen Campbell out of my head today!)
Working on it – it's a tricky one – got an email out… fingers crossed 🙂
I LOVE this. Really great job!!
Funny, well written, nice flow, AND it makes sense!! Of course anyone with good manners wouldn't complain about the bed!
The Belle and the Sticker Burrs
Once upon a ranch, cattle king Jake
and his wife Gracie sat horseback watching the sun set. Their ranch stretched
for miles in every direction. Ranch life
was good, but it could be lonely. They worried about their son Cody. He needed a wife.
“She has to be fearless,” said
Gracie.
“She has to be tough,” said Jake.
That night, lightning flashed as a
gullywasher of a storm hit. Thunder
almost drowned out the banging on the front door.
“Good evening. My name is Belle. Do you think I could come in for a
spell? My horse and I got lost and this
storm is a might treacherous.”
“Come on in and set by the fire,”
said Cody.
“I will get you some dry clothes,
my dear,” said Gracie.
“How about hot chocolate?” asked
Jake.
As the storm went on, Belle traded
stories of lost calves and favorite hounds with her hosts. Jake and Gracie could see that Cody’s eyes
sparkled when he looked at Belle. Maybe
this was the girl for Cody. But they had
to be sure. Jake went to the barn for
supplies.
If she was the one, she would have
to pass their test. They filled the mattress with sticker burr hay. Only a true rancher’s wife could sleep in a
mattress filled with sticker burrs. And
just for good measure, they threw in some barbed wire and a coach whip
snake. A blue patchwork quilt topped it
off.
“Hope you sleep well,” called Jake
and Gracie as Belle headed for bed.
Morning
came and they all went to check on their guest.
To their surprise, the snake was under the
glass lampshade and Belle was cuddled under the quilt. Belle was not only asleep, but snoring loud
enough to wake the cows.
Gracie
touched her on the shoulder. Belle woke
with a smile and stretched.
“I like
my bed a little firmer, but I still managed a good night’s sleep. Can I help you cook up some breakfast?”
Cody and his parents smiled. Belle was definitely the one.
Sure enough, the next spring there
was a big wedding on the ranch. Cody and Belle stuck together like burrs to a
sweater ever after.
Alas, it was more like a matter of hours 🙂 And I know what you mean about that song – it's totally stuck in my head 🙂
Delightful, Angela! I love it! My favorite part is how they stuck together like burrs to a sweater 🙂 And I love a story with a strong heroine 🙂 I also love that you chose a wild west theme – great minds think alike 🙂 Thanks so much for joining in the fun!
Thanks for the encouragement Susanna and thank you for putting on these contests. It was fun writing something, but it is even more fun reading all the submitted stories.
Wonderful story, Angela! I like the descriptive language and the western setting. And of course Belle would pass the test! Great job.
Great fun, Susanna! Where do you get these names from? I think I'll post tomorrow. Fun, fun, fun!
I'm so glad you enjoy it, Angela! I'm like you – I love having a reason to write something just for fun, but I love getting to read everyone else's even more! I'm always blown away by how creative and talented everyone is! 🙂
Gotta love Glen Campbell and cornpone. 🙂 You are a delight, Susanna…and so is your fractured fairy tale!
Mine is up…so happy to jump into this pool of crazy talented writers…I see a lot of possible books coming down the pike.:)
Thanks so much for providing the platform, Susanna…you are the best!
Well, I just thought them up out of my silly head, Catherine 🙂 I will look forward to your story!!! 🙂
Yeah, Glen Campbell and cornpone are not two things you'd think to see together, are they? 🙂 Thanks for your kind words, Vivian, and I can't wait to read your story! This is so much fun, isn't it?! 🙂
I have never heard Cornpone and you had me reeling around laughing! Mine is half written.. phooey.
It's no Cornpone Cowboy, but it's something…
NO SPRING CHICKEN LITTLE
By Sean Lamb
Once upon a cloudy time
there lived a senile chicken.
She waited for doom—
a bang or boom from
a time bomb that was tickin’.
One day, she stuck her head outside.
A raindrop plopped on her beak.
“I’ve been hit! I’ve been hit!”
She threw quite a fit.
“We’re doomed!” She started to freak.
Chicken Little took off like a shot.
She had to inform the tall King.
She ran through the street
and pecked a quick tweet:
“AAAHHH!!! #theskyisfalling”
Henny Penny came out to inspect.
She asked her friend, “What’s the matter?”
“The sky’s falling down!
We must warn the town
before we’re turned into splatter!”
The two frightened friends scampered off
and ran into Ducky Lucky.
He quacked, “What’s the rush?”
“We’re gonna be mush
unless we all warn King Clucky!”
They covered their heads and bolted.
Goosey Loosey honked as they passed.
“Are you out for a walk?”
“There’s no time to talk!
Any second there could be a blast!”
The four feathered friends flocked forward.
Foxy Loxy stepped in their way.
“Take cover! Look out!”
they started to shout.
Fox drooled at the birdie buffet.
“You must help us out, Mr. Fox.”
The crafty beast gazed at the storm.
“You’re right. Come inside.
I know where to hide.
It’s quiet and safe and quite warm.”
He led the four birds to his den
and showed them their hiding place.
“You’ll all be safe here.
There’s nothing to fear.
Don’t let the door hit your face.”
Fox turned the knob to four hundred
and set the clock to one hour.
“Chicken for dinner.
Fox, you’re a winner.
I love a nice April shower.”
Chicken Little learned her lesson.
Which ends this little novella.
You can learn something, too:
When the sky isn’t blue,
never forget your umbrella.
Thanks, Joanna 🙂 And you can do it! You still have almost 5 days before the deadline! 🙂
OMG, Sean! So funny and clever! I love it 🙂 Foxy didn't even have to work for that one 🙂 I will watch out for senile chickens and try to remember my umbrella 🙂 Thanks so much for joining in the springtime writing madness! 🙂
Hi Susanna, thanks again for hosting the contest! Here's my entry:
Prince Frog
Tad got his own pad when he was crowned prince of the pond.
He caught so many flies, he couldn’t eat them all.
Tad had a big stinky stockpile.
The pile oozed slimy and grimy across the pond.
Tad grew fat.
The pond burbled while Tad burped.
The common frogs hopped away to ponds and puddles that shone like mirrors.
One day Blaze the dragonfly fluttered by. He circled, then said, “Clean this mess!”
“ZIPPIT,” replied Tad.
Blaze shivered his shimmery wings.
Poof! A whiff of smoke.
Tad sunk to the bottom of the pond.
He swam back to the top.
He was . . .
A BOY!
“Humans have warts!” Tad wailed.
“When this mess is clean, you’ll once again be green,” Blaze said.
Tad was hopping mad.
But without four strong legs, there wasn’t much he could do.
Flies started flitting. Tad tried to catch them, but human hands aren’t fast like a
frog’s tongue.
The flies tittered as they buzzed away.
Tad sat with his head in his hands. For the first time he really regarded his realm.
It was a murky and muddy, polluted pond.
Hands weren’t helpful for hopping, but they were good for gripping
So Tad bagged the dead bugs, skimmed off the slime and took away the trash.
Under all the mess was a royal blue pond fit for a prince!
The common frogs came home. They hopped around Tad’s feet. They were so happy to have a clean pond, they kissed him.
Poof! A whiff of smoke.
Tad was a frog once again.
Tad hopped to his pad. He hung out a sign, “It’s good to be clean … and green.”
Love your maiden character and this fresh take! Just wish she had a name to remember her by! Good luck!
What a terrific twist on The Frog Prince, Shelly! So entertaining! I think my favorite part was when he said, “ZIPPIT!” Hahaha! 🙂 Lovely use of language throughout. Thanks so much for joining in the fun! Happy Spring! 🙂
I love that line too! Well done. And good luck!
Sweet twist! Leaves me wishing I had a spell for my son to clean his room! Good luck!
GREAT job Angela!! Us farm girls are tough chicks!
“Stuck together like burrs on a sweater.” I want to hang that over my bed!
Thanks so much! And thank you for running the contest. So much fun! All of these stories are awesome.
Great flow. Fun story. And I LOVE the title!! 🙂
Super cute. Loved this line: “Humans have warts!”