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 
Love your rhyme scheme! Love what you did to tweak the original -so much more fun! Good luck!
Come on, Joanna! I haven't even started mine yet!
Really like your Giant, Pat, and his wife! Great twist of view- good luck!
They really are, aren't they? Everyone is so creative and talented!
Thanks Erika! Just read your story…great idea! Really enjoyed it!
I am so glad that you had this contest because I am on a roll with three different fractured fairy tales! Anyway, here is my version for the contest:
GOLDI AND RED
Goldi and Red were the trickiest tricksters in FairyTale Forest.
They dangled spiders above Miss Muffet’s head.
They spread butter on Mr. Dumpty’s wall.
And the old lady who lived in a shoe? They double knotted her laces!
One morning, Goldi had an idea. Her locks bounced and flounced while she
prepared her best trick ever.
Over at the Hood house, Red had an idea too. Her jacket swooshed and
whooshed while she prepared her best trick ever.
That afternoon, Goldi received a letter:
“Porridge Party at Papa Bear’s cottage. BYOS (bring your own spoon).”
Goldi grabbed her golden scooper and flitted out the door.
Red also received a letter:
“Not feeling well. Please bring porridge. Staying with friends in Wolfie Woods.
Love, Granny.”
Red boiled a batch of “just right” porridge and charged out the door.
Meanwhile, Goldi had just gotten to the Bear’s house. It was very quiet.
Hello?” she whispered.
No answer. Then she saw three heaping bowls of porridge.
“It would be rude to let that delicious dish go cold,” thought Goldi. So she dug
in. She didn’t even notice the shadows in the doorway.
“GRRRRR.”
Goldi spun around mid-swallow and discovered a trio of beastly bears.
“What are you doing in our house?” growled the grizzlies.
They chased Goldi over the river, through the woods, and halfway to morning.
Over in Wolfie Woods, Red had just reached Granny’s.
“Hello?” she bellowed.
No answer. Then, she saw a lump in the bed.
“It would be rude to wake my sick granny,” thought Red. So she dug in. She
didn’t even notice the shadow in the doorway.
“GRRRRR.”
Red spun around mid-gulp and discovered one cantankerous canine.
“What are you doing in my house?” howled the wolf. He chased Red over the
river, through the woods, and halfway to noon.
Red ran until the wolf huffed. She ran until the wolf puffed. She ran until…
“Oof!” She smacked right into Goldi.
Red looked at Goldi and Goldi looked at Red.
“Wait a minute…,” they said together.
“Did you…?”
“Did you…?”
Goldi and Red felt like a bowl of too-cold porridge, shivery and yukky.
“No more tricks!” they promised, shaking hands. But each girl kept their
crossed fingers out of sight.
Thanks Julie! Looking forward to seeing yours!
The Sweetie Witch
A sweet old witch named
Hilda
Lived deep in Toffee Wood,
Weaving magic, casting
spells…
Some bad, but mostly good.
One day while dipping in a
stream
To catch a moonlight
pearl,
She heard a sob, and in a
bush
Was crouched a tearful
girl.
“I beg you Miss,
don't eat me!”
Pleaded little Gretel,
“My bones are dry, my
flesh is thin,
My blood tastes yuck, like
metal.”
Hilda laughed and shook
her head,
Though Gretel was
suspicious.
“Why would I eat you
dear
When my house tastes so
delicious?”
The witch led Gretel
through the trees
Into a fairy glade,
And Gretel's eyes grew
round as hoops
At wonders there
displayed.
A cottage built from
gingerbread
And cake, instead of oak.
Up from the chocolate
chimney pot
Rose cotton-candy smoke.
Brightly colored lollipops
In pots beside the door.
Honeycomb for roof tiles,
And sherbet on the floor.
A table made from
liquorice,
With soft marshmallow
chairs.
A rug of woven
apple-whips,
And jelly-beans for
stairs.
“The best part's
round the back, my dear,”
Hilda trilled with glee,
“My sweetie tree
makes anything – look –
I'm growing a muffin
settee!”
When Gretel saw she gave a
gasp
For on it her brother sat,
His mouth crammed full of
muffin crumbs,
Stroking the witch's cat.
“Hello there, my
name's Hansel,”
The foolish glutton said,
“Could you get me
some milk to wash this down?”
Suddenly… the witch…
saw RED!
“Oh, greedy boy!”
yelled Hilda,
“You really are a
hog!”
With that she waved her
candy wand
And turned him to a frog.
Poor Gretel started
weeping,
Which softened Hilda's
heart,
And she turned her to a
frog too
So they'd never be apart.
Now Hansel and Gretel live
happily
In Hilda's little stream,
Diving down for moonlight
pearls
And eating fly ice-cream.
Sorry about the formatting folks, it wasn't that long and thin on my computer screen – yikes!
So cute and clever, as usual, Susanna. Which is why I will look forward to more time in the summer/fall to take your course! I won't be joining you for the contest, but I will enjoy reading them.😊
Nice twist on Goldilocks, Connie! Lucky Chocolocks – found her mother and got the candy too 🙂 Thanks so much for joining in the March Madness! 🙂
I really enjoyed this!
OK Susanna, I'm in! I'm sure glad we're not up against the Cornpone Cowboy… that was fabulous! And, yes I can sing along. What's a good cowboy story with out a campfire sing-along? Can't wait to start reading all the rest of the entries!
Thanks so much, everyone! So fun to see how different everyone's entries are. There are some awesome writers in this community!
BTW, no blog here Susanna — I'm a total newbie.
So much fun, Kirsten! What a pair of tricky tricksters! Love that they fooled each other! And love how they got chased “halfway to morning” and “halfway to noon” 🙂 Great job! Thanks so much for joining in the fun!
This is delightful, Pen! What a wonderful job you did! I love all the candy descriptions – the whole house sounds delicious! And I love that Hansel and Gretel both became frogs. My favorite line (apart from the candy :)) was “diving down for moonlight pearls and eating fly ice cream” 🙂 If the format is bothering you, you should be able to edit your post. Just go in and back space so the verses hang together properly. But I don't think anyone will care 🙂
So funny! And loved the hashtag!
Angela, what a wonderful twist on the Princess & Pea!
Thank-you so much for your kind words Susanna 🙂 I really appreciate you hosting this competition as it's a great way to get creative juices flowing, and I love a challenge!
I'm so pleased 🙂 Thank-you!
Thanks Pat! Loved your idea…clever perspective and a great ending. Really liked how you spun the story.
GReat job! I like the use of the variety of characters.
“BYOS” had me ROLLING. I may put that on my next party invite, just to see what people do…
This is great! I LOVE that she turns Gretel into a frog too!!! It's lighthearted, sweet, funny and edgy all at once!
Chocolocks is a great name!
Thanks Erica! 🙂
Nice job! Especially with the rhyming which is really hard to do! I love that's she's polite, but smart!
The chicken tweets! Ha ha ha ha ha…
There is one that takes a long time, but seems like magic–they GROW UP 🙂
I also love the way you combine fairy tales!
Beautiful descriptions:-)
Just want to give a heads-up and apology to anyone I don't leave a comment for…I've started from #1 and will work my way down…as well as read the ones that are part of the comments. I'M SO EXCITED…THESE ARE GOING TO BE SO MUCH FUN! HOWEVER…for those of you who have captcha enabled…if you don't see my comment, it is not because I didn't love your story, but because captcha doesn't love me.:) I am already unsure whether my comment was accepted by Cheryl's blog (#3)…if the comment doesn't post immediately and there is no message that it is being saved for moderation, how does one know? 🙂
Okay…I am done whining…back to reading. 🙂
Thanks Shelly 🙂
Hi Susanna, well I have never written a fractured fairy tale, but I gave it a try! Here is my spin on the tale of The Little Red Hen…..and I so enjoyed reading yours–nothing like a Cornpone Cowboy, lol!
Little Red Hen's Shiny New Friend
Little Red Hen wanted to make her delicious bread. She lived on a farm with her friends, but none of them would help.
“Who will help me plant the seeds, to grow the wheat, to make the flour, to bake the bread?” asked Little Red Hen.
Her friend dog rolled over, cat cleaned her paws, and duck waddled away.
“Hmph!” she said, “I will do it myself.” That evening she had an idea.
She waited until the farmer was fast asleep. Then she crept into the barn and climbed onto the big green tractor.
“Rrrrrmmm” the motor roared, and out of the barn raced the Little Red Hen.
“Weee!” she cackled, as into the fields she flew, spreading her seeds.
Soon the wheat grew tall and golden.
“Who will help me gather the wheat and bring it to the mill?” she asked.
“We’re busy!” said her friends, as dog ran after cat, and cat chased after duck in a game of tag.
“Never mind, then!” she said.
She waited again for nightfall. Then into the barn she went and jumped up onto the farmer’s tractor.
“Rrrrrmmm” the engine started, and off she sped, plowing through the fields, gathering the wheat. She drove to the mill where the wheat was turned into flour.
The next day she asked her friends, “Will you help me bake the bread?”
Dog was digging a hole. Cat watched the birds. Duck went for a swim. “Not now,” they said.
“What was I thinking!” said Little Red Hen.
She mixed and stirred and kneaded the dough. She patted it down and watched it rise. Finally, it was ready to bake.
The smell of freshly baked bread drifted through the air and under the noses of her very lazy friends.
“Who will help me eat this bread?” she said.
“We will!” said the dog, the cat, and the duck.
“Certainly not!” she said. “Not once did you help me. I will share my bread with my hen friends across the countryside.”
“You can’t possibly carry all this bread,” laughed her friends. But later that evening a startling noise awoke them. A huge green monster with big eyes lurched torward them from the barn.
“Run!” they cried.
The shiny green tractor charged passed them with Little Red Hen at the wheel.
“See you in the morning!” she waved, as she headed to the hills pulling her wagon full of bread.
Wow…so creative! Not what I expected at all when I saw the title. No princess and no smooching. Love the last line, too.
I made a mistake in the link. I gave it the wrong name! If you or I can't change the name of the link, I can certainly change the name of the story to match the link. If it doesn't matter to you, I can also just let it go. 🙂
Let me know if you manage to comment on #12 – it wouldn't let me even thought I tried 4 times 😦
Hahaha! I love that Little Red Hen loves to drive the old John Deere 🙂 Good for her, finding a way to manage all that work in spite of her lazy friends 🙂 What a fun twist on the tale! You did a great job, Karen! 🙂 Thanks for joining the fun 🙂
Lightning Charlie. Of course. I wonder why he wasn't made of chocolate……
Wow, Teresa, what a fun one! Kudos to you for working in characters from about 10 fairy tales and for getting St. Patrick's Day in there too! Well done! I love the image of all the other characters trying on Red's cloaks! 🙂 Thanks so much for joining in the fun!!! 🙂
I can change the link name. Which one is yours? I haven't gotten to it yet…
Chocolate would have melted in the hot wild west sun 🙂
The name of the link matches the name of your story – Jackie And The Beanstalk, right? But your blog post is titled Jackie And The Three Beans? I don't think that matters… but just let me know if you want me to do anything.
Thank you! 🙂 I appreciate that!
Just commented on #12…it worked okay for me…sometimes it has to do with the browser you are using…or something. 🙂
Thanks, Shelly!
Thanks, Erika!
Glad you liked it, Susanna!
OK thanks – I'll try again. My internet is barely functioning, today of all days!
ENTRY POSTED FOR ERIC
A Sleeping Beauty
The handsome Prince hacked his heroic way through thick thorn bushes thirty feet high en route to the Enchanted Castle. His Quest to awaken the sleeping Princess long held captive in the Wizard's Tower would soon be fulfilled. He swam the moat faster than a speeding arrow, he scaled the towering battlements in a single bound. He flung himself headlong through the stained glass window of the Princess's chamber, bounded to his feet, bent down over her recumbent form respectfully, and placed a whisper soft kiss on her seriously beautiful mouth. He murmured the counter spell to dissolve the evil enchantment that had been placed upon her by the Wizard so many years ago…”Arise, arise sleeping Princess, your Prince is here!”
Fresh color flooded her deathly pale cheeks, her eyelids fluttered for a moment and then opened fully revealing her huge violet colored eyes. She gazed dreamily at the Prince and then sat bolt upright, staring at him with an indescribably mystical expression. She pointed a manicured forefinger at him and spoke in a cadence and inflection from a faraway Western land…
“What the? Oh…my…God…Who are you and what have you done to my window? Seriously? Oh my God! Did you kiss me? Eeewwww! Did you use mouthwash this morning? Did you use hand sanitizer before you touched anything? Are you kidding me!”
The Prince was taken aback. He replied huskily, “But Princess, you have been lying under an enchantment for 100 years! I have saved you!”
The Princess glanced at her iPhone and said, “Dude, It's 2PM, I lay down for my afternoon power nap at 1:45…”
Her gaze wandered out through the broken window and she gasped, “My Brazilian Sage Hedge! You hacked it with your sword? Oh my god! What is your problem?”
The Prince looked puzzled, and said, “Wait a minute…did you say Sage?” I thought they were Evil Brambles…is this1283 Royal Road, Enchanted Castle…Wizard's Tower?”
The Princess replied haughtily, “Duh…no! It's 1382 Regal Court!”
The shocked Prince looked around and blurted out, “That stupid GPS has done it again! My bad, I'm totally sorry, seriously.”
The Princess looked carefully at him again and said, “Well, as long as you're here…ummm…would like a Cappuccino? I always have one after my
nap.”
“Cool”, said the Prince. “Those Brazilian Sage Bushes were tough…”
Hahaha! Very funny! As if you didn't already know, I love your sense of humor 🙂 Thanks for joining in the fun! 🙂