The March Madness Writing Contest Is Here!!!

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)

474 thoughts on “The March Madness Writing Contest Is Here!!!”

  1. jcaritas says:
    Reply
    Unknown's avatar

    Thanks so much everyone! The original story always drove me crazy. The princess is such a brat, and the prince such a snob, yet it was never acknowledged and they were “rewarded” at the end. When I heard about this contest I knew immediately which one I'd tackle!

  9. Laura Shovan says:
    Reply
    Unknown's avatar

    I love how you worked all of my comfort foods into this story, Lisa. A sukkah is the perfect stand in for the 3 Little Pigs houses. Great idea!

  13. Denise M. Bruce says:
    Reply
    Unknown's avatar

    Hi Susanna 🙂 I'm on time! I've written this story a couple years ago or less. It's a remake of The Gingerbread Boy…

    The Biscuit Man ..

    Early one spring day, a grizzled old potato
    farmer and his wife sat on their porch in their rocking chairs, while listening
    to the hoedown crooning on the radio. Their son tied skates to his hockey stick
    and headed out.

    “Going now! Ma, biscuits would be some good
    when I get back,” said the boy.

    “Okay, son! Have fun!”

    The farmer’s wife went in and mixed, rolled
    then pressed the dough into biscuits and made a little biscuit man from the
    scraps. She brushed everything with
    milk, then put raisins for eyes and mouth and a tea berry for a nose. She sliced cheese for coveralls and licorice
    for work boots. Then put them in the
    wood stove.

    When the farmer’s wife opened the oven door
    to check on the biscuits, the biscuit man jumped out and over her then step-danced
    out the window.

    The grizzled old farmer and his wife raced after
    the biscuit man.

    “STOP,” the farmer called, “I just want a
    nibble!”

    But the biscuit man stepped-on, singing;

    Run, run as fast as you can.

    Can’t catch me, eh?

    I’m the Biscuit man!

    The biscuit man step-danced past a raccoon
    in a garbage bin.

    “Halt!” snapped the raccoon.

    But the biscuit man stepped-on, singing.

    Sneak, sneak as fast as you can.

    Can’t catch me, eh?

    I’m the Biscuit man!

    The biscuit man step-danced past a skunk on
    a dirt road.

    “Stop or I’ll spray!” dared the skunk.

    But
    the biscuit man stepped-on, singing.

    Spray, spray as fast as you can.

    Can’t catch me, eh?

    I’m the Biscuit man!

    The biscuit man arrived at an icy pond. He
    saw a boy skating.

    “Help me cross this pond, please?” begged
    the biscuit man.

    The boy skated up to the biscuit man. “Jump
    on my hockey stick and I’ll take you across.”

    The biscuit man hopped on and the boy
    skated across the ice.

    “Move to the top of my stick while I practice
    my moves,” said the boy grinning.

    The biscuit man climbed to the top of the
    stick.

    “Thin ice ahead,” said the boy, “jump to my
    shoulder.”

    The biscuit man jumped to the boy’s
    shoulder.

    “Uh oh!” said the boy. “Please scratch my itchy
    nose.”

    The biscuit man scuttled over, but slipped
    when the boy tipped his head forward. The boy stuck out his tongue, caught the
    biscuit man and gobbled him up.

    I have another version where the poor thing isn't eaten 😉 There's hope yet!
    Thanks so much, Susanna!
    Love,
    Denise

  20. Elliah Terry says:
    Reply
    Unknown's avatar

    I'm a huge fan of Hansel and Gretel (in fact I wrote a MG novel retelling of it) and I also love to rhyme. I want can't now, particularly jelly beans.;)

  36. Karen Mae Zoccoli says:
    Reply
    Unknown's avatar

    Thanks Susanna, I just had this visual of the hen driving all around on the tractor, literally taking matters into her feathery hands!

  38. Vivian Kirkfield says:
    Reply
    Unknown's avatar

    Hahaha…talent runs in the family, obviously.:) Just read Erik's entry on his blog and your comment and came back here to realize that yes, this was your Eric with a 'c', not our Erik with a 'k'…too funny. I've actually been reading the entries to Stuart…he couldn't get over the creativity and genius of 'Little Dead Riding Hood'.

  43. Laura Shovan says:
    Reply
    Unknown's avatar

    My favorite line is: “To their surprise, the snake was under theglass lampshade and Belle was cuddled under the quilt.” It says so much about Belle's character.

  45. Jenifer McNamara says:
    Reply
    Unknown's avatar

    Thought your fractured fairy tale contest would be fun to attempt, and thanks for this opportunity. Below is my story – “Little Red Ray”

    Little Red Ray

    By: Jenifer McNamara

    Little Red Ray lived on the ocean’s bottom,

    and he was known by all a Little Red Ray

    because a thin dark red line outlined his nose.

    This made him look scarier than any other ray.

    One morning Little Red Ray swam, and swam

    beyond his home in the pink coral reef,

    and found a graveyard of sunken ships

    filled with treasure, lore, and corn beef.

    Out of the corner of his eye

    he saw a shark’s large grey fin,

    quickly ducked into the ship’s galley,

    and the shark bravely stepped in.

    The large shark quickly swam toward

    staring at Little Red Ray’s red nose.

    Frightened, Little Red Ray stood his ground

    until the shark’s teeth came too close.

    Terrified, Little Red Ray swam upward

    toward the sky, and the shark rammed

    into the ship’s side. The blow dazed,

    and the shark was sweet as a little lamb.

    Little Red Ray swam back to take a look

    at the great white shark, and he saw

    the white shark with a larger shark

    behind opening its mammoth jaw.

  48. Laura Shovan says:
    Reply
    Unknown's avatar

    Your descriptions of the witch's house are wonderful. I especially liked picturing cotton-candy smoke and honeycomb roof tiles.

  49. Vivian Kirkfield says:
    Reply
    Unknown's avatar

    Oh my goodness, Robert…that is totally clever…awesome meter and rhyme…I am impressed.:) It was so funny, I had to read it to my husband. We both love it!

  50. Vivian Kirkfield says:
    Reply
    Unknown's avatar

    No,no, no…I wanted this sukkah to stay up so they could enjoy all that yummy food. Lisa, you are a genius! Great unique take on The Three Little Pigs…I love it! Pass the Claritin. 🙂

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