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 
Hahahaha!!! I love the last line! At least Jack didn't steal the wife! 😉
You set the scene so well. And your dialogue is HILARIOUS! This is so good, Eric.
🙂
Jennifer- I loved your story. I thought “sensitive tushy” was my favorite part, and then I got to the end where she turns him down. Go girl power!
Very creative! I didn't see the ending coming either. I was wondering how he could possibly be allergic to bricks….
I love the last line!
Fantastic job, Kristen! Great rhyme and meter! Wonderful story and twist on the original! And boy – I'd love it if Jack's lie were true since supposedly we're about to get a Nor'easter! Thanks so much for such an entertaining story and for joining in the contest fun! 🙂
Ooh! Clever Little Red Ray, trapping the shark in the wreck! What a great spin on the original tale, Jennifer! I'm glad Little Red Ray got away:) Thanks so much for joining in the contest fun! 🙂
Hahaha! Love this, Debbie! What clever mice! And what an excellent twist on the original story! I love that the 3rd cat was “responsible” and my favorite book is “Throwing Your Voice For Dummies” 🙂 Thanks food such a great story, and for joining in the contest fun! 🙂
ENTRY POSTED FOR GAYE
CHOCOLATE MUFFINS by Gaye Hemsley
'How about you take some of these chocolate
muffins to Grandma Hood.'
'Can I take the path through the forest?’
asked her daughter ‘Red’
'Yes but, don’t talk to strangers, especially that old wolf who lives in the
forest',
Red skipped along the forest path, when who
should appear from behind a tree but old wolf.
'Good morning little girl, where are you going today?'
'Mummy told me not to speak to you, as it happens I am going to visit Grandma
Hood with these chocolate muffins.'
'Oh well, be on your way,'
As soon as Red had skipped away old wolf
took a shortcut to Grandma Hood's house.
Grandma Hood was at her computer playing bingo and drinking home brew. Hearing
a knock on the door and said, 'Who's there?'
The wolf put on a little girl's voice and
answered.
'It's your granddaughter.' Grandma knew it
wasn't her granddaughter.
Picking up an empty home brew bottle she hid it behind her back and opened the
door just enough for old wolf to put his head in. Before he could say 'chocolate
muffins' Grandma hit him hard on his head.
'Oh that hurt,' groaned old wolf, 'I only wanted some chocolate muffins,' he
explained as Grandma pushed him into the hall cupboard.
'Now you stay in there, you always have the fun in this story; I want to have
the fun today'.
Grandma opened a drawer and got out some big plastic ears and a pair of glasses
with a big nose. She put them on, and settled herself into a chair and waited
for her Granddaughter. Soon there was a knock on the door.
'Grandma, it's Red.’
‘Come in my dear.’ Red was surprised at
what she saw.
'Grandma,'. 'What big eyes you have today.'
'Ah, all the better to see you with my dear,' replied Grandma.
'And Grandma, 'what big ears you have today.'
'Ah, all the better to hear you with my dear,'
Red stepped closer to Grandma and saw her rather large nose.
'Grandma, 'what a big nose you have today'
'Ah, all the better to smell those yummy muffins you have in your basket.'
Grandma jumped up and grabbed the basket, old wolf shoved open the cupboard door’
growled at Grandma Hood for being so rude.
'Now', said the wolf. ‘Let's all be polite, and share a nice morning tea with
chocolate muffins’.
This is such fun, Gaye! What a delightful twist on the original tale! I love that Grandma is playing computer bingo and drinking home brew, that she outwits the wolf, and that they all end up eating chocolate muffins together 🙂 Thanks so much for joining in the springtime writing madness! 🙂
Stop CALLING him that!!! 🙂 I'm glad you enjoyed the story! I hope you posted one… I have a few to read yet… 🙂
Thank you so much for your nice comments 🙂
Thanks for putting on such fun contests Susanna!! So many clever and unique entries – it's been fun just to read them all!
He was allergic to the cat…I hope that was clear…
It was! 🙂
It's a real treat to see everyone's creativity! 🙂
You nailed the contemporary lingo (“Dude,” “My bad”) in this, and I love that the Prince's GPS has gone awry. Clever!
ENTRY POSTED FOR NANCY
Big Bad Wolf & Red Riding Toad
by Nancy Churnin
Big Bad Wolf was walking down the road
When he ran into Red Riding Toad.
He grabbed her basket, which buzzed with flies
He dropped it and ran, without goodbyes.
Big Bad Wolf tripped and fell in the dirt
When he spied Red Riding Bird.
He grabbed her basket, which wriggled with worms
He dropped it and ran as fast as he could squirm.
Big Bad Wolf was running toward the lake
When he bumped into Red Riding Snake.
He grabbed her basket, which squiggled with mice
He dropped it and ran, which wasn't very nice.
Big Bad Wolf was looking kind of pale
When he spotted the spout of Red Riding Whale
He grabbed her basket of crackling krill
He dropped it and ran to his house on the hill.
Big Bad Wolf was panting back at home
Where he spied a basket of his very own.
He peeked in to find his favorite fruit blends
And ran off to share it with his new friends.
So clever, Nancy! I love this! What a great idea to have the wolf meet various animals with their various meals, none of which is quite to his liking 🙂 I love that his favorite is fruit 🙂 Thanks so much for joining in the fun!
I can picture great illustrations for this.
http://www.theitsybitsywriter.blogspot.com
Thanks so much for this great contest. As much as I enjoyed writing roborella, I've really enjoyed reading what everyone else came up with.
Thank you Susanna for posting this for me, just finding my way around at the moment.
Thanks Erik!
Thanks Vivian!
Yes, almost true…Thanks for reading!
Thanks Susanna. What a great contest!
Thanks Cecilia!
Thank you!
You're very welcome, Gaye! 🙂
It's really fun, isn't it, Alena? Everyone is so creative, and the stories are all so good! 🙂
Not sure if we can enter more than once, but I thought I'd share this one either way. (It can be added to my last one and be a single entry perhaps?)
The Emperor's New Clothes
The emperor bought new clothing
of which he was quite proud
and strutted from his castle
to show off for the crowd.
His subjects lacked the courage
to tell the emperor his
new “clothing” was an outrage . . .
except one boy, that is.
As everyone was praising
the emperor's fashion sense,
the little boy came forward
and in his innocence
said, “Has nobody noticed?
Has everyone gone mad?
Who cares if he's an emperor?
You can't mix stripes and plaid!”
Hahaha, Robert! Very funny 🙂 You have a great knack for fun endings 🙂 And yes, you are welcome to submit more than one entry! Just remember you are potentially competing against yourself 🙂
Thanks for your comments! It makes me laugh, too 🙂
Thanks so much!
Ha! That was a fun ending. What was that emperor thinking? 😉
What a fun romp!
Here is my entry for the contest, at exactly 400 words (whew!), based on The Boy Who Cried Wolf. Thanks again for your flexibility on what qualifies, and for a method of submission for those of us who are blog-less (next on my to-do list!). Good luck to all. It's been such fun reading the entries!
THE MISCHIEVOUS FIRE TRUCK (400 words)
Marty was a brave fire truck. He was also very silly.
Marty surprised sleeping firefighters with a cold squirt of water.
The new recruits had green smiles for a week after Marty put food coloring in their milk.
On the Chief’s birthday, Marty hung all the firefighters’ underpants from the flagpole.
One quiet morning, Marty startled his firefighters with a blast from his siren. Wheeoo! The firefighters loved Marty’s silliness, but
this was no laughing matter.
“You shouldn’t use your siren for jokes,” said the Chief. “In a real emergency, no one will believe you.”
Marty didn’t listen.
Mr. Jones walked by the firehouse carrying a can of paint. Wheeoo! Splat!
Mrs. Lo had bags piled high with groceries. Wheeoo! Smash!
Sam Heffernan balanced a stack of library books. Wheeoo! Crash!
Soon no one paid much attention to Marty’s siren. Not even Pickles, the firehouse dog.
When the alarm bell sounded, the entire station sprang into action. Marty revved his powerful engine. Firefighters slid down poles and jumped aboard.
Wheeoo! But no matter how loud Marty wailed his siren, cars didn’t move out of the way.
Wheeoo! Wheeoo! People walked right in front of the station doors.
Wheeoo! Wheeoo! Wheeoo! Pickles kept napping in the driveway.
Marty and his brave firefighters were stuck.
“I must get my firefighters where they need to go!” Marty said.
First, Marty gently wrapped his hose around the sleeping dog’s tail, pulling Pickles safely onto a patch of grass. Marty inched out of the station.
Next Marty carefully opened the windows of the bakery next door.
“Cinnamon!” said Mr. Jones.
“Chocolate!” said Mrs. Lo.
“Honey!” said Sam Heffernan.
Just as Marty hoped, no one could resist the smell of warm, delicious donuts. People rushed into the bakery, and the fire truck slowly rolled toward the street.
Finally, Marty held his breath and puffed up his emergency lights as bright as they could go. Every driver at the intersection thought they had a red light. One by one, all the cars came to a stop.
Only then could Marty race to the fire.
The family thanked Marty and the firefighters for saving their home.
Back at the station, Marty apologized to the Chief for being mischievous. “From now on, my siren is only for official fire station business,” Marty promised.
But Marty was still a silly fire truck who never made any promises about his hose.
The link for #40 doesn't work – or I don't know what to click on to get to it!
Really fun to read, Pen! Love the ending and the repetition!
Sweet story and nice last line here!
Fun – with a John Deere monster!
Great tale weaving – you must be Irish too, Teresa!
This is cute. I loved that story. The hidden message, “If you asked children to tell the truth, don't be mad when they do.”
Haha! Epitome of a Silly Mistake!
Gruesomely good fun!
RAP-UNZEL (398 words)
By Heather Preusser
RAP-unzel had a knack for rhythm and rhyme and a rapping voice any prince would die for. And there was no shortage of princes.
One arrived bearing flowers.
A second brought a pet dragon.
And a third carried a message. “Got talent? King seeks entertainment for spring
gala. Inquire at Billboard Palace.”
“This is it!” said RAP-unzel. “Recording a hit means escaping tower life forever!”
She shooed her wooer away and pressed the “record” button.
Knock, knock, knock.
“RAP-unzel, RAP-unzel, let down your hair, so that I may climb the golden stair.”
“Wait, stop! Here’s the situation.
The witch went away for a week’s vacation so
I built some stairs, added a door.
Why not use it, you oaf? That’s what it’s for!”
“B-b-b-but—” said Prince Beatbox, and he knock, knock, knocked.
“Enough with the knocking!” said RAP-unzel. “I can’t possibly marry such a bothersome beau.”
She shooed her wooer away and pressed the “record” button.
“Da-do-ron-ron-ron, da-do-ron-ron. RAP-unzel, RAP-unzel, let down your hair—”
“Stop! Before you mention the braid,
You need to know it can no longer cascade out
The window and down to the ground.
I chopped it off with the witch out of town.”
“Don’t rock the boat baby,” said Prince Disco, and he continued serenading.
“Enough with the singing!” said RAP-unzel. “I can’t possibly marry such an out-of-date dude.”
She shooed her wooer away and pressed the “record” button.
Plunk, plunk, plunk.
“O RAP-unzel, RAP-unzel! Wherefore art thou RAP-unzel?”
“Stop the music! That’s the wrong book!
This isn’t Shakespeare. Did you even look at me?
You should go. I’ve lyrics to write
To please the king at the gala tonight.”
“Wilt thou leave me so unsatisfied?” asked Prince Dubstep.
“I can’t possibly date such a dim-witted dullard.”
“Parting is such sweet sorrow,” said Prince Dubstep.
Peace and quiet at last!
…
RAP-unzel watched the clock’s second hand and minute hand and hour hand.
“It’s time to face the music!” she said. “If I’m going to top the charts, I need to
make a few changes.”
That evening…
“Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome RAP-unzel, DJ Dragon, and Princes Beatbox, Disco, and Dubstep!”
“You know princes are the same
No matter place or time.
They don’t understand that some gals
Would rather speak in rhyme.
So to all you suitors across the land,
There’s no need to propose.
It’s better to form a band.”
Glad to hear Jack's mother stuck to her guns!
Warning – don't read this if you're hungry! Fun story – esp. had to chuckle as our elementary school principal was Jan Bormann – and she definitely would have had a brick sukkah!
Susanna, I am always so impressed by the stories you come up with for your contests. I LOVE your cornpone cowboy story — it needs to be made into a book!