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 
Ha ha ha ha ha!
http://www.theitsybitsywriter.blogspot.com
This was such a fun read! I just had to say the rapping part out loud. 🙂
http://www.theitsybitsywriter.blogspot.com
Very well written, Jen. What a fun, inventive character. I did the same fairy tale. Mine is #15: The Jackrabbit who Cried Gila Monster. 🙂
http://www.theitsybitsywriter.blogspot.com
How apropos!
Haha! little OC engineer, that boy!
Fun – clever idea!
Fun! That's the kind of grandma I want to be!
Marvelous weaving!
Hee hee! Good stuff!
Tad is a great name choice. Fun story. I love ZIPPIT! lol.
ENTRY POSTED FOR KELSI
Goldinocks & the 3 Scares
by Kelsi Hicks
Once upon a time there was a girl named goldinocks one day she got lost in the woods and she found a cottage. “Oh my what a nice place” she said and walked inside. Gggrrl her belly grumbled. “My Im hung.” As she spoted porige on the small wooden table. “MMM, smells good” as she ate the first bowl, “TO HOT” she ate the next bowl, “To cold” she ate the last bowl. “Horrible”. She yawned, “I think I need some sleep” So, she headed off to bed. She tried the first bed, “TO HARD” So, she tried the next bed, “To soft” She tried the last bed, “To small” So she went to the bathroom. The mama bear, papa bear & baby bear came home, and boy were they mad. Papa was mad because he lost his job. Mama was made because she didn't know how to cook. And baby was mad because his girlfriend broke up with him. Suddenly they heard a loud BANG! Mama, Papa and baby bear ran to the bathroom the saw the girl sleeping in the tub, Papa bear said “kill her”, Mama bear said “call her parents”, baby said “Eat her!” They decided to go with baby bears idea they put her in a pot and roasted her. A woman bear came to the house and said, “did you get the maid I sent you?” baby bear said, “OOPS” & “throw her in the pot too!”
The End.
My goodness, Kelsi! You have quite an imagination! Baby Bear has no mercy, does he 🙂 This is funny and clever, and I am always so glad to have kids participate in the contests. Be sure you check out Erik's entry – Once Upon A Times – he's the only other kid in this particular contest (so far!) Thanks so much for joining in the fun!
THIS IS AWESOME!!! Really super job. I love Red being dark, and I love that the wolf was wearing Granny's clothes because he was afraid of her.
And your ending…. just perfect. Wonderful job. (applause!)
So funny!
Great Canadian flavor in your telling, Denise!
What a fabulously fun, kid-friendly entry, Jen! Just right for younger readers! I love all Marty's pranks, and how he learns his lesson and manages to save the day with his own quick thinking. Thanks so much for joining in the springtime writing Madness! 🙂
Hits the mark as it snows again today – but the chances of two-hundred twenty are slim – thanks goodness!
Found it!
Yikes! I think I'll stay away from Baby Bear.
Good job, Kelsi.
http://www.theitsybitsywriter.blogspot.com
Too many ornery projects. Keep having to revise…revise…revise. But enjoying everybody else's work!
🙂
This is my last one, I promise.
HUMPTY
When Humpty Dumpty fell off the wall,
and all the king's men were of no help at all,
and all the king's horses remained in their stall,
there was only one person the king thought to call.
His name was Eggmeister, his skills were extensive.
He knew all the treatments, both light and intensive.
Bold and proactive, yet cautious and pensive,
there was only one problem: the man was expensive.
The king said, “Of course I love Humpty a lot.
Humpty's the best friend by far that I've got,
and now he's a mess of yolk-albumen rot!
But who'll pay Eggmeister? Me? I will not!
“It's Humpty's own fault, though. He shouldn't have gambled
by climbing on walls, and now he lies scrambled.
So pass me the salt shaker, bake me some bread.
Who needs a friend? I'll have breakfast instead.”
Hahaha, Robert! This might be your best one yet! Very well done 🙂
I like this best out of your three! Hilarious.
http://www.theitsybitsywriter.blogspot.com.
Heather…what fun! I did Singerella, a take off on Cinderella…a bird who wants to join the Metropolitan Opera. And I thought about doing a whole series of them…with Rap-punzel being the next…Kudos…love the ending where she wants her suitors to join her band. 🙂
We've had it so great here in Colorado Julie!! My poor friends and family in Chicago have gotten the brunt of the polar vortex – they may have just gotten 220 inches!! 🙂
This is getting out of hand! SOO MANY GREAT ENTRIES!
I know. I feel sorry for me too 🙂 It seems like every single contest the quality of the entries gets better and better!
Thank you, Erik with a K! I so enjoy reading the great postings that you share on your blog. Would think that you have a great Dad, since you are a great kid!
So funny, Elliah. I understand. My husband and I are proud parents of five adult boys. Need I say more?
So enjoyed the challenge of writing a fractured fairy tale, Vivian. Thank you.
This writing challenge was fun, Sweet Susanna. Thank you for hosting such an outstanding opportunity for all. Everyday I grow and learn as a writer.
I'm so glad you enjoyed it, Suzy! 🙂
Hare and Tortoise
It was a beautiful spring day and the big race was about to begin.
Tortoise and Hare approached the starting line.
“Big ears,” mocked Tortoise, stretching his quads.
“Big shell,” Hare shouted back.
“Cotton tail,” taunted Tortoise.
“Oh, go moisturize,” spat Hare in a huff.
Pig called, “On your mark, get set, GO!” and Hare took off at lightning speed.
As he rounded a curve, he saw a little blond girl breaking into a cottage.
“Stop,” said Hare. “Where are your parents?”
“My father is busy turning straw into gold. Mom is cleaning up after a visit from her step-sisters.”
“Well, you should go home. There are bears in these woods,” said Hare, but before he could finish his lecture on the downside of a life of crime, he saw Tortoise hot on his heels and rushed off.
A ways down the path, Hare stumbled upon a child wearing a red hooded cape.
“Stop,” said Hare. “Where are your parents?”
“My mother is baking me a gingerbread brother. I’m off to visit my sick grandmother.”
“Well, you should get home. There are wolves in these woods,” said Hare, but before he could explain why red hooded capes are fashion mistakes, he noticed Tortoise approaching out of the corner of his eye and hot-tailed it down the path.
When Hare came upon a sticky-faced boy and a chocolate-faced girl running for their lives, he rolled his eyes.
“Stop,” he cried. “Where in the world are your parents?!”
“Our father is chopping down a beanstalk. Mum ate a bad apple,” said the boy.
“And a witch is after us,” said the girl.
“Well, go home,” said Hare, but before he could even begin a spiel on the importance of keeping on a witches’ good side and flossing after every meal, he spied Tortoise nearing the finish.
Hare bolted down the track and lunged to the line, but it was too late.
Tortoise grinned from tiny ear to tiny ear.
“You lost again.” Tortoise chuckled. “Slow poke.”
When Hare caught his breathe he asked, “Did you see anything strange in the woods back there?”
“I saw three angry bears, a ravenous wolf, and a raving witch,” said Tortoise.
“Any kids?” asked Hare.
“Kids?! No parent would let their kids alone in that woods,” said Tortoise.
Then he smiled at Hare. “Same time next year?”
“Count on it,” said Hare.
The Three Little Pigs and the Shoemaker by Sandy Jones (400 words)
Once upon a time there was a shoemaker and his wife who made sensible, brown shoes.
Day after day they snipped leather and tapped tiny nails until they had piles
of comfortable shoes that looked a little like, well…pork chops.
“I don't understand,” the shoemaker blurted out one day. “So many comfy shoes
and no customers. I have one piece of shoe leather left to cut and then our
money is gone.”
“Let's ask for a miracle papa,” his wife whispered. “They do still happen. Why
just yesterday I heard the story of a young boy and girl who found their way home from the deep woods by following white pebbles. Don't worry. Tomorrow we'll have customers.”
That night the shoemaker and his wife asked for a miracle, and when they woke
in the morning they found a small note on their workbench.
“Our elves are currently working fashion miracles for the queen (she has
bunions). Would three little pigs do? They're slow learners but they do have
construction experience.”
“We can't be picky!” the shoemaker cried. “Yes of course we'll take the pigs.”
Later that night, the three little pigs slipped into the shoemaker’s shop and surveyed his wares.
“I don't know about you,” said the oldest pig, “but I'm not comfortable with all
of the hide on this table.”
The youngest pig squirmed. “These shoes look like pork chops!”
So the three pigs worked through the night, snipping, pounding, and carving.
When the shoemaker and his wife woke the next morning their workbench was
filled with pastel cloth sandals, vinyl boots, and clogs.
“So much for the miracle,” sighed the shoemaker. “There are no sensible shoes
on this table.”
“That's the point papa! Look at the customers racing through our door. We
haven't seen this much business in years.”
So night after night the three little pigs returned to the shoemaker’s shop and
created fancy footwear that even caught the eye of the queen.
Now there was money for nails and cloth, and for food and new clothes.
“Those swine saved our store!” the shoemaker cried. “We must find a way to
thank them.”
So he talked with his wife, and before he went to bed the shoemaker visited his
shop.
When the pigs arrived, they squealed with delight.
A large balloon lifted a wicker basket, and a note read: Dream now! Don’t wait for pigs to fly.
Excellent job, Hilary! Very clever! I absolutely love Hare and all his helpful pointers 🙂 And what a great job you did weaving all those tales together 🙂 Thanks for joining in the springtime writing fun! 🙂
What a delightful story, Sandy! I love it! “They have construction experience” hahaha 🙂 And what good advice – to follow your dreams now! Thanks so much for joining in the fairy tale fun! 🙂
Hi Susanna- I slipped my story in just under the deadline. Now off to enjoy some fractured fairy telling.
Ooh! Can't wait to read it! And you will enjoy the tales – there are so many great ones! 🙂
Is it bad that I am craving cornbread after reading your story, Susanna? Great start to the competition. Now to read more!
Lightning Charlie might find it a bit threatening, but it doesn't bother me 🙂 Have fun reading the stories – so many good ones! And I loved yours – so funny! 🙂
Nice twisted fairy tale! 🙂
http://www.theitsybitsywriter.blogspot.com
I've read quite a few of the entries and will work on getting to the others because it's just so much fun to see all of the creativity! I especially love fractured fairy tales which makes it that much better 🙂 This is another GREAT contest!!!
Oh, I LOVE Hare and that he stops to chat worth the kids. This is much better than the original where he's lazy. 🙂
I feel very sorry for you as well.
The original tale was one of my mother's favorites to tell. Can't wait to share your version with her. Nice job.
A FRACTURED FAIRY TAIL (Literally)
By Kelly Vavala
Once upon a time, the four winds swirled and twirled together, mixed with several thousand shooting stars and landed on The Fairy Godmother’s house. She woke with a start to the flashing stars and a crackling that sounded like the fourth of July. She couldn’t get out fast enough!
All her beloved things spun in the air. She cried out, “oh, dear! My magic wand, my golden slippers, my shimmery gown and crown!” She swiped through the winds and the sparks trying to save them but she lost her balance instead.
One billowy gust of wind picked her up, swirled her through the air and dropped her on her tile floor.
The Fairy woke up sooner rather than later but who knows how soon or how late. Anyway, what we do know is, she did wake up!
“What is this? I cannot move!” the fairy exclaimed. “I have a broken Tail!”
Her magic wand lay on the floor inches away. She shimmied across to grasp it. She waved it in the air and recited:
“crickets, snickets and humpback whales too. Put my things back together,
bippity- boo!”
The wand cried out, “Can’t you see I am broken too?”
“Oh, no! What to do?” she cried. “I have a broken tail!”
“I didn’t know you had a tail,” said the wand.
“Of course I have a tail, everyone has a tale! How else do you think I can balance on a mushroom and tell stories? With my ancient little imagination, I can
have and be anything I want. And by the way, if you’re a magic wand, why don’t you fix yourself?”
The wand was so mixed up she couldn’t think straight. “Well, if you can have
anything you want in your imagination, why don’t you imagine that you’re a
fairy without a tail? And in the meantime, I will try to fix myself!”
“Why a Fairy without a tale, what use would I be?” she asked.
“I think you hit your head when you fell,” said the wand. She swirled and twirled through the air. She magically came together, beautiful as ever.
The fairy scrunched her face and imagined herself without a tail. POOF, her tail was gone!
She used the magic wand and put her house back together and when she was done…
She had a heck of a tale to tell!
Really liked this! I love how she was so independent!!
I just made it myself Sylvia!! Just in time! And I am also going to sit back and enjoy reading some of the other creative stories as well!
Phew, I made it just in time!! I just wanted to wish everyone luck! There are sooo many wonderful entries and would not want to have Susanna and her Assistance job of choosing….Good Luck to All!