Tiger eye and mandrake root! It’s finally time for
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| courtesy google images |
The Contest: write a 100 word Halloween story appropriate for children (title not included in the 100 words), using the words pumpkin, broomstick, and creak. Your story can be poetry or prose, scary, funny or anything in between, but it will only count for the contest if it includes those 3 words and is 100 words (you can go under, but not over!) Get it? Halloweensie – because it’s not very long and it’s for little people 🙂 (And yes, I know 100 words is short but that’s part of the fun and the challenge! We got nearly 80 fantastic entries last year so I know you can do it!) Also, you may use the words in any form – e.g. creak, creaky, creaks, creaking, creaked. No illustration notes please!
Post your story on your blog between right now this very second and Friday October 31st by 11:59 PM EDT and add your post-specific link to the list below. There will be no Would You Read It Wednesday or Perfect Picture Book Friday this week, so this post and the list of links will stay up all week for everyone to enjoy. (I hope you will all visit each other! :)) If you don’t have a blog and would like to enter, you can simply copy and paste your entry in the comments section below. (Or, if you have difficulty with the comments, which unfortunately sometimes happens, you may email your entry to me and I’ll post it for you!)
The Judging: in a grueling, marathon weekend, my lovely assistants and I will narrow down the entrants to 3 top choices (hee hee hee – okay, who are we kidding? :)) which will be posted here and voted on for a winner on Monday November 3rd. The winner will be announced in a special Thursday post on November 6th. If we get more than 20 entries, I will post 6 finalists and give prizes for 1st through 3rd. If by some chance we get the kind of turn out we did last year, all bets are off. I may post as many as 10 finalists and I’ll probably end up giving everyone a prize 🙂 But we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it 🙂
The Prizes: we’ve got some seriously amazing prizes! (words in color are links to more info)
– Julie Hedlund‘s fantastic new course How To Make Money As An Author, interesting, educational and suitable for writers at any stage of their career
– a 2015 membership to Children’s Book Insider, an absolutely fabulous resource for kid lit writers of all kinds, generously offered by Jon Bard and Laura Backes
– a picture book manuscript critique from the renowned Alayne Christian (prose only, 800 words or less)
Alayne Kay Christian is an award winning author of BUTTERFLY KISSES FOR GRANDMA AND GRANDPA. She is represented by Erzsi Deak of Hen&Ink Literary Studio. To read more about Alayne, her critique service, and her books visit her websites and blog.
– a picture book manuscript critique (rhyme or prose) from Penny Parker Klostermann who, after extensive experience critiquing for writing partners, members of various kid lit groups, and clients of Erin Murphy Literary Agency, is opening her own critique service!!!
Website: www.traceymcox.com
Blog: www.traceymcox.wordpress.com
– an e-pub or PDF copy (winner’s choice) of Linda Ashman‘s Nuts And Bolts Guide To Writing Picture Books
– a personalized signed copy of I WANNA GO HOME by Karen Kaufman Orloff, the latest in the brilliant PB series that began with I WANNA IGUANA. (Reviewed HERE for PPBF)
– a personalized signed copy of I AM COW HEAR ME MOO by Jill Esbaum (reviewed for Perfect Picture Books HERE and HERE – yep, it’s so popular it got reviewed for PPBF twice :))
– a personalized signed copy of NINJA RED RIDING HOOD by Corey Rosen Schwartz, the riveting follow-up to THE THREE NINJA PIGS. (Reviewed HERE for PPBF)
– a PDF copy of Ryan Sias’s A Spooky-Doodle E-Book, “doodle pages, drawing lessons and writing prompts inspire kids to invent their own stories, characters and artwork.”
Now then. Time for my sample entry which I provide because I would never ask you to do anything I wouldn’t do myself. Also, in case anyone is worried about the quality of their entry they have only to read my foolish attempts to be filled with confidence that their’s is MUCH better! I have to confess, I was really down to the wire this year (my schedule is a little bit nuts!), so, ahem, yeah.. I’ll be proofreading after I post since I’m out of time 🙂 (And I usually do one rhyme and one prose, but I don’t have a prose one this year… yet… if I have time maybe I’ll write one and add it during the week :))
So without further ado:
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| Haggie, as illustrated by the fabulously talented Julie Rowan-Zoch click for PORTFOLIO, DIGITAL, SKETCHBOOK |
you owe me a pumpkin pie!”
Pirate Ploy (100 words)
shouts, “Mrs. Johnson! Trick-or-treat!”
Everyone feeling better about their stories now? I should certainly HOPE so! 🙂
I can’t wait to read all of yours! I’m so looking forward to them! I hope there will be a lot – the more the merrier! And there are still 4 days to write, so you have time if you haven’t written yet. Feel free to spread the word to your writing friends as well.
Remember to put your post-specific link (not your general blog link or people will find the wrong page if you post again before the contest is over) in the list below!
Happy Writing and Happy Halloween!!! 🙂
There are already 57 entries in the comment section below that you won’t want to miss! (names are links):
Barbara – The Trick Or Treat Troll
Eric – Witch Poem
Lata – Halloween Colors
Nomie – Mabel’s Spooky Soiree
Tracie – The Misspelled Witch
Rachel K – A Home On Halloween
Suzy – Witch In My Hamper
Sarah C – The Moon Is Up!
Angela B – A Messy Halloween
Sue – Untitled
Kimberly C – First Flight Of Halloween
Ann – Off To See The Wizard
Susan – The Contest
Michelle V – The Halloween Sneer
Ashley – Pumpkin’s Plight
Abigail – Maddie’s First Broomstick
Jim – Jack
Melissa – Pumpkin’s Patch
Pia – The Green Witch’s Brew
Kathleen – The Littlest Pumpkin
Lori D – The Trick Or Treat Bag
Debbie – Halloween In A Box
Sharalyn – The Witch And The Pumpkin Contests
Jaymie – No Tricks, Just Treats
Jenifer – Broomstick Ball
Ellen – Emma’s Evening Ride
Beth – Halloween Night
Anne – What’s That?
Brandie – No Ordinary Witch
Marty – Winnie’s Spell
Michelle B – This Year’s Halloween Mascot
Jessica – Spooky Sharing
Alistair – The Raven And The Pumpkin
Kirsten – Family Re-BOO-nion
Jodi – Halloween Hide-And-Go-Seek
Anne B – The Pumpkin Patch Scarecrow
Carol – Halloween Night
Nicole – Black At Night
Hope – In The Wee Hours Of Halloween
Maggie – Arabella The Witch
Gina – Halloween Chase
Kelly – The Pumpkin King
Mandy – On This Night
Eric – The Scarecrow
Cat – Etty Bitty Belina
Julie A – Orinda Owl’s First Halloween
Donna R – The Witches’ Gathering
Kathy – Who Is It?
Robin – Kitchin-nastic Trick Or Treats
Sandy – Pete’s Pumpkins
Judy – Halloween Parade
Merry – Witch School
Victoria – Creaks
Amelia – Full Moon Rising
Colleen – Tell It To The Ghosts
Sydney – Midnight Critters
Stefanie – Monsters Rock
Susanna Leonard Hill 
That's so cute!
Cute! That reminds me of the time I won a contest put on by Kahn's wieners. I won a package with everything needed to have a Halloween Party!
He was a very determined trick or treater!
Finally added mine at #45. I need to read those posted in the last few hours to stay up to date! We may yet top last year's 80, Susanna!
Fun story! Love the ending.
Nice ending with the pumpkin helping out.
Driver's Ed for witches! Cute story.
Spooky ending!
Cute story! Glad he won.
I'm really enjoying reading all the Halloweensie entries…great stuff!
No Ordinary Witch
By: Brandie Reedy
Luna wasn't your ordinary witch. She was a witch who couldn't get her spells right.
Dropping in an eye of newt, she said, “Bumpkin, lumpkin, make me a pumpkin.” And a rotten pumpkin appeared. “Drat!”
Next, Luna thew in a bone from a bat an said, ” Smeleton, veleton, make me a skeleton.” And a creaky, dancing skeleton appeared. “Drat!”
Frustrated, Luna threw in a jar of spider webs, six stinky pirate toes, and three frogs, then sighed, “Moonstick, vroomstick, make me a broomstick.” And a rickety, broom appeared. Luna jumped onto her broomstick and cackled happily, “Weeheeeheee…,” into the night.
What a fun story.
This is awesome!
What a fun poem!
Very creative! Nice job, Melissa.
Soooo clever! Love the ending.
Cute! Glad little witch and little pumpkin ended up together.
Ahhh, too bad his lost his loot! Good think Jake had siblings to back him up!
Ha! Very cute. I love the idea of ordering up the perfect custom Halloween.
Tanya knew how to brown-nose, didn't she? Cute story!
A technologically perfect Halloween!
The Broomstick Ball sounds fantastically frightful!
Very cute ending! I didn't see it coming so it was a fun surprise 🙂
Fun and festive! Your rhythmic story sets the mood!
Love the onomatopoeia. You used it so effectively to create the mood for your Halloween ball!
THIS YEAR’S HALLOWEEN MASCOT
“Me!”
“No, me!”
Witch School should have been brimming with excitement. But everyone was sick of hearing Broomstick and Pumpkin argue over who should be Halloween mascot.
“No one flies higher,” said Broomstick.
“No Jack-O-Lantern shines brighter,” said Pumpkin.
Black cats cowered, paws over ears. Cauldrons bubbled their disapproval.
C-r-e-e-e-e-a-k– the courtyard door opened to an assembly of witches.
“The time has come,” Head Mistress said. “The night awaits my decision.”
“This year’s mascot shines the brightest…” (Pumpkin’s head swelled.)
“…and flies the highest.” (Broomstick’s spirits soared.)
“Our Halloween mascot is…”
“… the Moon,” who silently took a bow.
SO MUCH FUN!! LOVED IT. The recipe is definitely kid-friendly. Hahaha. YES, pumpkin pie.
Love this idea. Love shrieks with delight. Very clever.
Pumpkin Jack. Wonderful. The end is positively funtastic!
Thanks, Carrie!
Heck no. I'd have to agree with your little Sue. I'd opt for the pumpkin pie. : )
The repetition kept me riveted, and then, Oh My! Have fun, Tanya!
This was a pleasure to read aloud! Great poem.
I was NOT going to write a story, Susanna. I mean, yours were pretty dang Halloweenrific and there were SO many great stories already…but apparently, I have no willpower whatsoever. 🙂
Great sounds, Anne!
Awww. Super sweet. The first couple of lines made me think of the tune “Over in the Meadow.” : )
I was pleasantly surprised when Max “grabbed the iPad.” A necessity, for sure, for a movie buff!
Yep. Skeleton definitely nailed Halloween. And I love the phrase “Halloween in a box!”
Thanks for your comment Susan Halko.
My Max is just three and a half, but I promise that he is more experienced with the iPad than I am – and I work as a media specialist! 🙂
I'm so happy to read a story about a rainy Halloween. YES! It seems like most Halloweens are cold and rainy–and most trick-or-treaters are determined to get their loot!
Ah! Nice, surprising wordplay!
I never thought about it, but a young witch would certainly want a spot for her cackling crow on her first broomstick. Cute story!
Love the imagery. Nice story!
I know, Jaymie! It's a crazy world we live in when we ask our little ones for help with our electronics 🙂
ENTRY POSTED FOR MARTY
Winnie's Spell by Marty McCormick
Making pumpkin stew;
It seems the thing to do.
She waves her broomstick,
Casts her spell,
Her teacher Midge has taught her well.
But oh, what's wrong?
The pot is boiling way too strong.
Creak and groan and foam and bubble,
Her Halloween stew is in deep trouble.
It spews out, making a giant mess —
of seaweed and pickles and watercress.
“I've changed my mind. Who needs to cook?
I guess I should have used a book.
Let's just have doughnuts and apple cider,”
says little witch Winnie to her pet spider.
Wonderful, Marty! We can all relate to trouble in the kitchen 🙂 And I must say, Winnie is a girl after my own heart if her go-to choice is doughnuts 🙂 And I love that she shares with her pet spider 🙂 Thanks so much for joining in the Halloweensie high jinx! 🙂
I am thrilled to hear of your complete lack of willpower and can't wait to read your story, Cathy! 🙂
Hurray for Luna! She got it right in the end! I LOVE her spells 🙂 Good job developing character and plot and resolution in 100 words, Brandie! 🙂 Thanks so much for joining in the Halloweensie shenanigans! 🙂
Well done, Michelle! Fun, kid-friendly, halloween-y, mysterious, and a surprise ending all in 100 words! I'm impressed! Love how Pumpkin's head swelled and Broomstick's spirits soared – nicely done! Thanks so much for joining in the Halloweensie fun in spite of yourself 🙂