***Update November 12th***
We’re pretty close to having the finalist list, but even if it was ready in a couple hours, that wouldn’t give enough time to vote today and I have previously scheduled blog posts for Tuesday Debut tomorrow and Would You Read It Wednesday on Wednesday, so the finalist list will be posted on Thursday November 15th. Apologies for the delay, but there were a LOT of good entries and the judging process has been harrowing! 🙂
***Update November 5th***
So sorry everyone but the other judges and I need more time – my fault not their’s. Work deadlines, family needs, and 234 wonderful entries from you guys that all deserve careful and thoughtful consideration mean that I’m just not able to post finalists today. I will get them up as soon as I possibly can but I think Wednesday or Thursday is likely. Sorry for the delay!
Wool of bat and howlet’s wing! It’s time for . . .
The 8th Annual Halloweensie Contest!!!!!
~ for children’s writers ~
aahhhrrrooooOOOOO!!!!!
The Contest: write a 100 word Halloween story appropriate for children (children here defined as 12 and under) (title not included in the 100 words), using the words shiver, cauldron, and howl. Your story can be scary, funny, or anything in between, poetry or prose, 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 235 fantastic entries last year, so I know you can do it!) Also, you may use the words in any form – e.g. shivery, cauldrons, howling, whathaveyou 🙂 NO ILLUSTRATION NOTES PLEASE! (And yes, you may submit more than one entry if you’re so inclined 🙂 )
Post: your story on your blog between right now this very second and Wednesday October 31st by 11:59 PM EDT and add your post-specific link to the list below. There will be no Perfect Picture Book or Would You Read It posts for the duration of the contest so the links will stay up for everyone to visit and enjoy. 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 (please include your byline, especially if your posting handle is something like AwesomeWriter92 so I can identify you.) If you have difficulty posting in the comments, which unfortunately sometimes happens, you may email your entry to me at susanna[at]susannahill[dot]com and I’ll post it for you. Please place your entry in the body of the email including your title and byline at the top – NO ATTACHMENTS!
Please Note: although you are welcome to submit more than one entry, please only post each entry ONCE! If you post it on your blog (preferred method) everyone will come visit you and you’ll make new friends! 🙂 If you don’t have a blog, post it in the comment section below. If you’re unable to post, please email me with your entry and byline in the body of the email. Please DO NOT post on your blog, and in the comments, and send me an email to post. It makes things confusing!
P.S. Although I try to stay glued to my computer 24/7 I am sometimes forced to leave my desk. If you haven’t commented on my blog before, your comment won’t show up until I approve it. It may take a little while if I’m away from my desk. Likewise, if you send me an entry to post, I promise I will do it as soon as I can!
The Judging: in a grueling marathon over the following days, my devoted assistants and I will narrow down the entrants to 3 top choices (hee hee hee – you know how much trouble I have with only 3, so we’ll see) which will be posted here and voted on for a winner on Monday November 5th (sooner if possible, later if necessary!) The winner will be announced on Thursday November 8th, good lord willin’ and the creek don’t rise 🙂 If we get more than 25 entries, I will post 6 finalists and give prizes for 1st – 3rd. If by some chance we get the kind of turnout we’ve had the past couple years, I may post as many as 10-12 finalists and I’ll probably end up giving everyone a prize 🙂 But we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it!
Judging criteria will be as follows:
- 1. Kid-appeal! – These stories are intended for a young audience (ages 12 and under), so we’re looking for stories that children will enjoy and relate to.
- 2. Halloweeniness – the rules state a Halloween story, so it must be crystal clear that the story is about Halloween, not just some random spooky night.
- 3. Quality of story – entries must tell a story, including a main character of some kind and a true story arc even if it’s tiny 🙂 Entries must not be merely descriptions or mood pieces.
- 4. Quality of Writing: check your spelling, grammar, punctuation etc. If you’re going to rhyme, give us your best 🙂 Overall writing quality and use of language are also important.
- 5. Originality and creativity – because that is often what sets one story above another.
The Prizes: (it is currently 1:40AM and I’m at the stage where I’m going to make mistakes, so I will finish posting the prize list properly in the morning. Apologies for the delay!)
First, the amazingly awesome prize I promised!
– Skip The Slushpile with Editor Hannah Lambert of Little Simon!!!
The lucky winner of this prize will get to place the picture book manuscript of his/her choice directly into editor Hannah Lambert’s hands! (In case you are wondering, Hannah is the editor of all 4 of my books in the WHEN YOUR… series.) Hannah will read the manuscript and then send you an email to let you know she’s read your story. She will include a brief mention of something she likes, and something you can work on. (Not a full critique.) Of course what makes this prize so incredible is that if you send her a really, really good manuscript the dream could come true! 🙂 So good luck to whoever wins this! Hannah is particularly interested in mss with a very low word count, and always has an eye out for excellent holiday stories.
(with thanks to Tania Guarino for thinking up the idea of skipping the slush pile!)
– several picture book manuscript critiques from amazing critiquers (details to come – I need to spread my generous volunteers out over 3 contests, so, planning…)
– a personalized signed copy of NOT SO SCARY JERRY by the wonderful and gifted Shelley Kinder
– Bundle Of Books – assorted PBs, MGs, YAs (details to come) – generously donated by KidLit411
– an e-pub or PDF copy (winner’s choice) of Linda Ashman‘s Nuts And Bolts Guide To Writing Picture Books. OR paperback of Ann Whitford Paul’s Writing Picture Books: A Hands-On Guide from Story Creation to Publication.
Please join me again in thanking these very generous authors and other writing professionals for contributing their books and writing expertise as prizes by visiting their websites and blogs, considering their books and services for holiday or other gift purchases, rating and/or reviewing their books on GoodReads, Amazon, B&N or anywhere else if you like them, or supporting them in any other way you can dream up 🙂
Now then. Time for my sample entry which I finished at 1:30 AM and 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 truly horrific attempt to be filled with confidence that their’s is MUCH better!
Tricky Witches (100 words)
On a dark All Hallow’s night,
Shivering with cold and fright,
Tiny trick-or-treaters dare
To approach the witches’ lair.
Past the lighted edge of town
Black-cloaked witches stand around.
Something sticky, thick, and hot
Bubbles in their potion pot.
“Come and get it!” witches lure.
“It’ll warm you up for sure!”
Ghostly howls warn, “Stay away!
Don’t be fooled by the bouquet!
Cauldron’s contents might smell sweet,
But that’s trickery, not treat!”
Little candy-hunters flee!
Plan has worked out perfectly.
Witches cackle gleefully,
“Now there’s more for you and me!”
Final check, the brew is done.
“Fresh hot chocolate anyone?”
Now then, darlings! Is everyone feeling better about their way-better-than-that! stories? I certainly HOPE so! 🙂
I can’t wait to read all of your entries! I’m so looking forward to them! I hope there will be a lot – the more the merrier! And there are still nearly 5 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. And your reading friends – parents, teachers, etc. The more people who read and enjoy your stories, the better!!!
Contest Entrants, remember to add your post-specific link to the google form below so we can all come read your awesome stories! (Post-specific means not your main blog url, but the actual url of the post that has your story in it – otherwise if you post again before the contest ends, your link will take readers… and judges!… to the wrong place!)
Eager Readers – just go along the list of links, click on them, and enjoy the stories!
Happy Writing and Happy Halloween!!! 🙂 🎃
Susanna Leonard Hill 
IF YOU CAN’T BEAT THEM…. 100 words
By Linda Staszak
Griselda banged on the caldron with an old bone. “Wake up. It’s Halloween.”
Around the graveyard ghosts and goblins stretched and yawned. Scratchy voices that hadn’t been used in a year yowled and howled.
“Here come children. Get ready,” whispered Griselda, shivering with excitement.
They leaped from their hiding places, bloodcurdling screams piercing the night air.
The children laughed.
“Forget them,” said Griselda. “Here come some more.”
Zombies wildly grasped for the children. Ghosts fluttered in their hair.
“Cool costumes,” the children said. “Are you going to the party?”
The creatures looked at each other and shrugged. “Might as well.”
Love the name Griselda, and that the children of today aren’t overly impressed 🙂
Cute story. “Might as well” join the fun, after all! Good luck.
Very cute! Good luck!
Fabulous opening line, Linda! I love it! And love that the kids all think they’re just dressed in costume 🙂 They may have missed out on scaring children, but at least they got to go to a party… and who knows what might happen there? Thanks for joining in the Halloweensie fun!
A Brew for You
Wand in hand she casts her spells,
Hidden here where magic dwells.
Owls hoot-hoot and black cat shivers.
Toads croak-croak while lizard quivers.
Ghouls groan as black wolf growls.
Monster moans and white wolf howls.
Dragon’s breath mixed in her brew,
Hemlock root and slip of yew.
Spider legs and snake’s forked tongue,
Beetle’s toe and blind bat dung.
Kittle up a witch’s potion.
Whisper words with stout emotion.
Shala Shimba Talla Toom,
Raka Reema Zilla Doom.
Let the cauldron steam and spit.
Make the potion boil a bit.
Want to taste this lush cuisine?
For after all, it’s Halloween!
Love this! The rhyme and rhythm are amazing! I love all the creative potion ingredients, but my favorite has to be the blind bat dung.
Thanks so much for your very kind words! I love to rhyme! My first graders would love the dung thing too!
Nice job, Diana. Good luck!
Nice job. I too like the blind bat dung. Good luck.
Love this Diana! Your rhyme is wonderful and fun language, too! Good luck in this fun contest!
Great rhyme! Love the alliteration too. 🙂 I will however, pass on the witches brew. 😉 Good entry!
Nice rhyme and rhythm, Diana, although I confess I’d feel a bit apprehensive about trying that recipe! Thanks for another fun entry!
A Horrid Witch’s Brew
By Erin Buhr
Word Count: 100 wds
A little of this
A lot of that
Filling my caldron.
“Mama – if you dare, try my brew?”
“Tasty, dear.”
Tasty? It’s not tasty! –
It’s spooky and slimey.
It’s supposed to make you shiver!”
A bigger dash of these,
A bunch of those,
Oh it’s looking great.
“Mama, if you dare, try my brew?”
“Yum, love.”
Yum? It’s not yum.
It’s horrid and hairy.
It’s supposed to make you howl!
A heap, a glob,
A swirling swig,
Now beat and blend and –
“Addy! What’s this? You’re a slimey horrid terrifying mess!”
“I am?”
NOW it’s just right.
Fun entry. Good luck, Erin
Funny. Like what finally grosses out mom. Good luck.
Very nice, and you got in a few failed attempts to solve the problem, with only 100 words!
Ha! she finally got mom to be horrified…at the mess! Great job! Good luck in the contest!
Ahhh, see what happens when parents don’t pay attention when their child is being creative? Love this satisfying ending, Erin!
Haha! Very fun, Erin! It reminds me of when my kids were little and used to make what they called “poison soup” in a bucket in the yard 🙂 I guess Addy finally got it the way she wanted it! Thanks for joining in the contest fun!
ENTRY POSTED FOR ANNE
HALLOWEEN STEW FOR TWO (100 words)
by Anne Bromley
Homeless and hungry,
Charlie crept through the skeleton trees.
Shivering from the chilly damp,
Maggie stirred a thick broth in her cauldron,
hoping a princess or pirate would join her for dinner.
His tummy rumbling, Charlie followed the scent
of fish and onions. “Where am I?” he meowled
to the howling wolves and googly-eyed goblins.
He crawled into a clearing
where Maggie had set a table for two.
“And who are you?” Maggie asked.
Charlie purred and pawed at her ragged robe.
“My dinner guest!” Maggie screeched with delight.
Soon two new friends slurped eye-of-newt soup,
serenaded by cawing crows.
Always nice to have a friend join you for dinner. Good luck, Anne
Maggie did such a lovely, friendly thing by welcoming Charlie with open arms, even though she was originally hoping for a pirate or princess to join her for dinner. I liked the joy in her statement, “My dinner guest!”
Nice story. Friends can come from unlikely places and faces. Good luck.
Nice story about finding a friend.
Aww, so much heart in your story! Great job! Best of luck!
I am so happy Charlie and Maggie found each other! It’s never fun to eat alone. Heartwarming story, Anne!
Nice spooky setting, Anne, and what a lovely story! I’m glad Maggie was willing to welcome a hungry kitty even though she was originally hoping for a pirate or princess! A new friend is something to celebrate with eye-of-newt soup! 🙂 Thanks for joining in the fun!
ENTRY #1 POSTED FOR MICHELLE
A Halloween Scene
By Michelle S. Kennedy (Word Count- 95)
Once upon a starry night
when cauldrons heat in flames so bright,
I put my witch’s costume on
and sip on soup until it’s gone.
My hat and broom and cat are neat-
But I just want to trick-or-treat!
It’s cold outside. There is no doubt.
But candy waits and I’m all out!
I grab my coat and cross the lawn.
I’ve got to go before it’s gone.
I hear a howl and get the shivers.
I’ve got to find those candy givers!
I fill my bag with treat delights.
It’s Halloween, my favorite night!
Fun entry. I always liked the treats more than the tricks too. Good luck.
Thanks Karen! ❤
Sweet story. Good luck.
Thank you Maria! ❤
Wonderful rhyme! I love the way you convey all the sights and sounds of Halloween!
Thank you Judy! I love rhyming and this contest gave me an opportunity to hone my skills at it!
Here in the upper midwest, we have plenty of cold Halloweens so this story hit close to home. Love that she embraced each obstacle in her way so she could enjoy her candy quest. Excellent rhyme and rhythm, Michelle!
Awe! Thank you so much for the kind words Traci! I really enjoyed coming up with the rhymes!!!
Cute, Michelle! There’s nothing like the promise of candy to motivate little witches to go out into the spookiness of Halloween! And clearly she enjoys a little bit of a scare 🙂 Thanks for joining in the contest fun!
ENTRY #2 POSTED FOR MICHELLE
The Skeletons on Halloween
By Michelle S. Kennedy (Word Count- 92)
On Halloween day each year,
the skeletons howl and cheer.
Ready to stalk in the night,
they’re looking to cause a fright.
Who will they taunt?
Up from their graves they arise,
not needing to wear a disguise.
Drinking a cauldron’s brew,
They’re wickedly waiting for you!
How long will they haunt?
The skeletons will not rest,
until they have finished their quest.
Then bones will go in a heap,
ready to go back to sleep.
What else do they want?
If Halloween makes you shiver,
that’s what they aim to deliver!
Spooky! Good luck, Michelle.
Thank you! ❤
Nicely done. Definitely a day of the dead. Best of luck.
Thank you Maria! It was a fun one to write. 😀
Those skeletons were on a mission! This is such a fun contest. Best of luck!
Yes! This contest has been a blast!!!
I bet the skeletons look forward to Halloween each year and delight in making kids shiver 🙂 Thanks for another fun entry, Michelle!
ENTRY POSTED FOR JOAN
Wolfie’s Pumpkin
by Joan Leotta
Wolfie picked a pumpkin from the pumpkin patch. He brought it to his friend, Willa Witch.
“A Halloween gift for you,” he said.
“Thank you. It will make a delicious pudding.”
She sliced it with her silver knife and cooked it in her cauldron with sugar and cinnamon.
Wolfie looked out the window and began to howl at the full moon.
“It’s my Halloween song,” he told Willa.
After the pudding was ready, Wolfie and Willa sat on her step, where,
by the light of the moon,
they sang,
ate pudding
and gave out candy to neighborhood children.
Nice tale about enjoying the simple things, with friends. Good luck, Joan.
Fun story of friendship. Good luck.
A sweet story. I enjoyed reading it.
Pumpkin pudding…sounds delicious. Sweet story! Good Luck!
Ahhh, a gentle story about the joy of giving and friendship. Well done, Joan. 🙂
What a lovely, sweet story, Joan! So cozy! I want to be there with Willa and Wolfie 🙂 I’m glad they had an enjoyable, quiet Halloween (well, quiet except for the howling 🙂 ) Thanks for joining in the fun!
What a sweet Halloween story of togetherness…well done, Joan!
ENTRY POSTED FOR JILL
What’s Cooking?
The haunted house spooks me.
“What’s cooking?” I shout.
Some kids went inside,
but none have come out.
Then something grabs me.
An odor. A smell.
I muster the courage
to ring the front bell.
The witch says, “Welcome
to tricks or a treat.”
I gasp and I shiver.
I can’t move my feet.
I creep and scooch in
to peer in the vat.
A howl makes me jump.
I stepped on a cat.
The caldron spittles.
Not children or liver.
It’s pumpkin-spice pie.
“Please slice me a sliver.”
Yum, pumpkin pie! Nice rhyme. God luck!
Great entry! Good luck, Jill
Fun little twists – cat’s howl and pumpkin pie in a vat. Good luck.
Good job rhyming!
Nice twist at the end! Best of luck!
This is the only time I like a ‘bait-and-switch’! Did not expect the ending at all. Hope Hansel and Gretel find this witch. 😉 Cute story, Jill!
Love it! What a cute ending!!! Good luck to you!
Nice spooky set-up and delicious twist ending, Jill! And I laughed when she stepped on the cat – they do have a way of getting underfoot! Thanks for joining in the Halloweensie high jinx!
ENTRY POSTED FOR KAY
HALLOWE’EN FRIENDS by Kay Phillips
One big glup from Mom’s cauldron. Green smoke poured from Immy’s ears. Sparks crackled from her fingers. The mirror shivered as she glided by on her broom.
“Excellent,” she thought, “Now the kids will play with me.”
Not. Tandy howled and slammed her door. Juan, Sita, and Hank shrieked and ran. “Hmmm”, Immy thought.
She made a sign. BE A FREAKY WITCH OR WIZARD. LEARN TO FLY. FREE TREATS.
Sita was first in line. Soon she was zooming and screaming, “Wowwwwwww!!”
I long line formed. Immy smiled and her ear smoke puffed little hearts, “Excellent,” she thought.
Quite the entrepreneur. Good luck, Kay
Wow what a unique way to make friends! Best of luck!
That’s using her broom, er noggin’. Love Immy’s problem solving technique. Good luck!
What a creative entry and an enterprising little witch! I love that her ear smoke puffed little hearts! Favorite line: “The mirror shivered as she glided by on her broom.” – Perfect! Thanks for joining in the contest fun, Kay!
ENTRY POSTED FOR CARMEN
NOT THIS HALLOWEEN! by Carmen Gilbert
It was Halloween night and Anthony, the Duck, Adeline, the Avocado
and Morgan, the Ice Cream Cone trudged through their neighborhood with sacks of candy.
Out of bushes jumped a Wolf, a Witch and a Wizard.
“GIVE US YOUR CANDY!”
The Wolf howled.
The Witch hissed.
The Wizard waved his wand.
Duck quacked at the top of his lungs.
Avocado sprayed guacamole into the witch’s cauldron.
Ice Cream Cone threw gobs of ice-cream at them.
Shiver! Quiver!
Off ran the bullies!
Duck, Avocado and Ice Cream Cone smiled.
NO ONE WAS GOING TO TAKE THEIR HALLOWEEN CANDY!
NOT THIS YEAR!
Fun entry. No one likes to get their candy taken. Good luck.
I like the idea of an avocado who can spew guacamole. I need one of those.
Good to know the scary monsters are scared by sweet treats. This was really fun to read. Good luck!
Haha! Good for them! Who would have thought of guacamole as a weapon 🙂 It sounds like they’ve run into trouble before and were prepared this time! Thanks for a fun entry, Carmen!
Well done combining a Hallowee story with a message about bullying, Carmen. Your characters are very ingenious!
ENTRY POSTED FOR JESSICA
A Calm Halloween
By Jessica Reiner-Harris
People assume every witch has a cat,
And frightens while wearing a pointy black hat.
But there exist witches outside of this mold.
A lovely one’s living nearby, so I’m told.
Instead of a cat, her familiar’s a pup!
There’s no evil potion inside of her cup.
On Halloween night, when the moon’s just a sliver,
This beret-wearing witch cuddles with her dog, Shiver.
He howls at the sky.
He licks Mama’s face.
There’s tea in her cauldron,
It’s her happy place.
There’s no need to scare.
They nap for a spell.
They are together, and so all is well.
Sweet! Everyone needs a cuddly pup on Halloween! Good luck!
Fun twist on the familiar. Good luck, Jessica
I love the uniqueness of the witch in this story- especially her beret!!! Good luck to you!
What a sweet, nicely written story, Jessica! I love that this witch has her own pleasant way of enjoying Halloween! And how nice that she and the pup have their friendship! Thanks for joining in the contest!
ENTRY POSTED FOR BETH
Festival by Beth Blee
The wind is howling.
The dark sky eerie.
Spiders, bats and skeletons, beware!
Firefighter, Spider-girl and M &M’s, too.
Hot cider, candy and bobbing for apples.
Giggles and screams fill the bounce house.
Princess, Spiderman, a tiger or two.
Kerplunk goes the bean bag. I win a prize.
Unicorn, kitten and pumpkins galore.
Shivering—I head for the hot chocolate sign.
My fave with marshmallows on top.
A cauldron of candy … Skittles and Gummies.
“It’s time to leave,” Mom said.
Then I see the maze.
Sounds like a fun Halloween carnival. Good luck, Beth
So many fun things to do at a Halloween festival! Hard to know where to start, and nearly impossible to leave 🙂 Thanks for an original, creative entry Beth!
ENTRY POSTED FOR LU
School Screams
by Lu Pierro
Halloween and all through the school,
roamed monsters, fairies, zombies and ghouls.
Skeletons hung in the school mall,
There were blood-dripping scratches all over the walls.
The librarian wore a black pointy hat
and rode on a broom with a book reading cat.
The cafeteria ladies served monkey breath stew,
from a cauldron just brimming with green yucky goo.
I gave it a taste and started to shiver,
my eyes they went white, my lips were a-quiver.
And then with a howl that was far from serene,
I screamed to my friends, Happy Halloween!
Yikes! Not sure I could’ve tasted the monkey breath stew. Fun entry. Good Luck, Lu
So much fun! My favorite concoction is the monkey breath stew. Great use of rhyme.
Ewwwwwww…. monkey breath stew! Must be great for Halloween!
Very entertaining and fun , Lu! Your set-up made me feel like I was there! Loved the book reading cat! And the monkey breath stew! (which I’m sorry to say, doesn’t seem a far cry from a lot of the school cafeteria food I was exposed to NOT on Halloween 🙂 ) Thanks for joining in the Halloweensie fun!
It’s Only Pretend (97 Words)
by Jill Lambert
Halloween hovers expectantly
over crunchy fallen leaves
in the crisp autumn air,
lurking like a ghost,
hungry for a house to haunt.
Signs appear near the horizon—
a harvest moon rises,
yellow as a squash,
punctuated by
spooky tree silhouettes.
Passive pumpkins,
slapped with evil expressions,
howl, humiliated:
“This is not who we are!”
A steaming cauldron cackles.
Ordinary children,
smeared in face paint
or enshrouded in masks,
morph into
nocturnal creatures.
Scream in fright
as Halloween night
descends,
Shiver, stare, be aware,
it’s not real, really.
It’s only pretend,
friends concealed.
Halloween night
is only
pretend.
Always good to remind yourself it’s only pretend during a scary Halloween night. Good luck.
Thank you, Karen!
Good reminder that it’s fun to dress up, but we are just pretending. It’s fun to use our imaginations, which is what we as writers do all the time while writing stories.
Yes, this contest got the creative juices flowing…thank you, Megan!
I love this one- all the descriptions are great Jill! Good luck!
Very poetic nicely written entry, Jill, with some great language! Good job evoking spookiness! 🙂 Thanks for joining in the contest fun!
It HAS been fun! Thank you!
Very creative and lyrical…I love this, Jill. I had wonderful visuals all the way through.
I really appreciate it!
The Candivore (95 words)
by Jill Lambert
October leaves let out a roar,
they howl intensely, colors soar.
Another scene you can’t ignore,
that dreadful demon — Candivore!
The Candivore, the Candivore,
you’ve heard of it from days of yore,
the dentist shivers till she’s sore.
Beware of autumn’s Candivore!
As weeks go by, out in the store,
the cauldron’s stocked with sweets galore.
Try not to buy them anymore.
You might provoke the Candivore!
The Candivore, the Candivore,
can gobble like tyrannosaur
until all treats are nevermore.
(It’s not even sorry for
cleaning out the candy drawer!)
Nothing thwarts a Candivore!
Halloween brings out the carnivores in us all! Nicely done! Good luck!
Thanks so much!
Haha, this was so creative. I love it!
You made my day!
Aren’t we all a little bit guilty of this one? Fun entry.
I know I am! Thanks!
Yep, definitely a candivore. Of course it doesn’t help I get birthday treats this month too.
Very clever and written with wonderful rhythm and rhyme. You have a great play on words. I love the mention of the dentist. October probably is a dentist worst nightmare and best paying month. Do you mind if I share your story with a dentist friend?
Thank you, Megan! Of course you can share it with your dentist friend!
The Candivore – har har har that be me all over. I loves it!
I appreciate it!
Great job Jill! Good luck to you!!! ❤
Thank you, Michelle! You too!
Such great imagery! Love it! Good luck Jill!
A candivore! What a great idea, Jill! Love it! And love the fun, sing-song refrain of “the candivore, the candivore” – such fun to read aloud! And I laughed at the dentist 🙂 Thanks for another great entry!
Thank you for your feedback, Susanna!
Shiver, Cauldron, and Howl
By Lisa Riddiough
Word count: 100
After a thrilling night of trick-or-treating, Shiver, Cauldron, and Howl were exhausted.
“I’m freezing,” said Shiver.
“I’m boiling,” said Cauldron.
“Ow-oooh!” said Howl.
“This is the last house, then we can go home and warm up,” said Shiver.
“And cool down,” said Cauldron.
“Ow-oooh!” said Howl.
Lights flickered. Bats flew.
Something moaned.
“I’ve got goosebumps,” said Shiver.
“I’m sweating,” said Cauldron.
“Ow-oooh!” said Howl.
The door creaked open.
“Trick-or-treat,” they said.
“Treat!” said a zombie. “And no jaw breakers. My choppers are on their last leg.”
Shiver shivered.
Cauldron steamed.
“Happy Halloween,” said Howl. “Here’s a Butterfinger just for you.”
Loved how Shiver, Cauldron, and Howl used verbs that were apropos of their own names!
A fun reminder of the anticipation of what’s behind the next door…..half the fun! Good luck, Lisa
Awesome! I love your character names are the words we were to use and how you made them take on their names so well. Your zombie trick at the end is a great surprise ending. I love that Howl thinks to give the zombie a Butterfinger. lol
Creative and witty! What a fun entry! Good luck.
Ummm, wish I could still eat Butterfingers… one of my favorites!
So clever to make Shiver, Cauldron and Howl characters and give them characteristics to match their names! Very creative. The rhythm of your story is excellent. And Zombie’s comment made me laugh 🙂 Thanks for a great entry, Lisa!
Love the refrain…this has such wonderful rhythm and character development, Lisa. Great job!
A Bite of Soup
By Megan Walvoord
Word Count: 98
Three witches shivered on a cold Halloween night.
They built a fire and placed their cauldron on top.
They decided to warm up with Spicy Soup.
They stirred in horseradish, toadstools and their final ingredient
… a tooth.
“ARH-WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO,” howled a voice.
“Wha? What was that?”
They searched for the sound.
Finding nothing, they dipped in the ladle.
SPLASH!
It fell in.
They conjured up another.
CHOMP!
Bite marks surrounded the handle.
The witches peered down into the soup. They were met with…
the face of a WOLF.
“Toadstools,” yelled the witches. “This soup has too much bite.”
Fun entry, Megan. Good luck
Ha ha! I love the last line, but I will stay away from this soup! Good luck!
Thank you so much!
Celticsea, I’m glad you love the last line. Ha, ha. Yes, I would be running away from this soup.
Love the ending…and the toadstools! It made me smile. Good luck!
Thank you! I’m glad I made you smile!
Cute!!! Great ending!
Thank you so much! I’m glad you liked it.
Fun! I like the ending.
Thank you! I had a lot of fun with the play on words.
Hahaha! Great last line, Megan! Love “toadstools” as an exclamation. I guess even witch soup recipes can go wrong if you’re not careful! Thanks for an fun, entertaining entry!
Ha! Meagan…there is a lot of soup cooking going on in these stories…and now I’m hungry…but not for a bowl that has too much bite! Well done!
ENTRY POSTED FOR MARYLEE
MaryLee Flannigan
THE GATHERING
In the thick of the woods,
by a dark, broody pond.
Flying witches converge
to strengthen their bond.
On All Hallow’s Eve
when they gather each year –
they will mix in their cauldrons,
new potions of fear.
All eight legs of a spider,
the wings from a bat.
Just a little of this,
and a whole lot of that.
They will shiver with glee –
some will cackle, some howl.
They will whisk and they’ll blend
to the hoot of an owl.
When the magic brew’s done,
their concoction complete.
They will guzzle and gulp
their All Hallow’s Eve treat.
Nice job of creating a mood with your descriptions, MaryLee. Good luck.
Ooh! Wonderful description of the coven getting together for Halloween, MaryLee! Nicely written! Thanks for joining in the Halloweensie fun!
Are You Sure?
By Jim Chaize
A howl sliced the air.
“Are you sure Joey said a blue house?” asked Alice.
“I think so,” Sam whispered.
They stepped forward, then froze, as an armless hand opened
the door.
CREAK!
Lights flashed. Two figures appeared inside the smoky room.
The werewolf snarled, teeth sharp as knives.
A witch cackled and stirred her bubbling cauldron.
“Are … you … sure?” stuttered Alice.
“Maybe Joey said brown.” Sam shivered. “Run!”
They flew from the porch, into the darkness.
The witch and werewolf bolted outside.
“Come back!” bellowed the witch.
“We have the big candy bars!” yelled the Werewolf.
Haha, those big candy bars are every kid’s dream at Halloween! What a fun twist that it’s the monsters giving them away.
Fun entry. Kids always remember the big candy bar houses! Good luck.
Yes, the house with the full size candy bars!! I love the twist at the end. I reminds me of a house in my neighborhood growing up where they would scare you and then give you great treats.
Well written. I felt nervous for Sam and Alice, so fantastic job of bringing that tension in. Wonderful description and I am impressed you did it in just 100 words!
Arr, the ending it be priceless.
Hahaha! We have the big candy bars! Great ending, Jim 🙂 Wonderful job creating spookiness! Love the fearful uncertainty of the kids, because don’t you just feel exactly like that creeping around in the dark on Halloween?! Thanks for great entry!
So funny, Jim…so I guess they were at the right house after all. Do you think there are any of those big candy bars left? Great story!!
ENTRY #3 POSTED FOR MICHELLE
A Halloween Haiku
By Michelle S. Kennedy (Word Count- 11)
Mad Halloween howls!
Witches shiver in huddles.
The cauldron is cold.
Short and sweet…..and you used all three words. Good luck.
Thank you! I tried to do something completely different by doing a Haiku. 😀
Perfectly done, Michelle! Great use of the words!
Well done, Michelle…Haiku…and with all three words!!!
FESTIVE FEAST
By Jamie Donahoe
(94 words)
“It was a teensie, weensie, orange polka dot bikini that she wore…”
“What a silly song,” thought Sheila as she shut the radio off and turned to stare out the window. She shivered – much too cold for a bathing suit.
Now a hot tub, that was another thing altogether, sitting out on her deck, bubbling like a cauldron. She could see steam rising.
She went out back to check, and let out a howl of delight. Every trick-or-treater who had come to her door tonight was happily splashing about. She would feast well tomorrow.
Joining a hot tub party instead of walking house to house. Sounds good. Good luck, Jamie
Oh, boy! Creepy, sneaky Sheila! Those happy trick-or-treaters have no idea what’s coming…! Thanks for an original, spooky entry, Jamie!
HALLOWEEN
(written by, Amy Bryant)
Shivers went up my back,
as I held onto my orange colored sack.
The fog settled upon us like a thin cotton sheet,
tucking around us all nice and neat.
Hiding behind trees and bushes waiting to give us a fright,
were creatures of this eerie night.
Off in the distance we heard a howl.
Was it a werewolf that just made that growl?
A cauldron was bubbling a witch’s brew,
with what we hoped in it was only a shoe.
The door opened and out popped a hand.
“Trick-or-Treat!” we hollered as we grabbed the candy and ran.
Fun, Amy. The temptation of the candy…is it worth the frights? Seems so.
Thank you! I think my imagination would have gotten the better of me and I wouldn’t have lasted to get the candy.
Wonderful descriptions! I love that the kids wanted they candy so much they still waited on the spooky porch for the candy.
Thank you so much! Halloween can certainly be spooky but, that’s part of the fun. Of course, candy is the ultimate treaty prize for being brave!
You have perfectly described Halloween, Amy! The spooks and scares all being worth it to get that candy! 🙂 I hope your little trick-or-treaters got a god haul after all that 🙂 Thanks for a fun entry!
Thank you! This is such a wonderful contest!
The Best Night for Little Ghouls by Beth Saxton
Remy howls, running around the slide and tapping Greta on the shoulder.
“You’re it!” Her fangs glint as she laughs, running in the other direction. Almost tripping over Monty’s bandages, she shivers as she finally catches Esther’s ghost. Her hand passes right through.
“No fair! You can’t tag a ghost!”
She could go after Xavier, but vampire speed to catch a zombie isn’t fair either. She hates being it.
“Snack Time,” Mom calls from the bench. Greta reaches the cauldron in a blink. Some quick punch, then the merry-go-round. They have all Halloween night to play without scaring humans!
Sure is fun being a little ghoulish at times. Good luck, Beth
Such a clever twist, Beth! Love that Halloween is a “free” night for the little spooks who morally have to worry about scaring humans…but not tonight! Not surprising that little vampires, ghosts, werewolves, and mummy’s like to have their play time too 🙂 Thanks for a fun entry!
ENTRY POSTED FOR BONNIE
TROUBLE ( 79 words)
By Bonnie Kloster
Bubble, bubble.
Toil and trouble.
The witch fell into the cauldron.
Cats howl, “Shiver me pumpkins.
What can we do?
Whoever heard of witch stew?”
The witch cackled, “Tip the pot.
My feet are hot”.
“But the pot’s too heavy, said the cats.
“Then quench the flame”.
“No! No! We’d lose our whiskers.
And that would be a shame.”
“Grab my broom.
Lift me out”.
“YEAH!” They all shout.
Up, up, and away.
Happy Halloween Day.
It’s always good when a problem is solved. Good luck, Bonnie
Poor witch! I’m glad they figured out how to get her out of the stew. Great problem solving.
Hilarious! Love that the cats saved the day!!!!
This made me laugh. She must have been so hot in there. Witch stew just won’t do! I’m glad the cats got her out in the end, with a little direction from witch, of course. 🤣 Fun!
Cute, fun story, Bonnie! Love that the witch fell in 🙂 and love the problem solving. Very kid-friendly. Thanks for a great entry!
ENTRY #4 POSTED FOR MICHELLE
H-A-L-L-O-W-E-E-N K-I-D-S G-E-T-S C-A-N-D-Y!
By Michelle S. Kennedy (Word Count- 65)
Halloween.
All cauldrons aglow.
Lanterns burn-
Languishing, slow.
Owls shiver.
Werewolf’s first howl.
Eerie-eyed pumpkins,
Emptied and foul.
No one’s serene- It’s Halloween!
Kids are in costumes,
In make-up and masks,
Dashing to houses,
Staying on task!
Grabbing for candy-
Each has a sack;
Trampling quickly,
Scurrying back.
Chocolates galore,
And candy corns too.
Nougats and bubble gum-
Delicious, good goo.
Yaay! Halloween! (and) BOO!
All that matters is that candy. Fun.
Yep! At least that’s what my son says! LOL
Fun entry, Michelle!!!
Thank you so much!
Mmmmm! Love it, Michelle!
Thank you so much! ❤
Wow! How creative! Way to go!
Aw! Thank you so much!
And, thanks for reading it! 😀
Clever format, sums up Halloween pretty well, Michelle! Another fun entry!
ENTRY POSTED FOR JOHN
ENTRY NUMBER TWO for John Bryndal (sorry, no blog)
100 words version
(Title) Opposite Day: A Halloween Scare
Ray and Sarah entered the old house looking for Halloween candy.
“Trick-or-Treat!”
Suddenly from a glowing cauldron came dozens of ghosts.
“Wait!” Ray called. “I know it’s Halloween. But did you know it’s also Opposite Day?” he asked.
“Yeah! Opposite Day” said Sarah. “That means everything happens the opposite of the way you expect.”
“You can’t go through walls…”
A ghost tried and BAM, bumped his head.
“You can’t fly…”
Several ghosts immediately crashed.
“And you can’t scare us.”
The shivering ghosts all together howled:
“O-O-B!”
Ray and Sarah laughed and laughed and laughed.
“Best Halloween ever!!”
What a clever way for Ray and Sarah to outsmart the ghosts – I especially liked when the ghosts said, “O-O-B!”
Always interesting when things go other than planned. I like the OOB too. Fun. Good luck, John
Very clever and what kid doesn’t love Opposite Day? 🙂
Yay, best name ever! (haha)
Very creative!
Thanks to you (and all) for kind comments on my story. And thanks to my own kids (Ray and Sarah) for asking me to think up a Halloween story. And thanks to Susanna and this contest for the challenge of then trimming the story to 100 words. It made for a fun Halloween
Love the ambiguity of whether it’s REALLY Opposite Day or just the power of suggestion! :). Nice job, John!
This was so much fun, John. Very creative!!
Reblogged this on Kim's Author Support Blog.
Midnight Fright
(99 words)
by
Pat Finnegan
On Halloween night,
At exactly midnight,
Witch heard knocking on her door.
Oh, that knocking made her shiver,
And that knocking made her quiver.
What was knocking on her door?
“Never shiver,” she commanded.
“Never quiver,” she demanded,
As she tiptoed cross the floor.
While she tiptoed, she heard howls.
While she tiptoed, she heard growls,
Yet she tiptoed cross the floor.
“I’m not scared,” she howled.
“I’m not scared,” she growled,
As she opened wide her door.
“Your magic wand,” said her friend, Bat.
“Your cauldron, too,” said Big Black Cat.
“You left them on our party floor!”
Getting over her fears proved to be good thing. Sounds like quite the party they had. Good luck.
Thank you for reading and commenting, Karen!
Apparently even a witch can be frightened on Halloween! Good thing she was brave enough to answer her door, and how nice of her friends to return her belongings! Nicely written spooky set-up, Pat! Thanks for a fun entry!
Reblogged this on Stow-away Book and commented:
This looks so cool! Too bad I found this too late! X) Cant’s wait to the winners!
Good luck to you, Susanna and compadres, as you read and assess all these fabulous entries! I don’t think I’ll be able to read them all this year. I’m working on NaNoWriMo prep and have yet to figure out my logline and major plot points. Ack! Times a wastin’!
Here’s one more, just because it’s fun!
TRICK OR TREAT 99 words
By Linda Staszak
“Saying ‘Trick or treat’ is old fashioned,” said Jenny. “We need something different this year.”
Everyone looked puzzled. “You know, something modern and original.”
Pirate Danny ran to a door and shouted, “Shiver me timbers!”
Jenny shook her head. “What does that even mean?”
Witch Patty clutched her caldron and yelled, “Eye of newt and toe of frog!”
Jenny rolled her eyes.
“April fool!” the clowns shouted.
Somewhere a creature howled, sending shivers down their spines.
“Oh well, I guess sometimes the old ways are best,” said Jenny.
They shouted, “Trick or treat” and held out their empty bags.
Love it! Yes, sometimes new things are good and other times traditions are the best. Great story! I love the clever phrases you had the kids try.
Love this entirely believable kid discussion, Linda! And haven’t we all had moments when we thought something new might be better…only to realize that there’s a reason something has stuck around all this time! Thanks for another fun entry!
Snap Apple Fright
By Corine Timmer (entry number two)
Snap Apple Fright (99 words)
On the night of All Hallows’ Eve,
Granny Smith a plan did weave.
Ever since the village kids’ foolery,
Her thoughts had grown ultra-delusory.
Dressed in rags and a witch’s shawl,
She sneaked into the village hall.
In the cauldrons her apples were nodding.
Their plan would surely get somebody sobbing.
She injected each apple with cochineal cream,
A potion so red it could make you scream.
When the villagers flocked to the feast,
Granny Smith escaped on her beast.
In a shiver of wind she could hear the howls,
And all the little devils threw in their towels.
Ooh! Old Granny getting a little revenge! You don’t expect that from grannies 🙂 Thanks for another great entry, Corine!
Thanks for stopping by, Susanna. It’s amazing (and generous) that you are commenting on all the entries! I love Halloweensie ❤️ Thanks for the opportunity.
Worst Costume… Never
By Rich Shea
“This is embarrassing,” Ernie grumbled. His father smiled.
“Shiver me timbers, it’s a toilet plunger,” exclaimed a pajamas wearing pirate. Kids howled with laughter.
The procession of children flowed down the street like leaves on a stream. Spectators began to throw candy.
“We forgot my bag,” moaned Ernie.
He watched in horror as trick-o-treaters zigged and zagged scooping up fistfuls of candy.
Ernie heard a faint thud, followed by another, and then another.
Candy rained down upon Ernie.
“What are you?” asked a pint sized troll doll.
Ernie puffed out his chest. Candy overflowed from his waist. “I’m a cauldron!”
cute.
Great idea, dressing up as a cauldron! Makes it so easy to collect a lot of candy – no bag needed! 🙂 Thanks for joining in the Halloweensie fun, Rich!
But he had the last laugh, right? He had a place to put lots of candy, even without a bag. 😉 Well done!
ENTRY POSTED FOR ELAINE
WITCH’S WELCOME
By
Elaine D’Alessandro
72 words
Tabitha flew from room to room
And stirred her cauldrons one by one,
Then grabbed her hat and rode her broom
To greet her friends for food and fun.
Wolves knocked howling, licking their snout
Behind some bats and owls, too,
Chirping, hooting flying about
Craving witch’s simmering stew.
Cold winds blew that Halloween night,
But warmth embraced the witch’s den.
No more shivering, no more fright,
Just friends uniting once again.
I like the idea that a witch’s den can be cozy too. A sweet friendship story.
So nice of Tabitha to get everything ready and welcome her friends in coziness! What a lovely evening they must have had! Thanks for joining in the contest fun, Elaine!
What a lovely Halloween eve they had, Elaine! Nice job!
ENTRY POSTED FOR NANNETTE
Fright Fight
By Nannette Brophy Major
Shiver and Quiver were sisters,
With brothers named Howl and Growl.
Four small ghouls with a job to do
On their very first Halloween prowl.
Tonight’s the night to be scary!
They’d practiced together for weeks
Working on moaning, screaming, groaning;
They mastered bloodcurdling shrieks!
Now with the big night upon them
To put their new skills to the test,
Instead of doing all that booing
They fought about who did it best.
Only daybreak ended their squabbling.
Having failed to fill folks with fear,
Spying a cauldron all four crawled in
And vowed to do better next year.
I love this clever story. The little ghouls missed all the fun because of their squabbling. What a shame 😦 I hope they fill the folks with fear next year.
Hahaha, Nannette! You have perfectly depicted the way things so often turn out with siblings! All that practicing just so they could end up quarreling and not even doing what they practiced! Nice job with your rhyme and story! Thanks for joining in the Hallowensie fun!
THE HALLOWEEN SHIP (97 words)
By Laura Bower
Well, Shiver Me Timbers! It’s All Hallow’s Eve.
Pirate Pete’s at the wheel. The ship’s ready to leave.
It’s filled to the brim with green goblins, white ghosts,
black ravens and spiders on all of the posts.
The cauldron is bubbling with hot newt-eye soup,
which perks Pete right up when his eyes start to droop.
When the howling gets louder he knows he is near
to the Wolf Island party – the bash of the year!
“Ahoy there me mateys! It’s time for some fun!”
They danced and they howled til’ the moon turned to sun.
What a fun story! I like the fact that the story turns into a party and that the howls are happy howls.
Love the idea of the Halloween ship, Laura, and the fact that the pirate could get sleepy at the wheel and need a perk-up 🙂 The Wolf Island Party sounds like quite the bash! I think they all had a fabulous time! Thanks for joining in the contest fun!
A GOLD WAND FOR WANDA (94 words)
By Laura Bower
Entry Number Two
Wanda was shivering – nervous and scared.
Just thirty-one days to get set and prepared
for the Howl-a-ween Witch-Off on All Hallows Eve.
She wanted to medal. She had to believe.
But her cauldron was broken, her broom wouldn’t fly.
“I’ll never be first,” Wanda said with a sigh.
She patched up her pot and worked hard every night.
By the end of the month she had learned to take flight.
She wowed the head judge with her spell-binding focus
and left with the gold wand (That’s no hocus-pocus!)
Well done, Wanda! Anything’s possible when we believe in ourselves.
Hurray for Wanda! Just goes to show if we work hard and believe in ourselves, anything is possible! Thanks for another great entry, Laura!
SAFE
On a dark Halloween night, determined teens advanced. Today, they’d walk up the creaky stairs of the abandoned, crooked house. It was said to be haunted, but wo believed that!
The cauldron by the stairs had been there forever, the creaking noise as they pushed the door sent a shiver down their spines, but they were undeterred.
They made their way in slowly, cobwebs catching on their hair and faces, bringing sounds of disgust from their meekest members.
Suddenly, something howled, a door crashed, and everyone scrambled away.
The old man smiled, his secret safe at least a little longer.
*(this is my third attempt. I prefer the other two, but they didn’t meet the 100 word rule! My blog is private, so I cannot post a link… hence the comment)*
Ah, determined teens. There’s not much stopping them. Or is there? You did it! A story in 100 words.
Yes! And reading your comment, I now realise the inspiration may have come from closer than I thought
Delightfully spooky, Dawn, and boy did you get me wondering what the old man’s secret was!!! Nicely done! I know the word count is tough! I often write stories for this contest that I have to cut down from 130 words or more and I always end up feeling like I lost something! You did a great job!
Thank you! It was really fun writing this. I had been thinking in rhymes and syllable counts for almost a month, so it was difficult to get our of that mode. The first two writes were poems, but I didn’t get under the 100 word count, so I tried a different approach. I’m glad you enjoyed it. It really helped me getting into the Halloween spirit, which had been difficult for me this year. So thank YOU!
I’m so glad, Dawn! And you can always take the versions you liked better and work them into a magazine piece or a picture book where you’re not required to stick to 100 words!