***FRIDAY NIGHT UPDATE***

Sorry for the delay in posting finalists, everyone! So many great entries – it’s really hard to narrow the field and it’s taking us longer than expected. I will do my best to post them no later than Monday afternoon, sooner if I can. Thank you all so much for your patience, and have a great weekend!

Witch’s wart and wing of bat! It’s time for. . .

The 11th Annual Halloweensie Writing Contest!!!

~ for children’s writers ~

THE CONTEST: write a 100 word Halloween story appropriate for children (children here defined as 12 and under) (title not included in word count) using the words glow-in-the-dark, goosebumps, and goodies.

• Your story can be poetry or prose, scary, funny, sweet, or anything in between, but it will only count for the contest if it includes those 3 words and is 100 words. Get it? Halloweensie – because it’s not very long and it’s for little people 😊
  
• You can go under the word count but not over!
• Title is not included in the word count.
• Also, being super clear for this year, glow-in-the-dark counts as 1 word (even though it looks like 4 😊)
• You may use the words in any form i.e. glowed-in-the-dark, goosebumpley, goody (“Oh, goody!”, goody-two-shoes etc.), whathaveyou 😊
• You are welcome to enter more than one entry – just remember you’ll be competing against yourself 😊
• No illustration notes please!

And yes, I know 100 words is short, but that’s part of the fun and the challenge! We got just shy of 300 fantastic entries last year, so I know you can do it!

POST: your story in the comment section below between right now this very second and Sunday October 31st at Midnight – the witching hour! Please include your title, word count, and byline with your entry so that if your posting handle is MomNeedsAVacation I’ll still be able to tell who wrote your entry 😊

• For those of you who would also like to post on your blogs, please feel free to do so! You are welcome to include the link to your blog with your entry in the comment section below so that people can come visit your blog, but all entries must be posted in the comment section of This Post between now and Sunday October 31st at Midnight.
  
• If you have difficulty posting your entry to the comments, which unfortunately sometimes happens, you may email your entry to me and I’ll post it for you! Contact button above or [susanna[at]susannahill[dot]com Please place your entry in the body of the email including your title and byline at the top – NO ATTACHMENTS! They will not be opened.
  
• I know how hard you all work on your entries, and how anxious you are to get them posted, but please try to be a little patient if your entry doesn’t show up immediately. Many comments have to be manually approved, and it sometimes takes me a little while to post entries that come in by email. I promise I will get to everything as soon as I can. I try never to leave my desk during contests, but sometimes it’s unavoidable 😊
  
• Side Note: WordPress will not properly format entries written in the shape of a pumpkin (or anything else!) or with fancy or colored fonts or unusual spacing. No matter how great it looks in whatever program you compose it in, be forewarned that when you post it in the comment section it is going to be basic and I am not able to change that for you, I’m afraid.

THE JUDGING: in a grueling marathon over the days following the contest close, my devoted assistants and I will read and re-read and narrow down the entries to a finalist field of about 12 which will be posted here for you to vote on I hope by Friday November 5th (though if the judging takes longer than expected it might be a little later – we will do our best!) The winner will be announced Monday November 8th (good lord willin’ and the creek don’t rise 😊)

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. Use of all 3 required words and whether you came it at 100 words or less.
• 4. 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.
• 5. Quality of Writing: check your spelling, grammar, punctuation etc.  If you’re going to rhyme, give us your best 😊  Use and flow of language, correctness of mechanics, excellence of rhyme and meter if you use it, PROOFREADING!
• 6. Originality and creativity – because that is often what sets one story above another.
• 7. How well you followed the Submission Guidelines – agents and editors expect professionalism. This is a chance to practice making sure you read and follow specified guidelines. If you don’t follow agent and editor submission guidelines, they won’t even read your submission.

THE PRIZES: So amazing! What wonderful, generous people we have in our kidlit community! Just wait til you see what you can win!

⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique by Dawn Young, author of THE NIGHT BAAFORE CHRISTMAS (WorthyKids, 2019), COUNTING ELEPHANTS (Running Press Kids, 2020), THE NIGHT BAAFORE EASTER (WorthyKids, 2021), THE NIGHT BAAFORE THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL (WorthyKids, 2021), and the brand new ONCE UPON A CHRISTMAS (WorthyKids, October 19, 2021)!

⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique (nonrhyming) by Janie Reinart, author of WHEN WATER MAKES MUD: A STORY OF REFUGEE CHILDREN (Blue Whale Press, 2021)

⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique (biography) by Lindsey McDivitt, author of NATURE’S FRIEND: THE GWEN FROSTIC STORY (Sleeping Bear Press, 2018), TRUTH AND HONOR: THE PRESIDENT FORD STORY (Sleeping Bear Press, 2020), and A PLAN FOR THE PEOPLE: NELSON MANDELA’S HOPE FOR HIS NATION (Eerdman’s Books For Young Readers, 2021)

⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique (rhyming or any) or First 10 Pages of a longer MS (winner’s choice) by Kenda Henthorn, author of the forthcoming BAA, BAA TAP SHEEP (Sleeping Bear Press, April 15, 2022)

Kenda works in the aviation industry now so it’s no surprise that her writing inspirations and aspirations are sky-high, too.  She resides in Oklahoma and when the winds aren’t sweepin’ down the plains, Kenda enjoys acting, flying, kayaking and riding horses or her motorcycle.  (Vroom-vroom!)She has served as a Regional Coordinator for the Oklahoma SCBWI and a Best in Rhyme Award committee member and judge.

⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique (rhyming or lyrical) by Randi Sonenshine, author of THE NEST THAT WREN BUILT (Candlewick March 2020) and the forthcoming THE LODGE THAT BEAVER BUILT (Candlewick Fall 2022)

⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique by Danielle Dufayet, author of YOU ARE YOUR STRONG (Magination Press, March 2019) and FANTASTIC YOU (Magination Press, September 2019)

⭐️ Storyboard Notebook – a great way to draft your picture books! PLUS a deck of What’s The Story Cards to inspire the drafts! PLUS the Making Picture Book Magic Self Study Course to help you craft your draft!

⭐️ Personalized signed copy of ONCE UPON A CHRISTMAS by Dawn Young PLUS your choice of one of the writing craft books listed below!

⭐️ Personalized signed copy of BRANCHES OF HOPE: The 9/11 Survivor Tree by Ann Magee PLUS your choice of one of the writing craft books listed below!

⭐️ Personalized signed copy of MIMIC MAKERS: Biomimicry Inventors Inspired by Nature by Kristen Nordstrom PLUS your choice of one of the writing craft books listed below!

⭐️ Personalized signed copy of A PLAN FOR THE PEOPLE: Nelson Mandela’s Hope for His Nation by Lindsey McDivitt PLUS your choice of one of the writing craft books listed below!

⭐️ Personalized signed copy of THE NEST THAT WREN BUILT by Randi Sonenshine PLUS your choice of one of the writing craft books listed below!

⭐️ Personalized signed copy of 13 WAYS TO EAT A FLY by Sue Heavenrich PLUS your choice of one of the writing craft books listed below!

⭐️ Winners of the 6 signed picture books above may also receive their choice of any one of the following writing craft books to go along with their picture book:

Please join me 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 birthday, holiday or other gift purchases, rating and/or reviewing their books on GoodReads, Amazon, B&N, or anywhere else if you like them, recommending them for school and library visits, and supporting them in any other way you can dream up! 😊

Happy Writing! Happy Reading! And Happy Halloween!

Now, let the Halloweensie begin!

The 294 entries listed below are linked to where they appear in the comments so you can click on the titles and get right to them! (Assuming WordPress cooperates . . . fingers crossed!) Anyone who feels kind can start at the bottom of the list so those entries get some comments too! 🎃 😊

1. Isolated For Halloween – S. J. Little
2. A Halloween Time Machine – Sara Kruger
3. Weather’s Trick, Witch’s Treat – Abby N. Wooldridge
4. Halloween Is LIT! – Anne Lipton
5. Kit’s Costume – Kari Ann Gonzalez
6. Mean Halloween – Heather Ferranti Kinser
7. A Witchy Switch – Katie Schwartz
8. The Porchlight – Chris Garcia-Halenar
9. Bruce Goose – Jessica Hinrichs
10. Undersea Halloween – Vashti Verbowski
11. Sweet Swap – Daniella Kaufman-Schloss
12. The Halloween Witch – Trista Herring Baughman
13. The Lonely Pumpkin Head – Elle Jaufret
14. Hallows’ Eve – E. A. Peterson
15. Whose Cat Is THAT? – Beth Stillborn
16. This Pumpkin’s Not For Picking – Laura Howard
17. The Jimjam – Carrie Karnes-Fannin
18. Trick Likes Treats, But So Does Swoop – Melissa Valente
19. The Haunted House High Up On The Hill – Sue Lancaster
20. Tricked The Treats – Katie Fischer
21. A Helpful Ghost – Emily Durant
22. The Wraith On My Wrist or Ghostie Lost In City Mist – Sally Yorke-Viney
23. Three Little Geese Do Halloween – Linda Williams Swanson
24. A Glowing Solution – Nicole Loos Miller
25. Warning: May Contain Sugar – Amy Leskowski
26. How Hannah Saved Halloween – Colleen Murphy
27. Double Meaning Halloween Knight – Debbie Meneses
28. Untitled – Shariffa
29. The Scavenger’s Feast Ball – Sarah Hetu-Radny
30. ‘Tis The Season, Candy Eaters – Hannah Roy LaGrone
31. Greta’s Glow-In-The-Dark Goosebumps – Susan E. Schipper
32. Bobbing For Apples – Lyn Jekowsky
33. The Perfect Pumpkin – Barbara Kimmel
34. No More Sugar! – Sarah K. Rose
35. Fairy-Fire – Vanessa Konoval
36. Creepy Cook-Off – Sarah Meade
37. Macy & Lucy’s Halloween – Sarah Meade
38. Ghostly Linens – Stephanie Maksymiw
39. Happy HOWL-oween – Lindsey Hobson
40. Three Glowing Bats – Sherry Roberts
41. Halloween Family Secret – Jennifer Mary Grolemund
42. A Sick Day – Jany Campana
43. The Pied Pumpkin Of Halloween – Marta Cutler
44. Creatures From The Couch – Julie Hansen
45. Alligator The Ghost – Marta Cutler
46. Goose-Zilla – Linda Staszak
47. Welcome To The Skeleton Dance – Sue Heavenrich
48. Teal Halloween – Kathleen Lowry
49. The Gloves – Stephanie Rondeau
50. Ghoulie Rulies – Brenda Whitehead
51. Tricky Treaters – P. J. Purtee
52. Garth’s Game Changer – Darcee A. Freier
53. Nabbed! – Abby Voss
54. The Wart-Covered Tree – Danielle Arndt
55. The Last Fall Firefly – Meagan T. Gentry
56. Who Cares If It’s Cold? – Allison Strick
57. Glenda’s Goosebumps – Susan Burd
58. The Candy Thief – Meagan T. Gentry
59. Halloween Hero – Rose Cappelli
60. The Halloween Ball – Marta Cutler
61. Scary-Go-Round – Catherine Catcho
62. The Scariest Monster – Marty McCormick Bellis
63. Fright Night – Marty Findley
64. Halloween Eve – Barbara Renner
65. Wilbur Werewolf – Deb Buschman
66. Teeny Owl’s Spooky Halloween – Janet Parkinson Bryce
67. No Room For Monsters – Jill Stuck
68. Ghost House – HC Morris
69. Boogie Man’s Bright Idea – Jenn Shetsen Wierda
70. Swamp Beast Falls For Sweets – Jilanne Hoffman
71. Have You Seen My Monster – Alan Elliott
72. Halloween Hang-Ups – Russell Wolff
73. Mark Lights The Way – Karyn Curtis
74. Halloween Pie – Jill Stuck
75. The Costume – C. E. King
76. I’m Coming To Get You – Pat Holloway
77. The Frightmare – Linda Staszak
78. Frankie & Gigi: Trick Or Feet – Kira Barrett
79. Home For Halloween – Melissa Miles
80. Not The Costume I Wanted – Michelle S. Kennedy
81. Goosey Glender’s Fall Feast – Bartybear
82. Halloween Scavenger Hunt – Denise Seidman
83. Stink Fairy’s Hallo-smelly-ween – Stacey Miller
84. Hallowmas – Danielle S. Hammelef
85. Goosebumps For Mother Goose – Lynne Marie
86. How Do You Tickle A Ghost? – Kizzi Hutcheson
87. Dragon Magic – Melissa Rotert
88. Gretyl Hobbled Into Halloween History – Royal Baysinger
89. Shiver And Sugar! – Abby Voss
90. Monster Feast – Abby Voss
91. Are You Ready To Trick-Or-Treat? – Corine Timmer
92. Christmas In October – Vanessa Konoval
93. Spooky ABCs – Alan Elliott
94. Dragon And Pirate’s Halloween – Alan Elliott
95. Tiny’s Halloween Flight – Carolyn C. Snelling
96. Rainbow Bridge – Corine Timmer
97. Great-Aunt Broomhilda – Josh Cohen
98. Cirque Fantome – Kizzi Hutcheson
99. A Knock On The Door – Pamela Swanson
100. Trick-Or-Treat Nightmare – Cindy Sommer
101. Worth The Climb – Armineh Manookian
102. Thank You, Trick-Or-Treaters! For Protecting Your Mother – Sharon McCarthy
103. Beware, Out There – Julie Lerczak
104. The Haunted Bathroom – Jill Lambert
105. Plan Bee – Jenny Morales
106. “BOO!”K Spooky Halloween – Laura N. Clement
107. The Witch’s Mistake – Jennifer Kaap
108. Itsy B. Spider – Molly Ippolito
109. Too Many Goodies – Rachel Krackeler
110. Ghostmetics – Rozana Rajkumari
111. Santa’s Halloween – Jen MacGregor
112. My Scariest Halloween Night – Les Degnan
113. Winnie Trick-Or-Treats – Dorothy Kohrherr
114. Camping Surprise – Meredith Flory
115. Halloween Hunt – Mary Ann Featherston
116. The Glow-In-The-Dark Bowl – Kathy Scott
118. The Haunted House – Carmen Castillo Gilbert
119. Once Upon A Halloween – Colourbeam
120. A Witchy Potion – Susan Summers
121. A Giant Surprise – Susan Summers
122. Hollow-Eeek! – Karen Keesling
123. Once Upon A Halloween – Nadia Ali
124. Halloween Battle: (Vampire) Squid vs. (Goblin) Shark – Laura Bower
125. Happy, Happy Halloween – Claire Freeland
126. Mr. O’Leary’s House – Nina Nolan
127. Phantom Festival – Lynn Moore
128. The Surprise Halloween Friend – Cindy Greene
129. Goosebumps – Amy Flynn
130. Ninja Goose And The Halloween Hi-Yah! – Deborah Foster
131. Tricky Treat – Patricia Nozell
132. A Halloween Snack – Debra Daugherty
133. Escaping Planet Taradiddle – Colleen Daugherty
134. First Halloween Treat – Natalie Cohn
135. My Last Trick-Or-Treat – Reed Hilton-Eddy
136. Glowing Ghost – Lauri C. Meyers
137. hALLYween SPELL – Paul Roncone
138. Halloween Love – Marla Yablon
139. Cockroach’s Glowing Problem – Lori Himmel
140. Scaredy-Cat Pat And The Haunted House – Sara Dean
141. Let The Real Halloween Begin! – Lori Evans
142. Ixchel’s Belizean Halloween – Blanca Manzanilla
143. Emy Is Always Right – Katharyn R. Benessa
144. Tricky Treat – Ann Grilli
145. Jack’s Pumpkin Plan – Diana Murrell
146. Lights In The Dark – Ivanka Dimitrova
147. Fraidy Cat No More – Jennifer Cherry
148. Galactic Trick-Or-Treat – Tiffany Hanson
149. My Ghost Bubble Friend – Sheila R. Schmotzer
150. R-R-R-Rattled – Gennie Gorback
151. Glow-In-The-Dark Goodies – Leslie Collins
152. Moonlit Love – Liz Kehrli
153. Un-Spooky Halloween – Krista Legge
154. Stella Shines – Laura Barens
155. Tabby The Trouble Maker – Dawn Renee Young
157. The Nameless Ghoul – Imelda Taylor
158. How The Jack-O-Lantern Found His Real Smile – Sheri Palmer
159. Halloween Chase – Connie Newbauer
160. Spidey Sparkles – Angelique Lamour
161. Never Trick A Witch – Tiffany Hanson
162. Halloween Monster – Tiffany Hanson
163. The Halloween Sleepover – Kelsey E. Gross
164. Goose Bumped – Jen Subra
165. The Rock – Trista Herring Baughman
166. Halloween Pumpkin – Shariffa
167. A Tricky Tattoo – Gregory E. Bray
168. Brave, Adalaide – Katie Walsh
169. March Of The Skeletons – Jill Richards Proctor
170. Little Night Terrors – Obbverse
171. The Mansion On Maple – Glenda Roberson
172. The Graveyard Picnic – Gabrielle Cardwell
173. Halloween Heebie-Jeebies – Karen Pickrell
174. A Few Of The Scariest Things: A Parody To The Tune Of My Favorite Things – Ingrid Boydston
175. The Witch Of Jekyll Island – Shampa Enayet
176. FEELINGUNSEENONHALLOWEEN – Nicola Beach
177. Hank’s Halloween Costume? (A Riddle In A Story) – Ken Major
178. All Hallow’s Eve – Stacey Miller
179. Molly’s Ghost – Hobbo
180. The Witch’s House – Emma Wood
181. My Word – It’s Halloween! – Jamie Donahoe
182. Switched On And Off – Diana Webb
183. A Night With Gran – Diana Webb
184. Boys Will Be Boys – Matt Snyder
185. Flicker Of A Cat’s Tail – Jacqui Boulter
186. Pumpkin Train – Kathy Raggio
187. The Alien – M. Waknitz
188. Jellyfish George’s Halloween – Scott Kinder
189. Skeleton’s Halloween – M. Waknitz
190. Twyla Z. Witch – Lori Dubbin
191. Witch’s Brew – K. Sibilia
192. It’s Halloween – Elizabeth Muster
193. Capture The Goodies On Halloween – Ames Jegen (age 11)
194. (Not) A Very Scary Story – Linda Staszak
195. Halloween Helpers – Ellen Seal
196. Halloween Warning – Stephanie Henson
197. Leaping Lizards! – Sharon Match
198. Graveyard Bully – Jean James
199. The Greatest Night Of The Year – Krista Harrington
200. Halloween Hide And Seek – Melissa Wrex
201. Trick Or Treat Night – Emily Keifer
202. Oscar’s Irresistible Brew – Lucretia Schafroth
203. All Hallow’s Eve At The Roller Rink – Bonnie Kelso
204. My Halloween Crew – Alana DeVito
205. Post Halloween Goals – Amy Reitz
206. The Card Game – Cathy Lee
207. Quiet Night – Thelia Hutchinson
208. Trick-Or-Treat, Night Animals!: A Halloween Story – Mary Catherine Amadu
209. A Halloween Tail – Janice Kay
210. An Inch – Susan Leigh Needham
211. Underwater Halloween – Judy Sobanski
212. The Lonely Scarecrow – Sarah Atherton
213. The Little Witch – Deborah Hunt
214. Waking The Dead – Nancy Derey Riley
215. A Not-So-Sweet Halloween – Erika Romero
216. It’s Halloween In Toothytown – Kristen Littlefield
217. Until It’s Safe – Brittany Saulnier
218. First Halloween – Karen deWilde
219. You Are What You Eat – Alexa Tuttle
221. Once Upon A Halloween – Carrie O’Leary
222. Goodie Ghost’s Halloween Screams – KJ Albright
223. A Bunny Can Dream – Becky Walker
224. Ogre’s Halloween – Barbara DiMarco
225. Monster Lipstick – Kathi Morrison-Taylor
226. Ghoulies Grand Soiree – MaryAnn Cortez
227. Haunting Gnomes – Lindsay Moretti
228. Goosebumped Ghoul And Scattered Skeleton – Sarah Kohls Roberts
229. Not This Time – Sandhya Acharya
230. How To Sneak A Halloween Treat – Alicia Meyers
231. I Wish. . . – Amy Duchene
232. Bram’s Hunt – Michaela Almeida
233. Terrific Toothpaste! – Heather Gallagher
234. The After Party – Samantha Sinclair
235. The Final Hour – Ashlee MacCallum
236. Halloween Gala – Tonnye Williams Fletcher
237. Halloween Bites – Melissa-Jane Nguyen
238. Double, Double Toilet Trouble – Stephanie Amargi
239. Henley’s Haunted House – Jeannette Suhr
240. Disguise Surprise – Nancy Derey Riley
241. Enough – David McMullin
242. Witches Aren’t Supposed To Be Afraid Of The Dark – Ally Piper
243. Frankenpixie – Paul Kurtz
244. Scaredy-Monster – Paul Kurtz
245. Halloween’s The Worst! – Donna Kurtz
246. Bunny’s Bored! – Donna Kurtz
247. The Goblin Market – Aly Kenna
248. Wilfred The Wizard – Nicola Thackrey
249. Halloweenie – Jana Mattern
250. The Last House On Halloween – Bru Benson
251. Ghostly, Ghastly, Goosebumps – Janet F. Smart
252. Astronaut Aidan – Kaye Wright
253. The Halloween Dare – Erin Cleary
254. Dracula’s First Halloween – Eleanor Cullen
255. Pumpkin Dawn – TSW Sharman
256. A Southern Halloween – Trista Herring Baughman
257. The Candy Monster – Judy Cooper
258. The Halloween Potty – Andrew Hacket
259. It Absolutely Will Be A Fine Night – Susan Krevat
260. Halloween Goodies – Una Belle Townsend
261. It’s Dark In Here – Sue Ko
262. Eyelashes – Sue Ko
263. Fall – Sue Ko
264. Too Dark – Rae Harkness
265. Boo – Mary Ann Napolitano
266. Much Too Goody – Sarah Hawklyn
267. Candy Surprise – Julianna Kurtz
268. Halloween Surprise – Judy Egan
269. Trick-Or-Treat At 20 Below – Matthew Lasley
270. Gotcha! – Pat Finnegan
271. The House Next Door – Aundra Tomlins
272. No Grownups! – Penny McNally
273. The Halloween Party – Claire Schlinkert
274. Can We Please Skip The Costumes? – JC Kelly
275. How Would She Know? – Meredith Adams
276. The Day After Halloween – Haven Blough
277. Brujita’s Treat – Desi Vee
278. Spooky Investigates – Jessica Murray
279. The Best Medicine – Becky Falkum
280. You Ain’t Nothin’ But A Hot Dog – Joyce Schriebman
281. Witches Holiday – Nadia Nakib
282. Halloween Hocus Potion – Shelley Kinder
283. Goats And Goblins – Briana Joy McCormick
284. Next Halloween – JC Kelly
285. Pirate’s Halloween – Marjorie David
286. Silly Goose – Sarah Marhevsky
287. All’s Fair In Spook And Scare – Patricia J. Weaver
288. Smartie Treat – Steena Hernandez
289. Haunted Hunt – Dea Brayden and Linsday Brayden Ellis
290. The Glow-In-The-Dark Goodies – Christopher Singleton, Sr
291. Witches Woods – Bevin Rolfs Spencer
292. Invite A Witch To Your Halloween Party?! – Holly Vagley
293. Pumpkin’s Halloween – Holly Vagley
294. Halloween Moon – Martha Holguin