Wool of bat and toe of snake! It’s time for. . .
The 13th 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 werewolf, superstition, and fright.
- 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.
- You may use the words in any form i.e. werewolves (werecub or werepuppy is acceptable as well should your story feature a young werewolf), frighten/frightening/frightful, superstitious etc, 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!
POST: your story in the comment section of This Post between right now this very second and 11:59PM Eastern Tuesday October 31st (So you have 3 full days to post – Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday.)
- 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 of the Official Contest Post so that people can come visit your blog, but all entries must be posted in the comment section of the Official Contest Post between 12:01 AM Eastern Sunday October 29th and Tuesday October 31st at 11:59PM Eastern or they will not be read.
- 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! (Handy Contact button above or [susanna[at]susannahill[dot]com) Please place your entry in the body of the email including your title, byline (that means who the story is by – you! – so for example, By Jane Doe) and word count at the top – NO ATTACHMENTS! and please do not submit any entries before the official opening of the contest at 12:01 AM Eastern Sunday October 29th. They will not be accepted.
- 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 😊
- Every entry will be listed with a link to its comment so that entries are easy to find, but I cannot add links until 50 entries are up or they become incorrect when the comments move on to page 2, just so you’re aware!
THE JUDGING: over the following days, 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 Monday November 6th (though if the judging takes longer than expected it might be a little later – I have school visits that week and a far away book festival over the weekend.) The winners will be announced Thursday or Friday, November 9th or 10th (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!
⭐️ Ask Me Anything Zoom Picture Book Manuscript Critique from Sandra Foreman Sutter, owner and “top gnome” at Gnome Road Publishing, and author of STAN’S FRIGHTFUL HALLOWEEN (Spork, September 2020) and THE REAL FARMER IN THE DELL (Spork, March 2019)!!! Not only will Sandra read and critique your manuscript, you will get to talk to discuss it with her!
⭐️ Rhyme & Meter Self Study Course – Renee LaTulippe Renée M. LaTulippe is the author of The Crab Ballet (Cameron Kids/Abrams, 2022) and Limelight: Theater Poems to Perform (Charlesbridge, 2024) and has poems published in many anthologies including No World Too Big, Night Wishes, School People, National Geographic’s The Poetry of US, One Minute Till Bedtime, Poems Are Teachers, ThankU: Poems of Gratitude, and A World Full of Poems.
⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique or Zoom Chat About A Project You’re Working On PLUS a Signed Copy of THE PIE THAT MOLLY GREW from Sue Heavenrich, author of THE PIE THAT MOLLY GREW (Sleeping Bear Press, August 2023), 13 WAYS TO EAT A FLY (Charlesbridge, 2021), DIET FOR A CHANGING CLIMATE (21st Century Books, August, 2018), FUNKY FUNGI (Chicago Review Press, July, 2022), the Super Science Series, and The Human Machine Series.
⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique (non-rhyming, 700 words or less) PLUS a Query Letter Critique from author Steena Hernandez! Her debut picture book, LUPITA’S BROWN BALLET SLIPPERS, comes out with Beaming Books in Fall 2024. She’s an active member of SCBWI, Julie Hedlund’s 12×12 Picture Book Challenge, and Las Musas. Her poems and stories have appeared in Highlights High Five Magazine, and Little Thoughts Press Magazine. She’s represented by Lynnette Novak from the Seymour Agency. Visit her website at www.steenahernandez.com.
Author Steena Hernandez (photo credit Laura Squire)
⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique from Hanh Bui, author of The Yellow Áo Dài (Feiwel & Friends, April 25, 2023) and the forthcoming Ánh’s New Word: A Story About Learning a New Language (Feiwel & Friends, May 14, 2024) PLUS a signed copy of The Yellow Áo Dài!
⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique (non-rhyming, 750 words or less) from Dara Henry, author of HANUKKAH PAJAMAKKAHS, forthcoming from Sourcebooks, September 2024! Dara is a former teacher and has twice been named Honorable Mention in the Children’s Fiction Category of the 88th Annual Writer’s Digest Writing Competition. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, KIDLIT411, Writing for Children, 12×12, and PB_Soar 24. She is represented by Rena Rossner of The Deborah Harris Agency.
Author Dara Henry
⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique (Rhyming) PLUS Zoom Chat from developmental editor Lou Piccolo! Lou studied English Literature, creative writing and teaching at university in South Africa. After working as an EFL teacher in France for twenty years, she studied proofreading and editing before becoming a developmental editor of children’s and young adult’s literature for independent authors. She is a graduate of Renee LaTulippe’s Lyrical Language Lab – Punching Up Prose With Poetry course and Making Picture Book Magic, the in-house writer for Editions Entrefilet’s language-learning magazine ‘Go English Kids’ for children of 8-12 in France, and a traditionally published author of MG and YA fiction with Burlington Books.
⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique (non-rhyming) or Dummy Critique from Bonnie Kelso, author/illustrator of NUDI GILL: POISON POWERHOUSE OF THE SEA (Gnome Road, April 4, 2023), illustrator for IN A CAVE (written by Heather Ferranti Kinser, Gnome Road, October 3, 2023), and author-illustrator of a three-book series with GRP starting next spring!
⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique (fiction) from Melissa Stoller, author of SCARLET’S MAGIC PAINTBRUSH (Spork 2018), READY, SET, GORILLA! (Spork 2018), THE ENCHANTED SNOW GLOBE COLLECTION (chapter books) (Spork 2017), SADIE’S SHABAT STORIES (Spork, 2020) and PLANTING FRIENDSHIP: PEACE, SALAAM, SHALOM
⭐️ 30 Minute Ask Me Anything with Rebecca Gardyn Levington, author of BRAINSTORM! (Sleeping Bear Press, 2022), WHATEVER COMES TOMORROW (Barefoot Books, Mar 7, 2023), I WILL ALWAYS BE…(HarperCollins, Spring 2024), and AFIKOMAN, WHERE’D YOU GO? (Penguin/Rocky Pond, Spring 2024)
⭐️ Signed Copy of Roxanne Troup’s beautiful MY GRANDPA, MY TREE, AND ME (Yeehoo Press, April, 2023)
⭐️ Signed Copies of Kizzi Roberts‘s books THE ELVES GO MARCHING and THE EGGS GO ROLLING!
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, recommending their books for school and library purchases, and supporting them in any other way you can dream up! 😊
Now! Get those entries up! Have fun writing something new! Have fun reading the amazing work of your fellow writers! Have fun eating as many miniature chocolate bars as your little heart desires!
Happy Halloweensie!!!
I can’t wait to read your stories!!! 😊
For those of you having trouble commenting, I apologize for the fact that my site is apparently very temperamental! I can suggest the following: if you’re trying to post comments from a phone or tablet, try a computer – sometimes it works better that way. Chrome seems to work better with this site than some of the other browsers, although one dedicated individual, determined to be able to comment, has reported that she finally managed with Microsoft Edge. Thank you for trying – it’s so important for all of you to get to hear from each other!
The 228 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. The Most Frightening Halloween Of All! – Katie Schwartz
2. Trick Treat Or Treat. Smell My Feet – Sarah Hawklyn
3. Trick Or Treats – Mikki DeFever
4. The Werewolf – Michelle S. Kennedy
5. A Haunted Treasure Hunt – Ashlee MacCallum
6. The Zoo Super-Intendent – Joy Dickinson
7. Knock On Wood – Heather Kinser
8. The Silver Chain – Teresa Traver/Anne Rollins
9. One Last House – Tyler Ham
10. Above And Beyond – Corine Timmer
11. Hairy Wolf – Bridget Magee
12. Red Riding Hood Goes Trick Or Treating – Elizabeth Meyer zu Heringdorf
13. Prank Or Prophecy? – Colleen Murphy
14. The Rule Of Three – Kathleen MacEachern
15. A Special Secret – Kelly Kates
16. Itchy Witch – Deborah Holt Williams
17. The Halloween Pet Parade – Kelly Clasen
18. Just A Superstition – Lyn Kekowsky
19. Werewolf’s Fright – Janel Caverly
20. What Monsters Wear On Halloween – Elissa Theiss Mazzeo
21. Wereboy – Paul Kurtz
22. Where’s Wolf? Werewolf! – Katie Walsh
23. Werewolf Yummies – Paul Kurtz
24. Cuddlesome Cubbies – Donna Kurtz
25. Beware: Were-cub In Disguise – Jodie Houghton
26. Happy Howl-o-ween! – Donna Kurtz
27. Howl-a-ween – Denise Seidman
28. The Frightfully Superstitious Werewolf – Susan Burdorf
29. Who Can Frighten Skeleton? – Jessie Raspbury
30. Untitled – Shariffa Keshavjee
31. Untitled – Shariffa Keshavjee
32. Untitled – Shariffa Keshavjee
33. Halloweensie Surprise – Elizabeth Thoms Charles
34. It’s Halloween – Janet Parkinson Bryce
35. Werewolf Bites! – Claudine Pullen
36. Sweet Superstition – Kristen Littlefield
37. Where Wolves? There Wolves – Marty Findley
38. Petrified – Mary-Catherine Amadu
39. Beware The Moon! – Jen Subra
40. Changes – Kailyn Dickason
41. My Family Secret – Sharon McCarthy
42. Don’t Get Eaten! – Sarah Hetu
43. The Full Moon Club – Patricia Finnegan
44. Halloween Jitters Revenge – Joyce Uglow
45. The Great Halloween Race – Marta Cutler
46. Scaring For Sugar – Sarah Hetu
47. Hush Little Werepup – Stephanie Maksymiw
48. Earth Is Tricky – Glenda Roberson
49. Werewolves Halloween Bash – Yolanda Danyi Szuch
50. A Human Superstition – Tiffany Hanson
51. Fifty-Eight Pieces Of Candy – Jacqueline Lindsey
52. Werewolf And The Frightening Superstition – Angel Gantnier
53. Attack Of The Werekitty – Linda Staszak
54. It Started With A Bite – Katie Lee Reinert
55. The Woefull Werewolf – Linda Staszak
56. Wilfy Werewolf’s Good Manners – Tracy Curran
57. The Halloween Parade – Lindsay Moretti
58. Werepup’s First Howl – Jessica Iwanski
59. How To Catch A Werewolf At Halloween – Susan E. Schipper
60. Half-Moon Halloween – P.J. Purtee
61. Oooo, It’s Halloween! – Paul Brassard
62. Verily Scarily Night – Marta Cutler
63. When Werewolves Take Baths – Jessica Russo
64. Werewolf, Monster and Witch – Maria Pope
65. A Whoosh, and a Swoosh and a Gurgly Goop – Maria Pope
66. A Superstitious Wish – Susannah Lee
67. The Boy Who Cried “Werewolf!” – Nicole Garnett
68. Moon Ballet – Katrenia Kiger
69. Luck Not Needed – Tracy T. Agnelli
70. Believe Or Not – Tracy T. Agnelli
71. Not Taking Any Chances – JIL
72. Witch And Werewolf – Julie Hauswirth
73. A Howling Halloween – Lynn Moore
74. A Creak and A Sneak -Bri Lawyer
75. Bit By A Werewolf – Bri Lawyer
76. Halloween Lookout – Lisa Billa
77. The Leaf Raking Olympics – Lindsay Moretti
78. Fright Night – Susan Eyerman
79. The Halloween Scoop – Jamie Siebrase
80. Luna, the Not So Scary Werewolf – Melissa Miles
81. Halloween At The Disco – Jamie Donahoe
82. What’s More Frightening? – Anne Lipton
83. Was Wilbur A Were-Squirrel? – Deb Buschman
84. McDoodle’s Pup – Yonglee Deborah Kim
85. What To Wearwolf – Jill Lambert
86. Stories Of Monsters – Laura Polasek
87. The Strangest Halloween – Jenn Kim
88. The Origin Of The Werewolf: the Bronze Age Koryos (NF) – Lauren N. Simmons
89. Drew’s Debate – Marty Bellis
90. Bite Fight – Ryann Jones
91. Kitten’s Halloween – Jaclyn Crawford
92. To Eat Or Not To Eat, That Is The Question! – Charlie Griffin
93. Green Does Not Mean Mean – Linda Glazebrook
94. Mom Gave Me A Werewolf! – Sarah J. Williams
95. Halloween Is Here, Ready or Not – Elisa Teichert
96. Halloween Advice – Paul Roncone
97. Spooky Storytime – Sarah Meade
98. Hilly’s Not-So-Superstitious Halloween – Sarah Meade
99. Hair-Raising Halloween – Sheri Bentley
100. Grizelda Pumkinhead’s Smashing Halloween – MaryAnn Cortez
101. Halloween Howl – Russell Wolff
102. Halloween Night – Mia Geiger
103. The Best Halloween Ever – Armineh Manookian
104. Expected Visitors – Jenna Grace
105. Rougarou’s Bugaboo: A Louisiana Cautionary Tale (Almost) – Sally Yorke-Viney
106. It’s Beginning To Look A Little Creepy – Diana Lynn Gibson
107. Why Werewolves Howl – Laura Badami
108. I’m Not A Superstition – Patti Ranson
109. The Rougarou’s Curse – Trista Herring Baughman
110. Laughing And Giggling On Halloween – Isabel Cruz Rodriguez
111. A Werewolf In School – Susan Lynn-Rivera
112. A Frightful Howl’oween – Lucretia Schafroth
113. Which Wolf? – Melissa Chupp
114. The Haunted House – Shawn Kirby
115. Larkspur Werewolf’s Halloween CompBOOsition – Kandi Zeller
116. Chocolate For Halloween – Marcia Dalphin Williams
117. The Great Halloween Scare – Eleanor Ann Peterson
118. Mr. Skeleton And His Werewolf Bones – Kathleen Jacobs
119. Seven Years Of Bad Howls – Laura Wippell
120. Villa Number Thirteen – Kiran Nair
121. Werewolf VS. Dentist – Abigail Mumford
122. Spell Check – Tara Flake
123. Thirteen Werewolves – Patricia Nozell
124. I’ll Be What?! – Stephanie K. Mena
125. Tick-Tock – Sarah Elynn
126. Werewolf Wants To Share – Lori Bonati
127. Dare To Be Were – Dana Lee Ryals
128. Gordon Goblin’s Halloweensie Stew – Judy Caldwell Hughes
129. Isaac’s Frightful Night – Anna Eklund-Cheong
130. The Coolest Halloween Story Ever! – Carmen Castillo Gilbert, PhD
131. The Backwards Werewolf – Linda Fischetti
132. A Halloween Trick And Treat – Stephanie Flom
133. Rudy, The Werewolf – Lori Himmel
134. The Superstition – Allison Gray
135. Friends With A Werewolf – Lauri C. Meyers
136. Untitled – Martha Holguin
137. A First Halloween – Claudia Sloan
138. A Sight, A Fright, and A Delight – Jean Martin
139. The Hairy Neighbor – Anjali Morard
140. Raven And The Werewolf – Elizabeth Muster
141, Trick IN a Treat – Reed Hilton-Eddy
142. Halloween Spell – Nina Nolan
143. Fright Night Birthright – Helen Addyman
144. Black Cat Saves The Night – Lori Sheroan
145. Rowl The Smiling Werewolf Pup – Tarja Helena Nevala
146. Ivy Hates Halloween – Cindy Sommer
147. Where Wolf? There Wolf! – Bru Benson
148. Trick-or-Treating Time! – Jenna Grace
149. Halloween Howl – Angela Martinelli
150. No Good Tricks Or Treat – Thelia Hutchinson
151. Scared – Sue Ko
152. Fright On Calm – Sue Ko
153. Wee Willie Werewolf – Colleen Fogarty
154. The Who, What and Where Wolf – Julianna Kurtz
155. Flora Won’t Get Scared – Ashley Sierra
156. Dotty Didn’t Listen – Jane Helliwell
157. Heart’s Halloween – Ashley Sierra
158. Proffering The Offering – Ms. Joy
159. Witch Ride – Rhonda T. Spear
160. Haunted Hayride – Rhonda T. Spear
161. Halloween Trick – Mary Beth Rice
162. The Kittens Halloween Party – Dianne Borowski
163. Need A Snack – Yessenia Holm
164. Werewolf Baby – Vashti Verbowski
165. Pockets Out – Lynsey Folkman
166. Halloween Haiku – Corine Timmer
167. Wendy Werewolf’s Biggest Fright! – Amy LaMae Brewer
168. The Ballad Of Wolfgang A. Werewolf – Melissa Miles
169. The Witching Hour – S. J. Barratt
170. Werewolves Of Halloween – Karen LaSalvia
171. Little Dead Riding Hood – Marlee Fuller-Morris
172. Treat Or Be Tricked – Dianna Sussman
173. Werewolf On Halloween – Valerie McPherson
174. The Monster Under The Bed – Diana Sussman
175. Fur Moon – Christina Shawn
176. Right Where They Belong – Mona Pease
177. Unless – Gail Hartman
178. Pink Underwear – Melissa Lasher
179. A Grave Mistake – Keatley Eastman
180. Grounded – Becky Danks
181. The Scariest Thing Of All – Jeanette Fazzari Jones
182. Weirdwolf – Searra Simpson
183. Aunt Howla’s Big Book Of Recipes: Spooky Halloween – Sarah Stauffer
184. Lazy Eddie – Jen Keenan
185. Strange Encounters – Jen Keenan
186. Stingy Jack – Kellie Tune
187. Untitled – Lyudmila Danova
188. Dachsie And Beagle’s Halloween Plan – Dorothy Kohrherr
189. I’ll Be Brave – Dawn Renee Young
190. The Scariest Halloween Night – Carol Jones
191. A Werewolfington Trick-or-Treat – Jan Schwaid
192. Lucky Penny – Daniella Kaufman
193. Scream Of A Dream – Diana Webb
194. Pup – Judy Valko
195. Reversal? – Marla Yablon
196. Halloween Disguise – Colleen Fogarty
197. Werepuppies’ Delight – Katherine Rea
198. Dulces For Mami Nieves – Chicanana
199. The Moonlit Secret – CE King
200. Halloween Snack – Jessica Phillips
201. An Immigrant Werewolf – Danna Zeiger
202. What Happened To Harry? – Judy Sobanski
203. Sally’s Last Minute Costume – Imelda Taylor
204. Spoofed By Foop! – Robert L. Saminsky
205. My Mom Is A Monster. . . A Real One – Royal Baysinger
206. Mr. Werewolf’s Trick – Marie Tang
207. Stanley, The Fluffy Werewolf – Hannah Roy LaGrone
208. Woody The Good Werewolf – Robin Donovan
209. Bright White Moonlight – Helen Addyman
210. Wendy’s Wise Words – Una Belle Townsend
211. Can Howloweensie Stay Away? – Becky Goodman
212. Werewolf Gets A Halloween Makeover – Annette Bethers
213. Fantasmita – Adriana Gutierrez Loza
214. How To Conjure A Cat – Andi Chitty
215. A Skeleton In Wolf’s Clothing – Amy Martinez
216. Kansas City’s Moonlight Star – Amy Martinez
217. A Little Halloween Magic – Patricia Corcoran
218. Truth Be Told – Diana Lynn Gibson
219. Halloween Dinner For Werewolf – Nedra Chandler
220. Wolfgang – Nancy Riley
221. What To Wear – Breanna Henry
222. Howl Knows What The Moon Reveals – Jennifer Schmitz
223. A Halloween Full Moon – Anne Weaver
224. Dear Halloween – Lori Dubbin
225. Ghost Bells – Jennifer Taylor
226. It’s Halloween Night! – Susan R. Waide
227. My Older Brother – Lucia Flevares
228. Black Cat Camp – Amy Duchene
A Human Superstition
By Tiffany Hanson
99 Words
“Humans are real,” my granddaddy wolf said. I believed him.
But the other werepups thought I was superstitious.
I wanted to prove them wrong. I left the mountains the one night of the year it was said humans appear—Halloween.
I saw small two-legged monsters carrying sacks. Where were the humans?
“Boo!” one shouted.
I howled and ran when it said “Stop, please.”
It pulled off a mask, I saw a small human face.
“Sorry I frightened you. Here, I got an extra treat for my dog,” he said.
It was delicious. I smiled. Humans were real after all.
Fifty-Eight Pieces of Candy
By Jacqueline Lindsey
99 words
Fifty-eight pieces of candy taunted me from the kitchen.
I slipped out of bed and into the living room.
Yellow peaked through the curtains. Only Halloween’s moonlight could transform a sofa into witches and a chair into a werewolf. My toes curled to a halt.
When a black cat lurked outside, I thought about turning back, but hunger overrode my superstition.
My socks slid forward.
As the sweetness finally melted in my mouth, I counted, “fifty-seven.”
Then, a bright light flooded the kitchen. My eyes widened with fright!
Mom stood in her robe.
“Pass me one?”
I smiled. Fifty-six.
I love how the suspense builds to the ending in this one, Jackie! ~Lauren
Cute story! Love the ending!
Another great Halloweensie story.
Hahaha! So cute that the little trick-or-treaters gave the werepup meant for a dog:-)
Adorable! Love the ending image.
Nice story, Tiffany. I really like the werepup point of view. Makes the whole Halloween dress-up/trick-or-treat tradition seem a bit weird looking at it from the outside… Happy Halloween!
I love the surprise ending! Cute story.
A sweet story. I’m glad the werepup liked the treat and discovered humans were real. Good luck!
WEREWOLF AND THE FRIGHTENING SUPERSTITION
by Angel Gantnier
93 words
“Boo!”
“Hee! Hee!”
Werewolf shivered. “You two gave me a fright!”
“Our trick-or-treat bags are full.”
“Time for our sleepover at my house.”
Witch’s eyes grew wide. “Werewolf, you can’t wear your costume to bed.”
Wombat gulped. “The superstition…”
Werewolf rolled his eyes. “I don’t believe in superstitions.”
Werewolf snuggled into his sleeping bag, costume and all.
Morning came.
Werewolf shrieked. “Ahhh! I’m a real werewolf!”
“How do I turn back into me?”
“Um…”
“I can, can’t I?”
“Yes… but…”
“But what?”
“You have to wait till next Halloween!”
Werewolf gasped in fright.
I’ll be very careful if I decide to wear my costume to bed. Very original.
Great Superstition!
It’s soooo tempting to wear those costumes to bed … I can just imagine trick-or-treaters wearing the superhero and princess costumes to bed and hoping this superstition really could come true:-)
FUN! Love this new-to-me superstition.
Fun superstition! I can see a whole slew of kiddos beginning to wear their costumes to bed with hopes of becoming the “real deal”.
Aww, poor Werewolf! Stuck in that costume all year. I wonder how that could be expanded into a full picture book?
ATTACK OF THE WEREKITTY
By Linda Staszak 100 words
The dreaded Werekitty lurked in the shadows.
Nearby, unsuspecting Wereguppies frolicked in the fishbowl.
“It’s fun to swim with full-moon fur,” said Splash.
“Don’t swim under the ladder—it’s bad luck,” Fang reminded him.
Splash laughed. “That’s just superstition.”
Fang noticed movement across the room. “What about black cats?”
“Another superstition,” said Splash.
But Werekitty, wearing a frightful mask, crept closer.
“Ummm…are you sure black cats are just superstition? Look!” glurbled Fang.
Sproi-n-ngg! Werekitty claws sliced through the water.
Twoi-n-ngg! Wereguppies bared their fangs and grabbed Werekitty fur.
“Well played, friends,” Werekitty purred as he padded away. “‘Til next Halloween.”
You developed a Great Werekitty and Wereguppy rivalry … reminds of that old cartoon rivalry between Sylvester the Cat and Tweety Bird:-)
Haha, you’re right! Thanks!
These characters are so unexpected and charming! Love the Wereguppies!
Thanks, I wanted something different.
Sproi-n-ngg, twoi-n-nag…Love your onomatopoeia!
Makes the story fun! Thanks!
Wereguppies! Love this! Fang and Splash are terrific characters, and the language is so fun- lurked, glurbled, sliced. Good luck!
Thank. you!
Haha! Very fun! This could have such fun illustrations!
Thank you!
It Started with a Bite
By Katie Lee Reinert
Word count: 99
Some say it’s superstition. Some say it’s fiction. I’m here to tell you it’s so much more.
It started with a bite one fateful Halloween night.
When I first transformed, I was frightened and confused. The full moon fading in the sky did little to calm my fears as I became this new, terrifying creature.
My teeth felt funny as I ran my tongue over them. My legs felt wobbly as I tried to stand. I had hair in the strangest places.
What had I become?
My happy life as a werewolf was suddenly interrupted. I had become…HUMAN!
What a fun twist!
Hah, love the twist!
Ha-ha! I’d rather be a werewolf.
Fun twist at the end!
Nice ending. You got me.
Nice ending. You got me.
I didn’t expect this, well done. A human!!!
Hahaha – I didn’t suspect that ending at all!!!
What a great ending! It made me smile. 🙂
Katie, I loved your twister of a story. Your next one should be about the person who did the biting. I’ve tried it before — it’s no fun trying to sink your teeth into a werewolf… Happy Halloween!
Ha! Love that ending.
Wonderful description of the transformation. But I wonder, who did the biting? Lol!
THE WOEFULL WEREWOLF
By Linda Staszak 96 words
“Grrrrrrrowl. Snaaarl. Grrk… Gah!”
Werewolf Jasper gagged and coughed.
“You got fur in your mouth again, didn’t you?” his sister Charlene snorted.
She grabbed a brush.
“Whaa—you’re braiding my fur ?” Jasper shrieked.
“You can’t be gakking on fur while you’re prowling around frightening people.” Charlene’s eyes twinkled. “I’m making 13 braids.”
“Nooo, thirteen’s bad luck.”
Jasper crossed his fingers, err…claws.
“And I’m using bows.” Charlene smirked.
“Nooooo.”
“There.” She admired her work. “A superstitious werewolf named Jasper with braided fur—hahahaha.”
“MOM! If we have to keep Charlene, I need a tougher sounding name.”
Werewolf siblings! I love the teasing.
Thanks!
So funny! Love- if we have to keep Charlene…
Thank you!
Great dialogue between the werewolf siblings – That teasing has a superstitiously familiar ring to it:-)
Haha–thanks!
Poor Jasper! The opening with all the werewolf sounds is a lot of fun!
Jasper was the most un-werewolf name I could think of–thanks!
Such a real scenario! I felt like I was reading a conversation my two kiddos were having.
Haha–thank you!
Haha! Siblings. Fun story. Good luck.
Thanks!
The fur in the mouth part made me LOL!
Thanks–glad you enjoyed it!
Wilfy Werewolf’s Good Manners
by Tracy Curran
99 words
In the full moon’s light
on Halloween night
a hoooowwl of werewolves
were spreading fear and fright.
As superstition said
these beasts were ones to dread
and unless you had some silver
it was best to stay in bed.
But werepup Wilfy White
was unusually polite
and thought it was bad manners
to give ANYONE a bite.
“Stop!” he said. “It’s rude.
These creatures are not food.”
But his family disagreed.
(They were a VERY tricky brood.)
So what did Wilfy do?
Well, he sneaked back home to brew
some EXTRA chewy toffee
which stuck their jaws like glue.
I love the little arc and the name Wilfy White. Too cute!
Very cute! Love Wilfy’s solution. Nicely done!
THE HALLOWEEN PARADE
By Lindsay Moretti
100 words
Frightful sounds crackled throughout the school. Winnie couldn’t wait to prowl the hallways in her new werewolf costume!
As her class lined up to join the Halloween parade…BZZZT…the lights blinked off! Without light, Miss Sanderson announced the parade would have to wait.
Winnie and her friends eagerly brainstormed ways to ensure the parade would carry on… but came up empty. At last, Winnie had an enlightening idea!
As each student joined the parade, Miss Sanderson handed them a glowing tea light. Superstitious shadows were cast upon the walls and Winnie danced with them all through the Halloween parade.
I love that Winnie cleverly solved the problem. The parade must go on.
Thank you 😊
Yay for Winnie, but…scary shadows line the wall.
Indeed! When my daughter was itty bitty, she would dance with her shadow on the wall. Funny how inspiration strikes!
Frightful sounds … Lights out … Superstitious shadows — What a spooky Halloween atmosphere you created.
Thank you! All in the spirit of Halloween 🎃
FUN! Love this setting and the sweet solution.
Thank you, Sarah!
Glad that Winnie came up with such an “enlightening” idea! 🎃
So was I 😊 Thank you for reading!
A wonderfully vibrant story with a brilliantly bright character. I love “superstitious shadows.”
Thank you so much! 😊
Cute story. Love, “enlightening idea.” Good job and good luck.
Thank you! 😊
Werepup’s First Howl
By Jessica Iwanski
100 Words
‘Twas the night meant for hauntings and all through the dark
Every Halloween monster prepared for their part.
But one furry fellow hadn’t yet found his howl.
This little werepup couldn’t do more than growl.
Then the moonlight began something tingling inside.
Like a strange superstition, he turned toward the sky . . . .
His fangs — they glistened!
His claws — how scary!
He’d never before been so fearsomely hairy!
A howl bubbled upward like witch’s brew.
He suddenly bellowed a wolfish
OWOOOOOOO!
It was heard him exclaim
As he dashed out of sight,
“Happy howling to all, and to all a good fright!”
Fun adaptation of “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas”!
Thanks for reading! ☺️
Such a great read-aloud! I love the poem concept. Good luck with this lovely story.
Thanks so much! ☺️🧡
Love this! Great adaptation of ‘Twas the night before Christmas. Great rhyme. Good luck!
Susan E. Schipper
HOW TO CATCH A WEREWOLF AT HALLOWEEN
WC 90
If I wanted to catch a werewolf, especially at Halloween, I know just what I’d do! Set the very best traps!
Werewolves run fast, thirteen steps a second! (I’m not superstitious about that number 13! No way!) A well-placed stick across the path, THUMP!
If that doesn’t work, a pillowcase will do! Over his head, he can’t see, I sneak away…with werewolf in tow!
Uh Oh, one’s chasing me! I’m frightened I wail!
Then I feel mom’s gentle hug, waking up with a shrug. Halloween werewolf dreams.. UGH!
I’m glad it was just a bad dream. Werewolves can be scary!
Thanks for reading, Corine! 🎃
I love a story that weaves in a few facts.
Thanks, Lyn! Glad you liked the story! 🎃
Great story! So much fun. Love dreams.
Thanks! It was a “fun” story to write! 🎃
Thanks to Mom, he didn’t have to keep running. Well done, Susan.
Thank you, Eleanor, Mom to the rescue! 🎃
Hahaha – A very superstitious thirteen steps a second:-)
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed the story! 🎃
How fun! I love the fast pacing and the surprise ending.
Thanks for reading and commenting, Sarah. 🎃
Aww sweet ending!
Glad you enjoyed the story, Lindsay! 🎃
I love the plot and voice!
Thanks so much! 🎃
My favorite line: Werewolves run fast, thirteen steps a second!
Thanks for reading and commenting!!🎃
Love “thirteen steps a second” and the werewolf trap ideas! Great job and good luck!
Thanks so much! 🙂
Glad it was only a dream. Love how the child was going to catch a werewolf. Nice.
Hi Nancy, Thanks for reading and commenting! 🎃
HALF-MOON HALLOWEEN
by P. J. Purtee (Jill)
74 words
Herman the werewolf
musters up fright—
scaring the kids
on Halloween night.
To his surprise he’ll
figure out soon,
on this Halloween
there’s not a full moon.
Werewolves don’t surface
unless the moon’s full.
So this Halloween’ll
be boring and dull.
Herman is skulking.
I have a suspicion.
He’ll spook all the kids
with an old superstition.
Costumed in black,
crossing paths as a a cat,
he’ll howl a meow,
scaring children like that.
This is cute. Good Job!
Thank you, Author Tracy.
Oh, no! Not a full moon. But Herman figured out a great way to the scare kids.
Thank you, Corine.
Not a full moon? A very clever Herman wears a black cat costume.
Thank you for your kind comment, Lyn.
Love Herman’s work around…
Thank you, Jamie.
Ingenious, Herman.
I’m glad someone picked up on that. I love naming my characters.
this is so good Jill, I love it!!
Thank you, Susannah!
Cute! I love the idea of a werewolf looking for other ways to scare kids when there isn’t a full moon!
Thank you, Katie.
Such a clever resolution to Herman’s problem:-)
Thank you, Patricia.
I love how Herman figures out a way to attempt to scare children. He has to be true to his character!! Good job.
Thank you, Colleen.
Love this! What a great twist for Herman.
Thank you, Sarah.
This is great
Thank you, Claudine.
Such a cute story, Jill. Great use of rhyme.
Thank you. Superstition wasn’t easy!
Haha and a-ha! I love how Herman cleverly devises a way to be true to his scary nature.
Thank you, Anne.
Great story..WErewolf in costume! 🎃
Thank you. I wanted to work in a black cat somehow.
Wonderful rhyme scheme! Well done, Jill!
Thank you for your kind words.
Cute twist with the cat!
Thank you. I don’t know how I came up with that!
You accomplished so much in only 74 words, Jill–excellent rhyme and meter, unique problem for the MC and the perfect solution. Love the title, too. Terrific!
Thank you, (other Jill). Funny thing . . . I’m not usually a gal of few words.
This was a fun read. Well done!
Thank you. Fun is right up my alley.
What a clever solution to his problem. Very kid-like with him being bored, lol. Great story! I enjoyed it. Good luck!
Thank you for your kind words.
Well done! Very good rhyme scheme!
I appreciate your kind words.
You know it’s well written when you can picture it illustrated. Very fun!
Wow! That’s so nice of you. Thanks.
Herman is resourceful. I loved the idea that since he wouldn’t be a werewolf, he would scare everyone as a black cat.
Thank you, Denise.
Adorable Jill! So much fun to read and love the black cat twist at the end. Great job and good luck!
Thank you for your kind words.
Haha! I love Herman’s solution to his Halloween problem! Nicely done!
Thank you, Nancy.
Oooo, It’s Halloween!
by Paul Brassard
Word Count: 90
It’s Halloween, Oooo what a night
To haunt and howl with friends
We’ll horrify and fill with fright
On this our fun depends
Come vampire, werewolf, gargoyle, goon
We frightening friends prepare
To prowl beneath a black cat moon
In superstition’s lair
We’ll slink down streets and roads and lanes
Like zombies we will creep
But though our costumes chill their veins
We hope the scare’s skin-deep
For Halloween’s about the fun
We’ll scare up treats, my friend
And haunt and howl till evening’s done
Good thing it’s all pretend!
Paul, your great story brought back childhood memories.
Thanks, Lyn. Seems like yesterday (hard to say that without feeling old as dirt)… Happy Halloween!
Yes, it’s a good thing it’s all pretend. Fun!
Thanks, Eleanor. It is and was such an amazing thing to be a kid with an imagination unfettered by rationalization… Happy Halloween!
An evening with friends who “scare up treats” … What could be better? – I enjoyed the imagery of the frightening friends out having good old fashioned fun:-)
Thanks, Patricia. I so looked forward to Halloween when I was a kid. For one night a year we were able to scare people without getting into trouble and could travel in packs of friends under the watchful eye of older siblings (different times…) just having a ball filling up those old pillow cases. Happy Halloween!
Fun! I like the title all the frightening friends featured here.
Thanks, Sarah. I really had fun with this… Happy Halloween!
Love these classic shenanigans!
Thanks, Lindsay. Your comment reminded me that my memories of Halloween are “classic”. My poem does not reflect the Halloween experiences of today’s kids. 😪
I forgot… Happy Halloween!
Sadly, I have to agree with you on that. Happy Halloween to you, Paul!
My favorite part (besides the ending) . . . skin-deep scare.
Thanks, P.J.! It was so much fun pretending to be tough once a year… We were actually just a bunch of softies. Happy Halloween!
Love the title, Paul! The treats were the best ! 🎃
Great job! Love the story and your rhyme. Nicely done!
This is so much fun I had to write a second one! Thanks Susanna!!!
Verily Scarily Night
By Marta Cutler
(88 Words)
If you go into the streets tonight
You’re in for a verily scarily fright
Werewolves waiting with claws to pounce
Skeletons clacking with bones to trounce
Witches lurking with ancient spells
Black cats creeping with spooky bells
Ghosties gliding with boos to scream
Vampires hiding with fangs that gleam
Zombies moaning with heavy feet
All planning to steal your Halloween treat
Superstitious you’re wise to be
From lucky charms they’ll howl and flee
So, if you go into the streets tonight
Who’s in for a verily, scarily fright?
So much fun to read. Thanks!
Thanks for the lovely feedback Lyn! 🙂
I love all of this, but especially ancient spells and spooky bells!
Thanks so much Susannah!
Me! Me! I’m in for a verily, scarily fright – Your story managed to combine frights and fun in a joyous way:-)
That’s such a lovely comment! Thanks Patricia!
Clacking, lurking, creeping, gliding…love all the imagery you appropriately matched with those Halloween spooks!
Thanks for the comment Lindsay! So glad you like it.
This is so fun! Clacking, lurking, creeping, gliding! Great word choice!
Halloween’s just rich in language isn’t it? Thanks for the complement!
The title is great. ‘Spooky bells’ . . . love it.
So glad you like the title Jill! 🙂
Very fun! I love your bouncy rhythm. Good luck!
How tricky of the werewolves to dress like human beings – Clever ending:-)
When Werewolves Take Baths
When werewolves take baths to get all clean, that must mean it’s Halloween!
Any other day he’d never scrub away fleas and slimy green.
Tonight’s the night to stir up fright at the HOWL-O-ROO contest.
So he’ll dip his toes, hold his nose, and loofa his hairy chest.
Then he’ll manicure paws and polish claws, mostly out of superstition.
Soap that he bought makes a hot spot, setting poor pup to itchin’.
Smell of wet dog hangs in fog, as werewolf howls in pain.
He scratched out hair until none was there and wound up in the cone of shame!
Word Count 100
This is so creative! And to end up on a cone of shame– haha! Oh no! Great job!
This is so cute. The poor werewolf must be allergic.
A HOWL-O-ROO contest – What a great idea for a werewolf story!!!
This is so cute! I love the first line and all the fun bath details that follow.
My favorite line: So he’ll dip his toes, hold his nose, and loofa his hairy chest.
Oh no, not the cone of shame! Poor werewolf! Very creative story.
Werewolf, Monster and Witch
by Maria Piñero Pope
(100 Words)
Howling winds lifted leaves, carrying smoke from glowing jack-o-lanterns.
Three figures slipped in amongst costume-clad children.
Werewolf,
Monster,
and Witch.
“Are you readyyy?” sneered Witch, scanning the superstitious crowds.
“AWOOOOOOOO!!!”
“ROOOOOOOARRRR!!!”
“EEEE-HEEE-HEEE-HEEE-HEEE-HEEE!!!”
Alarmed faces screamed, dashing indoors.
A long crooked finger rang the doorbell.
DIIING-DOOONG!
“No point in resisting! Hand them over or we’ll get upset!” screeched Witch.
“You can’t have us!” yelled the children.
“YOU?! We want TREATS!”
“Oh! Why cause a fright?” they frowned. Just say ‘Trick-or-Treat!’”
“Really? OOPS!!” cackled Witch as they mumbled sorry.
All ventured out to collect treats very nicely, especially…
Werewolf ,
Monster,
and Witch.
Haha I love this “hint” and “hey, just have some manners!” So relatable and fun!
lol, is it too much to ask for polite creatures on Halloween? 😜
Fun! I like the quick pacing and tricky characters.
Thanks so much Sarah! I had a lot of fun with this one!
Brilliant. Where are your manners Witch, Werewolf and Monster. Love it
Right? So rude! 😉 Thanks!
Love this so much! A little bit of manners goes a long way!
Ha, this is so cute! Werewolf, Monster and Witch aren’t so scary, they just need some sugar! I can relate 😉
lol, they’re just hangry😜
A nice reminder: There are 2 sides to every story. I got tickled at the children’s view.
haha, why else would monsters be coming to your house if not to eat you?😉
Haha! Just say treat-or-treat. Love it!
A Woosh, and a Swoosh and a Gurgly Goop
by Maria Piñero Pope
(100 Words)
The time has arrived for what witches must do.
To stir up a fright with a Halloween Stew.
I’ve gathered some tails and the zombified juice.
I even plucked hair off a werewolf’s caboose.
But one thing is missing, call me superstitious.
One teaspoon of teardrops from children… delicious!
A woosh, and a swoosh and a gurgly goop.
A flash, and a splash and a flubbery floop!
I flicker my wand and then out comes the creature.
A colorful horn, its most fabulous feature!
I sit back and cackle and munch candy corn.
So ghastly!
So scary!
My pink CAT-A-CORN!
This is SO fun to read! Clever, and hilarious! Every child will laugh at “a werewolf’s caboose!”
Definitely my favorite line too! Thank you! 🤗
Delightful! So many great fword choices here.
Thanks Sarah! It was my first time writing in rhyme so this one was especially hard but worth it!
This is so entertaining! My fav line, I even plucked hair off a werewolf’s caboose. Brilliant
lol, thanks! It is my favorite! 😜
My fav line is the same as everyone else’s… “plucked hair off a werewolf’s caboose!” So cute!
“Werewolf’s caboose” made me laugh out loud! So fun!
haha, thanks so much Marta!
I love everything about this!
Thanks so much Jill!
What a fun rollicking rhythm and fun story. Love the werewolf’s caboose! Good luck!
A SUPERSTITIOUS WISH
by Susannah lee
(97 words)
On Halloween at twilight,
we head to Blackley Lake.
We always toss our coins in,
for superstition’s sake.
But when we reach the water,
I shiver. Something’s wrong.
The forest fills with howling—
a dreadful, wailing song.
“Protect us from the monsters!”
I stammer out my wish.
My penny catches moonlight,
then splashes like a fish.
We scramble up the footpath,
long shadows at our backs.
But glowing eyes in darkness
stop us in our tracks.
They lunge! I scream and cower
before the furry frights…
but they slobber us with kisses,
‘cause werewolf cubs don’t bite!
Well done Susannah,
Just the right amount of scary
Thanks Lyn, glad to hear it! I sometimes go overboard with the scary 🙂
Nicely done!
Thanks Jamie!
I enjoyed this story. I can feel the fright. Thanks goodness for lucky coins and a happy ending. My favorite sentence:
My penny catches moonlight,
then splashes like a fish.
That’s awesome to hear, that sentence was a last-minute addition! Thanks Corine!
So lyrical. Love the story!
thanks Marta!
Nicely done!
you too, Jill! Your rhymes are always inspired 🙂
Such a cute ending!
Thanks Katie!
Great use of words to create a visual picture! Well done!
hmm wow, the mental image is a really cool aspect of stories that I think about when reading but not so much when I write. A good reminder, thanks Elise!
Hahaha – So much tension was delightfully released with that surprise ending:-)
lol thanks Patricia! who doesn’t want to be slobbered on by werepuppies 🙂
A wonderfully frightening and fun Halloween adventure, Susannah. The poetry is so comfortable and rhythmical… Happy Halloween!
Thanks Paul, Happy Halloween!
This ending made me smile. Nice pacing and fun rhymes!
Thanks Sarah, your comment made me smile!
Aww what a cute story! I love the range of emotions I felt. Creepy to cute. Well done!
Thanks Bri! I like that description, creepy-cute. Yours were spooky-hairy and scary-sweet!
You had me riveted to the very end!
aw thanks Michelle!
I love this! I really like the surprise ending.
Thanks Horse Writer Lady, I really like your username!
This is so beautifully written I don’t know where to start. It’s truly at a level many of us aspire to reach.
Thanks Katrina that is so lovely of you to say!
Love this! Glad that werewolf cubs don’t bite. Nice job!
The Boy Who Cried “Werewolf!”
By Nicole Garnett
Word count: 100
Once there was a greedy boy.
Who wanted ALL the candy.
He had a plan.
Frighten the trick-or-treaters.
A full moon AND Halloween?
The perfect combination for superstitious kids.
“Werewolf! Run!” he screamed.
The trick-or-treaters scattered, dropping candy as they dashed home.
“Hahaha! Too easy!” scoffed the greedy boy.
Turning down the next street he yelled, “Werewolf! Runnnnn!”
More candy was collected by the boy.
He sat down and gobbled up the treats.
But, he wasn’t alone.
Snap.
Crunch.
AWWOOOOOO!
“Ww-ww-WEREWOLF!” he cried.
But no one heard him as they hid in their homes.
Once there was a greedy…
werecub.
Oh no, haha! Great ending!
Hehe Thank you Bri!
Nice twist at the end. Good job.
Nicole, how clever! The perfect rewrite of the boy who cried wolf.
Awe, thank you so much! I had a fun writing this, and turning into a full PB 😉
Best last line ever😂
haha thank you dear!
Such a great take on the boy who cried wolf. Brilliant Nicole. Love the ending 🙂
Thank you, dear!
So cute and clever! Love it.
Thanks so much, Deborah! 🙂
A fun Halloween-inspired fractured fairytale! Love it!
Thanks so much Katie!
Perfect twist on the classic story of The Boy Who Cried Wolf!!!
hehe thank you! I was inspired during a Fractured Fairy tale webinar 🙂
The boy who cried werewolf? Love it. Very clever story, Nicole… Happy Halloween!
Hehe thanks so much Paul! I was inspired during a fractured fairy tale webinar 🙂
GREAT ending! That made me chuckle. Nicely done.
Awe, thank you Sarah!! (me too! haha) 🙂
Love the ending, Nicole! This is such a great modern take on the fable.
Awe, thanks so much Laura!
Great story, Nicole! Love the ending!
Thank you Stephanie!! 🙂
This is just dripping with cleverness. Bravo!!
Wow, thank you Abby! Such a great compliment! 🙂
Ha! Terrific ending!
Yay! Thank you so much, Lisa!
OOH! a funny fractured fairytale! loved it.
Hehe thank you so much Lauri!!
Haha! Great twist on an old fable. Nicely done!
Thank you so much, Nancy!!
Moon Ballet
By Katrenia Kiger
97 Words
On Halloween eve Earth was a baking prodigy,
Cleaving apples from trees,
Branch like fingers scattering leaves,
Of cinnamon and ginger generously,
CRUNCH- bounded four werepup claws,
Little dessert vandals breaking nature’s laws.
Winnie had no time to pause,
In their lieu a flier drew, “LOST VOICE! GOES AWOOO.
RETURN ADDRESS DEN 332!”
Moon laid down Halloween morning,
Like a superstitious warning.
Wolves who didn’t sing to Moon,
Lived lives full of doom.
Frightened Winnie joined the pack,
Making up for what they lacked.
With legs that leapt, a tail that swayed,
Winnie danced a serene ballet.
This image is so vivid!:
Cleaving apples from trees,
Branch like fingers scattering leaves
Thank you! Everyone submitted beautiful work, it means a lot that you noticed mine. 😊
Awe, sweet ending! Great imagery!
Great title, the imagery is wonderful! 🎃
Great imagery. Love, “little dessert vandals.” Good luck!
Luck Not Needed
By Tracy T. Agnelli
Word Count: 75
Superstitions don’t frighten me.
No need for
Lucky penny or
Four leaf clover
Walk on a crack
Under a ladder that does not matter to me.
Black cat walks in front of me.
I think it is dandy, so I pull out a candy.
Never ever am I frightened of
Vampires, mummies, werewolves, or zombies for
I will scare them instead.
I have everything in my head I need.
If not…
Speedy I will be.
Fantastic flow to this story. Good luck!
You did SUCH a good job working in the 3 words, I had to go back to find them. Well done! You worked in a lot of superstitions, too. Funny ending–not so brave after all.
Wow. Great story in only 75 words. Good job!
Believe or Not
By Tracy T. Agnelli
Word Count: 100
Are you ready to go, Fred?
Almost. Cannot find my mask.
It is on your head.
Are you superstitious, Ted?
No, I walk on a cracks
And under ladders
None of that matters to me.
Black cat walks in front of me.
I think it is dandy, so I pull out a candy.
It is all in your head Fred.
Ted, Are you afraid of vampires, mummies, werewolves, or zombies?
Never ever am I frightened of
Vampires, mummies, werewolves, or zombies for
I will scare them instead.
How Ted?
My costume, Fred.
What scares vampires, mummies, werewolves and zombies,
Jesus.
And yet another version! Great idea.
Great ending! Nice job.
Not Taking Any Chances
“What a fright!
Wendy’s neighbor had turned pale.” I thought your dog was a werewolf!”
Wendy hurried by with Calamity, an elderly German shepherd rescue.
Later, Wendy asked Mom, “What’s a werewolf?”
“It’s the superstition that some people turn into wolves under a full moon, then back—not something you need worry about.”
Wendy hugged Calamity.
“Dear Calamity, you’re such a good wolf-dog now, you must have been a good person!
Calamity barked.
“But, I’m keeping you inside when moon is full again,
just in case moon wants to make you human again. I like you as a dog”
How cool to weave the superstition into a contemporary story.
“Calamity” – I love that were-dog name:-)
Insightful neighbor after all.
Great twist. Love the name Calamity. Good luck!
Witch and Werewolf
by Julie Hauswirth
97 Words
Under a chilly October sky, Sophia the Witch sneaks along a moonlit path.
She hears the crunch of footsteps behind her…
A WEREWOLF!
Sophia twitches her fingers and fires off a spell…
Nothing happens.
With a howl, the werewolf charges.
He grabs her as laughter erupts from his snout.
“Caught ya! Sophia, can I please go with you? I promise I won’t be annoying!”
“Fine… but no more chasing me!” she says.
They approach a dimly lit village brimming with frightful creatures and superstitions, and search for something delicious to quiet their rumbling tummies…
“TRICK OR TREAT!”
I love the twist at the end. Well done
Such a great twist! Love this, Julie!
So fun Julie! I was worried for Sophia there for a minute! Haha great job!
So cute! love this story!
I thought Sophia was a goner – What a surprise that these two knew each other:-)
Love the ending, Julie. Caught me by surprise… Happy Halloween!
This captures the true spirit of a trickster.
Very fun! I wonder if they are siblings? Seems like a brother thing to scare his sister. Nice job!
so sweet!
Lynn Moore. WC 100
A Howling Halloween
Tonight was the night Werepup dreamed of all year long. The Halloween howling contest under the full moon was minutes away.
Werepup crossed her fingers, maybe this year she’d win. She tied her mask, rubbed her lucky penny, and raced to join twelve werepups practicing frightful yowls.
“Nooo. Thirteen is unlucky!”
“You’re superstitious!” teased twelve werepups.
Werepup gnashed her fangs. “Sure am!”
The moon loomed bright.
“Nooo. I lost my lucky penny!”
The moon loomed even brighter.
“Silly superstitions. Howling is fun. Even better with friends.”
Under a brilliant moon, thirteen werepup friends chorused, Oooowhoooo!
It was a frightful-delightful Halloween!
Ahh soo cute! The pictures of this would be so adorable! Well done!
Love that this is a female werepup. Original!
A Halloween howling contest – What a great idea!!!
Lynn, super story ide! Well done! 🎃
A howling contest . . . nice.
a superstitious werepup overcoming her fears is such a great concept 🙂
Aww, cute! Glad 13 was the best number for howling!
A Creak and a Sneak
by Bri Lawyer
92 words
My door swings open with a creak.
Up the stairs a frightful sneak.
I creep up to take a peek
For I’m a superstitious freak.
I spy some creatures so I shriek.
All my candy they did seek!
Toffee covers Werewolf’s cheek.
Lollipops in Raven’s beak.
Bat lets out a minty squeak.
On the ground a taffy streak.
Wrappers with a jelly leak.
My candy stash is looking bleak.
I’m so mad I cannot speak.
Halloween was just this week!
I guess I’ll borrow THAT technique…
AND GO EAT ALL THEIR CANDY!
A great read aloud story. I do like the ending.
Thank you so much! 😀
This is soooo good Bri. Awesome job
Thank you!!! I loved yours too!
“Sweet” story – love it!
Thank you!
How did you do this? Creak, sneak, peek, etc. You must have been practicing.
Congrats!
Yeah it took some time to get all the words to work! 😁
Ha ha ha! So much fun!!!! Love “minty squeak”!
Thank you!!! 😊
“AND GO EAT ALL THEIR CANDY” … Revenge is sweet:-)
It sure is, haha!
I agree with Lynn. Great for read aloud, Bri… Happy Halloween!
Thank you! And happy Halloween to you too!
Love the ending!
Thank you!!!
Love reading this aloud so much! And the ending is of course my favorite part!
Well you did help it become what it is, so thank you!
My favorite parts: Toffee covers Werewolf’s cheek.
Lollipops in Raven’s beak.
Thank you!!! I love those lines too 😊
What a fun rhyming time!
Thank you!!!
Love the image of candy and wrappers all around them, so fun Bri!!
Thank you!!!
Haha! Love the ending! Good luck!
Thank you! 🙂
This is so fun and clever! Love it!
Bit by a Werewolf
by Bri Lawyer
85 Words
I saw while trick or treating
Some shaking in a tree.
Out jumped something furry
And sank its teeth in me!
You say it was a werewolf?
Nah, I’m not superstitious.
But weird things are occurring.
My friends now look delicious!
My sense of smell increases.
I’m faster and much stronger.
I hate the sight of silver.
My hair is growing longer!
The next full moon is rising.
My claws would cause a fright.
Oh no, did I just howl?
That WAS a werewolf bite!
Bri! This is so good! I love the growing clues! Great job!
Thanks Nicole!!! I loved yours too!
Ah, wonderful lines. “My friends now look delicious!” And many more.
Thank you! 😁
yesss I loved this line, such a funny first clue, plus a great rhyme with superstitious!
Fun and very clever!!
Thank you! ❤️
Oh dear! Well done.
Thank you! 😁
This was a fun read!
Thank you! 😊
I enjoyed the growing tension as the narrator slowly, but surely, realized “That WAS a werewolf bit!”
Thank you!!!
Love the fast paced rhyme and realization at the end. So fun Bri!
Thank you! ❤️
Now this is a fun story!
Thank you Abby 😊
I like the build. Well done. A story in 85 words.
Thank you Jill! 😊
Great job! Love the rhyme. Good luck!
Thank you!!!
Halloween Lookout
by Lisa Billa
(100 words)
On Halloween night, Quentin wore a frightful werewolf suit. Max wore his mailman costume. Neighbors handed out candy– and dog biscuits.
When Quentin and his friends crossed the street, Max stayed home to sniff out trouble. Fierce pumpkins stood guard on the porch. Ghosts, pirates, or even goblins could be sneaking. Max would stop them.
He eyed the full moon. WOOF! HE wasn’t superstitious…Trick-or-treaters came and went, never sharing a biscuit.
Max’s fur stood up as a lone werewolf crept close. GRRR. Then he wagged his tail- HERE’S QUENTIN!
But, from down the block, “Look, Max! I have treats!”
Ah, a mysterious ending. Love it.
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!
That ending came out of the blue – What a surprise that the werewolf was not Quentin
Glad the ending was unexpected- I was hoping for a spooky surprise!
I like this imagery: Fierce pumpkins stood guard on the porch.
Thanks! I’m imagining the pumpkins are possibly scarier than Max.
Love that the dog wore a mailman costume! Very cute story Lisa. Great job and good luck!
Thanks, that was a brilliant suggestion by a critique partner! Thank for reading!
Ah, a frightful twist at the end. Good luck!
Thank you, Nancy!
THE LEAF RAKING OLYMPICS
By Lindsay Moretti
100 words
Jasper, a floaty ghost, found himself at the starting line of the Leaf Raking Olympics…unsure how he got there.
“Ready…set…GO!” screeched an announcer.
Jasper watched the superstitious werewolf bound toward his pile of leaves, huffing and puffing. The frightful witch zipped to her leaves, sweeping swiftly.
Jasper glided to his leaves. He whirled around the leaves until a sudden eruption of color climbed toward the sky in a leaf-nado! Passing the finish line first, his leaves settled into a neat pile.
The crowd cheered!
Jasper found a gold medal around his neck…unsure how it got there.
You had me at ‘The Leaf Raking Olympics.’
Me too! 🤣
Glad I could hook you with the title 😉 Indeed, raking leaves does seem like an Olympic feat sometimes…I wouldn’t mind having a Jasper to help with that.
Hahaha – A huffing and puffing wolf … I mean werewolf;-)
😊 Thank you for reading, Patricia!
You had me at the title! This is such a cute concept. Also lovely timing with Pan American Games happening at the moment.
Thank you, Laura! I’m so glad you enjoyed it ☺️
This is a unusual entry with a unique voice. I especially like the beginning and the ending.
I appreciate your comment, Corine. Thank you!
You’ve created such an appealing character in Jasper, who wins by simply being true to his nature. I love how things happen to him in mysterious ways; how you cleverly circle the story, capitalizing on such ambiguity; and how your supporting cast plays to their personalities, too.
Thank you so much for your comment ☺️ I appreciate you reading!
What a fun event! I like the full circle ending, too.
Thank you, Sarah!
Great concept of a leaf nado! Good job.
Thank you, Nancy!
I’m chuckling at the line, “unsure how it got there.”
Enjoyed your use of words for wolf, witch and Jasper.
Thank you!
FRIGHT NIGHT
By Susan Eyerman (100 words)
It was Fright Night.
The night little werewolves turn into people if they were naughty.
All the cubs were warned.
Jorgie was scared.
When Halloween’s full, blue moon shines high in the sky, everyone will know…
He ate his brother’s blueberry pie.
That night, Jorgie hid under his bed. He shook with fear waiting for the moon.
Would his fur fall to the floor?
Would his fangs and claws disappear?
He loved being a wolf cub.
Jorgie’s sleep was full of nightmares about being human.
In morning light, Jorgie was Jorgie. Nothing happened.
Superstition?
Or…did clouds hide the moon’s face?
My favorite line: Would his fur fall to the floor?
Fun story- I love how the ending is a little mysterious!
Nice concept here. This got me thinking.
Hopefully Jorgie learned his lesson not the be naughty! Good job!
Since we can use the words in any form, I present:
THE HALLOWEEN SCOOP
by Jamie Siebrase
(100 words)
“Hoo-hoo,” said the owl on Halloween night. A mischievous soul was out causing fright. “We’ve got to know hoo is behind such a caper, and report on the truth through the Woodland Times paper.” “I’ll figure it out,” said the Who-What-When-Where-Wolf. And deliver a story much shorter than Beowulf. When? But of course, it is All Hollow’s Eve. What? A prankster, putting garlic in trees. The where is the forest, and look! There are tracks. Wolf followed small footprints to the mouse house of Max. “Why?” Where-Wolf asked. He had to inquire. “I’m superstitious,” said Max. “And afraid of vampires.”
Love the detective work! Max’s reasoning makes sense to me 🧛♀️
This made me laugh: We’ve got to know hoo is behind such a caper, and report on the truth through the Woodland Times paper.”
This is a very creative concept you used with your detective work. Love it!
Very fun! Love the mystery and the ending. Good luck!
Luna, the Not so Scary Werewolf
by Melissa Miles
100 words
For the first time in Luna’s life,
Halloween hosts a full moon.
Tonight, her teeth and claws are sharp.
She’ll HOWL, GROWL, and PROWL—
her frightening werewolf self.
No more “how cute!” on Halloween.
Tonight, she’ll terrify.
Luna sets out trick-or-treating.
But everyone still thinks she’s CUTE!
Luna sobs.
“What’s wrong?” Katy Kitten asks, her black fur reflecting the moon.
“I’m not scary.”
“Follow me,” says Katy.
DING-DONG.
A door opens. CREEEAAAAAKKKK.
Then… AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
SLAM!
Luna is thrilled.
She’s terrifying!
Katy will never tell Luna they’d visited the most superstitious house in town.
Where they’re deathly afraid of black cats.
Just like a kitten to be sneaky! Love how Katy has Luna’s back.
Thanks, Lindsay!
First of all . . . great title (luna = moon). The ending is great.
Thank you!
Great ending! That’s what friends are for.
Thank you!
You really conveyed the frustration of a child wanting to be grown up and scary, but still being seen as cute. Katy saves the day for Luna in a satisfying ending. Great job, Melissa!
Thanks so much!
Nice twists and turns with this. An enjoyable read-a-loud for sure!
Fun story. Nice that Katie has Luna’s back. Nice job!
HALLOWEEN AT THE DISCO
By Jamie Donahoe
(99 words)
Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition” wailed as Lowell, Lupa and Ralph arrived at Fright’s Hollow Annual Disco.
“Are you going to ask anyone to dance?” asked Lowell. “No way,” said Ralph.
“You know what the most frightening thing about Halloween is?” asked Lupa. “Not the music, not the candy, not the darkness, but… “
“Dancing in public.” Lowell finished for her. Ralph agreed.
TikTok was one thing, school dances were a completely different animal.
But then “Bad Moon Rising” suddenly hit the sound system.
The three young werewolves tossed their fears aside and headed to the dance floor, howling to the beat.
Story on my blog:
https://www.jamiedonahoebooks.com/post/rocking-halloween
Love it! So cute! Makes me want to boogie down! 💃🏻🕺🏻
Wow, Stevie Wonder, what a singer. The Credence: we must be boomers. I love your take on this.
Thanks, Eleanor!
I wasn’t expecting ‘dancing’ . . . or werewolves responding to “Bad Moon Rising’ . . . clever.
Thank you!!
lol dancing in public!
Who knew werewolves could be scared of anything! I love “Howling to the beat>”
Thanks, Elise!
“Superstition” and “Bad Moon Rising” – Loved those songs and the titles are perfect for your Halloween story (that incorporated that very real fear of dancing shared by so many)- Great job!!!
Thank you Patricia!
“Superstition” has been in my head since Susanna posted the rules for this contest! Love how you incorporated it into your story.
Great minds…
Thanks – it was fun to write!
🎃
I just love how your pack of werewolves band together, dancing (and howling) to the beat of the song they like best!
“band” – i like your style 🙂
A werewolf disco, and the fear of dancing in public- so much fun!
Thank you, Lisa!
Haha! Glad they let their wild side out! Good job!
Thanks so much, Nancy!
What’s More Frightening?
by Anne Lipton
(94 words)
What’s more frightening than a haunted Halloween?
The superstitious say—the things that go unseen.
What’s more frightening than the creatures in the light?
The superstitious say—the shadows in the night.
What’s more frightening than a werewolf’s lonely howl?
The superstitious say—a werepack on the prowl.
What’s more frightening than a werecub’s furry bangs?
The superstitious say—its frosty baby fangs.
What’s more frightening than a werepup’s pearly whites?
The superstitious say—its mama’s chomping bites.
What’s more frightening than a scary shout of “BOO!”?
The superstitious say—the werewolf after you!
I love the repetition and the ending.
Thank you!
Ha! Good one . . . I had a difficult time working ‘superstitious’ into this year’s contest. You did it 6 times!
Thank you!
What a great read aloud – I’m sure kids would be laughing like crazy with that final line:-)
Thank you!
This is wonderful – I love how it escalatesl
Thank you!
Wonderful repetition! I love the playful ending.
Thank you!
Another fun entry, Anne! Love it!
Thanks, Glenda!
Eek! Love the repetition, rhyme and ending! I think this would make such a fun PB, the illustrator would have a ball.
Thank you!
Very catchy! Great job!
Thank you!
This is just delightful, Anne!
Oh, my heart. This is such a sweet celebration of grandma and grandchild. I love the detail of the “werewolf in galoshes” and would like to hear a story about that, too!
Thanks, Sarah! Sorry about the misposted comment here.🙃
I enjoyed reading this. A nice way to move the story forward. Love the ending! And “superstitious” is a nice word to repeat and read out loud.
Thanks, Corine!
The repetition with a twist is very well executed!
Thanks, Lauri!
Nicely done! Love the rhyme. Good luck!
Thanks, Nancy!
Was Wilbur A Were-Squirrel?
By Deb Buschman
98 words
A frightened Wilbur clutched a lucky nut as the Halloween moon rose.
His superstitious grandma claimed the nut would stop him from turning into an evil were-squirrel. There were a few were-squirrels in the family tree.
Wilbur checked his paws.
No huge claws.
Opened his mouth.
No pointy fangs.
Examined his eyes.
No bulgy red eyes—yet.
Then he heard—
Leaves crunching.
Heavy breathing.
Ahoooooo!
Closer, closer, huge claws, bulgy eyes and fangs dripping with—
chocolate?
“Hey Wilbur, we missed you trick or treating. Do you want a candy bar?”
“No thanks. I’ll just gnaw on this nut.”
This is fun! I love the building of suspense.
Thanks!
This is so fun and cute! I love the main character, his sweet superstition, and tje the gentle ending.
Thanks so much Sarah!
“Closer, closer, huge claws, bulgy eyes and fangs dripping with…” FUN and chocolate go together. I love this story.
I love the visual of Wilbur (great name) checking himself out.
Thanks Jill! I’m thinking of making this a longer story.
A were-squirrel! Love it!
Thanks Melissa. It’s modeled after a red squirrel in my yard that terrorizes all the chipmunks and squirrels.
Haha! Love the ending!
Thanks Nancy I’m so glad you got the humor.
This is wonderful – I love how it escalates.
Title: McDoodle’s Pup
By: Yonglee Deborah Kim
Word count: 100
McDoodle awoke to a frightening howl and discovered a spotted pup with a note: “DO NOT give me water.”
His curiosity led him to the town’s history museum, revealing a bone-chilling secret: the town’s settlers were once spotted werewolves. According to superstition, these werewolves turned into something… but the last few words mysteriously vanished!
He wondered if his furry friend shared the same fate. “Nah,” he whispered, “Although, he could use a bath.”
When he dipped the pup’s paws into water, nothing happened. “Silly superstition,” he scoffed, and fearlessly dunked the pup, transforming him into a CHICKEN.
McDoodle exclaimed, “DINNER!”
This raised my curiosity: the last few words mysteriously vanished.
Such a unique and interesting mystery, Yonglee!
What a twist at the end!
WHAT TO WEARWOLF?
By Jill Lambert (100 words)
Wolfie woke up and checked his calendar:
Friday the 13th, circled in red — the deadline to find a costume
for Clawdia’s Halloween party. He dug through his dresser, then the closet.
What to wear…a vampire cape? He wore that last year.
A black cat? Double-bad luck on a frightfully suspicious day.
Wolfie spied something fluffy in the corner – BINGO!
When he knocked on Clawdia’s door, she winked at his wooly costume and ushered him inside. “I wonder where Wolfie is? Maybe I’ll call him.”
Wolfie grinned.
Once he figured out what to wear, dressing up wasn’t so baaaaad.
Aaaaaah-ooooo!
A wearwolf in sheep’s clothing! Nice!
Thank you!
Cute! Love your puns and wordplay! And very ironic, a wolf in sheep’s clothing or…costume! I bet Wolfie had a wooly good time at the party!
Thanks, Katie! Love the ‘wooly good time’!
I love your title and the twist, Jill.
Thank you, Colleen!
“CLAWdia” – what a great name:-)
Thank you, Patricia. Clawdia may have to have her own story…
The title hooked me straight away, what a fun twist! Best of luck, Jill!
Thank you, Laura!
Hilarious, Jill! Love the name ‘CLAWdia’ and I looooovveeee that Wolfie dresse up as a sheep! Too cute!
Thanks so much, Michelle!
Now I’m howling, “Aaaah-oooo!” I see I used ‘suspicious’ when I meant to say ‘a frightfully superstitious day.’ (face palm) Oh well…
Great title and ending, Jill! I was rooting for Wolfie to find a great costume for Clawdia’s party!
Thank you, Sarah!
“What To Werewolf” should be the title of a GOOSEBUMPS book – Love it
Thank you, Tyler! My son was a huge Goosebumps fan, so he would enjoy that!
I love a twist ending. Good job.
Thank you, Jill.
The title hooked me, because I love children’s stories that have a little fashion. But the twist ending was wonderful! Well done, Jill!
Thank you for reading!
Love the play on words!
Thank you, Melissa!
So much fun word play. Nice alliteration with “dug through his dresser”. What a sneaky wolf. It’s nice jumping back reading your stories again, Jill. Good luck!
Thanks for your supportive comments, Ashley. Best of luck in the contest!
Haha! Fun story!
Thanks for reading, Nancy!
Stories of Monsters
By Laura Polasek
(97 words)
All sleepy little towns have their legends. Stories of monsters passed down child to child, generation to generation. The fright shared, then soon forgotten.
But not by a boy born eleven years ago this very night. Tales of shifters who hunt down such children – and make them their own – memories of these stories stay longer.
Henry felt silly about the garlic and silver secreted away in his pocket.
Just in case…
But in the end, no superstition could save him. For as the blood red moon rose on All Hallow’s Eve, Henry learned how werewolves are made.
Soooo creepy – Great job building tension:-)
Thank you Patricia!
Wow! You skillfully built the tension in this story, Laura. Keep going! It would make an awesome middle grade title.
Thank you so much Jill!
I love the use of secreted as a verb: secreted away in his pocket
Thank you Jill 🙂
So scary, I like It! Great storytelling.
The Strangest Halloween
by Jenn Kim
99 Words
The pumpkins are out.
The lights are all on.
It’s Halloween night,
but everyone’s gone!
Not one single ghost.
No werewolf in sight.
There aren’t even monsters,
to fill kids with fright.
Where are the tricks?
Where are the treats?
Where is the laughter
to hear in the streets?
I miss being scared,
and superstitious.
This night has been strange—
very suspicious.
But then I see them,
a bush filled with eyes
I slowly walk up,
And hear a “SURPRISE!”
I jump and I giggle
When I see my friends
And now I just hope,
this night never ends.
Great job with your rhyme! What a fun poem!
Thank you so much!!
Your poem is a neat rhyming treat and sweet shout-out to friends!
Thank you so much!
I like the entire story, but especially like the opening stanza’s . . . got me in the Halloween mood.
Great rhyme and a fun story! Good luck!
The Origin of the Werewolf: the Bronze Age Koryos
by Lauren N. Simmons
Genre: Nonfiction
Word count: 96
Nothing prepared me for entering the Koryos Warriors. My parents abandonned me to join the group on my twelfth birthday.
I must leave behind my superstitions and believe only in my strength – and that of my brothers. I must forget any fright.
At midnight, my brothers and I put on wolfskins and run the land to devour enemy territory, becoming like werewolves. When the moon is fullest as autumn truly sets in – on that night of all nights – we howl with the night wind in our faces. We are werewolves, shape-shifted now. We rule the night.
What an interesting nonfiction backstory about the werewolf legend.
Thank you so much for reading, Patricia!
Great story, fun to learn about the origin of the werewolf!
Thank you so much, Stephanie!
Interesting and unique take on this prompt, Lauren. Nice work!
Thank you so much for reading, Jill!
I learned something, too. I love the visual: we howl with the night wind in our faces.
Thank you for reading, Jill!
I love seeing a nonfiction take on this prompt!
Thank you so much for reading, Melissa!
A different take for the contest; non-fiction. I learned something new.
Thank you for reading!
I was so curious if there was a way to do NF with this word set! You did it!!
Thank you so much, Hannah!
Very cool story! Well done.
Drew’s Debate
by Marty Bellis
wc 82
Drew debated. What was more frightening?
A hairy hulk-y werewolf?
Nah, everybody did that one.
A blood-sucking vampire bat?
Maybe, if you were superstitious.
But he wanted to scare everyone silly.
Aha! This would do it.
What could be more frightening on Halloween night, than . . . .
a furry, bug-eyed, snatching, snarfing, gobbling, slobbering, ranting, raving, ravenous
Cookie Monster turned . . .
bwah ha ha ha!
. . . CANDY Monster,
out to steal everyone’s treats.
He tried the costume on, and practiced his eeriest bloodcurdling cry.
“Me want MORRRRE. CANDY! NOW! RRRRRRRRRRR!”
Hahaha – Cookie Monster and your new muppet monster make quite a pair:-)
Thanks for your comment, Patricia!
Yes! Cookie Monster is always so out-of-control…the perfect choice!
Cookies, candy, they’re all yummy in a monster’s tummy, right? 🙂
Hahaha. A cookie monster. Didn’t see that coming.
Hi Jill. Happy to hear it wasn’t what you expected.
Cute! We’ll see lots of little candy monsters at the door tonight! 🙂
They’ll be on the prowl and having fun! Hope you get a few princesses to balance out the monsters 🙂
Haha! Having my treats stolen would definitely be a nightmare! So cute
Thanks, Laura. It’s a sweet tooth’s worst fear.
Fun ending!!! Kids would love to growl along!
🙂 Thanks so much for your comment, Hannah!
Haha! Fun twist on the Cookie Monster!
Thanks, Nancy!
BITE FIGHT
By Ryann Jones
(98 words)
Fangs versus fangs on Halloween night!
It’s a frightful,
delightful,
biteful,
COOK-OFF!
Werewolf grills Frankenburgers.
The judges steer clear.
Hallo-weiners?
“Repugnant.”
Fried intestines?
“Nauseating.”
“Veinilla ice scream, anyvone?” asks Dracula.
That’s something everyone can sink their teeth into!
But Werewolf refuses to lose!
There’s only one way to win . . .
He spikes superstitious Dracula’s dessert with garlicy steak.
*Bleh.*
“Cobweb custard over here!” howls Werewolf.
That got the judges attention.
Dracula spitefully contaminates the custard with blood.
But then . . .
*sniff*
*slurp*
*BURP!*
They eat each other’s meals!
Neither scored points with the judges,
but both contenders
feel
like
winners!
“VEINilla” ice cream – So clever!!!
Love this story, Ryann! “Veinilla ice scream, anyvone?” is my fav line!
So clever! If it’s cobweb frozen custard I’m in!
Such a fun monstrous party! I love your clever word choices and the end😂
Excellent Wordplay! This was a great read and would make a fun picture book!
I love the cook-off Halloween character combo! So creative!
The puns in this one are seriously impressive! 🙂
Among other things, I adore the opening stanza.
So much fun wordplay!
So full of clever puns, and such a unique concept! Love it, Ryann!!
What a fun ending! Love the title and premise too, and especially “sniff, slurp, BURP!”
Such fun words!!
Funny! Love the word play. Good job!
Kitten’s Halloween
Do you hear those scary sounds?
A werewolf howling in the night,
The rustling gives me quite a fright.
Could it be a pack of hounds?
Something creeping in the shadow,
Four little paws out in the dark.
The wind is howling cold and stark,
From far away I hear birds crow.
Not a monster, not a fiend,
A tail, two ears and glowing eyes,
A black cat to my surprise,
A little kitten left unseen.
Small and soft and full of pluck,
It doesn’t look at all vicious
I wouldn’t call me superstitious,
But oh no-bad luck!
You included such sensory descriptions in this story: Love ‘from far away I hear birds crow’ and “small and soft and full of pluck’. And thank you for the reminder to try the unexpected ABBA rhyme pattern. Wonderful, Jaclyn!
I’m not a cat person, but I fell in love with this little guy: Small and soft and full of pluck
Nice rhyme scheme and story.
To Eat or Not to Eat, That is the Question!
By Charlie Griffin
(100 Words)
On Halloween night, the werewolf took fright,
And fled from the graveyard in sheer superstition.
The creature raced into the gloom out of sight,
Its pounding heart filled with utter contrition.
The werewolf felt shame for the man he would bite
When overcome by his recurring condition.
He battled his instincts with lunatic might;
A man is a friend, not a source of nutrition!
He bit zombies and bats and several cats,
Hoping that they would be almost as yummy,
Alas, they were not, so that would be that —
CHOMP! aahhhrrrooooOOO!!!
Nothing’s as good as a friend in your tummy!
That last line is the icing on top of your clever story
Thanks so much for reading. 🙂
Love the title and the last line clinched it! Great job, Charlie!
My two parts:
lunatic might (what a great choice of words)
A man is a friend, not a source of nutrition! (This made me laugh)
I meant my two FAVORITE parts.
What a cute story! A very enjoyable read. Good luck with this.
Love it! Great rhyme and the ending is perfection, although a bit creepy. LOL!
Green Does Not Mean Mean
By Linda Glazebrook
(100 Words)
Within the wolfpack there’s the Halloween superstition of the werepup created by an evil magician.
The pup was born scraggly and brightly green, with a creepy howl and a heart that’s believed mean.
All pups are brown and streaked with gray. The pack is frightened of a werewolf colored in a different way.
Strolling the woods on Halloween night. A pup stumbled upon the green wolf, screaming at the sight.
“You’re scary to my eyes,” he screeched with fear. “Please go away. Disappear.”
The green pup cried with great sadness. “I need love like you. My color doesn’t mean badness.”
Great ending! 🎃
Awww! An important message of acceptance told in such a heartfelt way. Well done, Linda!
Thank you so much!
Great underlying message.
Nice message. I hope the green pup finds a friend.
Title: Mom Gave Me a Werewolf! Word count: 98 Author: Sarah J Williams, children’s books author Story: On Halloween, my mom exclaimed, “I’m going to give you a puppy!” We went to a dog seller the same day, and every puppy looked the same except for one. I saw the hairiest, cuddliest, and most frightful puppy I had ever seen. He had yellow eyes filled with superstition, lots of hair everywhere, and a mouth packed with white fangs. “He is called Werewolf,” the seller said to my mom. “You can get him for half the price.” The little Werewolf approached me and licked my hands. That’s when I knew, it’d be him and me forever.
>
Great story idea! 🎃
Thank you! 🙂
I love the image, ‘mouth packed with white fangs.’ Sounds like the narrator got the pick of the litter!
When I wrote the story I imagined that it could be about an actual werewolf in a litter of regular puppies, or, it could be about a regular pup that had the werewolf genetic disorder: hypertrichosis. Reaching awareness that everyone deserves to be loved, with or without the werewolf gene. 🙂
Aww, what a sweet ending. Nice!
Halloween is Here, Ready or Not
By Elise Teichert
99 Words
Eight friends in class talk about stuff
It’s okay to be different, sure enough!
Werewolves, goblins, ghosts in the dark.
Jane says scary, Tai says they’re not.
Witches and skeletons are not Paul’s thing.
Bob says scarier’s better than flowers in spring.
Fred loves pumpkins, gourds and the frights.
Pip loves winter’s cold days, freezing nights.
Maya likes things simple, what she can see plain as day,
Arhan’s into superstitions about black cats crossing his play.
Ready or not, Halloween is here.
We’ll put on costumes: scary, silly or weird.
Eight friends have fun throughout the school year.
Cute Halloween Story about friendship! 🎃
Such a great theme of celebrating differences between classmates! Sweet story, Elise!
Who doesn’t like a friendship story?
Love how these friends like different things, but also each other.
A fun story about being friends and being different. And that’s ok. Love it. Good luck.
Halloween Advice
By Paul Roncone
Word Count: 100
“Thanks for coming.”
Tut invites the girl in.
“Hear you’re an expert.”
She nods. “Let’s begin.”
“It’s my new neighbor.
Gives me a fright.
I’m worried he’ll beast out.
It’s Halloween night!”
“A werewolf?”
“As the rumor goes.”
“Okay. Fact check:
Large smelling nose?”
Big eyes to see?
Sharp fangs to bite?
Changes his hair
To Grandmother’s white?”
“Unsure,” he admits.
“We’ve not spoken yet.”
Town gossip’s ruined
Tut’s mindset.
“Get outta your tomb.
Meet him, Mr. Mummy.
Forget superstitions—
Rumors aren’t funny.
Get to know him first:
Decide bad or good.”
“You’re right,” Tut smiles,
“Miss Red Riding Hood.”
Love this message and “Get outta your tomb. Meet him, Mr. Mummy!” What fun and unexpected characters!
Miss Riding Hood is the wolf expert and Tut is Mr. Mummy – I love your characters!
Tut and Red Riding Hood in the same story! Great! 🎃
Great message, just enough rhyming and just made me smile!
Great advice and great story, Paul!
Good job building to the surprise ending.
Very fun. Love your characters and that you tell the story in dialog. Nicely done!
Spooky Storytime
By Sarah Meade
Word Count: 100
“I hope Halloween storytime isn’t scary,” Baby Bear whispered.
“Me too,” Goldilocks agreed.
They met their friends under Old MacDonald’s scarecrow.
“Nice spider costume, Miss Muffet!”
“Egg-cellent clown outfit, Humpty Dumpty!”
“Creepy werewolf suit, Bo-Peep!”
“Ready for spooky stories?” asked Jack.
Baby Bear blinked.
“Umm,” Goldilocks stammered.
“It’s dark,” said Jill.
Mary hugged her lamb.
“Are those bats?” asked Little Boy Blue. “They’re bad luck!”
Goldilocks shivered. “That’s just a superstition, right?”
Baby Bear whimpered.
Bumpity-bump!
Mother Goose arrived. . . with jack-o’-lanterns!
“Halloween stories might be frightful, but pumpkin nightlights are deLIGHTful!”
Everyone snuggled close while Mother Goose told not-too-spooky stories.
What fun in the land of Mother Goose – Those characters and costumes would be an illustrator’s delight:-)
Thanks so much for reading, Patricia!
Sarah, I love all of the nursery rhyme characters you incorporated into the story! 🎃
Thank you! 🙂
Wonderful, as well as deLIGHTful! Well done, Sarah!
Thank you!!
What a fun Halloween gathering with all of these nursery rhyme characters in attendance, and not-so-scary stories as well!
Thanks so much, Colleen!
Awesome creativity! Great wordplay.
Thanks so much!
I love your ‘ode to nursery rhymes’ poem! What an original piece!
Thanks so much, Michelle!
Original and fun. A not-so-scary Halloween story for the younger ones. Pumkin nightlights are indeed deLiGHTful. I feel like snuggling while listening to Mother Goose.
Thanks so much for reading and commenting, Corine!
A genius combination, Sarah–Halloween and Mother Goose! Terrific!
Thank you, Jill!
Marvelous Mother Goose mash-up with thoughtful details, engaging dialogue, and a truly heartwarming ending. I love that Miss Muffet wears a spider costume and Bo-Peep is clad as a werewolf!
Thank you SO much, Anne! I had fun imagining this one.
Oh, oh, oh. Sooooooo good.
I love the premise, and it plays out beautifully!
thank you so much!
Nursery rhyme characters during Halloween is such a creative and fun idea. Bo-Peep as the wolf made me laugh. And in true Mother Goose fashion, her play on deLIGHTful. You really captured their personalities in a whole new setting. I enjoyed reading it. Good luck!
Thanks again! Your comments are so kind!!
Sarah, what a fun story, filled with familiar sweet little goblins, aka, nursery rhyme characters. Love it.
Thank you so much, Marty!
Aww, this is so sweet Sarah!! I love all the fairytale creatures, and how you brought Mother Goose in at the end. So fun!!
Thanks, Andi!
Oh I love the characters! And those delightful pumpkins!!
Thanks, Hannah!
Very cute. Love the costumes and that the stories weren’t too spooky!