Darlings!
Do you know what time it is?
It is LATE!
And I have a very urgent matter to bring to your attention:
Somehow, it is January 29th, which means there are only 2 weeks – 14 days! – before the opening of our next contest!
So I figured I’d better get you the guidelines so you have some time to write!
Think of it this way: I have done you a favor. I have cut out all your time for agonizing so all you have to do is get down to business. . .
. . . and write your entry for. . .
The 9th Annual Valentiny Writing Contest
~ for children’s writers ~
The Contest: Since writing for children is all about “big emotion for little people” (I forget who said that, but someone did so I put it in quotes!) and Valentine’s Day is all about emotion, write a Valentine story appropriate for children (children here defined as ages 12 and under) maximum 214 words in which someone feels enthusiastic! They can be enthusiastic in a good way or a bad way. They can be enthusiastic about a person, an event, an activity, an animal, an art project, a performance. . . anything you like!, or overly enthusiastic causing negative consequences. Sky’s the limit! Just make sure it is clearly Valentine-centered! Think beyond the obvious! Your story can be poetry or prose, sweet, funny, surprising or anything in between, but it will only count for the contest if it includes someone enthusiastic (can be the main character but doesn’t have to be) and is 214 words (get it? 2/14 for Valentine’s Day 😊 ) You can go under the word count but not over! (Title is not included in the word count.) If you are so inclined, you are welcome to enter more than one entry – just remember you’ll be competing against yourself 😊 No illustration notes please!
Post your story in the comment section of my Monday February 12th Post, (NOT THIS POST!), between 12:01 AM Eastern Monday February 12th and Wednesday February 14th by 11:59 PM Eastern. There will be no regularly scheduled posts for the duration of the contest (Tuesday Debut or PPBF), so the post and all of your entries will stay up for everyone to enjoy. If you have difficulty with the comments, which unfortunately sometimes happens, you may email your entry to me and I’ll post it for you. But please don’t email your entry before the start of the contest – my inbox is generally overflowing and things may get lost!
The Judging: over the following days, my lovely assistants and I will narrow down the entrants to around 12 top choices depending on number and quality of entries which will be posted here and voted on for a winner as soon as we can get them up. The winners and Honorable Mentions will be announced a few days after the vote. (I’m not even going to try to hazard a guess on exact dates!)
Judging criteria will include:
- Kid-appeal/Kid-friendliness – remember, this is a story for kids!
- Creativity in using enthusiasm, and success in making us feel the enthusiasm! Enthusiasm must be central to the story line, not just mentioned briefly in passing in a story about something else entirely.
- Valentine’s Day appropriateness – this is a VALENTINE story and Valentine’s Day must be central to it!
- Quality of story – we will look for basic story elements and a true story arc
- Quality of writing – use and flow of language, correctness of mechanics, excellence of rhyme and meter if you use it, PROOFREADING!
- Originality – surprise us with something new and different! 😊
- 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.
The Prizes: I’m still working on details of the prizes below (aren’t I always 😊) and I know there are additions and corrections to be made, but I wanted to get the contest guidelines up so you’d have time to WRITE!!!)
⭐️ 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 and discuss it with her!
⭐️ Access to author/editor Alayne Kay Christian‘s webinars! Alayne is the author of BUTTERFLY KISSES FOR GRANDMA AND GRANDPA (Blue Whale Press, 2008), SIENNA THE COWGIRL FAIRY: COWBOY TROUBLE (Blue Whale Press 2021), THE WEED THAT WOKE CHRISTMAS (Blue Whale Press, 2020), and AN OLD MAN AND HIS PENGUIN (Blue Whale Press, 2020)
⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique (Rhyming or Non-rhyming, Fiction or Nonfiction) with written feedback AND a 30-minute Zoom Chat with children’s author Vivian Kirkfield, author of the brand new, about-to-be-released PEDAL, BALANCE, STEER: Annie Londonderry, The First Woman To Cycle Around The World (Calkins Creek, February 20, 2024), PIPPA’S PASSOVER PLATE (Holiday House, 2019), SWEET DREAMS, SARAH (Creston Books, 2019), FOUR OTTERS TOBOGGAN (Pomegranate, 2019), MAKING THEIR VOICES HEARD: THE INSPIRING FRIENDSHIP OF ELLA FITZGERALD AND MARILYN MONROE (Little Bee Books, 2020), FROM HERE TO THERE: INVENTIONS THAT CHANGED THE WAY THE WORLD MOVES (Clarion Books, 2021), and SHOW ME HOW! BUILD YOUR CHILD’S SELF-ESTEEM THROUGH READING, CRAFTING AND COOKING (MoneyPenny Press Ltd, 2010)
⭐️ 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 (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 with Rebecca Gomez, author of FEDERICO AND THE WOLF (Clarion Books, May 19, 2020), TWO TOUGH TRUCKS (Orchard Books, September 17, 2019), TWO TOUGH TRUCKS GET LOST! (Scholastic, Inc, September 1, 2020), HENSEL AND GRETEL: NINJA CHICKS (G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, May 24, 2016), WHAT ABOUT MOOSE? (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, June 9, 2015) and the forthcoming middle grade novel in verse, MARI IN THE MARGINS (Bandersnatch Books, May 2024)
⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique with Laura Sassi, author of GOODNIGHT, ARK (Zonderkidz, August 4, 2015), GOODNIGHT, MANGER (Zonderkidz, October 6, 2015), DIVA DELORES AND THE OPERA HOUSE MOUSE (Union Square Kids, March 6, 2018), LOVE IS KIND (Zonderkidz, August 7, 2018), LITTLE EWE: The Story of One Lost Sheep (Beaming Books, February 23, 2021), BUNNY FINDS EASTER (Zonderkidz, February 1, 2022), HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CHRISTMAS CHILD! (Paraclete Press, October 4, 2022), and the MY TENDER HEART BIBLE series (Paraclete Press)
⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique with Aixa Pérez-Prado, author/illustrator of CITY FEET (Reycraft Books, January 12, 2023), and OUR WORLD: ARGENTINA (Barefoot Books, October 3, 2023)
⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique with Beth Stillborn, writer of middle-grade fiction, occasional picture books, fiction for grownups, and poetry, and qualified editor of anything you put in front of her!
⭐️ 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)
⭐️ 20 Minute Zoom Ask Me Anything on Indie Publishing with author Kizzie Hutcheson Roberts, indie author of THE ELVES GO MARCHING (Elemental Ink, December 1, 2022), THE EGGS GO ROLLING (Learning Spark, February 16, 2023), and HARPER AND THE RAPTOR RESCUE (chapter book) (Learning Spark Educational Publishing, June 27, 2023)
⭐️ Ask Me Anything Zoom Chat and signed book from Cindy Schrauben, author of THIS COULD BE YOU (Cardinal Rule Press, April 2022) and the just announced HANK’S CHANGE OF HEART (scheduled for February 2025 from The Little Press)
⭐️ Signed copy of KING CAKE BABY (Pelican Publishing, January 23, 2015) from author Keila Dawson
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, quick!
Get out those writing implements, put on your thinking cap, make sure you have a healthy supply of Valentine chocolates close to hand (no problem even though it’s not yet Valentine’s Day since all the stores have been well stocked with Valentine candy since December 26th 😊), fill yourself with enthusiasm, and WRITE!!!!!
❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️
Susanna Leonard Hill 
Whoohoo! Happy Valentine’s Day to us! xoxoxo
OMG! Yesterday was Halloween, then Christmas and now Valentine’s day is around the corner. Goodness! Storystorm is at it’s end and I have to catch a critique train in February. I’ll do my best to post something for the contest. Most of all, I enjoy reading the entries. Happy writing everyone.
I know, Eleanor! Isn’t it insane how time races past?!
Before we know it…Christmas! But I’ll just take one holiday at a time. LOL
It promises to be tons of fun, Angie! 😊
Way too fast. I’m looking forward to reading the entries in case I don’t come up with a story. Take care.
Yay! Oh, yes, it will be!
I love getting the email for the Valentiny contest each year- it just makes me happy ☺️❤️. It’s become one of my OG writing contests and I love it. Thanks so much, Susanna.
My pleasure, CJ! I think we all need a little pick-me-up in February! 😊
Thank you, Susanna! This is such a bright spot in the winter months!
I’m so glad you think so, Beth! I feel the same way!
This sounds like a great challenge! The wheels in my head are turning already!
Hurray! Keep those wheels well fueled with chocolate, Lori! 😊
Decisions, decisions. Get serious about my WIP or procrastinate a little longer to enter this contest? Maybe, I’ll see what pops into my head in the middle of the night.
Who knows? You could get an idea that becomes a new WIP! 😊
I found time to work on my bigger WIP and come up with an entry for the contest, but I burned my dinner.
Dear Charmaine,
I wanted to let you know that I adored your story, I thought it was wonderful!
Best regards,
Sharon B.
Thank you Sharon.
Yay! I love your contests. Many of my longer stories have been created from your short story challenges. Thank you, Susanna!
That makes me so happy, Ellie! Yay! 😊
Feeling the enthusiasm & the Valentiny love! 🥰
I’m so glad, Patricia! That’s what it’s all about! 😊
Thank you Susanna forbthevencouragment
My pleasure, Shariffa!
Thank you, Susanna! Your contests are a wonderful source of inspiration!
I’m so glad you think so, Erik! I look forward to reading your enthusiastic entry! 😊
It wouldn’t be February without your fun contest. Can’t wait to read all the clever, and no doubt, enthusiastic, entries!
I can’t wait either, Marty! 😊
Love, love, love your contests! ❤️
Time flies when you are writing AND eating chocolates! Although sometimes I wish it would slow down! Happy ❤️and happy writing! 💕📝
Big list of prizes! Hope I can find excitement in 214 words!
Hurray! Valentiny…one of my favorite contests! I’m excited to see all of the awesome entries. And double-hurray…I’m thrilled to be a prize…I’ll get you a graphic with my book covers and headshot, dear Susanna.
My first time!! Thank you, Susanna and everyone involved!! Here’s to an enthusiastic group of entries!!!
I am assuming the character can be enthusiastic without using the word itself, is that correct? Thanks so much!
So much fun! Can’t wait to read the entries!
Thank you so much, Susanna, for providing us all an amazing opportunity to express enthusiasm and LOVE during the month of February. I can’t wait to submit my entry!! 💕
Thank you Susanna, for providing us all with the amazing opportunity to write about ENTHUSIASM and LOVE while we celebrate Valentine’s Day. I can’t wait to submit my entry!
Hello Susanna,
I’m back at entering your wonderful contests after a short break. I enjoy these writing challenges so much and appreciate all your efforts to foster so many children’s writers!
Hello Susanna，
This project was interesting and I wish I had participated and written the story.
Excuse me, does the 214 characters include punctuation marks? I revised it many times and finally it met the standards, but including punctuation😊
Hi Hanno – it is 214 WORDS, so no, individual letters (unless they are a word like I or a) do not count and neither do punctuation marks! I will look forward to reading your story 😊
Great！thank you for your reply, and I wish the competition a complete success💕
Thank you so much!