Happy New Year Everyone! (Which I’m saying again because I don’t think too many people were here on Friday. After all, even I wasn’t really :))
I hope you all had wonderful holidays!
I thoroughly enjoyed mine. The only hard part was sending all the kids back to school – I hate to see them go 😦 – and, oh, yeah, getting back to work!
As you know, I took about 2 weeks off. I didn’t think I could do it, but I did. It turned out to be easier than I thought 🙂 I spent lots of time with family, which was really wonderful, and I even got to read a couple books! I admit it. I’m a die-hard Jack Reacher fan – not the movie (I’m sorry, but Tom Cruise cannot pull off fair-haired, blue-eyed, 6′ 5″ and 250 lbs!) – but the books. The whole time off thing was a real treat. And now I’m finding it a little harder than I expected to get back in the groove 🙂
Since the Holiday Contest (and my time off) kind of took over December, a few things fell by the wayside.
I’m pretty sure I never announced the winner of the November Pitch Pick, so, without further ado, it was Steve with his pitch for Rashad Saves The World! Congratulations, Steve! You had some tough competition! (And if I DID announce that before and just forgot, let’s all pretend I didn’t and be excited for Steve! And let’s also all pretend I’m not going prematurely senile :)) Steve, your pitch is in Erin Molta’s inbox (yes, it really is – I did actually remember that :)) and I’m sure you’ll hear from her shortly. Congratulations to the other brave pitchers as well because they all gave excellent pitches for stories which sounded terrific!
I also don’t think I ever announced the winner of Sharon Stanley’s lovely book The Little Dog In The Middle Of The Road and the accompanying stuffed toy! So without further ado, the winner, as chosen randomly by random.org, is Diane Tulloch! 🙂 Diane, I will put you in touch with Sharon so you two ladies can work out mailing the goodies 🙂
Also, I didn’t get a chance yet to tell you about Elaine Kearns’s fabulous new website for writers – KidLit411! It’s got everything! You should definitely go check it out! But after Would You Read It, please, because once you click over there you’re going to want to explore and it might take you awhile 🙂
I’d also like to remind anyone who might be interested that Meg Miller’s ReViMo is coming up next week – January 12-18. It will be a full week to work on picture book revisions in the company of other picture book writers with prizes and everything!
It seems that everyone else is posting inspirational messages about their word for the year, their goals, their aspirations. I have goals and aspirations too, but as you all know, I am not that organized. So for now, I’m just going to sum up my goals for 2014 as Get Stuff Done 🙂
I think there was something else I forgot but, I forget… 🙂
It doesn’t help you remember, but it makes you not mind that you forgot 🙂
If any of you all think of something else I’ve forgotten, please feel free to remind me!
Now then, enough with the catching up. Let’s get on to Would You Read It!
Today’s pitch comes to us from Rena. Rena J. Traxel writes silly picture books for kids and murderous novels for teens. Find her on twitter @renajtraxelor onFacebook
Here is her pitch:
Working Title: The Witch’s Brew Age/Genre: YA (mystery/legal thriller/fractured fairy tale) The Pitch: When the body of Gretel is unearthed the residents of Rosia are ready to burn the candy Witch everyone except 16-year-old Amy Faye. Fuelled by her own false arrest, Amy—lawyer in training— is willing to risk her reputation, her family and maybe even bend a law or two to prove her crush’s mother isn’t a murderer. But will the truth set the Witch free or will she be rightfully executed alongside Amy’s reputation. Grisham’s The Accused meets Willingham’s Fables.
So what do you think? Would You Read It? YES, MAYBE or NO?
If your answer is YES, please feel free to tell us what you particularly liked and why the pitch piqued your interest. If your answer is MAYBE or NO, please feel free to tell us what you think could be better in the spirit of helping Rena improve her pitch. Helpful examples of possible alternate wordings are welcome. (However, I must ask that comments be constructive and respectful. I reserve the right not to publish comments that are mean because that is not what this is about.)
Please send YOUR pitches for the coming weeks! For rules and where to submit, click on this link Would You Read Itor on the Would You Read It tab in the bar above. There are openings in February so you’ve got a little time to polish up your pitches and send yours for a chance to be read by editor Erin Molta!
Rena is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch! I am looking forward to seeing everyone on Friday for Perfect Picture Books. And now that this post is done, don’t forget to go check out KidLit411 and ReViMo!
I’m not actually posting today – I’m not done with my blog vacation until January 8 – but I realized (thanks to my email notifications) that there were people expecting PPBF today, so I’m putting up the link list for anyone who wants to participate.
It was so nice of you all to come visit me on a non-posting day! Can I offer you some non-denominational holiday cookies?
And perhaps a nice cup of cocoa to go with them?
I like to be neighborly and provide snacks to anyone who comes all this way through the snow and cold to visit 🙂
Now that no one is in danger of fainting from caloric deficit, let’s get right to the purpose of today’s post, shall we?
Normally I’d string you along for awhile and tease you with something… anything… that had nothing to do with why you’re really here.
But in the spirit of the holidays, I’m not going to do that today.
Nope!
I’m going to get right to the point.
Yes sirree!
No beating around the bush today!
We’re going to get right to it…
…as soon as we have a rousing chorus of Adeste Fidelis!
Adeste fideles læti triumphantes,
Venite, venite in Bethlehem. Natum videte Regem angelorum: Venite adoremus (3x) Dominum.
There’s nothing like singing in Latin is there?
Want to do another verse?
Just kidding 🙂 I know you don’t 🙂
Okay, seriously, would you guys stop singing holiday songs so we can get down to the business at hand? Sheesh!
The3rdAnnualHolidayContest!!!
WINNERS!!!
As you are all aware by now, we had a record turnout for the 3rd Annual Holiday Contest – 118 entries!
I was thrilled beyond measure to see so many wonderful stories!
But with large entry numbers come hard choices. My assistant judges and I worked hard to winnow the total down to a manageable number of finalists that we felt were truly all-around deserving of that distinction, and those were the ones we presented to you on Monday for your vote.
There were, however, many other entries that were outstanding in certain areas even though they might not have qualified all-around for one reason or another.
So my assistant judges and I would like to award recognition and a small prize to the following authors for the following merits:
1. For Honorable Mention In The Competition As A Whole: Erik Weibel for Code Name: Kringle Michelle Senters for Cookies For Papa Noel Sue Heavenrich for Blue Latkes And Salsa Hayley Barrett for Not-So-Merry Sickmas
2. For Best “Quiet”Story: Kristine Poptanich for Silent Night Leslie Colin Tribble for The Christmas Bird Teresa Robeson for A Home For The Holidays Debbie Austin for Home For Christmas Patricia Tilton for Toby’s Shopping Rush Cindy Williams Schrauben for A Dark Night Before Christmas
3. For Best End-of-Story Twist: Cathy Mealey for Festive Feeding Frenzy (CPR on a chipmunk :)) Rachel Stones for Fresh Frosting (toothpaste!) Tracey Cox for Breaking News: Santa Is Real (Emergency Broadcast Test!)
4. For Best-Written Original Point Of View: Kristen Fulton for Raisin’s Christmas (excellent dog POV!) Sue Frye for Christmas Trappings (great rat POV!)
5. For Best Job Reworking Familiar Rhymes/Songs/Stories: Laura Renauld for This Is The Tree That Jill Trimmed Marcy Pusey for Monty The Mudman Buffy Silverman for The 3 Little Pigs Light The Chanukah Candles Charlotte Gunnufson for Goldilocks’s Night Before Christmas
6. For Funniest Entry: (not already in the finals) Kathryn Cunningham for ‘Twas The Stomach Flu Before Christmas Suzy Levinson for Reindeer In The Eggnog
7. For Best Wicked Humor: Julia Maisen for Catching Krampus Julie Rowan-Zoch for It’s A Wrap
8. For Great Kid Appeal: (not already in the finals) Mandy Yates for One Squirrelly Christmas Sharon Chriscoe for Hot Tub Santa Anne Cavanaugh Sawan for The Gingerbread House Disaster
9. For Best Religious Entry: Bonnie Ogle for The Sound And Smell Of Christmas
10. For Best Entry By A First-Time Writer: Angie Hawkins for NOEL Lucy Dixon for The Story Of An Elf (who didn’t want to be on the shelf!)
11. For We-Loved-It-But-Thought-The Humor-Was-A-Little-Too-Grown-Up 🙂 Teresa M.I. Schaeffer for Always Ready Or Not Kristen Foote for No Sleep For Santa B. Lee Draper for ‘Twas The Accident Before Christmas
Congratulations to all of you for fantastic elements of your stories! You may all email me at susanna[at]susannahill[dot]com to collect your prize, which is your choice of one of the following: (the titles are all links so you can go see what they’re about)
The announcement of the WINNERS OF THE 2013 HOLIDAY CONTEST as voted on by you!!!
rat-a-tat-rat-a-tat-rat-a-tat-rat-a-tat-rat-a-tat
DDDRRRUUUMMM RRROOOLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!
In First Place…
Winner of the whole shebang…
who gets first choice of all the prizes…
DAWN YOUNG
for ‘Twas The Night Baafore Christmas!!!
Congratulations, Dawn, on a fabulous and fun entry that was clearly very popular!!! 🙂
In Second Place…
Kristen Foote
for The Great Christmas Morning Mix-Up
Congratulations, Kristen!! You get first choice of the prizes that are left after Dawn makes her choice.
In Third Place…
Laura Wolfe
for The Gift Horse
Congratulations, Laura! You get first choice of the prizes that are left after Dawn and Kristen choose theirs.
In Fourth Place…
Heather Preusser
for Behind Schedule
Congratulations, Heather! You get to pick after Dawn, Kristen and Laura.
In Fifth Place…
Cecilia Clarke
for The School Concert
Congratulations, Cecilia! You get to pick after Dawn, Kristen, Laura and Heather.
In Sixth Place…
Ann Magee
for The Christmas Present
Congratulations, Ann! I’m sure you get the idea of how the prize picking goes by now 🙂
And I have to mention the tie for 7th Place, because they were both only 1 point out of 6th Place…
Tied for Seventh Place:
Deborah Holt Williams for Seriously Santa? and Angela Pena Dahle for Three Little Kings!
Congratulations, Deborah and Angela!
All the winners should email me at susanna[at]susannahill[dot]com with the subject heading Prize Winner so we can work out details for you to receive your prizes! Finalists who did not finish in the top 6 (Deborah, Angela, Cheryl, Patty, Marcie, Penny, Michelle Barnes, and Carrie) may also contact me for their choice of the Kindle or paperback prizes listed above.
Congratulations again to all our winners – it was a stiff competition!! – and congratulations to EVERYONE who wrote and entered a story in the contest. You all deserve a huge round of applause, a tinsel parade, and a large amount of Christmas Pudding (which truthfully I don’t know what that is, but it sounds like the right thing for this time of year :))
Thank you to everyone who helped make this contest SO MUCH FUN, whether by writing an entry, reading people’s stories, leaving comments for the authors, and/or voting in the finals. It’s because of all of you that this contest was such a success, so many, many thanks from the bottom of my heart!
As I mentioned a while back, I’m taking a little blogging break so I can spend time with my family – I’ve got cookies to bake, Christmas presents to shop for and wrap, and my sister and her family are arriving form Georgia on Sunday! 🙂 – so I will see you all in a couple weeks – most probably Wednesday January 8th for Would You Read It unless there’s a hue and cry over missing another PPBF on January 3rd. If you’re desperate for PPBF, please take it up with management 🙂
So now, I want to wish you all a happy and healthy holiday filled with love, laughter, joy, and family, and a happy, healthy and successful new year! It is a pleasure and a privilege to get to spend time with you all, and I’m happy and grateful to know each and every one of you!
Looking forward to all the things we’ll do in 2014!
You didn’t sleep a wink all weekend just desperate to know who would make the finalists list for the Holiday Contest!
It’s okay. You can admit it. I understand 🙂
But now it’s finally Monday! And you can find out!
After a few words from our sponsors 🙂
First, I want to thank EVERYONE who found time in their busy holiday season schedule to write an entry for this contest. With a final count of 118 entries, this was by far the most well-subscribed contest I’ve ever held. The overall quality of the entries was absolutely amazing! There were no easy cuts. My assistant judges and I found something to like in every story and hated having to cut anyone!
Second, I want to thank EVERYONE who took the time to go around to as many of the 81 different blogs as you could, as well as the 38 entries posted in the comments here, and read and leave supportive comments for the writers who worked so hard on these stories. In this business where rejection is a common and unavoidable part of the process, it means a great deal to writers to know that their work was read and enjoyed and to receive a few kind words about their writing. It is one of the best things about this community – that people are so generous and kind to each other.
Third, before I list the finalists, I want to say again how really difficult it was to choose. There were so many fabulous entries. The sheer volume means that many great stories had to be cut. So if yours didn’t make the final cut please don’t feel bad. There was a huge amount of competition. Judging, no matter how hard we try to be objective, is always subjective at a certain point – we all have our own preferences for what makes a great story. And the fact that you didn’t make the final cut DOES NOT mean you didn’t write a great story. Everyone who plonked their butt in a chair and worked hard to write a story for this contest is a winner! You showed up. You did your best work. You practiced your craft. You wrote to specifications. You bravely shared your writing with the world. And you have a brand new story that is now yours to hone and tweak if you like and maybe submit at some point to a magazine or as a PB manuscript. So bravo to everyone who entered!
Finally, I’d like to be very clear about the voting process. Due to the large number of entries, there are 14 finalists listed below. I have deliberately listed them by title only, so as to help with objectivity. Please read through them and choose the one you feel is best and vote. You are MOST welcome to share a link to this post on FB, twitter, or wherever you like to hang out and encourage people to come read ALL the finalists and vote for the one they think is best. Please do that. The more people who read and enjoy these stories the better, and the more objective votes we get the better. HOWEVER (and I want to be very clear on this) please do not ask people to vote for a specific number or title, or for the story about Vixen and the canoe or whatever. Trolling for votes or trying to influence the outcome is counter to the spirit of this competition which is supposed to be based on merit. I thank you in advance for respecting this.
Now, without further ado, here are your finalists. There is a mix of poetry and prose, funny, cute, and poignant – quite a spread! Remember that the judging criteria were: 1. Kid-appeal! – These stories are intended for a young audience, so entries that were well-written but lacked child-friendliness or whose humor or content felt more appropriate for an older or adult audience did not make the cut. 2. Suitability of mishap to holiday/originality of mishap – the rules stated a holiday mishap, so entries that lacked a mishap did not make the cut even if they were well-written. 3. Quality of story – the rules stated that entries were to tell a story, so if they appeared to be more of a description or mood piece, they didn’t make the cut. We looked for a true story arc. 4. Quality of writing – use of language, correctness of tense, spelling and grammar, quality of rhyme and meter for the poetry entries, and overall impression of writing were factored in. 5. Originality and creativity – because that is often what sets one story above another. We cut 104 entries to leave you with these 14. It was very hard! We did the best we could. I hope you’ll all find at least one of your favorites on the list below. #1 THE GREAT CHRISTMAS MORNING MIX UP
‘Twas the morning of Christmas. Fresh snow sparkled bright.
Eager eyes, young and old, woke with hope and delight.
For THIS was the day it would all become clear!
Had their patience and kindness been noticed this year?
Old sweet gray-haired Granny, who lived down the street,
had asked for fur slippers to warm up her feet.
Wrapped under her tree was an iPod, instead.
“What’s this thing-a-ma-jig? Does it need to be fed?”
Confused, little Claire, sadly stared with a frown.
Men’s large tighty-whities? She wrote down a crown!
Max wished for a toy, not a stick carved from wood –
his whisper to Santa was misunderstood!
Poor four-year-old Nate wanted alphabet blocks.
He cried when he opened up argyle socks.
And old man McGee had requested a cane.
But how could he walk with a jet-propelled plane?
The neighbors all gathered outside in the square.
“Santa messed up!” “Does he no longer care?”
“Did he drink too much nog?” “Get confused in the fog?”
“Did his hand-written list become lunch for his dog?”
As they chittered and chattered, up hobbled McGee,
a plane in his hand, and a wobbly knee.
Max noticed a use for that stick in his hand.
He traded McGee, who could now proudly stand.
The rest of the town followed Max’s kind lead.
They searched with their gifts to find someone in need.
With an uproar of giggles, the Mayor said, “Claire!
I’ll give you my crown for the underwear pair!”
Then lastly, the iPod. Teens gathered around.
To Granny’s surprise, the small square produced sound!
As they patiently taught her to download a song,
she played Christmas classics. They all sang along.
The families set out their warm suppers to share.
No person left hungry, all plates were licked bare.
They toasted their glasses with “CLINKS” and with “CLANKS”.
They feasted, shared laughter, and offered up thanks.
Perhaps ol’ Saint Nick was no senile man.
Maybe this mix-up was really his plan.
For THIS Christmas season was not for receiving,
but gathering, giving, and mostly, believing.
#2 BEHIND SCHEDULE
Santa was used to getting letters, but this one was different.
“Antler Air was having a last-minute special, so we booked a trip to Europe! Don’t worry, Santa. We’ll be back to fly the sleigh. – The Red-Nosed Guy”
“But there’s only three days until Christmas Eve!” said Ernie the Elf.
“Rudolf’s responsible,” said Santa.
The next day Santa received a text message.
“Europe’s a hoot! Visiting the louvre. Skiing in switzerland. Home tom 2 deliver toys 🙂 rudolf et al”
“They know how to ski?” asked Ernie.
Santa shrugged.
The next day Santa’s phone buzzed.
“Holland having sale on wooden clogs. Behind schedule, but will make it & have surprise 4 u! LOL ;-)” rudolf & co
“Behind schedule!” Santa bawled.
Christmas Eve arrived the next day, as did another text.
“OMG! All non-sleigh flying banned! May b spending 2nite in germany :-[ Rudy”
“How will we pull the sleigh?” bellowed Santa. His round belly shook, and his rosy cheeks turned blotchy.
“I have an idea!” said Ernie, and he scampered off.
He returned in the wink of an eye.
“You want me to use . . . moose?” asked Santa.
“Meet Amble, Shamble, Shuffle, Stroll, Dawdle, Dillydally, Linger, Lumber, and Bob,” said Ernie.
“They’re so . . . BIG. They’re supposed to be tiny reindeer.”
“We’ll use four,” said Ernie.
“Are they more rapid than eagles?” asked Santa.
“Good question!”
The moose stood still.
“If they can fly, the gig is theirs,” said Santa.
Ernie hitched the moose to the magic sleigh.
“To the house-top!” said Santa, and up they went.
Then down they plummeted through the roof.
“On second thought, looks like you won’t be dashing anywhere,” said Ernie.
There was prancing on the rubble. “I’ll guide the way.”
“Rudolf!” said Santa. “How did you—”
“We hitched a ride with Father Time. These are for you.” He held up a pair of extra-large Lederhosen.
On Christmas morning, Rudolf awoke to a letter:
“Kris Cringle Cruises was having a New Year’s deal. We’re off to the Greek Isles! Don’t forget to clean the factory. – Santa & the missus”
#3 SERIOUSLY SANTA
Dear Santa, Hi, remember me?
I asked you for a pet.
A goldfish or chinchilla,
That’s what I hoped I’d get.
But seriously Santa?
A reindeer? Really? Gee!
First he ate the ornaments
And then he ate the tree!
He ate the treetop angel
And the lights! Now that was shocking.
He swallowed all the garland down
And then he ate my stocking!
We couldn’t find a name tag.
Is he Vixen? Is he Comet?
But when he barfed up tinsel,
I thought I’d call him Vomit.
So Santa, what’s your policy
On taking presents back?
We just can’t keep this reindeer
Who eats curtains for a snack!
And after all that eating,
When he could munch no more,
He left a present of his own
Upon the hardwood floor.
You must be trying to downsize.
I guess you just don’t need him.
But gee, before you dropped him off,
How come you didn’t feed him?
I know you must be tired,
Too pooped to come yourself.
But please! Come get this reindeer!
If you have to, send an elf!
Seriously, Santa,
Old Vomit has to go.
I tried to put him in the yard—
He doesn’t like the snow!
He likes it by our wood stove
With a sofa for his head.
I must admit he’s comfy
When I use him for a bed.
He’s helpful with the firewood,
And holds our hats and coats.
I’m sure he keeps my bedroom safe
From alien zombie goats.
I went on-line for reindeer chow,
I guess we’ll be OK.
He’s so cute when he’s sleeping…
So Santa, he can stay.
P.S. Next year I’ll leave cookies
And cocoa in the kitchen.
But promise me I won’t wake up
and find you’ve left us Blitzen!
#4 A MIXED UP CHRISTMAS
#5 SANTA’S SPECIAL GIFT
Bags packed tight with Christmas gifts,
Loaded on his sleigh,
Santa called to Mrs. Claus,
“I’ll be on my way!”
But Mrs. Claus rushed to his side.
“Wait one minute, dear!
She dropped a present in his hands.
“A special gift this year!”
Perhaps she’d bought a new fur hat?
Warm and wooly socks?
Santa ripped the paper off,
Opened up the box.
“With years of wear,” said Mrs. Claus,
“Your maps are such a mess.
To help you find your way this time,
I’ve bought a GPS!”
“But how to hold it?” Santa asked.
“I need my hands to steer.”
“With this,” she said, and Velcro-strapped
it to a reindeer’s rear.
Fingers flying o’er the screen with
Rapid button presses,
Santa typed in names and streets —
thousands of addresses.
Lights and arrows flashed onscreen while
Santa sat there waiting,
drumming fingers while a tinny
voice said, “Calculating…”
The GPS began to shake,
smoke poured from its top.
Beep! Boop! Fizzle! Snap and sizzle!
Then a giant POP!
The startled reindeer jumped and jerked.
They lifted off to go.
But pulling back upon the reins,
Santa shouted, “WHOOA!”
“Now steady, boys!” He calmed his team
and motioned to an elf.
“Please run inside and grab my maps —
I’ll find the route myself.”
Elves and reindeer stopped to watch
enormous maps unfold.
A giant grid with children’s homes
Each marked with dots of gold.
So many good kids in the world!
It came as no surprise
that Santa’s map lit up and twinkled
like the starry skies.
He clapped his hands, snapped the reins.
“Now, dash away!” he cried.
With a whooosh the sleigh began
its global nighttime ride.
Each stocking stuffed and gift dropped off,
Soon Santa’s work was done.
He flew back to his frosty home
Before the dawning sun.
As Santa stood by Mrs. Claus,
He held a mangled mess —
tangled wires and plastic bits —
The broken GPS.
He kissed his wife and said to her,
“It was a thoughtful treat
But sometimes old things work the best —
Did you keep the receipt?” #6 THE CHRISTMAS PRESENT
The puppy Santa left under my tree on Christmas Eve has been acting a bit weird. Don’t get me wrong…I absolutely LOVE him…his fur is brown, and he is as soft as my favorite fuzzy blanket. He has big brown eyes, skinny legs, and a cute stubby tail. I think he likes the way I taste because he licks me all the time.
When it was time to eat, though, he sniffed his dog food bowl, looked at me, and walked away. I was eating salad for dinner and dropped a lettuce leaf on the floor. Guess what happened…my dog ate it right up and looked at me for more. So I put my whole bowl of salad on the floor. He loved it…I think my dog is a vegetarian. He can eat my vegetables every day, no problem!
When it was time to drink, though, he sniffed his water bowl, looked at me, and walked away. I was drinking hot chocolate for dessert. I even had a candy cane to stir it with. I poured a little into his bowl. Guess what happened…my dog drank it right up and looked at me for more. So I poured my whole cup of hot chocolate in his bowl, candy cane and all. He loved it!
When it was time to go to bed, though, he wouldn’t sit still. He kept running and jumping in the hallway. He leaped off the bed. He leaped off the dresser. Then guess what happened . . . he leaped off the top of the steps! I must say, he’s a pretty good jumper. He stayed in the air for at least 5 seconds.
I still haven’t decided what to name my puppy . . . oh, wait a minute . . . he’s wearing a name tag. It says, “Blitzen Jr.”. That’s a cool name for a dog, don’t you think? #7 THE LAST FLIGHT OF CHRISTMAS
‘Twas the night before Christmas and Papa was late,
Snowed in at the airport, stuck at the gate.
“My plane has been grounded. I’m sorry, my dear.
It looks like I’m going to miss Christmas this year.”
“But Papa,” I cried, as Mama drew near,
“It won’t be the same if you are not here!”
“Don’t worry,” said Mama, squeezing me tight,
“Maybe Dad will be able to catch the next flight.”
I had put on my jammies and climbed into bed
When a terrible thought entered my head.
“If snow’s going to keep us from being together,
How will Santa arrive in such wintery weather?”
“Santa will make it even if the snow’s deep,
But he won’t come to visit unless you’re asleep!”
Mama gave me a kiss and turned off my light,
Then I tossed and I turned the rest of the night.
I had just drifted off and was dreaming of toys,
When I woke with a start after hearing a noise.
“Santa!” I whispered and jumped out of bed.
“He made it for Christmas just like Mama said!”
In my robe and my slippers, I ran down the stairs
And found Papa, not Santa, in one of our chairs.
“Papa!” I cried. “When did you make it home?
You said you were stuck when we talked on the phone!”
“Surprise!” exclaimed Papa, “but I found my way
With a jolly red elf who was driving a sleigh!”
“You met Santa?” I asked, “He gave you a ride?”
“With some help from his reindeer,” Papa replied.
“Mama! I shouted, “You won’t guess who’s here!
Papa! He’s made it for Christmas this year!”
“Santa also delivered a present or two.”
“But Papa,” I cried, “the best present is you!” #8 THREE LITTLE KINGS
On Dia de los Reyes, three boys dressed as little kings sit in la cocina, the kitchen, while Mama makes dough for Three Kings Cake—a large Rosca, a wreath, with plastic baby Jesus baked inside. Plop! Plop! Plop!
Into the dough, go one, two, three baby Jesus figurines. Three sets of eyes watch wide-eyed as Mama says, “Now we let it rise.”
“What will we do? Jesus can’t go in the oven,” says king number one to kings two and three. They all nod their heads.
Tip-toe. Tip-toe. The Little Kings take a peek. Mama is fast asleep…
Tip-toe. Tip-toe. Quick! Make the switch.
Aye yi yi!
Too late! Papa is in la cocina getting a drink. When he leaves…
Tip-toe. Tip-toe. Quick! Make the switch.
Aye yi yi!
Uh oh! Now Sister is searching for a snack. The three Little Kings try not to make a peep. Soon she leaves… Tip-toe. Tip-toe. Quick! Make the switch.
Arriba los Reyes! Yea!
They escape la cocina right on time.
When Mama wakes she bakes the cake. When night arrives it’s time to cut the wreath.
One. . .two. . .three plastic dinosaurs instead—just as sweet!
#9 ELF EMERGENCY
The elves smiled and waved as the sleigh slipped past the moon and into the Christmas Eve sky.
“Let’s have some cocoa,” said CLEO, Chief Loader of Elf Operations.
But then he stopped.
In the corner, behind a bag of Reindeer Nibbles, was a toy.
“Oh My Gumdrops!” he said.
He looked at the Elf-Emergency Button on his belt.
“No,” he said. “Santa’s busy.”
“Surely I can deliver one toy.”
He whistled for Wanderer, Reindeer-In-Training. Wanderer was an excellent flyer, but sometimes got his directions mixed up.
So, they picked up ENZO, Elf of Navigation and Zooming Operations, and were off.
“There it is,” said ENZO. “Down there.”
Wanderer slowed and settled on the roof.
CLEO looked at the chimney.
“Well, here goes.”
Whoosh!
Flip!
Bounce!
Flumpph!
Headfirst into a stocking.
CLEO wiggled.
He squirmed.
He twisted.
“Wanderer . . . ENZO . . . Heeeelp!”
Whoosh-whoosh!
Flip-flip!
Bounce-bounce!
Thwack! Jingle!
“Wanderer?”
“ENZO?”
“Stuck!” said Wanderer. “Antlers entangled in Christmas tree.”
“Stuck!” said ENZO. “Swinging from garland by bell-bedecked booties.”
“And . . . stuck!” said CLEO. “Stuffed in a stocking.”
CLEO sighed.
“Speaking of stuck, I should’ve stuck to loading. I’m not good at chimneys.”
“I should’ve stuck to flying,” said Wanderer.
“I should’ve stuck to navigating,” said ENZO.
“Good thing we know someone who is good at chimneys,” said CLEO.
“Yep,” said Wanderer and ENZO.
CLEO wiggled.
He squirmed.
He twisted.
Finally he reached the Elf-Emergency Button on his belt.
Whoosh!
Black boots.
Red suit.
“Ho-ho-ho!”
Perfect landing.
“Mighty Mistletoe!” said Santa. “This is an emergency.”
When he was free, CLEO held out the toy.
“I’m sorry, Santa.”
“It’s OK, CLEO,” said Santa. “That’s why we have an Elf-Emergency Button. Go ahead. You put the toy under the tree.”
CLEO smiled.
Santa chuckled and said, “Thanks to a well-loaded sleigh, that’s the last delivery.”
“Let’s go home.”
“Wanderer, why don’t you fly with the team?”
“EZNO, will you drive?”
“CLEO, please sit right here by me.”
And as the sleigh slipped past the moon and into the Christmas Eve sky, Santa said . . .
“Let’s have some cocoa.”
#10 THE FLIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS
‘Twas a week before Christmas and all was not well.
While out on a test flight, the sleigh hit a swell.
An icy cold blast took St. Nick by surprise
and sent him careening through blustery skies.
Tossed this-a-way, that-a-way, capsized, upended,
a thought flashed before him as Santa descended:
What good are warm boots and a snazzy red suit,
if what you don’t have is a good parachute?
He called to his reindeer (though none were in sight),
“Come Dasher! Come Dancer! Be swift in your flight!
Come Prancer and Vixen! Come Comet and Cupid!”
But none of them came, and poor Santa felt stupid.
Through clouds of whipped cream, he kerplopped like a cherry;
his jolly demeanor, now somewhat less merry.
With huge, booming voice he exclaimed,
“HO HO HO!
READY OR NOT…
LOOK OUT BELOW!”
Unaware, until then, of the ill-fated flight,
the elves all looked up with their jaws dropped in fright.
Could it be? Yes, it was! Old St. Nick in free fall!
Those quick-witted elves wasted no time at all.
They worked as a team, without missing a beat,
to pile up snow, oh, at least fifty feet.
Would Santa Claus notice with everything white?
He needed a map he could read from great height.
So the elves in their hats of bright red and bright green
encircled the mound to make sure it was seen—
the red hats on one side, the green on the other.
At first they formed one word, and then came another:
the reds on the left side spelled L-A-N-D;
on the right were the green hats with H-E-R-E.
While Santa still dropped like a streak through the sky,
he saw this and gave a most gratified sigh.
He aimed, best he could, for the elves’ snowy mound
that cushioned his fall when, at last, he hit ground.
Nothing came close to the love Santa felt…
with a smile he said, “Guess I need a seat belt.”
#11 THE GIFT HORSE
Mistletoe clip-clopped past the reindeer’s empty stalls. As Santa prepared to deliver presents around the world, Mistletoe dreamed of spreading Christmas magic too. But horses can’t fly and Mistletoe’s nose didn’t glow.
Just before the reindeer ascended into the sky, Mistletoe noticed a present poking out of Santa’s sack. It said, To Santa. Love, Mrs. Clause. Mistletoe neighed, bucked, and whinnied to alert Santa of the mistake, but he was too late. The sleigh was gone.
Mistletoe peered inside Santa’s cottage. Mrs. Clause slept peacefully. There wasn’t a single present for Santa under the Christmas tree.
This is horrible, thought Mistletoe. Santa surprises everyone with presents on Christmas, but there are no presents for Santa!
Then Mistletoe understood that he had the power to make Christmas magic. He cantered to Santa’s barn.
“Santa is giving away his only present,” Mistletoe told Owl. “Let’s surprise Santa with gifts on Christmas morning, just like he surprises us.”
“That’s a brilliant idea,” agreed wise Owl.
“But I don’t have anything to give him,” said Mistletoe.
“We all have gifts to give,” said Owl. “I’ll pluck my fluffy feathers to make a pillow.”
“I’ll paint my eggs to make ornaments for Santa’s tree,” said Chicken.
“I’ll knit my wool into a cozy sweater,” said Sheep.
“I’ll whip my milk into creamy pudding,” said Cow.
Mistletoe polished one of his horseshoes until it sparkled. He would give it to Santa for good luck.
The animals worked hard on their gifts. When they heard sleigh bells in the distance, Mistletoe galloped to Santa’s cottage and arranged the gifts under the tree. Mistletoe raced back to the barn where he and the other animals quickly went to sleep.
On Christmas morning, Mistletoe awoke to find TWO peppermints in his saddle bag! But Mistletoe’s best gift was still to come. He trotted to Santa’s cottage and watched Santa open his presents. Santa and Mrs. Clause’s eyes twinkled brighter than the snow. Mistletoe’s teeth stretched into a smile.
“Now you know my secret,” said Santa, winking at Mistletoe. “Giving to others is the best gift of all.”
#12 A MERRY THANKSGIVING
’Twas Thanksgiving evening, and all through the house
not a creature was hungry…not even a mouse.
The remains of our feast were tucked safely away
in the fridge to make sandwiches for the next day.
A vision of leftovers danced in my head—
sliced turkey and stuffing on warm toasted bread,
when all of a sudden, I heard on the roof
a prancing and pawing that sounded like…hoofs?
Then, from the kitchen, arose such a clatter,
I raced down the stairs to see what was the matter.
And what to my wondering eyes should appear,
as I flipped on the light…but a herd of reindeer!
At the table sat Dasher, with Donder and Vixen,
devouring some leftover turkey-day fixin’s.
Cupid, that devil, perched high on a chair
and gobbled the peas with a satisfied air,
while Dancer and Prancer stood huffing and puffing,
engaged in a tug-of-war over our stuffing.
In the corner old Comet was filling his belly
with all of our leftover cranberry jelly.
And, taking our pumpkin pie down from the shelf,
dressed all in fur, was the big man himself.
I spoke not a word — just what does one say
when Thanksgiving turns into a reindeer buffet?
They looked up, mid-bite, and I watched Mr. Claus
turn exactly the color of Rudolph’s bright schnoz.
I hated to see what was left of our feast
being gulped by that gaggle of gluttonous beasts.
But I thought about Santa — I thought of the years
he’d braved winter snowstorms to spread Christmas cheer
with the presents he left me, and that’s when I knew
there was only one thing I could possibly do.
I took out a knife and I sliced up that pie,
and I said to him, “Santa, I’m glad you dropped by.”
He laughed, and we feasted till late, almost dawn,
and then Santa, our pie, and the reindeer were gone.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
“’Twas the spirit of Christmas on Thanksgiving night!” #13 THE SCHOOL CONCERT
This was the first time Dad had ever come to the end of year concert.
Annie peered between the shoulders of the two children in front of her in the choir.
The teacher had lined them up so they could all clearly see their parents in the audience.
Annie was so excited her skin felt too small to fit inside. Dad was finally going to hear her sing.
The teacher began to play the introduction on the old piano and everyone stood up straight ready to sing their best.
Annie had the solo and had practiced for weeks. She was going to sing her best for her Dad.
A movement at the back of the hall caught Annie’s eye and she saw the Dads whispering to each other and begin to stand up.
Annie felt her throat tighten as she watched her Dad stand up too.
Soon only the mothers were left in the hall with little babies and high school kids.
Annie couldn’t sing. Tears slid down her face.
She knew he had to go. Christmas was fire season in Australia.
All the Dads and some of the Mums had to leave. They fought bravely to save homes, farms and live stock.
Annie wished just once it could be cold and snowy at Christmas, like it was on the Christmas cards.
Then her Dad could hear her sing in the school concert.
The other children kept singing and soon it would be Annie’s turn but she just wanted to run off the stage and hide.
She closed her eyes and tried to hide behind the boy in front so the Mums couldn’t see her cry.
“False alarm” someone whispered loudly at the back of the hall and all the Dads and a few Mums came tiptoeing back into the hall.
Annie’s heart swelled with joy as she watched her Dad sit back down.
She lifted her voice to the stars above and sang like an angel. #14
PHEW! Now that you’ve had a chance to read through the finalists, please vote below for the one you think deserves to win by Wednesday December 18 at 5 PM EST. Winners of all kinds will be announced on Thursday December 19!
Thank you all so much for taking the time to write (if you did), read, and vote! These contests simply wouldn’t be what they are without all of you!
I can’t wait to see who the winners will be!
Tune in Thursday… same bat time, same bat station 🙂
Click HERE to go to the Official List of Entries to read and enjoy!!!
The3rdAnnualHolidayContest!!!
judging in progress...
Once upon a time, a picture book writer who also writes a blog thought it would be fun to have a little writing contest.
“Writing is hard,” she said to herself. “Writing can be lonely. Writers are faced with a lot of waiting and a lot of rejection. We can all use a little motivation and fun and instant gratification… and some prizes :)”
So for Halloween in 2011, she made up a contest, provided a prompt, and posted some rules and a sample entry.
She got 7 contestants!
“Not bad,” she said to herself, “especially considering the freak snow storm that dumped 2 feet of snow on Halloween and totally knocked out the internet for 4 days!”
She and the writers who entered had tons of fun writing their stories and reading each others’, so she decided to do it again.
She ran contests at Thanksgiving, Valentines Day, and 4th of July.
She ran a birthday contest, and a contest for welcoming spring.
She pretty much just made stuff up to suit her fancy in the hopes that other writers would enjoy both the opportunity to create a new story and the chance to read the stories written by everyone else. After all, in most contests you never get to see the competition! In her contests you get to read everything if you so desire, AND get lots of positive feedback from the people who read your work (a nice change from waiting and rejection :))
On December 9, 2013, she posted the rules for the 3rd Annual Holiday Contest. She tried to pick good prizes, and hoped that people would want to give it a try.
“It’s a busy time of year,” she said to herself. “It will be lovely if we get 30-40 entries. It will be a miracle if we get 50-60.”
So imagine her surprise and delight when she received not 30 or 40 entries, not 50 or 60 entries, but ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTEEN!
“Holy Holly!” she said to her husband, her kids, her dogs… pretty much anyone who would listen 🙂 “Who’d have ever thought we’d get so many?!”
And she spent a very happy week reading fabulous story after fabulous story, and marveling at the talent and creativity of so many writers who took the time to join the fun.
You’d think that would be THE END, wouldn’t you?
But NO! Because this is a contest, and a contest means competition, which means some entries have to be selected as standing above the others.
So now the writer had her work cut out for her! How to narrow down a field of 118 fantastic entries to a manageable handful of finalists?
She called in extra judges.
She (and the assistant judges) read and imbibed caffeine and read and ate cookies and read and imbibed more caffeine and read and snacked on brownies and read some more.
They each ranked the entries.
They compared notes.
They discussed.
They re-read and re-ranked.
They had more caffeine and snacks.
They argued over kid-appeal, mishap-ness, and writing and story quality.
And they burned the midnight oil… and the candle at both ends.
And then the writer took a little break around midday on Sunday to let you know how the judging was going (ACK!!!! YIKES!!! HOW WILL WE EVER CHOOSE???!!!) and to give her chance to say, WOW! You guys are amazing! You have made the judging practically impossible! We love all your stories. Every single writer who showed up to write a story and share it is a winner, and there isn’t a single entry that doesn’t have something we like, some reason why we’d like to keep it in the running!
So please know how much we appreciate all of you – your effort, your creativity, your talent, and your generosity for sharing your stories and taking the time to read and comment on other people’s stories – even though in the end, with a field of 118, most of you cannot be chosen.
WOO-HOO! Let the joyous news be spread! It’s time for
The3rdAnnualHolidayContest!!!
The Contest: Write a children’s story about a Holiday Mishap, mix-up, miscommunication, mistake, or potential disaster (a la Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer :)). Your story may be poetry or prose, silly or serious or sweet, religious or not, based on Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or whatever you celebrate, but is not to exceed 350 words not counting the title (aren’t I being generous?! 🙂 It can be as short as you like, but no more than 350!) Did the dog knock over the Christmas Tree? Did little Johnny’s costume get grape juice all over it moments before the holiday pageant? Did the menorah go missing? Did travel arrangements get snarled or miscommunicated? Did Santa’s sleigh have to make an emergency landing? The field is wide open! Have fun! (And because so many people have mentioned this, the story does not have to be funny! You can have a holiday mishap that is serious or sweet or mysterious… Please don’t feel that you have to go the humor route! Also, because a number of people have mentioned it this time, no art notes please.)
Post: Your entry should be posted on your blog between now and Friday December 13 at 11:59 PM EST and your post-specific link should be added to the link list below which will remain up through Sunday December 15. (There will be no WYRI or PPBF this week.) If you don’t have a blog but would like to enter, please copy and paste your entry into the comments below. (If anyone has trouble commenting, which unfortunately happens, please email me and I’ll post your entry for you!)
The Judging: My lovely assistant(s) and I will narrow down the entrants to 6-12 finalists (depending on the number of entries) which will be posted here on Monday December 16 for you to vote on for a winner. The vote will be closed on Wednesday December 18 at 5 PM EST and the winners will be announced on Thursday December 19. Whoever gets the most votes will be first and so on down to sixth place. Remember, judging criteria will be kid appeal/friendliness, originality/suitability of mishap, quality of story, and quality of writing.
The Prizes!: Well, I hope these prizes are going to knock your socks off!!! In the spirit of the holidays, winners will be named for 1st – 6th place. In addition to the incredible fame of being able to say you won or placed in the Pretty Much World Famous 3rd Annual Holiday Contest, the following AMAZING prizes will be awarded:
– A Picture Book Manuscript Read and Written Critique by Karen Boss, Editor at Charlesbridge!!! (Priceless!) Karen Boss is the editorial assistant at Charlesbridge Publishing in Watertown, MA. She has a master’s degree in children’s literature from Simmons College and is currently editing projects that range from picture books for younger readers to picture books for older readers to middle-grade novels, both fiction and nonfiction. (But let’s face it, folks! You’re getting YOUR picture book manuscript in front of an actual editor at a highly regarded publishing house! Who knows where that could lead?)
– A Gold Membership to Julie Hedlund’s 12×12 in 2014 (a $150 value) Little GOLDen Book Membership includes:
Full access (view and post) to the Main 12 x 12 Forum and Critique Connect (where you can find critique partners)
Access to the members-only 12 x 12 Facebook Group
Ability to view the Events, Member Books, Videos/Trailers and Help An Author Out (HAAO) sections of the 12 x 12 Forum
Opportunity to win craft-related prizes from the monthly featured authors
Full (view and post) access to the Events, Member Books, Video/Trailers and HAAO sections of the 12 x 12 Forum
FULL (view and post) access to these additional sections of the 12 x 12 Forum: Query Corner (get feedback on your query letters), Pitch Perfect (get feedback on loglines and pitches), and Manuscript Makeover (get feedback on the first 250 words of your ms)
Access to the Submission Station section of the 12 x 12 Forum, which will provide information about that month’s agent or editor and instructions on how to submit to him or her.
– 2 signed Picture Books by Linda Ashman – RAIN! and PEACE, BABY! (Keep for yourself or give as a holiday gift to a little person in your life :)) PLUS a $25 Amazon Gift Card
– A Picture Book Manuscript Critique by Erin MoltaErin is anexperienced senior editor of picture book, early readers, chapter, middle grade, and YA books, as well as novelty and licensed titles. She has been in childrens publishing for more than twenty years and has a keen understanding of early reader through YA audiences. She has an excellent reputation with established authors, illustrators, and agents.
– Enrollment in the Online Writing course Making Picture Book Magic in the month of your choice (a $99 value)
– A Picture Book Manuscript Critique from author/illustrator Sarah Frances Hardy, author and illustrator of PUZZLED BY PINK (Viking Juvenile, April 2012) and the forthcoming PAINT ME!. A great choice for someone who is both an author and an illustrator – and I know we have quite a few of those here 🙂
– The Crock Of Charms Anthology – a three volume collection of stories for readers of all ages from writers all over the world including some you probably know 🙂 Robyn Campbell, Cheryl Secomb, Clarike Bowman-Jahn, Theresa Milstein, Lenny Lee, and me, to name a few 🙂
(Run your mouse over the prizes, books, authors, etc… most of them are links)
The Contest Winner will have first choice of the prizes. 2nd place will have next choice of what’s left and so on. (I’m doing it this way in the hopes that no one will get something they already have – for example, if you’ve already signed on for Julie’s 12×12 or taken Making Picture Book Magic or own RAIN! and PEACE, BABY! etc. – and also because I think all the prizes are fabulous and I wouldn’t want to make anyone feel less valued by giving them as 6th place as opposed to 1st.)
Wow! Let’s get the Holiday Party started! 🙂
Here is my sample… to prove that in can in fact be done… and because I wouldn’t ask you to do anything I won’t do myself… (But seriously, whose idea was 350 words? It’s cramping my style! :))
The Trouble With Santa’s Suit (350 words)
On Christmas Eve the sleigh was packed.
The reindeer waited, snug in red velvet blankets.
Santa struggled into the tuxedo he always wore and turned pale.
“Elton!” he hollered.
Chief Elf Elton came running.
“Oh, dear!” he gasped. “Dry-cleaning disaster!”
The sleeves barely reached Santa’s elbows.The pants fell short of his knees.He looked like an underdressed penguin.
“You’ll have to wear something else,” said Mrs. Claus.
But Santa was stuck in his shrunken suit.
“I can’t get it off!” he said.
“Go on a diet,” suggested Elton.
“I don’t think that will work in ten minutes!” said Santa, “I’ve got to go!”
“Call the fire department,” suggested Elton.
“I’m not on fire!” said Santa.
“Everyone calls the fire department for emergencies!” said Elton.
The fire department arrived in a jiffy.Chief Bumpkin took charge.“Grab the hose, men!” he ordered.“We’ll blow that suit off the Big Guy!”
“The hose?” asked Santa.“I don’t think…”
Icy water blasted Santa off his feet.
“STOP!” spluttered Santa.
“Plan B!” ordered Chief Bumpkin.
The firemen picked up their axes to cut the suit off.
“No axes!” said Santa.
“Well,” said the Chief, “there’s always Plan C…”
The firemen divided into four groups, one by each arm, one by each leg.On the count of three they pulled the suit to shreds.
“Great job!” said Chief Bumpkin.The firemen shook hands, gathered up their hose, and left.
Santa sat glumly in a puddle.“Now I have nothing to wear.”
“How about this?” suggested Mrs. Claus holding up Santa’s Bermuda shirt and shorts.
“It’s TWENTY BELOW ZERO!” said Santa.
“Good point.Overalls?Your bunny costume from Halloween?”
“I don’t like to mix my holidays,” said Santa.
“You’d better agree to something or you’re going to miss Christmas!”
Just then Elton returned breathlessly with a red velvet suit.
“How about this?” he asked.
It fit perfectly.
“I love it!” Santa exclaimed.Then he sniffed.“Does anyone else smell reindeer?”
“Not me,” said Elton.
Santa climbed aboard the sleigh.“Merry Christmas!” he called.
And away he flew in the red velvet suit he’s worn ever since.
So now! Everyone filled with confidence about their entries? I certainly hope so after that display! Never let it be said that I’m not willing to be a fool for my art 🙂
I can’t wait to read all of your (much better!) stories! I hope there will be a lot – the more the merrier! And there are still 4+ days to write, so you have time if you haven’t written yet and want to join the fun. Feel free to spread the word to your writing friends as well.
Remember to put your post-specific link (not your general blog link or people will find the wrong page if you post again before the contest is over) in the list below!
Don’t miss 38 entries in the comment section below (which thanks to Penny I’ve figured out how to link, so if you click on the person’s name it will take you directly to that story so you can read and comment… just give it a second to load 🙂 And this intelligence just in – if you’re trying to work these links on iPad or iPhone you will need the google Chrome app to get them to work – Safari won’t do it.) Nancy – Toby’s Christmas: Ho Ho Ho Or No No No? Suzy – Reindeer In The Eggnog Mandy – One Squirrelly Christmas Lakshmy – Santa’s Stocking Kristen – The Great Christmas Morning Mix-Up Teresa S – Always Ready Or Not Michele – Santa Is Stuck Kim – Popcorn For Santa On Christmas Eve Ryan (Rino) – The Adventures Of Jonathan James Alissa – Santa’s Stuck On the Toilet Kirsten (not to be confused with Kristen above) – Blackout! Karen – Santa’s New Toy-Making Machine Anne – The Gingerbread House Disaster Ann – The Christmas Present Sue – Pup Unwrapped Tim – O Deer Diane – Frank’s Adventure With Santa And The Elves Karen Z – Santa’s Snow Angel Michelle S – Cookies For Papa Noel Pat – Santa’s Paws Vicki – Mrs. Claus Saves Christmas Charlotte – Goldilocks’s Night Before Christmas Susan – The Christmas Wagon Pia – Santa Baby Rachel – Fresh Frosting Bonnie – The Sound And Smell Of Christmas Martha – A Christmas Surprise Patty – Santa’s Special Gift Susan S – Snowman On A Roll Kristen 2 – No Sleep For Santa (same author as The Great Christmas Morning Mix-Up above) Debbie – Home For Christmas Rita – George’s Christmas Present: A True Story Sue – Blue Latkes And Salsa Ruth – Santa Claus Has Lost His Voice Heather – Behind Schedule Morgan – A Brother For Christmas Kelly – Happy Birthday Bambino Kristen S – Dasher Does A Dash
I had a couple holiday books I was thinking of sharing… but then I couldn’t decide which one to pick because this will likely be the only PPBF in December (unless you all clamor for PPBF on Dec. 20… if you want to do PPBF on Dec. 20 clamor loudly in the comments!)
And then I had the good fortune to read this book, and it was so sweet I had to share it because you will likely all want to go out and buy it as a holiday gift for someone in your circle of family and friends! (That is a hint :)) (This is a LINK :)) So instead of a book about the holidays you’re getting a book you can give for the holidays 🙂
For extra special fun today, below the PPBF post we have a little Q&A with the author, Sharon Stanley, and a giveaway!!! so somebody will WIN a signed copy – lucky dog 🙂 – and a cute handmade toy!)
But first, here’s the book!
Title: The Little Dog In The Middle Of The Road Written By: Sharon P. Stanley Illustrated By: Deidre Carr Silver Tongue Press, November 3, 2013, Fiction
Opening: “Once there was a little dog that lived in a pleasant house with a pleasant person on a pleasant street. “I will be taking a trip,” said the little dog’s person one morning, “and you will stay here while I’m gone. Mrs. Thistleberry will come and give you your supper. You must not leave the yard. When I return, I will bring you a juicy bone.” And so it was.“
Brief Synopsis: Little Dog’s person is going away, so Little Dog is left in the care of Mrs. Thistleberry who neither likes nor understands him. Longing for his person, he disobeys instructions and sets out to find her.
Links To Resources: check out these fun things kids can do to help shelter pets and give some of them a try ASPCA; 10 Ways Kids Can Help Animal Shelters; dog coloring pages; talk with your child or class about how to take good care of pets; draw a picture of a happy dog or a sad dog or an angry dog – tell or write a story about why the dog feels that way; if you have a dog (or want to donate to a shelter) bake dog biscuits recipe here!
Why I Like This Book: Well, you all know I love dogs 🙂 so I was an easy mark, but this story is so sweet even a non-dog-lover will enjoy it. Little Dog is quirky and cute and brave and determined. The story is beautifully written to evoke Little Dog’s emotions – young readers will feel his sadness over missing his person, his determination to find her, his worry that he’ll never see her again, and (spoiler alert!) his joy when they are reunited. The art is just right for the story and includes the delightful detail of an ant pushing an olive for kids to find on every page (which Sharon will explain below in the interview.) And it is based on a true story! For anyone who has ever been left with a babysitter they don’t like, or who has ever worried about whether someone they love will return, this is a warm, reassuring story.
And now, for a little treat, please meet Sharon Stanley!
Sharon P. Stanley
SLH: Thank you so much for joining us today, Sharon! Can you tell us a little about yourself?
SPS: I’m Sharon P Stanley and I write picture books.I live with 5 chickens, 4 dogs, 3 cats, 2 sons, and one husband (and a partridge in a pear tree) and a couple hundred cows at White Oak Farm, a working farm in rural Virginia.It’s a crop circle of craziness that affords me a never-ending supply of writing material.Although I had always toyed with writing, I got serious after my youngest graduated high school two years ago.The Little Dog in the Middle of the Road is my first published picture book in print.
SPS: My niece found a tiny little black dog sitting calmly in the middle of the road one afternoon.Worried, she carried him home and placed him in the garage leaving a small crack in the door.The next morning when she left for work, there was the little dog once again sitting calmly in the middle of the road.She was able to find his owner, but I couldn’t get that picture out of my mind…it seemed strange for such a little dog to just sit trustingly and calmly in the middle of a busy road, almost as if he knew if he sat there, his person would somehow find him.I had to fill in a few blanks, but the story wrote itself.
The real Olive
Coincidently, I was looking for a puppy and right after that, bought Olive who looks very much like Little Dog in my story.When Deidre Carr the illustrator heard this, she added the little ant with the “olive” as a little secret tribute to my own little dog.Very clever!I’m finding little ones seem to love looking for the little olive in the book as they read it.
SLH: Tell us about your road to publication!
SPS: When I decided to work towards having my book published, I joined SCBWI and an online writing group.I found an editor to review my story and made lots of tweaks and changes over a period of time.When I felt I had something worth reading, I researched and submitted to several small publishers and one agent.I was rejected by the pubs, but the agent was very helpful.We wrote back and forth several times and though she was not interested in the book, she gave me great feedback, and complimented my “voice,” which she thought was a bit unique.I can’t begin to say just how much this helped me.I wasn’t at all sure I had a voice as I don’t have a writing background or education.She gave me confidence to continue submitting.I heard through a writing group there was a small new publisher interested in children’s books, so I submitted.Needless to say I was thrilled when they sent a contract!It’s been a wonderful learning experience.
She’s serious about the cows, folks 🙂
SLH: What’s next for you?
SPS: I am so excited to have contracts with another small publisher, Guardian Angel Publishing, for more picture books.I seem to gravitate toward animal stories (!) and also have a book of children’s haiku coming out.I hope to write and write and write till the cows come home. Right now, Little Dog and I are having a ball promoting his book.
SLH: Do you have any Words of Wisdom for other writers?
SPS: Ha!I’m not a good one to offer advice to anyone as I seem to do things a bit differently from “real writers.” When I get an idea, I write.Otherwise, it seems flat to me. I have found that the books I have found homes for, took on a life of their own.It’s as if they knew what they needed to be, and I tried not to get in the way.For instance, I had a story idea about a donkey, but when the book was finished it was about a rabbit…not a donkey in site.I don’t even know where it came from, suddenly there was just this little rabbit asking to have her story told.I don’t think there is a right or wrong way to write.I think you have to find your voice in whatever way works best for you. When I started writing I set goals and then assigned methods to each goal so I had a real plan.I followed it closely and it worked for me.
I knew I wanted to find a small publisher.I like small.I think it’s really important to be true to what feels right to you.For some, that’s finding an agent, submitting to a large publisher, or taking classes. For others, it’s attending conferences, self-publishing or joining a critique group.
Working with an editor before submitting is extremely helpful to me.I read several writing blogs and find that more experienced writers are happy to share ideas and advice. I read everything out loud, over and over, and I always have notebook with me in case I get an idea.
Lastly, I suggest anyone considering publication read Mem Fox’s hints for writers on her website, and take each and every suggestion to heart.I have her site bookmarked for that very reason.
An Idea:
One thing Little Dog and I are really excited about is partnering with a local nursery school for their Book Night.We will be signing books, playing games, and enjoying doggie crafts and snacks in January, and we decided to invite each child to bring a can/bag of dog food for a local dog rescue group in our town.B.A.R.K. will be there to receive our donations and hopefully our local newspaper will cover the story.I’ll also donate a portion of book sale proceeds to the nursery school, so it should be a win, win, win situation!
Thanks so much Susanna for the opportunity to share Little Dog’s publication journey with everyone (including Phyllis!) here on your blog.There really is “something for everyone in the world of children’s books!”
Thank YOU so much for taking the time to join us, Sharon!
For those of you who might be interested, you can purchase Sharon’s book HERE. And here’s the book trailer 🙂
And now, we have a lovely gift! Sharon has generously donated a signed copy of her book for a giveaway as well as a little handmade toy of Little Dog!
All you have to do to be entered to win is leave a comment below! We would love it if you have any dog stories to share… but realize not everyone has dogs… 🙂 so feel free to substitute the pet of your choice, or just tell us who you’d like the book for (and it’s fine if you say yourself :))
PPBF bloggers, please leave your post-specific link in the list below so we can all come visit you!
You’ll be completely unsurprised to discover that I have not even started my sample entry.
That is because I still have 5 full days.
OMG! I only have 5 days!
Panic!
Panic!
Quick! This calls for something calming!
Something Chocolate!!!
Oh, look! We have Scotheroos, prepared by the lovely and talented Tina!
Scotcheroo courtesy of Tina Cho used with permission
According to Tina, the top is chocolate and butterscotch melted together… YUM… The bottom is rice krispie, peanut butter and light corn syrup. Doesn’t that sound delicious??? Please, help yourselves. It’s important to maintain a steady caloric intake during cold weather to prevent frostbite 🙂
Ah. I feel much calmer now. Just let’s all take care not to remind me how I’m running out of time to write you-know-what for the you-know-what 🙂 And you guys have almost 5 more days than I do, so you’re all in good shape 🙂
Okay. Time to get down to brass tacks. First off, the November Pitch Pick.
Here are the 4 pitches, revised in response to your very helpful feedback (for which everyone was so grateful!)
#1 Steve Rashad Saves The World (PB ages 5-8) Rashad is tired of being the youngest and the least important member of his family. When he learns at school that he can save the world, he leaps straight into action and straight into trouble with his family as cell phones disappear down toilets and ice cream turns into soup. And when he accidentally demolishes the garden of his fearsome next door neighbour, his career as a Super Hero seems to have come to an abrupt end. Will he still be able to save the world? Perhaps he already has …
#2 Koren Diary Of A Heroic Horse: Molly Gives Faith Hope (PB ages 6-13)
Two very special ponies are rescued in this heroic story of overcoming the odds to survive. Faith was stabled in Spain, where her former owners barely had a kind word for her, much less food. Molly was a casualty of Hurricane Katrina, the storm that devastated an entire American city.
Both left terribly injured, Faith and Molly were gifted back their freedom after becoming the first ponies in the world to be fitted with prosthetic legs, thanks to the determination of their rescuers.
Saving these two little horses brought together two families across the Atlantic to form a lasting friendship and a bond that can never be broken.
Share in the incredible story of Faith’s rescue and recovery, and her treasured friendship with Molly, in this diary-style picture book packed full of beautiful photographs.
All funds raised from the sale of this book are shared equally between the two charities that continue to care for Faith and Molly – Easy Horse Care Rescue Centre Foundation (in Spain) and Kids and Ponies – Molly’s Foundation (in America). Thank you for your support.
#3 Mary Polka Dot Sue (PB ages 3-6)
Polka Dot Sue is the story of a young girl with polka dot hair, who takes great pride in who she is and conveys this pride with her enjoyment of clothing herself handsomely each day. The story gives a child the sense of self acceptance and pride to show others that a deep sense of self-empowerment come from believing in one self despite obstacles. With the color-emotion awareness, another sense of expressiveness, it encourages the young reader to understand more about feelings with color and self-expression. Also with the encasement the days of the week the story gives the young reader an opportunity of for more fundamental growth.
#4 Lyla The Good Morning Book (PB ages 0-4) “Good morning world, now it’s day. Time for the sun to come out and play!” Jackson talks him mom into playing the Good Morning Game before brushing his teeth… “Good morning eyes, ears, nose and mouth. Good morning north, east, west and south.” Join these two on their morning adventure from Jackson’s bed as they visit all the animals, creatures in the sea, plants and trees, birds and bees… just to say… Good Morning.
Please choose the pitch you think is best and most deserves a read by editor Erin Molta and vote for it below by Sunday December 8 at 5 PM EST.
Many thanks!
Now then, today’s pitch comes to us from Beth who says, “I’m a former first grade teacher turned human development specialist (a.k.a full-time mom). In the early morning and during nap times, I work on humorous picture books and a middle grade novel (with series potential) about a tomboy. I also enjoy making up new words, blogging about the craft, and ending an occasional sentence, like any true Pittsburgher, with a preposition.”
Here is her pitch:
Working Title: Tomboy Rules: Blossoms Are Always Prepared Age/Genre: Middle Grade (Realistic Fiction) The Pitch: Mabel is so close to playing baseball she can almost see her spitting distance improving. Mom says all she has to do is stay in the Blossoms troop. But that isn’t easy. She turns a dosido into dominoes. She clobbers the troop leader saving a spider. Then she eats the entire cookie sale stash. Three strikes and she’s out, but that won’t stop Mabel. She sneaks to the Blossoms campsite and finds the Blossoms in a stinky situation only her tomboy talents can solve.
So what do you think? Would You Read It? YES, MAYBE or NO?
If your answer is YES, please feel free to tell us what you particularly liked and why the pitch piqued your interest. If your answer is MAYBE or NO, please feel free to tell us what you think could be better in the spirit of helping Beth improve her pitch. Helpful examples of possible alternate wordings are welcome. (However, I must ask that comments be constructive and respectful. I reserve the right not to publish comments that are mean because that is not what this is about.)
Please send YOUR pitches for the coming weeks! For rules and where to submit, click on this link Would You Read Itor on the Would You Read It tab in the bar above. There are openings in February so you’ve got a little time to polish up your pitches and send yours for your chance to be read by editor Erin Molta!
Beth is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch! I am looking forward to being done with my dentist appointment, which I am probably suffering through right now whilst you are reading this post! Whose idea was the dentist anyway? Really, why would anyone what to BE a dentist?! Ah well, I guess we can’t ALL be writers 🙂
Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone! Happy writing 🙂
I hope you all had wonderful Thanksgivings and beginnings of Hanukkah and weekends with your families!
I must say, the morning run the last couple days has been more of a morning roll… I blame the pie 🙂
Today’s post is a long one, but I think you’ll find it very educational and worthwhile! The incomparable Linda Ashman kindly offered to do a Rhyme Clinic, since rhyme can be very tricky indeed! I think we’ll all be able to learn a thing or two. And it’s kind of appropriate to be doing such a special post today because it is my 3rd Blogiversary! (Well, technically that was yesterday – but we were all sleeping off pie, so let’s celebrate today… with some cake!… which I shall make coffee cake in deference to the hour and the fact that we should go light after the Thanksgiving weekend feasting :))
And while we’re at it, I think some confetti would be appropriate, don’t you? It’s not every day you celebrate a blogiversary with someone as famous as Linda to guest post 🙂
Alrighty then! Now that we are fortified with snack and covered in confetti, take it away, Linda!
*****
Greetings, everyone!
I’ll begin with a confession: Although I’ve critiqued many rhyming manuscripts over the years, I’ve never done a Rhyme Clinic via blog post. So, a huge thank you to the intrepid Susanna for being game to try this.
And thank you to everyone who submitted manuscripts. I really enjoyed reading them, and am sorry I couldn’t use them all. I chose manuscripts which would allow me to answer frequently asked questions and address common issues that bedevil writers of rhyme. I’ll be sharing parts of them in just a minute—but, first, a quick intro.
In The Nuts and Bolts Guide to Writing Picture Books, I go into some detail about meter, feet, and how to avoid “Crimes of Rhyme.” Given our limited space here, let me just mention three of the most commonly committed crimes:
1.Letting rhyme trump story. Sometimes we focus so much on making rhymes that we lose sight of the story. The result? Confusing plot lines, poetic detours, and “random” rhymes that don’t move your story forward.
2.Unnatural phrasing. It’s tempting to use rarely-heard words or twist sentences into awkward contortions in order to make a rhyme. If it’s not a phrase you’d actually say, it probably shouldn’t go in your story.
3.“Off” Meter.Writing rhythmic verse involves more than counting the syllables in each line. You need to pay attention to the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables. There are different names for these patterns—which I won’t go into here—but the main point is to be aware of the pattern and be (mostly) consistent in using it. You also want to pay attention to “feet” – the number of times the pattern is repeated in a line. Tracking this pattern line by line is called “scanning” your verse—something writers of rhyme should know how to do.
In discussing the meter of rhyming manuscripts, I’ll use ALL CAPS for stressed syllables, and lower case for unstressed. For example:
twas the NIGHT / before CHRIST / mas and ALL / through the HOUSE
has a “da da DUM da da DUM” (anapestic) pattern. This pattern is repeated four times in one line, for four feet. (By the way, putting stressed syllables in all caps doesn’t mean we shout those syllables when we read them—the emphasis should be discernible, but subtle.)
Okay, that’s it for the quick intro. Let’s read some rhyme, shall we?
Our first example is from Winnie Brews a Witchy Stew by Rosi Hollinbeck. Winnie’s mom isn’t feeling well, so Winnie decides to make stew—but a crucial ingredient is harder to come by than she realized.
Winnie’s mom is sick in bed.
With an awfully achy head
Caused by her pointy hat.
Supper is near, it’s time to cook.
So Winnie scans her big cook book
For things to fill her vat.
She finds a recipe for cake
That calls for boiled rattlesnake
It doesn’t sound quite right.
Cold spider soup with extra mud
Needs a cup of green toad blood
But has to cook all night.
So Winnie wracks her witchy brain.
She pages through the book again
And finds the perfect thing.
She checks to see what is at hand.
Sure her stew will be quite grand.
She just needs one bat wing.
She fills her vat with lizards’ feet
Adds chopped jumping spider meat
Spiced up with dried swamp scum.
Nettles, stinkweed, fried toad warts,
Black squid ink – six or seven quarts,
And pickled fish eyes –Yum!
Yum, indeed! Anyone hungry? Rosi does something interesting with her rhyme pattern: the first two lines rhyme with each other, then the third rhymes with the third line in the next stanza, and so on. Because she’s consistent about it, it works. Still, I can’t help thinking that third line lands rather heavily and interrupts the flow of the story. What do others think?
Rosi also does a nice job of keeping her meter (mostly) consistent, alternating one stressed and one unstressed syllable (DUM da / DUM da / DUM da / DUM)—or vice-verse—throughout. I stumbled—slightly—in just a couple of places. For example, in the second stanza, she breaks the prevailing pattern with “SUP per is NEAR” (DUM da da DUM). This is easily fixed by using a contraction: SUPper’s NEAR.
I stumbled slightly over the next line as well. Because of the rhyme pattern, I want to say: “so WINnie SCANS her BIG cook BOOK.” But that sounds unnatural because, in speaking, we say “COOK book”, not “cook BOOK.” I’d suggest changing it to something like “WINnie SCANS her GIant BOOK” (the context and illustrations will show that it’s a cook book).
I also tripped over the sixth stanza. The first line sounds unnatural (in speaking, we’d say “She checks to see what’s at hand” (which, unfortunately, doesn’t work with the rhyme pattern), not “She checks to see what is at hand). And the third line has the same problem as the cook book example. Because of the meter, I want to say “bat WING” but, in speech, we’d say “BAT wing.”
A few other lines were troublesome: “Adds chopped jumping spider meat” is a mouthful, and the rhythm is off for “BLACK squid INK – SIX or SEVen QUARTS”. The latter is an easy fix with something like “BLACK squid INK—a DOZen QUARTS.”
Overall, though, Rosi’s rhyme and rhythm are good. My bigger concern is with the story’s pacing. Although a witch’s house is a great setting, Winnie spends the first nine stanzas (of a 24-stanza story) in her kitchen trying to decide what to make, then mixing up various ingredients. When Winnie goes off to a cave in search of a bat wing (in the 10thstanza), things start to get more interesting. Rosi might consider condensing these early stanzas and making them more active and visual. Instead of staying in the kitchen, for example, Winnie might actively collect her ingredients—dig up snail shells, climb a tree for an owl feather, hunt through her dusty attic, etc.
Suggestions:
1.Try writing it in 4-line stanzas to see how it changes the rhythm and story.
2.Scan the rhyme to make sure it’s consistent.
3.Strive for natural phrasing.
4.Condense the beginning stanzas, vary the scenery, and get to Winnie’s problem sooner.
Now let’s look at a different sort of manuscript. Anteater Saves Gas, Zebra Recycles Trash: A Green Alphabet is a concept book—an alphabestiary with an environmental twist (the author, Nancy, requested I use only her first name):
Anteater saves gas
riding her bike to class.
Bear buys his trash pail
at a garage sale.
Cheetah checks her meter,
then turns down the heater.
Donkey collects rain
pouring down his drain.
Elephant swings higher
in her recycled tire.
Fox lends to friends
his odds and ends.
Giraffe has great advice:
Use sheets of paper twice.
Hyena donates toys
to other girls and boys.
I like the active language (all those great verbs!), illustration potential, and the short, catchy rhymes. The main issue, rhyme-wise, is the meter. Many of the stanzas don’t have a discernible rhyme pattern, and there’s no predominant meter for the manuscript overall. Because this is a concept book—and we’re focused on each page as opposed to an ongoing story—Nancy may not need to use the same meter for all the stanzas. However, each stanza should be rhythmic and follow some sort of pattern.
Let’s start with what works. In the last two stanzas of our sample, Nancy uses a consistent iambic trimeter (three feet of “da DUM”):
gi RAFFE / has GREAT / ad VICE:
use SHEETS / of PA / per TWICE.
hy E / na DO / nates TOYS
to OTH / er GIRLS / and BOYS.
Excellent! Now let’s look at the first stanza:
ANT eat er saves GAS
RI ding her / BIKE to / CLASS.
The three unstressed syllables in the first line make it hard to know how to divide the line into feet. Part of the problem comes from using anteater (DUM da da) to lead things off. It might be easier to use a different animal—like aardvark, for example. If Nancy wanted to keep the three feet pattern of the giraffe and hyena stanzas, she might try something like this:
AARDvark / RIDES to / CLASS
(and) SAVES a / LOT of / GAS.
The illustrations could show aardvark on a bike, so it wouldn’t need to be spelled out in the text.
I like Nancy’s “B” stanza:
BEAR buys his / TRASH pail
AT a gar / AGE sale.
Because Nancy uses the same pattern in each line (DUM da da / DUM da ), it has a nice rhythm to it.It’s a different pattern than the others we’ve looked at, which—as I mentioned—may not matter so much in a concept book. But if Nancy wants to maintain a pattern of three feet per line, she might try something like this:
BADGer / BUYS his / TRASH pail
SHOPping / AT a / YARD sale.
I also tripped over the rhythm of the elephant (a rhythmically troublesome word like anteater) and fox stanzas. Here’s the latter:
FOX lends to / FRIENDS
his ODDS / and ENDS.
This feels abrupt to me (I keep wanting to say “his odds and his ends,” which sounds more rhythmic but doesn’t make sense). Again, if Nancy wants to aim for three feet per line, she could try something like:
FOX lends / TO his / FRIENDS
(a)SSORT ed / ODDS and / ENDS.
Suggestions:
1. Try to find a rhyme pattern that you like and stick with it. Because it’s a concept book, it’s probably okay to have some variation in the rhyme pattern among the stanzas (what do others think about this?)—but each stanza should have a pattern.
2. The best stanzas (like giraffe) are natural-sounding. Most of your stanzas sound natural, but a few are awkward (for example, later in the text: Kangaroo’s magnet can feel / if a car is made of steel.)
3. In my book M is for Mischief: An A to Z of Naughty Children, I wrote an introductory stanza and a wrap-up stanza to make the collection feel more cohesive. You might consider doing something similar.
Since I’ve already used a lot of space here, I’m going to speed through a couple of examples from two other manuscripts. For each manuscript, I’ll pick out two stanzas—a strong one and a weaker one.
Verse that works/Verse that needs work.
Our first example comes from Sylvester Johnson Ate a Slug by Pat Haapaniemi. I’ll start with the stanza that needs work because it’s the first one of the story:
Sylvester Johnson ate a slug,
all squiggly and alive.
He’s never done a thing like that
although he’s only five.
I like this stanza—the rhythm, the language, the evocative imagery (yuck!)—but was thrown by the last line. The “although” is confusing. Should he have eaten a slug by age five?This feels like a “random rhyme”—the sort we use when we can’t find a better one. Sometimes you can get away with it, but I’d recommend changing this one—you don’t want your reader to be confused, especially so early in the story.
This stanza from Pat is much better:
His mother brushed and scrubbed his teeth
And made him gargle twice,
Then took him to professionals
To ask for their advice.
Here the rhyme sounds natural (I love when a multi-syllabic word like “professionals” works with your rhyme scheme), there’s good action, and it leads nicely into the next part of the story—the various experts’ theories on why Sylvester would do such a nasty thing.
For our second speedy example, I’ve pulled two stanzas from Midsummer Mischief by Joanna Marple. This time I’ll start with the stanza that (mostly) works:
On tippy toe paws, like cats on the prowl
crept Bear and his friends – Mouse, Squirrel and Owl.
I really like the language in the first line of this stanza—it’s rhythmic, evocative, and I love the sound of “tippy toe paws.” I love it so much that it pained me to realize there’s a slight problem with it: owls don’t have paws. Perhaps Joanne can keep the “tippy toe” but get rid of the “paws.”
Here’s the one that needs work:
Fox sank in tears, “I’m a right soggy mess!”
Prankish adventures were his to confess.
The second line is one of those awkward contortions we sometimes do to make a rhyme. In speaking, we wouldn’t use such a phrase. We’d say “Fox confessed to his pranks” or the like. Again, if you wouldn’t say it, you probably shouldn’t include it in your story.
So does all this seem a bit obsessive—and perhaps a mite tedious?Well, yes, it can be. But trying to find the perfect word—one that works rhythmically, sounds natural, AND moves your story forward—is what makes writing in rhyme so much fun (or not, depending on your perspective).
By the way, if my brief explanation of meter and feet left you more confused than enlightened, I highly recommend the following:
I fear I’ve made this post WAY too long, so I’ll wrap this up with a mantra for rhyme-writers: Be clear, be concise, be rhythmic, be natural.
Again, thanks for your submissions (and sorry I couldn’t include them all), and thank you, Susanna, for having me!
*****
Thank YOU so much for joining us today, Linda, and for kindly offering your expertise! I’m sure I speak for all of us when I say it’s been a great learning experience. And I know I’ve mentioned this before, but Linda’s Nuts & Bolts Guide is terrific! I’ve read it and highly recommend it to anyone who wants to buy themselves ask for a holiday gift 🙂
See you here on Wednesday for Would You Read It. And for anyone who might have missed them in the craziness of the past week, the Holiday Gift Guide for Writers is HERE and the guidelines for the Holiday Writing Contest (with great prizes including 2 of Linda’s picture books!) are HERE.
Linda Ashman’s more than two dozen picture books have earned numerous honors and starred reviews, and have been included on the “Best of the Year” lists of The New York Times, Parenting, Child, and Cookie magazines, Bank Street College of Education, the New York Public Library, and more. As a children’s poet, she’s been compared to Ogden Nash, Mary Ann Hoberman, Douglas Florian, and Jack Prelutsky. She’s taught a variety of workshops on writing for children, and is the author of The Nuts and Bolts Guide to Writing Picture Books, a “how to” handbook for picture book writers.
Today, since it’s the day before Thanksgiving and I’m sure lots of you have families and cooking and visitors and traveling to attend to, I’m going to do my best to be brief.
Yes, I heard myself 🙂 But seriously. I’m going to try 🙂
It wouldn’t be Would You Read It Wednesday without Something Chocolate, would it? So how about this?
I decided last week’s turkeys might be a little complicated. At least for me since I do all my cooking in a toaster oven 🙂 This looks a lot more straight forward… cookies and candy stuck together 🙂
Now that we’re happily snacking, let’s move right on to today’s pitch (without any entertaining anecdotes or silly banter because just look how brief I’m being!) which comes to us from Lyla. Lyla is an artist and creative writer. The Good Morning Book was written just as much for the parents as for the child, it’s a gentle reminder to find the beauty in every day life and to be grateful for all of life’s marvelous wonders. She also owns an Etsy store called “Personalize Love” which features hand stamped jewelry and book marks.
Here is her pitch:
Working Title: The Good Morning Book Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 0-4) The Pitch: Start your day exploring the wonders of this world with The Good Morning Book. This book will inspire young ones and adults to take time out of every morning to appreciate all of the things that make life special. An easy read with rhythmic flow, children of all ages will enjoy.
So what do you think? Would You Read It? YES, MAYBE or NO?
If your answer is YES, please feel free to tell us what you particularly liked and why the pitch piqued your interest. If your answer is MAYBE or NO, please feel free to tell us what you think could be better in the spirit of helping Lyla improve her pitch. Helpful examples of possible alternate wordings are welcome. (However, I must ask that comments be constructive and respectful. I reserve the right not to publish comments that are mean because that is not what this is about.)
Please send YOUR pitches for the coming weeks! For rules and where to submit, click on this link Would You Read Itor on the Would You Read It tab in the bar above. There are openings in February so you’ve got a little time to polish up your pitches and send yours for your chance to be read by editor Erin Molta!
Lyla is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch! I am looking forward to celebrating Thanksgiving with my family – I have so very much to be thankful for, including all of you! And I’m looking forward to the Linda Ashman Rhyme Clinic which will take place here on Monday! It promises to be AMAZING!
(And I’m just a little alarmed by how short this post is… I wonder if I really wrote it? Maybe I’ve been taken over by aliens… or turkeys…GOBBLE GOBBLE)
HAPPY THANKSGIVING, Everyone! I hope you all have a wonderful day tomorrow, surrounded by family and with plenty of happinesses to feel thankful for! (And for those of you who don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, have a very happy most excellent Thursday!!!) And also a very Happy Hanukkah to those who are celebrating! 🙂
P.S. Please remember, no PPBF post here on Friday… Family time 🙂
Susanna Leonard Hill 
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