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 🙂
Happy Wednesday everyone! Hey! We’re halfway to the weekend 🙂
So, on Monday I conducted an informal poll about when to post the Holiday Contest guidelines, and people were pretty evenly divided as to “Monday is fine” and “As soon as possible” 🙂 I’m splitting the difference and thinking I’ll post on Friday, before the weekend, so you get a few extra days. But I’m still trying to make a definite decision as to what to make you do – ah! the power! 🙂 – so not today. I hope that doesn’t ruin anyone’s life!
To make up for forcing you to wait, let’s have some chocolate right away. You’ll feel better 🙂
It’s barely a week until Thanksgiving. So I was thinking we should get festive with our Something Chocolate… Check this out! Have you ever seen cuter chocolate turkeys?
Too tricky for me because I am uncoordinated and prone to burning things, but maybe some of you clever chef types can make them. You can get the recipe HERE. Let me know if you try it! (Feel free to send me a sample :)) And I’m thinking you could cheat a little by using already-made truffles and dipping them in chocolate 🙂
Now that we’re choclified (fortified with chocolate), let’s get down to the business at hand.
Today’s pitch comes to us from Mary Russo, PhD, a psychologist and RNCS, who for over 2 decades has worked with individuals to deal with personal development and overcome anxiety and depression. Mary says, “Through many therapeutic endeavors I assist them with their adaptation to a new sense of self. In my therapy work I share a deep concern for the individual’s conscious awareness that each of us has our own yearning inner child. I have been inspired to write this and other children’s books to help children to be less afraid and see themselves as strong and unique. My goal to teach children to help themselves through their imagination. The stories provide metaphors to help children learn to take control of their fears, by fostering self-empowerment. The embedded messages slip into the child’s unconscious, while the story produces a sense of fun and adventure and wonderment.” You can find her at:
Working Title: Polka Dot Sue Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 3-6) The Pitch: 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. Withthe 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.
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 Mary 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!
Mary is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch! I am looking forward to sharing the Holiday Contest Rules with you on Friday!!! So exciting!!! I wonder what I’ll decide on??? 🙂
Do you ever get ideas but have no idea how to make them a reality?
I am full of ideas… but when it comes to execution I lack many skills 🙂 Drawing, for example. Doing anything at all with photoshop, for another. Also, there are those who would say that dancing is not my forte (although I do it with a great deal of enthusiasm :))
So imagine my delight at having children who are just SO much more competent than I am!
As a result, I am finally going to have something I’ve been desperate for for about 7 years.
Bookplates!
My own beautiful bookplates! (They are so pretty! Wait until you see!)
They are designed, and I ordered one sheet so I can see how they look. (Just in case there are any problems with the printing, I don’t want ten million not-quite-right ones :))
Due to the fact that the one sheet cost $3.99 and the cheapest possible shipping I could get was $5.04, I chose the cheapest possible shipping and now have to wait 14 days.
But what’s 14 days after the approximately 7 years I’ve already waited?
As soon as I have them, I’ll show you!
And then the really fun thing is that if you want a signed copy of one of my books but you live in Kamchatka or somewhere that is not right around the corner from me, you can simply purchase the book from your favorite bookseller, email me with who/how you want the book signed, and I can mail you a book plate just how you want it and you can stick it right in!
Voila! An idea has become reality!
That is just so exciting that I think we need a snack! I have a total craving for apple cider donuts, so
… help yourselves! (I realize these are not technically Something Chocolate, but it’s only cider donut time for a short portion of each year and they really are best fresh :))
Now then. Are you ready for today’s pitch?
It comes to us from Julie who has visited us twice before (WYRI #68 Eddie Brick Visits The Aunts and WYRI #75 Just Call Me The Kid.) A scribbler of children’s stories in between chores, Julie Rowan-Zoch has visited three continents, attempted to learn 4 languages, and has a 2-3-3-3-3 phalangeal formula in both of her hands and feet. (Though not yet able to get a good grip with her toes, she has been drawing with her hands since she exchanged a banana for a crayon.) Please come visit her on her blog and view her beautiful artwork! (Really, it’s amazing! You’re in for a treat so go see it!)
Here is her pitch:
Working Title: Broccolilocks Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 3-6) The Pitch: CRUNCH! Broccolilocks has a GIANT appetite for her prized vegetable. MUNCH! But a mysterious stink leads her nose down the garden rows to find that something has been munching on her broccoli!
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 Julie 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 January 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!
Julie is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch! I am looking forward to when my bookplates arrive! Did I mention that I have 5 different ones? So awesome! 🙂 I can’t wait to show them to you!
Scout (who must still be known as Skunk Dog but is getting better) seconds the motion, and Jemma thirds it, so the motion carries!
Help yourselves to chocolate cupcakes with cream cheese icing! (That way we get vegetable – from the cocoa BEAN – and dairy and protein from the cream CHEESE. I am nothing if not concerned for your health and well-being, so I try to make sure we cover as many food groups as possible :))
Now then, I’ve got the September Pitch Pick ready to go and it’s only October 9th! (Yes, it’s really me, and no, I am not feverish, nor is my mind being controlled by aliens… although that’s what I would say if my mind were being controlled by aliens, so I guess you never know… :))
So without further ado, let’s have a look-see at our new and improved pitches and vote for the one we think deserves a read by editor Erin Molta!
Here are our contenders:
#1 Kirsti Upside Down In Frown Town – PB ages 3-8 Where Sam lives, smiling is frowned upon. But, no matter what he tries, he can’t wipe the smile off his face. Even a frowning contest doesn’t make a frowner out of Sam. When he can’t change himself, he decides to change the town instead.
#2 Kathy The Garden Disaster – PB ages 4-7
Jasmine’s daily chore is to collect pollen and nectar, but she never seems to collect enough. Her Mom said it’s because she plays too much, but Jasmine knows the real reason. Today was different though. Today a new hairy beast showed up! Jasmine must think up a great idea to outsmart this new bee chasing beast and then she will finally be able to fill her bucket to the tippy-top.
The Garden Disaster is a 480 Word PB for early readers ages 4-7.
#3 Wendi The Superhero Rejects – MG Morphus is ashamed that his superpower is turning into lame objects like paper clips, rubber bands and light bulbs. At ZITS (The Zapdor Institute for the Training of Superheroes), he and the other Superhero Rejects are relegated to practice their pathetic skills in the old gym in the basement. When the nefarious Scorpius attacks the school and puts everyone upstairs into a hypnotic trance, Morphus and his band of rejects might be the only ones that can save them!
#4 Donna The Lightbulb And The Lab Coat – PB ages 8-12 Thomas Edison befriends an orphaned robin, who provides him with companionship and inspiration as he faces a tight deadline to deliver the first incandescent light bulb. As tests are feverously conducted to find the right bulb filament, the industrious robin shows him that the answer was right under his nose all the time!
Please cast your vote below for the pitch you feel most deserves a read by Erin by Sunday October 13 at 11:59 PM EDT. Thank you all so much!
Today’s pitch comes to us from Linda, who has visited us a couple times before (WYRI #79 – Twitch (MG) and WYRI #72 – The Good For Plenty Bibs (PB) and WYRI # 60 – Alpha Bitty (PB) – did I miss any Linda? :)). Linda is a former gifted and talented teacher and the author of a number of books including the multi-award winning picture book, The Blue Roses. Please take a moment to visit her website at www.lindaboyden.com.
Here is her pitch:
Working Title: Proberta Gerber And The Terrible Mess Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 4-8) The Pitch: Once upon a time Proberta Gerber once had a purple and pink bedroom; now all she has is a terrible mess. Dad wonders why? Big brother Arbuckle helps: “Clean one thing at a time. Start with your bed.” Proberta can’t find it. She blames the mess on the Dust Bunnies who live in her closet, but Mom says, “Stay there until it is cleaned, young lady.” Sniffling, Proberta makes a special wish for help. And who appears? The REAL Dust Bunnies who help, but not in the way she thinks.
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 Linda 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 January so you have a little time to polish up your pitches and send them for your chance to be read by editor Erin Molta!
Linda is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch! I just got the final proofs for the Crock of Charms Anthology project I participated in (along with a few devoted readers from this blog :)) and I am looking forward to seeing it in print! I will share full details when they are available, hopefully by early December 🙂
Have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone!
Ready, set, WRITE! (or read, or teach, or go play on the swings, or whatever happens to be on your agenda today :))
Wonder of wonders, my office is really and truly ALMOST clean! I’m SO close! Seriously! I mean it!
The shelves are full and neatly organized.
All kinds of stuff is packed into labeled drawers (the idea being that I might ever find it again :))
Boxes of stuff are filed!
The desk top is partially visible.
There’s only a small Goodwill pile on the piano (and if you’re wondering why I have a piano in my office it’s partly because I love to play and mostly because it won’t fit anywhere else in the house!)
And there are just a few more odds and ends I have to clean up and decide what to do with.
SO CLOSE!
So y’all have to keep after me to make sure I cross the finish line on this job. If I do, I’ll share pictures in which you can actually see the floor!!! and we’ll have some sort of fun and fabulous party to celebrate! There will most likely be chocolate and presents involved, so it’s in all of our best interest if I get this done!
Speaking of chocolate, it’s supposed to be 92 degrees today, so I’m thinking we’d like something frosty and delightful. Shall we have chocolate milkshake this morning?
I believe we shall! 🙂 And see how I got us one with a strawberry? Health food 🙂 You’re welcome 🙂
Now, while you are sipping that delicious, chocolatey, ice-cold yumminess, let’s have a look at this month’s Straight From The Editor.
You will recall that Rachel won the July Pitch Pick with her pitch for The Curse of the Shattered Sceptre. (which reminds me that we haven’t done the August pitch pick… hmmm… better get on that!)
Her winning pitch was as follows:
After accidentally unleashing a torrent of curses, Ollie and his Book Club buddies must use their wits and imagination to unravel a series of twisted clues. In a race against time, will the boys mend the shattered sceptre, restoring the balance of nature, or will they be cursed forever?
Here is what editor Erin Molta had to say about it:
This looks exciting. A couple of things that might help it, though . . .
Where did the curse come from? Right now, it seems a torrent of curses could be coming from a person—as in swears. It’s a tad unclear. Also, unravel a series of clues to what? To mend the scepter? If so, I’d clarify it this way and rather than structure it as a question, I’d make it more declarative like: Ollie and his buddies accidentally unleash a torrent of curses (from what—an antique scepter from the museum—displayed in the library?). Racing against time, the boys must use their wits and imagination to unravel a series of twisted clues in order to mend the shattered scepter and restore the balance of nature—or they will be cursed forever!
Good luck!
As always, many thanks to Erin for her very helpful insights. I always feel we learn something valuable!
Today’s pitch comes to us from Kathy who says, “I live on a little farm in Vermont with my husband and my grandson. Having my grandson around is kind of what led me to wanting to write pb’s. I have plenty of pets, farm animals and wildlife, so I have no shortage of thing to write about 🙂
We do a lot of fishing, exploring and outdoor fun!
Here is my blog address: I don’t have many followers and I’m not really much of a blogger, but I created one because it was suggested that I should have one. Guess I need to go update and brush up on it 🙂
Working Title: The Garden Disaster Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 4-7) The Pitch: What’s a bee to do? Basil’s daily chore is to collect pollen and nectar, but he never seems to collect enough. His Mom thinks it’s because he plays too much, but Basil knows it’s because of Mrs. Grady’s rotten cat. One day while Basil is in the garden collecting his pollen and nectar a new hairy beast shows up! Basil must think up a great idea to outsmart this new beast so he can finally fill his bucket to the tippy top.
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 Kathy 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 November so polish up your pitches and send yours for your chance to be read by editor Erin Molta!
Kathy is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch! I am looking forward to Friday and the return of Perfect Picture Books, which I will be starting out with a bang and a special surprise give-away that you will NOT want to miss!!! So mark your calendars!
Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone! Happy reading, writing, teaching, parenting… whatever you’re doing today! 🙂
I know we’re due for a Short & Sweet or an Oh Susanna (though I can’t for the life of me remember which right now since the Jingle Contest disrupted the schedule.)
But you know what? We’re taking the day off today.
these two totally have the hang of it 🙂
Fill up your water bottle with ice water and slice or two of lemon, or whatever you like.
Pack a little snack (may I suggest some fresh strawberries and homemade banana bread?)
Put on some sunblock.
Grab that paperback you’ve been dying to indulge in but haven’t found the time, or your pad and a pen if you’ve been struggling to get into your writing groove lately and been foiled by distractions and/or obligations.
Now head out onto the back porch where the bees are humming in the lilacs…
yeah… these are rhododendrons because I don’t have a picture of our lilacs 🙂
… or the hammock swinging gently beneath the new leaves.
A park bench under the apple blossoms is always nice…
… or a blanket on the wave-lapped sand if you’re lucky enough to be near a beach.
A small table at an outdoor cafe would be lovely…
… or a meadow dotted with wildflowers… or the slow glide of a canoe on a still pond.
Get comfy.
Soak up the sunshine.
Breathe in the fresh air.
And enjoy doing something just for you.
Feel free to share your choice of day off (real or imaginary :)) in the comments below.
And have a lovely day 🙂
(And forgive me – I spent my weekend driving to and from Vermont to fetch half a dorm room’s worth of stuff so #3 has room for the rest in her car when she comes home this week, spending some quality time with #5, and seeing #4 off to his senior prom *sniff* I may need a hanky 🙂 As a result, I ran out of time to prepare a Short & Sweet or an Oh Susanna. But I do truly want you all to have a lovely day off! :))
Could there be a better title for me to post? (Besides Betty Bunny Loves Chocolate Cake, which I LOVE, but it’s already on the PPBF list!)
Title: A Chocolate Moose For Dinner Written & Illustrated By: Fred Gwynne Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers, 1976, Fiction
Suitable For Ages: 7 and up
Themes/Topics: language, homonyms, idioms, humor
Opening: “Mommy says she had a chocolate moose for dinner last night. And after dinner she toasted Daddy.”
Brief Synopsis: This isn’t so much a story as a string of what the girl (who isn’t named) thinks are wild stories her Mommy and Daddy are making up because they mean it one way and she takes it quite another. For example, Mommy means she ate chocolate mousse for dinner, but the girl thinks she had a moose made out of chocolate over to eat with her 🙂
Links To Resources: I didn’t have much luck finding any fun or interesting links, but here are some activities you could do: have kids draw what they think it looks like when you get up on the wrong side of the bed, or when time flies, or when it’s raining cats and dogs, or when someone has a green thumb – or anything else you think up 🙂 Give kids homophones and see which word they think of immediately and then whether they can think up the other word that sounds like it but means something different, for example ate/eight, bear/bare, cent/scent/sent, dear/deer etc. Talk about how words can be confusing because they sound the same but mean different things – the way orange is both a color and a fruit. Other books that can be used in conjunction are the three other titles in this series by Fred Gwynne and the Amelia Bedelia books.
Why I Like This Book: This book perfectly exemplifies how literal children are, and how often we as adults say things that we understand to mean something quite different from the way a child takes it. Each page expresses a homonym, idiom, or figure of speech that sounds like an adult would say it, but the picture shows what the child thinks Mommy or Daddy means. For example, “After dinner she toasted Daddy” – of course we know she means with a glass, but the picture shows Daddy in the toaster 🙂 Although children younger that 7 might enjoy the pictures and understand some of the humor, a lot of the expressions (like toasting) are for older readers.
Now then. Before you all rush off to read all the other fantastic picks for PPBF and onto your weekends, I want to mention 3 things:
1. Sue Morris over at Kid Lit Reviews very kindly nominated me for the WordPress Family Award! “The WordPress Family Award is reserved for folks in Cyberspace who are unceasingly kind, sympathetic, encouraging, and open to laughter—and who keep each other going by sharing, commenting, and making personal connections even though they may actually be virtual strangers.” I am so honored to have been nominated (sweetly overlooking the fact that technically I’m a blogspotter not a WordPresser)! Thank you, Sue. Of course, I’m supposed to pass this along to 10 people I feel are deserving, and you know how bad I am at that. I’ll have to think on it… I think you all deserve it!
2. About that Jingle Contest. You, the people, have spoken… although not in a way that makes for an easy decision 🙂 Enough people said they wanted to take a crack at writing a jingle that I’m going to leave that part of the contest as is. And I think there might be a few kids out there who want to do the kids contest, so we’ll leave that as is too. However, almost as many people said they’d like to just FB post, tweet and/or blog. So I’m going to add a separate category for that. With one smaller prize. And I’ll put that on Monday’s post when the contest goes up. Sound good? Hopefully everyone will be happy? I hope so!
I’ve also got the actual e-book waiting to download to my husband’s iPad, so I’ll get to see it later today!!! And I’ve been told the links for the different platforms will not be available until Tuesday May 7 when the e-book is officially available, so we’ll just have to wait to add those in!
3. I’m giving you all a fair-warning heads up. I’m going to put Perfect Picture Books on hiatus for the summer again. Our last PPBF post before the summer break will be Friday June 14. I hope you guys won’t mind too much. We’ll still do fun stuff. Maybe Summer Short & Sweets again, or maybe something else I think up. And there will be a writing contest in early July. But I need time to catch up and update, and I’m hoping this summer, without all the college visits, I might actually get it done 🙂
Okay. Class dismissed 🙂 Have a wonderful weekend everyone, and PPBF bloggers, please put your post-specific links on the list below!
Good Extremely Late Afternoon Practically Evening Everyone!
I hope everyone who celebrates Christmas had a Merry one filled with happiness yesterday.
I realize I’m way behind schedule today… lots of family visiting and lots going on… but having promised, I didn’t want to let you down completely – better late than never, right? 🙂
I know you’ve all been waiting with barely controlled (or possibly uncontrolled) antsiness to find out who won the amazing Holiday Contest!
So without further ado, here they are, the winners of the Pretty Much World Famous 2nd Annual Holiday Contest!!!
First Place: Laura Renauld for Humphrey The Humbug
Second Place: Marci Henry for Jingle Sheep
Third Place: Cheryl Secomb for Dashing Through The Snow
Fourth Place: Penny Klostermann for Christmas Bash-A-Roo
Fifth Place: Joanna Marple for The Tree
All five winners will receive a $20 Amazon Gift Certificate as soon as I have all the email addresses (Marci and Cheryl, I may need yours). And I will sort out which winner gets which PB critique ASAP and update this post, so check back!
UPDATE: The critiques have been sorted and will be assigned as follows: Laura – Corey Rosen Schwartz Marci – Amy Dixon Cheryl – Sarah Frances Hardy Penny – Tiffany Haber Joanna – Alison Hertz
Congratulations to all our winners for fantastic stories amid fierce competition, and congratulations to all who entered! Everyone who took the time to exercise their creativity and actually write and post an entry deserves to feel proud of their efforts. And many thanks to everyone – writers and readers – for making the Holiday Contest so much fun for the second year in a row!
And now, because I have grossly overestimated how much blogging time I’d have during the holidays, I must announce that I will not be doing Perfect Picture Book Friday this week (although I will post the link list for anyone who wants to) and I will probably not post Monday the 31st either. And if I fail to visit your blogs as much as usual, it’s not because I don’t love you 🙂 It’s important to enjoy time with the family when you can 🙂
Enjoy your holidays and Happy New Year to everyone, with all best wishes for happiness, health, and publication in 2013!!!
Would You Read It is here. I promise 🙂 And anyone who wants to can skip the special first part of this post and scroll right down to the pitch, which is pretty close to the bottom. But for those of you who are up for a little insanity fun… 🙂
Once upon a time, I had a hairbrained scheme to send Phyllis on a World Tour. During the tour, it came up somewhere along the line that the treasure hunt in April Fool, Phyllis! was based on the birthday hunts my dad used to make for us when we were kids, which I now do with my kids. A dear friend of mine, who welcomed Phyllis into her Saskatchewan home during the tour, remarked that a birthday hunt sounded like fun, and she’d really like to give it a try sometime.
Beth Stilborn is a pillar of our writing community. She writes a wonderful blog about writing and the arts, with a special love of theatre. She, along with Emma Walton Hamilton, established The Children’s Book Hub Face Book page. She is incredibly supportive to all of us in the writing community, and she is always up for a hairbrained scheme 🙂 And she’s a nice person 🙂 and kind to groundhogs 🙂
So, Beth, HappyBirthday from me, and Phyllis, and a whole bunch of your blogging family. Here is your birthday hunt 🙂 It’s not quite the way my dad did it, but hopefully it will work and be fun. And of course, anyone else who likes solving puzzles is welcome to play along! It’s not too hard because it is a bit long (12 clues because your birthday is 12/12 :)) but should you have any difficulty, there are hints 🙂 Many hints can be found right here on my blog too, in the side bars or recent posts.
Instructions: Solve each clue in order. When you have cracked the code and figured out what the clue says, do what it tells you. When you get there, you will find a word in colorful bold-face font. Write it down! Then come back here for the next clue. Eventually all the words will make a message and lead you to your present 🙂 If you need a hint, click the HINT button 🙂
golf oscar foxtrot india november delta alpha papa lima alpha charlie echo whiskey hotel echo romeo echo charlie hotel india lima delta romeo echo november’ sierra bravo oscar oscar kilo sierra hotel echo alpha lima
PHEW! I hope Beth (and at least a few others) made it this far before next week 🙂 and I hope everything worked as it was supposed to and there weren’t too many glitches and/or mistakes. Any complaints about execution may be directed to the management, who will probably refer you to the resident Seer Of Seers, Prognosticator Of Prognosticators, Weather Prophet Extraordinaire 🙂 (because she’s cute and furry and hard to stay annoyed at :))
(Side note: this hunt will only work properly (assuming it ever does :)) on 12/12/12. After that, when you follow the clue directions, you will have to scroll back to the bloggers’ 12/12/12 post.)
Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming 🙂 Would You Read It!
The winner of the first ever tied pitch pick is: LARISSA!!!
That was quite a hard-won win – congratulations! Your pitch is on its way to editor Erin Molta for a read and comments! And congratulations to everyone who wrote wonderful pitches and then made them even better. You are all winners as far as I’m concerned 🙂
Now then, the runner up of the first ever tied pitch pick, has a new pitch!
Kim is “Mama” to a wonderful 8-year-old with multiple nicknames, wife of a genius, and has switched careers numerous times in her short (ha!) life. She has been passionate about picture books since her first encounter with Dr. Seuss, though it has taken her decades (don’t ask) to realize that writing them is something that she can probably do for the rest of her life. She writes a wonderful blog over at Kid Lit Dish and is a regular participant in PPBF. She would love it if you’d like to follow her on Twitter or like her on Face Book! Here is her new pitch: Working Title: Oyster And Pearl Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 4-8) The Pitch: Pearl is a tiny grain of sand that lives in the bottom of the ocean. She feels insignificant in her world and both envious AND enamored of the star in the sky that she can see above her at night. As she sets her sights on joining the star, she encounters many challenges… until finally, one night, she meets Oyster, who helps her become a star of her own.
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 Kim 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 January, so you have time to polish 🙂 for a chance for it to be read by editor Erin Molta!
Kim is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch! And I am looking forward to seeing whether Beth can solve her birthday hunt and whether anyone else takes a crack at it! If you solve it, let me know 🙂
Have a terrific day, everyone! And happy birthday dear Beth, happy birthday to you 🙂
September 3rd update: 8 entries on the link list, 4 in the comments, and at least one other that is neither linked nor in the comments – all fantastic! What talent! Come read, enjoy, and add your own – there are still 2 days left to enter (today and tomorrow!)
It’s August 31st, and we’re sending summer out in style with a fun and fabulous contest!
Fingers on the keyboard?
Writing gears engaged?
Ideas sparking like mad?
Then let’s get cracking! 🙂
SUMMERSEND-OFFCONTEST!!!
illustration copyright Heather Newman 2012 used by permission
Contest Rules: The contest is for a children’s story of 250 words or less based on the picture above and in which somebody somewhere in your story says, in dialogue, “Did/do you see that?” (you may substitute any of the other senses – “Did/do you hear/feel/taste/smell that?”) and somebody somewhere in your story says, “Goodbye!” (you are allowed to substitute “Farewell!”, “Au revoir!”, “Sayonara!”, “Ciao!”, or “So long!”)
Entries must be posted on your blog (or, if you don’t have a blog but would still like to enter, in the comment section of this post which will stay up through Tuesday September 4) between today and Tuesday September 4 at 11:59 PM EDT. (I’m giving you an extra day to post, because I realize it’s Labor Day weekend!)
Once your post is up you must add your post-specific link to the linky list below so everyone can come visit you and read your amazing story (or, if you don’t have a blog, copy and paste your entry into the comment section as mentioned above – everyone please be sure to check the comments for entries so you don’t miss any! :)) Special note: I know some people have been having trouble commenting on my blog since disqus updated. If anyone has trouble, please email your entry or your link or whatever you need to me at susanna [at] susannahill [dot] com and I will make sure your link gets linked or your comment gets posted!!!
Finalists – we’ll say 3, but you know me… it may be more like 6 🙂 – will be chosen by me and my assistant judge and posted for you all to vote on on Monday September 10. I’m guessing we may not get tons of entries, what with it being Labor Day weekend and all (although I’m hoping I’ve given people enough time to plan ahead and pull it off! :)), so we’ll probably only have one winner. But if perchance we get lots of entries – more than 20 say 🙂 – we’ll expand to 1st , 2nd and 3rd places. Prize choices will be: 1. A PB manuscript critique by yours truly 🙂 2. Your choice of 2 picture books. 3. Your choice of 2 paperback middle grade books. 4. Your choice of 1 paperback YA book. 5. Your choice of 1 writing craft book. and whoever wins will get their first choice of those options, whoever’s second will get second choice, etc…. Hopefully there’s something in there that will appeal to every writer! 🙂
So here’s my demo: (And I admit, I had a TERRIBLE time getting down to 250 words. I have 5 other stories – all better! – that I couldn’t get below 286, 547, 272, 308, etc. I guess I should have tried this before I published the guidelines… :)) Anyway:
Bathtime For Balkazar
Donovan couldn’t find the dragon soap.
He had the scrub brush, the hot water, and the ladder.
But he couldn’t find the soap.
“Stay, Balkazar,” he told the dragon. And he gave him some bubblegum to keep him busy.
When he came back with the soap, he gasped.
“What’s wrong?” asked Balkazar (because as everyone knows, dragons can speak English.)
“Do you see that?” asked Donovan. The dragon looked at his reflection in one of the water buckets.
“I’m pink!” shrieked Balkazar. “Ack! Get it off!”
“It must have been the bubblegum!” said Donovan. “But King Hallvard is due within the hour. If he sees you like this it’ll be sayonara! kemosabi for us!”
“Try scrubbing!” begged Balkazar.
Donovan scrubbed.
Balkazar became a dazzling, sparkling, glowing pink.
“It’s even worse,” Donovan moaned. “Try rolling.”
The dragon rolled. He kicked up great clouds of dust that blotted out the sun and left everyone gasping and choking.
Now he was brownish pink.
“I look like an overgrown scaly earthworm,” he said sadly. “Not scary at all.”
“You turned pink from the inside,” said Donovan. “Maybe we can turn you back the same way.” He dashed into the castle and came back rolling a barrel of pickles. “Eat these! And hurry! The king’ll be here any minute!”
Balkazar scarfed down pickles. When King Hallvard rode across the drawbridge, Balkazar, mostly green again, greeted him with a colossal belch of pickle-scented fire.
“Stupendous!” shouted King Hallvard.
“Phew!” said Donovan. (Or was it “Pee-ew!”?!) (249 words)
I hope that gives you the courage to post your entry, should you happen to be feeling doubtful – surely your story is better than that! 🙂 And I would also like to remind you that we really have a lovely community of people here – kind, generous, and supportive – so your entry will be read with friendly eyes by people who want to find the good in what you’ve written and cheer you on! So go ahead – add your entry post-specific link to the list below, or copy and paste your entry into the comment section. Remember, if you have any trouble, email me and I’ll do it for you!
I can’t wait to read your stories!!! Let the contest begin! 🙂
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