Category: writing fun

Perfect Picture Book Friday – Little Red Writing

51 Comments

Well, would you look at that?  It’s Perfect Picture Book Friday again!

Wowee! did last week disappear fast!

I have a tons-of-fun, 3 day old book to share with you today.  I hope you like it!

Title: Little Red Writing
Written By: Joan Holub
Illustrated By: Melissa Sweet
Chronicle Books, September 2013, Fiction

Suitable For Ages: 5-8

Themes/Topics: Fairy Tale retelling, writing, bravery

Opening: “Once upon a time in pencil school, a teacher named Ms. 2 told her class, “Today we’re going to write a story!”
“Yippee!” said the birthday pencil.
“Slammin’,” siad the basketball pencil.
“Sharp!” said Little Red.”

Brief Synopsis: Ms. 2 sets her pupils on the story path and let’s them loose to write their very own stories.  The other pencils stick to what they know about, but Little Red wants to write “a story about bravery because red is the color of courage.”  With a basket of 15 red words from Ms. 2 to use in case she runs into trouble, Little Red sets out to find adventure.

Links To Resources: The obvious resource here is the book itself accompanied by giving kids the opportunity to write their own story!  If they need a little help getting started, supply some story starters.  They can base their story on a well-known fairy tale – like Little Red Riding Hood 🙂  You can give them a “basket” with 3-5 words that they must include in their story.  You can give them an opening line and let them continue, for example, “Once upon a time there was a lonely princess whose best friend was a bear…” or “The night I threw pizza on the roof Mom got really mad…”  For younger kids, you could make up the story together.  There is a classroom guide aligned to common core HERE but be forewarned it took awhile to load.  Hang in there, though.  It shows up eventually 🙂

Why I Like This Book:  I love fractured fairy tales.  I love clever.  And I love books that show kids the fun in writing and teach them a little something about how to do it in the process.  In this story, Ms. 2 (the teacher) writes “The Story Path” on the blackboard: “1. Idea, characters, setting  2. Trouble  3. Even bigger trouble  4. Fix the trouble.”  She gives Little Red a basket of emergency nouns.  As Little Red travels her story path she discovers that action verbs are better than boring ones, adjectives may overwhelm your story and need to be cut down, conjunctions can get you in trouble with run on sentences, adverbs can be helpful (“We deliver speedily!”), that the right word in the right place can make all the difference, and that it takes courage to follow your story through to the end… but it’s worth it when you share it with a rapt audience 🙂  Melissa Sweet’s art (which I love – if you haven’t seen Balloons Over Broadway check it out immediately! :)) is the perfect accompaniment for this story as Little Red wends her way through the forest of adjectives and has to face down the Wolf 3000!  (Can you guess what that is??? :))  I also love the little extra touches, like the fact that they attend the Pencilvania School, and the cover page admonition to “Write often and carry a big notebook” 🙂

This book would pair well with Aunt Isabel Tells A Good One.

For the complete list of books with resources, please visit Perfect Picture Books.

Before we all head off to read all the other Perfect Picture Books, I’d just like to let you know that on Monday we’ll be having a special guest!  She’s pretty entertaining, so you won’t want to miss her debut appearance!

Have a great weekend, everyone!  And PPBF bloggers, please be sure to leave your post-specific links in the list below so we can all come visit!

Would You Read It Wednesday #106 – The Light Bulb And The Lab Coat (PB) PLUS The August Pitch Pick Winner!

62 Comments

Do you know what time it is?

It’s time for Would You Read It Wednesday!

Come on down, everybody!

There are still a few seats in the front row.

Don’t worry.  I won’t call on you unless your hand is raised 🙂

Okey dokey!  First, it is my pleasure to announce the winner of the August Pitch Pick and that is

LISA! with her pitch for The Golden Egg!

Congratulations, Lisa!  Your pitch is already on its way to editor Erin Molta for her thoughts!  And congratulations to all our brave pitchers.  You all did a wonderful job!  And thank you to all our stalwart voters without whom a winner would not be possible.  You are all lovely! 🙂

Speaking of snacks…

Oh.  We weren’t?

Well, we are now 🙂

So, speaking of snacks, today, thanks to the lovely Kathy, we have the perfect Something Chocolate!  Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars!  Allow me to wax poetic about their many virtues:

1. Plenty of chocolate (obviously!) which, as I keep reminding you, is a vegetable since it is derived from a bean.  = Health Food!

2. Plenty of peanut butter, which is an excellent source of protein, so important for fueling our brains for a long day of writing.

3. People often refer to peanut butter as PB (as in PB&J) and here we are in the world of picture books – also PBs!!!  Coincidence?????  I don’t THINK so!

Let’s eat some and see if we all have an amazing-better-than-usual-brilliantly-productive PB writing day!

Now that our mouths are all full (glass of milk anyone?) today’s pitch comes to us from Donna.  Donna is the author/illustrator of children’s picture book, LUCCI- THE NO SMOOCHIE POOCHIE.  She loves kids, books and animals, but most of all, kids’ books about animals. She lives, writes, and pursues learning the craft out in beautiful Central Texas Hill Country with a husband and a menagerie.  You can find her online at:

Blog- http://donnalsadd.wordpress.com
Twitter- https://twitter.com/DonnaLSadd
Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/DonnaLSadd
Amazon AuthorPage- http://www.amazon.com/Donna-L.-Sadd/e/B006X1KOII/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1
Pinterest- http://pinterest.com/donnalsadd/

Here is her pitch:

Working Title: The Light Bulb And The Lab Coat
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 8-12)
The Pitch: What if a bird building her nest was responsible for Thomas Edison’s first successful light bulb? My story finds Edison and his associates up against the clock and investors’ expectations to deliver an incandescent bulb, capable of bringing safe, economical light to homes. Mr. Edison befriends an orphan robin by providing it a home in his lab, and the robin, in turn, provides the inventor companionship, inspiration and the answer to his quest. The Light Bulb and the Lab Coat, intended for ages 8 – 12, combines a small ‘element’ of fiction with factual information to elicit a child’s sense of wonder, and what could be a complex process becomes a fun read.

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 Donna 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 It or 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!

Donna is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!  I am looking forward to announcing a writing contest pretty soon…  Maybe next week! 🙂

Alrighty folks.  That’s it for today’s show.  Please tune in Friday, same bat time, same bat station!

Have a wonderful Wednesday! 🙂

A Friday Short And Sweet… Because Why Not?

39 Comments

I know.

I’ve been so sporadic in my posting.

But hey, it’s summer 🙂

…and I warned you 🙂

badge created by Loni Edwards

So anyway today, because I saw something really awesome and cute, and because I feel like it. I am posting a Summer Short & Sweet!  (And yes, there’s that outdated badge again… pretend it says 2013.  I keep forgetting to ask Loni if she can fix it!)

Ready for some fun?  Wait til you see this cuteness!  I saw it on Julie’s blog and immediately asked her if I could use it for today’s Short & Sweet.  She is generous and nice and she said yes! 🙂  So we are having a picture prompt today from the talented and incomparable Julie Rowan-Zoch.  If you haven’t visited her blog, you are missing out.  And if you need art done for anything, contact her!  She is awesome!

Illustration copyright Julie Rowan-Zoch 2013 used by permission

The illustration was originally titled “Hybrid” (in case that sparks any ideas for you.)

So here’s our 5 minute task for today:

Think about this little guy.  (For simplicity’s sake I will refer to him as a boy, but of course he could just as easily be a girl.)

Who is he?
Does he have a name?
How old is he?
Are the grown-ups holding his paws his parents? Grandparents? Older siblings? Someone else?
Why does he have that expression on his face?  Is he unhappy?  Confused?  Worried? Thinking up a plan?…?
Where is he? Or where is he going?
What does he wish for?

Now, you have a choice.

1. You can write a couple sentences of character description.
or
2. You can write the opening sentence of a story featuring this character.
or
3. You can write a pitch for a picture book about this character.

I’ll do some examples…  (well, I’ll try anyway :))

1.  Felix is 5.  He loves fishing and climbing trees and baseball.  He also loves bugs and dirt and strawberry licorice and his pet lizard, whose name is Not Lunch.  He does not like taking a bath or eating green beans or having to share his train set with his little brother Louis who always takes the track apart.  He worries that he is the shortest boy in his class.  He lives in the blackberry thicket behind Farmer Pumpernickel’s pumpkin patch.

2.  Felix was not at all sure about piano lessons with Miss Sharp.

3.  Felix’s father wants him to learn karate.  Felix’s mother wants him to take music lesson.  Felix doesn’t want to disappoint them, but he longs to do something else.  He wants to learn to ride a horse so he can be a cowboy.  Is there any way to make mom and dad happy and still stay true to himself?

Yeah.  Okay.  Not perfect 🙂  But you get the idea!

Now you go!  Write your Short & Sweet in the comments.  Maybe the exercise will spark a story idea for you.  Or maybe someone else’s character description, opening sentence, or pitch will spark an idea.  Who knows?

Have fun!

And have a great weekend, everyone! 🙂

Summer Short And Sweets…Again :)

55 Comments

Howdy folks!

I hope everyone had a great weekend!

I was thinking…  It’s been a while since we did a Short & Sweet, so how about we do one today?

badge created by Loni Edwards

(Hmm…  I’ve just noticed the Summer Short & Sweet badge says 2012… well, no matter, we’re writers, we have good imaginations, we can imagine it says 2013 :))

We’ll make it really short and sweet, because I know we’re all crazy busy, and it’s summer, and we really need to get to the beach or the pool or the lawn sprinkler ASAP in this heat 🙂

Ready?

Here is the challenge for today:

Make up a character by answering the following questions:
1) boy or girl?
2) human or non-human? (animal, alien, monster, etc.)
3) age 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7?
4) lives in city, country, ocean, underground, or outer space?

Got it?  (You can use as much or as little of this as you like – it’s just to help you imagine your character a little bit.)

Okay.  Now here’s the thing about this character.  He/she has just gotten a pet.  But not just any pet.  Your character did NOT get a dog, cat, fish, hamster, gerbil, guinea pig, snake, bird, mouse, rat, or iguana (or any of what are considered usual/common pets.)  Oh no sirree bob!  Your character got something else entirely!  Pick an unusual and/or outrageous animal to be your character’s pet.  (And if you want to be surprised, or can’t think of anything at this hour of the morning, pick a number from 1-12 and go with the corresponding animal below.)

1. elephant
2. zebra
3. tiger
4. otter
5. kangaroo/wallaby
6. ostrich
7. giraffe
8. lemur
9. porcupine
10. penguin
11. camel
12. gazelle

Now.  Write the opening 1-5 sentences of a children’s story in which you introduce your character, tell us what pet he/she has, and WHY this is a problem and/or WHAT he/she plans to do with this pet.

For example:

Jenevieve had always wanted an elephant, but when one arrived on her front porch two days before kindergarten she found herself in a bit of a pickle.
Mom worked at the hospital.
Dad worked at the firehouse.
Jenevieve would be at school.
Who would take care of her elephant?

Feel free to write as much as you want 🙂  I hope it will spark a fun idea for you.  And if your idea stalls out, perhaps someone else’s will give you inspiration 🙂  My mind is off and running 🙂  I’m envisioning Jenevieve interviewing potential babysitters, looking for a playgroup or daycare for her elephant, coming up with a list of activities/amusements to keep him occupied while she’s gone, or thinking about how she might sneak him into kindergarten…. 🙂

Have fun, everyone!  I look forward to seeing what you come up with!

Happy Monday and Happy Writing! 🙂

The 4th Of July Secret Mystery Writing Contest!!!

160 Comments

FINALLY!  It’s here!

The Fourth Of July Secret Mystery Writing Contest!
WHO ATE THE BLUEBERRIES???!!!

I am so excited about this!  I look forward to these contests so much because so many wonderful, talented writers contribute such fantastic stories!  I can’t wait to read what you’ve all come up with this time!!!

The Contest:  Write a children’s story, in poetry or prose, maximum 400 words about the 4th of July in which a secret is revealed or a mystery is solved!

You may choose any 4th of July setting you like: country, city or small town, sleepaway camp or vacation, with family or friends or all alone, at a parade, a picnic, a fireworks show or a bonfire, in the middle of the woods or in a country where the locals don’t celebrate 4th of July.  Your secret or mystery doesn’t have to be anything earth-shattering.  It could be who took Granny’s award-winning Fourth of July cherry pie?  Or what did Robin tell Sarah who told Olivia who told Gracie about Anna in cabin 7?  Or where did the flags for the parade disappear to?  Or why doesn’t Becky Sue want to go to the fireworks show? Or what Old Mrs. Hootenspiegal knows about the mayor!  Just as long as a secret or mystery of some kind is revealed or solved by the end.

Post:  Your entry should be posted on your blog between Monday July 1 at 12:01 AM EDT and Friday July 5 at 11:59 PM EDT, and your post-specific link should be added to the link list below which will remain up through Sunday July 7 (no Would You Read It on Wednesday July 3… and although the post will remain up through Sunday to give everyone plenty of time to read and enjoy, the entry list will be closed at midnight Friday so we have time to judge).  If you don’t have a blog but would like to enter, please copy and paste your entry into the comments on this post by midnight Friday July 5th.  (If anyone has trouble commenting, which unfortunately happens, please email me and I’ll post your entry for you!)

The Judging:  My lovely assistant and I will narrow down the entrants to five (or possibly a couple more :)) finalists which will be posted here on Monday July 8 for you to vote on for a winner.  The vote will be closed at 6 PM EDT on Thursday July 11 and the winner will be announced on Friday July 12.

The Prizes!:  The first place winner will receive (I am not making this up!) a picture book manuscript critique from Simone Kaplan!!!!!  Yes, THE Simone Kaplan!!!  I wish I knew how to put that up in lights and make it all sparkly! 🙂  Simone Kaplan has been editing children’s books and magazines for over 20 years.  She was an editor at Henry Holt and Company, and then a Senior Editor at HarperCollins.  More recently she has worked as a consultant to various authors, illustrators, and publishing houses.  She also runs a wonderful website called Picture Book People (where you can sign up for her free newsletter among other things.)  A prize like this makes me wish I could compete in my own contest! 🙂

If we get more than 15 entries, we will place through 3rd.  If we get more than 25 entires we will place through 5th.  Additional prizes will include:
 – a $50 Amazon gift certificate
 – a picture book manuscript critique from yours truly (a $75 value)
 – the writing craft book of your choice (up to $30 value)
 – a place in Making Picture Book Magic (my online PB writing course) (a $99 value)

Here is my sample (and I will admit this was a REAL challenge for me!  I’ve never tried writing a mystery before (as I’m sure you’ll be able to tell!), so that was hard enough, but fitting it into 400 words nearly killed me!  In fact, I didn’t quite manage, but it was past my bedtime.  I had to cut so much out to get it near the word count that I’m not sure it even makes sense anymore 🙂  Be forewarned this may qualify as the worst story I’ve ever written – that’s what happens when you over-schedule and write at the last minute! 🙂

The 4th Of July Parade

Lola longed to lead the Crumb Creek 4th of July Parade.
But Granny crashed her motorcycle and broke her arm, and it looked like there would be no 4th of July Pie this year.
“Never mind the parade,” said Lola.  “I’ll help you bake.”
“Fiddlesticks!” said Granny.  “I can bake pie with one hand tied behind my back!”
Lola gave her a hug.  “I’ll be your other hand right after tryouts.”
“Knock their socks off, Sugar-Pie!” said Granny.
At tryouts, the boys hopped on YankeeDoodlePony one after another. Lola hated to admit it, but they were pretty good riders.
When it was her turn, Lola rode her best.
Afterwards George said, “You won’t win.”
“I have just as much chance as you,” said Lola.
Henry said, “You’re too small.”
“I’m the right size for YankeeDoodlePony,” said Lola.
Billy said, “You’re not a boy.  Yankee Doodle was a boy.”
Lola had nothing to say to that.
“This year, the leader will be Lola!” announced Mayor Fluffbottom.
Billy had nothing to say to that.
George stuck his tongue out at Lola, but she was too happy to care.
“They picked me, Granny!” Lola sang, rolling piecrust while Granny picked one-handed through seventeen quarts of blueberries.
“I knew they would!” said Granny.
By bedtime, fifty pies cooled on the counters.
“How will you get these to the Village Green without your motorcycle?” worried Lola.
“I’ll figure a way,” said Granny.  “Sweet dreams, Sugar-Pie.  Big day tomorrow!”
In the morning Lola raced to the barn.
“Hey!” said Billy.  “YankeeDoodlePony is gone!”
“What?” Lola gasped.
George and Henry smirked.
“What did you do with him?” demanded Lola.
“Nothing!” the boys insisted.
The parade started in thirty minutes!
Lola had to find YankeeDoodlePony!
“Help me look for him!” she begged.
They searched high and low, but YankeeDoodlePony was nowhere to be found.
Lola discovered hoofprints and wheel tracks on the driveway.
“It looks like someone drove a pony out here, but he’s long gone.  I guess I won’t be leader after all,” Lola said miserably.
Clip-clop-rattle-rattle.
YankeeDoodlePony came down the road at a smart trot pulling a little cart.  Granny drove one-handed!
“Sorry I’m late, Sugar-Pie!  Had to deliver the pies!”
Lola turned to Billy, Henry and George.  “I’m sorry I thought you hid YankeeDoodlePony,” she said.
“That’s okay,” said Billy.
Lola hopped aboard YankeeDoodlePony
George handed her the flag.
Then Lola rode out to lead the 4th of July Parade.
She sat tall and straight and proud.
YankeeDoodlePony pricked his ears and pranced.
The American flag waved its stars and stripes in the hot breeze.
The crowd along the sidewalk cheered.
And afterwards, there was 4th of July Pie for everyone!

Now then!  That was quite spectacularly awful!  So I hope it will fill you all with confidence, because I know you can all do better than that!

CAN’T WAIT to read your stories!!!  Don’t forget to add your post-specific links below, or copy and paste to the comment section!  Look for Sidney, Sian, Pam, Michele, and Brianna’s stories in the comments.

The Can’t Sleep Without Sheep E-Book Launch Jingle Contest!

56 Comments

It’s finally Monday!

It’s okay.  You can admit it.  I know you couldn’t sleep last night (even with plenty of sheep to count :)) because you were So Excited about today’s contest! 🙂

And today’s contest is happening because tomorrow, May 7, Can’t Sleep Without Sheep is coming out as an E-Book!!!

It will be available on all platforms, and it is one of 4 books that Walker has chosen to launch their E-Book line.  For that reason, it is very important that it do well.  It is a representative!  Sallying forth and bearing the flag of honor!  So I really want to help spread the word so that Woolliam and Ava don’t end up hanging their heads in disgrace!

UPDATE:
Here is the E-Book link for Bloomsbury! Can’t Sleep E-Book – Bloomsbury

This contest has gone through a few metamorphoses, but has ended up as follows.  You may participate in any or all of the 3 categories! 🙂 (and if you’ve already read the rules you can skip a bit :)):

1.  Write a jingle that makes Can’t Sleep Without Sheep sound irresistible!  So that everyone will want to read it!!  On whatever electronic device they happen to have!!!  The judges will look with extra favor on anyone who produces a video (sorry, they can’t help it :))  For more details on writing your jingle, please go HERE)

On Monday May 6 – Tuesday May 7, please post your jingle of awesomeness on your blog and include the links to the E-Book (which I’m sorry you’ll have to add tomorrow because the links don’t exist yet!)  Add your post-specific link to the list below so we can all come and be entertained by your jingle.  (And as always, if you’d like to participate but don’t have a blog, you may either post in the comments or email me and I’ll add your entry to this post.)

On Monday May 13, we will vote for a winner.  If we get fewer than 15 participants (*sob*) I will post them all here for popular vote.  If we get 16 or more (YAY! :)) my lovely assistant and I will select up to 10 finalists for your voting pleasure.

Prizes for Category #1- The Jingle (given for 1st place if 15 entries or fewer, 1st-3rd if more than 16 entries) are as follows:
Winner’s choice of one of the following:

#1 The Serenity Spa Gift Basket from It’s Only Natural – a $55 value of organic soaps and lotions!
#2 A $50 gift certificate to Amazon!
#3 Tangy lemon bars, fudgy brownies, and sugared butter cookies from Sweet Sally’s Bakeshop! (A $40+ value)
#4 Winner’s choice of any 3 of my books, specially signed for whoever you like (A $30-$50 value depending on which books you choose)
#5 Winner’s choice of my online picture book writing course (a $99 value) OR a picture book manuscript critique by yours truly (a $75 value)

2. Face Book post, Tweet, and/or blog that Can’t Sleep Without Sheep is coming out as an E-Book for all platforms, including links (which won’t be available until Tuesday May 7 when the e-book is actually available – I will add the links to this post as soon as I have them.)  Make sure to tag me on your FB posts (Susanna Hill), mention me on your tweets (@SusannaLHill), and email me at susanna[at]susannahill[dot]com to tell me you blogged so I can keep score.  You may post, tweet and blog to your heart’s content all week – May 6 – May 14 at 9 PM EDT – and you will receive a point for every single one!

Your names will be entered into random.org at 9 PM EDT on Tuesday May 14, with the number of times you’re entered equal to the number of points you earned (so if you tweet 14 times, your name will be entered 14 times etc.)

Prizes for Catogory #2 – Social Media Love (FB posting, tweeting and blogging):
The randomly selected winner will have his/her choice of either:
#1 A signed copy of any of my books PLUS the new Can’t Sleep e-book on their choice of platform (which they may also choose to have gifted to a young friend :)) or
#2 A $25 amazon gift certificate

3.  KIDS CONTEST!

Download The Sheep Drawing Activity so your child/children/preschool or kindergarten class 🙂 can draw something for Ava to count and/or The Sheep Hats Activity so they can draw hats on the sheep and/or write entertaining captions for what the sheep are saying.

Scan the gorgeous results and post them on your blog and link to the same link list that will be posted here on Monday May 6-Tuesday May 7 – just put (kids) so we’ll know 🙂  (Again, if you want to participate and don’t have a blog, just email me the scanned pictures and I’ll post them for you here.)

Kids Contest participants will also be voted on May 13, and of course there will be a prize for that too! The winner of the Kids Contest will receive either the new Can’t Sleep Without Sheep E-Book on the platform of his/her choice or a signed hardcover copy PLUS a Folkmanis Sheep puppet!
All winners will be announced on Wednesday May 15!

Now.  Fasten your seat belts.  I have a sample (don’t I always?), maybe two!  And I also have an entry from Ruth!

Are you ready?

This video is a Hill Family Production featuring the musical talents for Eric who made up the jingle and is singing and playing guitar, the videography talents of Number Five who was roped in because I didn’t have enough hands, and Yours Truly as actor/prop manager, producer and director!  As you can see, we are amateurs at movie-making 🙂

Great Scott it took me about two days to get this to load!  I hope it’s running properly.  You might have to turn your volume pretty high…  Fingers crossed it works!

And now, at last, here comes video #2.  Fair warning… don’t put your volume too high and get ready to cover your ears 🙂  Never let it be said that I’m not willing to make a fool of myself for my art 🙂

Here is Ruth’s  Entry:)

Text/Jingle Copyright Ruth Benedum 2013
Illustrations Copyright Mike Wohnoutka 2010

And may I just say that Ruth and I struggled mightily to get something up that worked.  This is her third effort.  I’m sorry the first one with sound wouldn’t load properly, but isn’t this beautiful and fun?

And here is Carrie’s Entry! 🙂

//www.youtube.com/get_player

Now, all you talented people who have your jingles posted, please add your post-specific links to the list.  We’re all coming to see you! 🙂

A Special Short And Sweet With Ryan Sias!

57 Comments

Good Morning, Everyone!

I’m sure you’ll all be glad to know that despite my advanced age I’m still able to type 🙂

Thank you so much for all the lovely birthday wishes and cards and special pictures and banners… ooh, in case you didn’t see the banner I’ll put it here!

isn’t this awesome? it even has Phyllis! with chocolate!
banner created by the amazing and talented Julie Rowan-Zoch

Oh!  And a coffee mug warmer from one very astute and thoughtful blog reader (thank you Caroline! :))  I am so lucky to have so many wonderful friends.  You are all so incredibly nice, and you made my birthday very special! 🙂

And now, I have something special for you!

Fun creativity projects for kids!  Click HERE

Ryan Sias

Rian Sias, who has worked in animation for 20 years and is the talented author/illustrator of Go Greenie! Are You Eating Something Red?, Balloon Toons: Zoe And Robot, Let’s Pretend, and Go Greenie! Are You Eating Something Green? (36 Color-And-Learn Placemats) has started a new venture for kids which I think parents and teachers will enjoy knowing about!

Ryan says, “I wanted to let you know about a fun, art education email program I have created called Siasstudios.com.

I love drawing with kids and letting them finish my drawings.  They come up with wild and crazy ideas which make me laugh.  So I started this for all my nieces and nephews who live in other cities, and now have opened it up to the world!

Here’s an example of one of Ryan’s free art projects

My goal with Sias Studios is to foster creative development in children by giving them 100% free weekly art projects that engage their creativity.  The projects have imaginative coloring pages, zany story prompts, unique drawing lessons, and wacky characters.  All of my material is silly and fun, which I believe creates positive art experiences.”

And here is how one child finished it!

You can subscribe to this free, weekly creativity prompt by going HERE.  Sign up and then sit back and let the fun projects roll in!  Sias Studios activities are recommended for ages 4-11, or anyone who wants to have fun 🙂  Here are a few more examples:

Here is another project…

And here is one child’s interpretation 🙂

Here’s a link to a whole page of waffle fun CLICK HERE!
And here is a fun drawing lesson:)
I hope you’ll all take a moment to check out Ryan’s offerings and pass the word along to friends, family, your children’s teachers… anyone you think might be interested!  Ryan has a great sense of what appeals to young artists and his drawings and activities are always fun!
And now, for today’s Short & Sweet, one of Ryan’s prompts!
badge created by the lovely and talented Loni Edwards

Take a look at that fierce viking aboard his dragon boat and write the first sentence (or 3 :)) of a story in the comment section below!
Here’s my example:) 
“Faster! Faster!” cried Shigvid, doing a small jig of rage on his ship’s bow.  “Brunhilda cannot get away with this!”
I hope you’ll all get a chance to hop over to Ryan’s place, and I hope you’ll enjoy the prompt!  I look forward to reading your story openings!  And thank you all again for all the lovely birthday presents and wishes – you are the best! 🙂

Announcing The Winners Of The In Just Spring Contest!!!

59 Comments

It’s finally here!

The day you’ve all been waiting for!

Monday!

No, seriously, I know you’ve been on pins and needles all weekend, wondering who the winner of a picture book manuscript read and comments by editor Laura Galvin of Kidsbooks was going to be.

And I fully intend to tell you, right after I recite Moby Dick.

“Moby Dick: Or The Whale, by Herman Melville.  Chapter 1.  Loomings.
Call me Ishmael.  Some years ago – never mind how long precisely – having little or no  money in my purse, and nothing particular to interest me on shore, I thought I would sail about a little and see the watery part of the world….”

Hang on.  This is a really long book.  I think I need a drink of water.

Also, it’s really heavy.

And I’m already bored.

Now.  Where was I?

Oh yes.  You were wondering about who won the In Just Spring Contest.

Which reminds me that when I was little, one of my favorite things about spring was that it was finally warm enough to take my pogo stick outside and jump.  I was (and still AM if I may say so) an extremely good pogo sticker.  If only pogo sticking were an Olympic Sport….  Anyway, I grew up in a fourth floor apartment in New York City, and though my mom would let us do many things in the kitchen (roller skate, skate board, climb the walls in the back hall… well, okay, maybe she didn’t exactly let us, but we did it :)) she was very firm about the pogo stick.  It was an outdoor toy.  And our downstairs neighbors had enough trouble dealing with the sound of roller skates and skateboards, and the water damage from the bathtub flooding we perpetrated every night… but that’s another story…  But anyway, technically, a pogo stick is a big spring.  In a way.  So you can see how relevant this story is.  About springing in spring.

Okay.  I’m sorry.  I’ll stop fooling around 🙂

We had the best turnout of writers we’ve ever had for this contest – 42 – a record we’ll have to aim to beat next time 🙂 – and the best turnout of voters for the finalists.  After 4 days of voting (which I know from the comments caused everyone trouble – all the entries were SO GOOD!) the results are in.

AND THE 1st Place WINNER IS:  (DDDRRRUUUMMM RRROOOOOOLLL PLEASE!)

TERESA ROBESON for her story WHAT HENRY KNEW!!!

Congratulations, Teresa!  Winning this contest was no mean feat!  And now, in addition to the fame of winning a Pretty Much World Famous Susanna Hill Contest, you have the opportunity to send one of your picture book manuscripts to editor Laura Galvin at Kidsbooks!  Please email me for details, or, if for some reason you want the alternate prize, please let me know!

2nd Place, and winner of a $25 Amazon gift certificate as well as her choice of the books listed below (unless Teresa for some reason doesn’t want the first place prize in which case they’ll swap) is:

WENDY LAWRENCE for her story LITTLE FOX’S SPRINGS!!!

Congratulations, Wendy!  Fame for you too! 🙂  Please email me with your choice 🙂

3rd place, and winner of her choice of the craft books listed below is:

JILL PROCTOR for her story BREAKFAST TIME FOR A HUNGRY BEAR!!!

Congratulations, Jill!  And there’s plenty of fame to go around 🙂  Please email me with your choice 🙂


Congratulations again, not only to the winners and other finalists, but to ALL the writers who worked hard, polished stories, bravely posted them for all of us to read, and provided us all with wonderful entertainment.

Thank you to all the writers who entered, all the readers who read and commented, and all the voters who agonized and chose.

The contests couldn’t happen without you all! 🙂

Sigh.  So now it’s back to normal blogging life.  I have such fun with the contests that I’m always sorry when they’re over.  But we still have great things to look forward to: a new Would You Read It on Wednesday, new Perfect Picture Books on Friday, Easter candy… although that’s not technically limited to my blog… 🙂

So have a happy and productive Monday, everyone!

Now.  I’m off to hunt down a certain small brown marmot who has some explaining to do about why it’s SNOWING! 🙂

The In Just Spring Contest!!!

131 Comments

The In Just Spring Contest!

Hurray!  It’s here!!  The In Just Spring Contest!!!  And so timely, because I’m really ready for spring and it doesn’t seem to be obliging just yet 🙂

The Contest:  Write a children’s story, in poetry or prose, maximum 350 words.

The story must be about something that really says “SPRING” to you – something that really makes you feel that spring is here!  It can be nature oriented – the robins or geese returning, eggs hatching, flowers blooming, baby animals being born, bears waking up, sunshine or rain, etc.  It can be holiday oriented – St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, April Fools’ Day etc.  It can be school oriented – the spring pageant, spring vacation, the spring talent show.  It can be activity oriented – picnics, bike riding, baseball – anything at all that makes you think spring.

The only other requirement is that the last line must be “[Character Name] knew Spring was really here!” or “[Character Name] knew Spring was here at last!”  (You can also write in first person if you want – e.g. I knew Spring was really here…. and present tense is fine too.)  I’ve given the rhymers amongst you a choice… but if you can’t make either option work with your rhyme scheme you have permission to tweak it slightly as long as the essential meaning stays the same.

Post:  Your entry should be posted on your blog between Friday March 15 at 12:01 AM EDT and Monday March 18 at 11:59 PM EDT, and your post-specific link should be added to the link list on this post which will remain up through Tuesday March 19 (no new post on Monday March 18).  If you don’t have a blog but would like to enter, please copy and paste your entry into the comments here.  (If anyone has trouble commenting, which unfortunately happens, please email me and I’ll post your entry for you!)

The Judge:  My lovely assistant and I will narrow down the entrants to five finalists (or possibly a couple more if we get a lot of entries :)) which will be posted here on Wednesday March 20 (no WYRI that day) for you to vote on for a winner.  The vote will be closed at midnight March 23 and the winner will be announced on Monday March 25.

The Prizes!:
The First Place Winner will get the chance to put one of his/her picture book manuscripts in the hands of editor Laura Galvin of KidsBooks for a read and comments! (and who knows? she might love it! :))

If we get more than 20 entries, prizes will be give through 3rd place.  2nd Place will receive a $25 Amazon gift certificate, and 3rd place will receive his/her choice of the craft books listed below.

Should the winner happen not to be a picture book writer or for some reason not want to show his/her work to an actual real live editor at an actual real live publishing house, he/she will receive a $25 gift certificate to Amazon and a choice of Writing Picture Books: A Hands On Guide From Story Creation To Publication by Ann Whitford Paul, Writing With Pictures: How To Write And Illustrate Children’s Books by Uri Shulevitz, How To Write A Children’s Book And Get It Published by Barbara Seuling, The Writer’s Guide To Crafting Stories For Children by Nancy Lamb, or 2013 Children’s Writers And Illustrators Market by Chuck Sambuchino, and the editor prize will go to the highest placed finisher who wants it.

Here is my sample, squeezing in just under the wire at 348 words:

That’s Better

     As soon as the hockey rink opened in November, Charlie shot out the door with Dad to go skating.

     “Hold it, mister!” said Mom.

     Charlie skidded to a stop.

     Mom pulled a hat down over his ears.  She wound a scarf around his neck.  She slid mittens on his hands.  “That’s better.”

     Charlie didn’t think so.  “I itch,” he complained.

     Mom shrugged.  “No warm clothes, no skating.”

     That was a no-brainer.  Hat, scarf, and mittens stayed on, and Dad and Charlie went to the rink.

     When the first snow fell in December, Charlie raced outside to build a snowman.

     “Hold it, mister!” said Mom.

     Mom pulled the hat over his ears, wound the scarf around his neck, and slid the mittens on his hands.  Then she zipped him into his winter jacket and stuffed his feet in clunky boots.  “That’s better.”

     Charlie didn’t think so.  “I’m hot,” he complained.

     “You won’t be when you get outside,” said Mom.  “Now scoot.”

     Charlie scooted.

     In January, when the deep cold gave the snow a perfect icy crust, Charlie sped out to sled.
     “Hold it, mister!” said Mom.
     Out came the hat, the scarf, the mittens, and the boots, but this time Mom bundled him into his snowsuit.  “That’s better.”
     “Mo-om,” said Charlie.  “I can’t even walk!”
     “You can stay in and help me fold laundry,” Mom offered.
     “Hmmm,” said Charlie, “maybe I can walk,” and out the door he shuffled.
     All through February and March, for tobogganing, fort-building, and snowball-fighting, Charlie could not get out the door without every inch covered in warm clothes.
     “I’m tired of winter,” he said.
     Then the days got longer.  The sun got warmer.  The snow melted, and one day there were robins on the lawn.
     Charlie opened the door and the air was soft and warm.
     “Hold it, mister!” said Mom.
     “Please, Mom,” begged Charlie.  “I don’t want all those clothes.”
     Mom smiled.  She put his baseball cap on his head and handed him his ball and glove.
     “That’s better!” said Charlie.  He hugged her and laughed.  “Now I know spring is really here!”

Now.  I KNOW you can all do better than THAT – talk about circling the drain! – so take heart and get those stories posted!  I can’t wait to read them! 🙂  Don’t forget to add your post-specific link to the list below so that we can all come read your stories and feel like spring is coming!  The list will stay up through midnight Tuesday March 19.

Good luck! 🙂
And please remember to check the comment section!  There are already entries there from Linda, Jill, Pat, Marie-Therese, Nancy C, Jenny, Doris, Nancy M, Kimberly, and Lizzie.  (You may have to scroll down aways…)

Monday Short & Sweet AND The In Just Spring Contest Announcement!

44 Comments

Happy Monday of the last week of February, everyone!

I admit it.  With March only days away, I’ve got spring on the brain… even though it’s currently snowing 🙂  I know it’s a little nuts because around here we don’t really get anything like spring ’til about the third week of April, but March is so hopeful, teasing you into thinking that spring is just around the corner, that I can’t seem to help myself 🙂

And in the spirit of turning the house upside down with spring cleaning… or something… I’m going to do everything backwards today.  I’m going to announce the contest first and put the Short & Sweet second.  I know.  The mind reels at this crazy rule-bending rearranging of the norm.  I’m such a rebel 🙂

First, as inspiration for both the contest and today’s Short & Sweet, I will share one of my favorite poems.

in Just-
by: e.e. cummings (1894-1962)

N Just-
spring when the world is mud-
luscious the little
lame balloonman
 
whistles far and wee
 
and eddieandbill come
running from marbles and
piracies and it’s
spring
 
when the world is puddle-wonderful
 
the queer
old balloonman whistles
far and wee
and bettyandisbel come dancing
 
from hop-scotch and jump-rope and
 
it’s
spring
and
the
 
goat-footed
 
balloonMan whistles
far
and
wee


“in just” was originally published in The Dial Volume LXVIII, Number 5 (May 1920). New York: The Dial Publishing Company, Inc.

Isn’t that wonderful?  I love the idea of “eddieandbill… running from marbles and piracies”, “bettyandisabel…dancing from hopscotch and jump-rope” and who can resist words like “mud-luscious” and “puddle-wonderful”?

So now that you’re in the mood…

 Announcing The In Just Spring Contest!

The Contest:  Write a children’s story, in poetry or prose, maximum 350 words (see how nice I’m being giving you two long word counts in a row for contests?! :))


The story must be about something that really says “SPRING” to you – something that really makes you feel that spring is here!  It can be nature oriented – the robins or geese returning, eggs hatching, flowers blooming, baby animals being born, bears waking up, sunshine or rain, etc.  It can be holiday oriented – St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, April Fools’ Day etc.  It can be school oriented – the spring pageant, spring vacation, the spring talent show.  It can be activity oriented – picnics, bike riding, baseball – anything at all that makes you think spring.

The only other requirement is that the last line must be “[Character Name] knew Spring was really here!” or “[Character Name] knew Spring was here at last!”  (You can also write in first person if you want – e.g. I knew Spring was really here…. and present tense is fine too.)  I’ve given the rhymers amongst you a choice… but if you can’t make either option work with your rhyme scheme you have permission to tweak it slightly as long as the essential meaning stays the same.

Post:  Your entry should be posted on your blog between Friday March 15 at 12:01 AM EST and Monday March 18 at 11:59 PM EST, and your post-specific link should be added to the link list on the official In Just Spring Contest post which will go up on my blog on Friday March 15 (no PPBF that day!) and remain up through Tuesday March 19 (no new post on Monday March 18).  If you don’t have a blog but would like to enter, please copy and paste your entry into the comments on my March 15th post.  (If anyone has trouble commenting, which unfortunately happens, please email me and I’ll post your entry for you!)

The Judge:  My lovely assistant and I will narrow down the entrants to five (or possibly a couple more :)) finalists which will be posted here on Wednesday March 20 (no WYRI that day) for you to vote on for a winner.  The vote will be closed at midnight March 23 and the winner will be announced on Monday March 25.

The Prizes!:  I’m still working on the prize(s).  I’m hoping to have something knock-your-socks-off great to offer… but we’ll see.  Stay tuned 🙂
badge created by the talented Loni Edwards

Now, after all that excitement, for our Short & Sweet today, let’s close our eyes and roll back the years until we’re 5 (or 3 or 7 or 9 – anything under 10 :)).

Now let’s remember that feeling, that first inkling, that Spring, Summer, Autumn or Winter has arrived.  What are the tiny details, the little moments, you think of?  The things that are representative of that season to you?
Now, let’s turn those tiny details and little moments into lines – things kids can do – in the style of “eddieandbill come running from marbles and piracies”.  You can share just one for the season of your choosing, or you can share for 2, 3, or all of the seasons if you really want to stretch those writing muscles!  (Or if you’re in a spring-obsessed mood, you can post 4 or 12 or 20 all about spring :))
Here are my examples:
Spring:  annieandjane come soaring, hair streaming, higher and higher into the greengold air
Summer: maddieandmike run laughing from the white-foamed waves that tickle their bare feet
Autumn: harryandgrant come creeping under skeleton trees toward the warm jack-o-lantern light
Winter: johnnyandjade come stomping in snowy boots and wooly mittens for a carrot nose and a licorice smile
This exercise may actually help you get started on your contest story idea!  Who knows?! 🙂
Have a great day, everyone, writing, reading, parenting, teaching, and otherwise! 🙂