If you spend any time around kids, you have no doubt been challenged to a variety of tongue twisters. My sister and I had two favorites when we were kids: “toy boat” and “rubber baby buggy bumper” ((say either of them at least 3 times fast!)
But the most recent one I got challenged to (which I can barely say 1 time without messing up 😊) is “Irish wristwatch, Swiss wristwatch” Go on! I dare you!
It’s hard, right?! 😊
So, if you’re casting about for a writing prompt today, why not have a go at writing something with tongue twisters? Dr. Seuss did it. You can, too!
I think it’s actually kind of a cool exercise, since it makes you really think about the sounds in words – something we care a lot about here in kidlit 😊
Here’s Something Chocolate to get you fueled up and ready to write – Cookie Dough Fudge! Looks scrumptious, doesn’t it?
Perhaps you’ll feel inspired to write a story full of tongue twisters about cookie dough fudge 😊
Now then, onto today’s pitch which comes to us from Cindy. Cindy is a kidlit writer, graphic designer, kid at heart, and lover of all things chocolate. She works full time in marketing but writing for kids is her happy place. She is also a member of the Write2Ignite Conference team (write2ignite.com) which offers virtual workshops for children’s writers and her website is cindylynnsawyer.net.
Find her on the web at:
Here is her pitch:
Working Title: Remmy’s Sticky Situation
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 4-8)
The Pitch: When Remmy raccoon’s cotton candy disappears, he blames his friends. But he finds himself in a sticky situation when he discovers the real reason for the mystery. Has he lost his best buds forever? How can Remmy show his friends that he is truly sorry?
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 you answer is MAYBE or NO, please feel free to tell us what you think could be better in the spirit of helping Cindy 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 Would You Read It in the dropdown under For Writers in the menu bar above. There are openings as soon as next week (April 27), so you could get your pitch up pretty soon for helpful feedback and a chance to have it read and commented on my editor Erin Molta!
Cindy is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch! I am looking forward to seeing if I can figure out a story that has been percolating in my mind for about 2 weeks. . . I hope I can get it on paper, and I hope I love it when it gets there! 😊
Here’s a little puzzler for first thing in the morning.
April is a big birthday month in my family, which prompts discussions of how likely it is people’s birthdays will land on Easter. I am well aware of the deep and important meaning of Easter and do not make light of it, but let’s face it: for kids it’s all about getting birthday presents AND jelly beans in the same day 😊
I googled a bit, but was quickly sent scurrying back to my rightful place by Scary Math. So, as is appropriate, I’m going anecdotal.
My dad’s birthday has been on Easter 3 times: 1962, 1973, and 1984. Perhaps Easter dates move in 11 year cycles? (How’s that for deductive reasoning? Take that, Scary Math!)
One of my daughters’ birthday has never fallen on Easter for her, but will in 2031. (I will not say how old she’s going to be because it is not polite to tell a lady’s age 😊)
My niece’s birthday is April Fool’s Day and her birthday landed on Easter in 2018 when she turned 14, and will again in 2029 and 2040. (There are those 11s again!) My nephew’s birthday fell on Easter 2 years before he was born when it wasn’t his birthday yet and isn’t due to land on that date again until 2066 when he will be 62 years old!
I, as you know, am extremely ancient, and yet my birthday has only landed on Easter once, the year I turned 9.
My deductions, based on the anecdotal evidence cited above, (and just try to stay with me on this because I know math and science simply aren’t for everyone and you should just not feel bad if your mind has a hard time with the acrobatic feats demonstrated by mine!), is that my next Easter birthday will be whenever Easter feels like it 😊
There will be extra credit for anyone who can guess the dates of my Dad’s, daughter’s, nephew’s, and my birthdays. The cat’s already out of the bag on my niece’s 🤣🤣
Now that I’ve limbered you up with mental calisthenics, let’s do a little celebrating, shall we? I am thrilled to announce the pitch winners that you all voted on last week! Woo hoo!!!
The Pitch Winners are . . . .
September 2021 – Hannah – The Good Wolf (PB 4-8)
October 2021 – Robin – I Am The Zookeeper (PB 3-7)
November/December 2021 – Melissa – Don’t Even Think About Lions! (PB 4-8)
January 2022 – Patti – Dragon Is Out Of Here (PB 4-8)
Congratulations, Hannah, Robin, Melissa, and Patti! Great job! Your pitches have already been sent to editor Erin Molta and I’m sure she will reply with her comments as soon as she can! We have a lot of Straight From The Editors to look forward to!
Congratulations to all our other pitchers, too! You all did a fabulous job presenting your pitches and then taking the feedback offered by our wonderful readers and using it to revise and improve. I hope everyone feels like a winner because I think you all ended up with stronger pitches!
I appreciate everyone who steps up to share because it gives all of us a chance to learn and improve our skills! So, thank you all!
All that math and excitement has rendered me slightly faint, so I think it’s time for Something Chocolate! Don’t these Easter Blossom Cookies (or Spring Blossom if you don’t celebrate Easter) look delicious? So springy! And, more importantly, so delightfully chocolate in the middle! 😊
Now then, onto today’s pitch which comes to us from Deborah. Deborah Foster is a mother, an architectural drafter, and a fantastic cook. She is a member of 12×12, Inked Voices, and SCBWI. She is always looking for more writing friends on Twitter. Follow her @DeborahClaytonF or check out her blog at www.deborahfosterbooks.com.
Here is her pitch:
Working Title: Little Camper’s Not-so-big Adventure
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 4-8)
The Pitch: Little Camper can’t wait for her first big adventure! Will it be the Grand Canyon? Roaring Niagara Falls? When Little Camper’s first adventure bounces down dusty back roads to the Apron Museum, she’s ashamed to recount her travels to the other campers. But after a hurry-to-the-next-stop trip, Little Camper realizes that bumpy back roads and odd attractions might just be the perfect adventures for her.
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 you answer is MAYBE or NO, please feel free to tell us what you think could be better in the spirit of helping Deborah 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 Would You Read It in the dropdown under For Writers in the menu bar above. There are openings immediately, so you could get your pitch up next week if you want for helpful feedback and a chance to have it read and commented on my editor Erin Molta!
Deborah is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch! I am looking forward to Easter weekend! 😊
. . . on a blueberry-covered hill not all that far, far away in upstate New York. . .
. . .a princess lived in a little house in the woods.
(I know. You’re wondering why the princess lived in a little house in the woods. “That’s not right!” I hear you saying. “Princesses are supposed to live in castles, or be trapped in towers or dungeons!” But this is not your usual run-of-the-mill princess. . .)
This princess was a champion pogo-sticker (yes, that is too a word.) She had been training for years, doing hours of jumping, and keeping to a strict diet of Spring Beans and Garbouncebos. It was very effective. The villagers could often be heard proclaiming, “That princess sure is full of beans!” And, “Boy! Can she bounce!”
The Bouncy Trouncy Pouncy Flouncy Pogosticking Championship, the most prestigious of all pogosticking competitions in the Universe, was only days away, and the princess (whose name was Poppy – so fitting, don’t you think? due to all that popping up and down? it’s almost like her excellence in pogosticking was foreseen when her parents picked her name. . .) but anyway, Poppy passionately wanted to win the competition and the life-size golden pogostick trophy that was the prize!
There was just one small problem. . .
She was supposed to have posted the winners for the 7th Annual Valentiny Writing Contest and she had spent so much time jumping and bouncing and eating beans and various other explosive foods that she had not done it. NO, SHE HAD NOT!
So her mother said, “Poppy, there will be no Pogosticking Championship for you until you have met your obligations! I will not have shirkers in my little house in the woods!”
Well. Poppy REALLY wanted to get to that Championship! So she sat on her hippity-hop (great indoor leg strength building for bouncing and jumping muscles) and made the list of winners and honorable mentions in record time (because Poppy was all about making records, whether in pogosticking or in judging whilst hippity-hopping and continuing her bean eating!)
“I am so proud of you, Poppy,” her mother said. “Not only have you fulfilled your obligations, you have kept up with your exercise regimen and your bean eating at the same time, showing great commitment to your sport and your goals! Now, go to the Bouncy Trouncy Pouncy Flouncy Pogosticking Championship and jump the socks off your competitors!”
There will now be a short commercial break to announce the WINNERS of . . .
The 7th Annual Valentiny Writing Contest
~forchildren’swriters~
(don’t worry – you’ll find out what happened to Poppy after this break from our sponsors)
First of all, I want to thank EVERYONE who took the time and care to write an entry for this contest. You all did a fabulous job and provided great enjoyment for so many! As always, I was thrilled to see so many wonderful stories! It is amazing and inspiring, not to mention VERY entertaining! There is just so much talent out there amongst you all! The other judges and I are blown away anew each time!
Second, I’d also like to thank EVERYONE – writer, reader, or both – who took the time to read as many entries as you could and leave supportive comments. This means so much to the writers who worked hard on their stories. It helps them see what they did well, as well as giving them the joy of knowing that their stories were read and enjoyed. I hope you all got as much delight and entertainment out of the reading as I did! Plus, we got to meet quite a few new people which was a wonderful added bonus! 😊
Third, I want to say again how difficult it was too choose! There were so many amazing entries. Really. I could find at least something terrific about every single one. The sheer volume of entries meant that many good ones had to be cut. We chose 14 finalists, and around 35 Honorable Mentions which we also loved, and even with those 49 total there were nearly 150 entries we couldn’t list! So if yours didn’t make the final cut please don’t feel bad. You’re in good company! There was a huge amount of competition. And remember that the judging is based on the contest criteria. If you wrote a great story that didn’t showcase pride enough or that was too grown-up or not related to Valentine’s Day, you didn’t make the final cut. But that 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 and a deadline. You bravely shared your writing with the world. And you have a brand new story that is now yours to expand beyond 214 words if you like and maybe submit at some point to a magazine or as a PB manuscript. So bravo to everyone who entered!
Because it was such a hard choice, and there were so many wonderful stories, before we get to the winners, my assistant judges and I would like to award bragging rights, recognition and a small prize to the following authors for the following merits:
1.ForHonorable Mention In The Competition As A Whole: (entries we truly wrestled with not including in the finalists!)
Lori Sheroan for The Proudest Pencil
Susannah Lee for Shelby’s Heartache
Claire Noland for The Valentine Surprise
Chayala Nachum for My Icky Sticky Valentine (great kid appeal too!)
Rachel Bandy for V’s For Valentine
Terri Hellard-Brown for Isabella’s Valentine
Becky Goodman for ValenTalent Show
Lauri C. Meyers for My Gummy Love
Susanne Whitehouse for The Mural
Judy Sobanski for Sloth’s Original Valentine
Laura Bower for Llama Love
Sara Kruger for The Perfect Present
2. For Great Read Aloud:
Brigid Finucane for Love Somebody (makes you want to sing and dance 😊)
3. For Great Story For Younger Readers:
Patti Ranson for Valentines Breakfast For Mom
Cindy Greene for Valentine’s Day Heartache
Tara Knox Cerven for The Purrfect Valentine
Lori C. Evans for Never Too Many Valentines
4. For Humor:
Donna Kurtz for Don’t-Let-The-Dung-Beetle-Make-The-Valentine-Brownies!
Jill Purtee for Gumballs
5. For Fun POV/Character:
Jenna Elyse Johnson for Hammie’s Valentine Surprise (dog)
Deborah Foster for Gary Groundhog Conquers The Shadow Monster (groundhog/snowhog)
6. For Great Ending:
Alayne Kay Christian for What Kind Of Cupid Am I?
Kristy Roser Nuttall for Love Inside
Mary Schultz for Taffy’s Sweet Surprise
7. ForWell-Written Story With Great Sibling Interaction:
Julianna Helt for Allie’s Biggest Heart
Armineh Manookian for Lost But Found
Erika Romero for You Make Me So Proud
8. ForBeautiful Writing:
A. Kidd for Three Hearts
Corine Timmer for It’s A Matter Of Taste (also educational and funny ending!)
9. For Best Short Valentiny Story:
Marty Findley for A Valentine For You (64 words!)
10. For Sweet Valentiny:
Heather Ferranti Kinser for Teeny Houdini
Kathy Crable for Valentine Barks
Lindsay Moretti for A Valentine For Mr. Weatherly
11. Best Story From A Young Writer:
Sophie Moore (age 10) for Detective Spot And The Search For A New Cupid (also clever and funny!)
Congratulations to all of you for fantastic elements of your stories! Please email me at susanna[at]susannahill[dot]com subject line Prize Winner to collect your award badge and prize, which is five dollars in a format that can be emailed for you to put toward something you’d like at a large online store (and I’m being cryptic because when I’ve done this for previous contests I got a ton of problematic spam mail because of the way I worded the post, but hopefully you can figure it out. The store starts with the letter A 😊) I know it’s not much, but hopefully it will come in handy for something!
And now…
…the moment you’ve all been waiting for…
The announcement of the WINNERS OF THE 2021 VALENTINY CONTEST as voted on by you, our devoted readers!!!
rat-a-tat-rat-a-tat-rat-a-tat-rat-a-tat-rat-a-tat
DDDRRRUUUMMM RRROOOLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!
In First Place…
Winner of the whole shebang…
who gets first choice of all the prizes…
Michaela Almeida for A Change Of Heart!!!
Congratulations, Michaela! Terrific job 😊
In Second Place
Daniella Kaufman for Sweet Valentine
Congratulations, Daniella! You get to pick your prize after Michaela.
In Third Place
Katie Brandyberry for Valentine Delivery – Part II
Congratulations, Katie! You get to pick your prize after Michaela and Daniella.
In Fourth Place…
Jesse Anna Bornemann for Showdown In Smoochalot
Congratulations, Jesse! You get to pick your prize after Michaela, Daniella, and Katie!
In Fifth Place…
Allison Strick for Percy’s Performance
Congratulations, Allison! You get to pick after Michaela, Daniella, Katie, and Jesse!
In Sixth Place...
Katie Palazzola for Oog Love Rock
Congratulations, Katie! I’m sure you get the idea of how the prize picking goes by now 😊
In Seventh Place…
Sarah Meade for V-Day!
Congratulations, Sarah! You get to pick next 😊
In Eighth Place…
Amy Leskowski for Cupid’s Confidence
Congratulations, Amy! You get to pick after Sarah 😊
In Ninth Place…
Laura Bost for Flicker’s Valentine
Congratulations, Laura! You get to pick after Amy! 😊
In Tenth Place…
Kate Thompson for The Valentine’s Cake
Congratulations, Kate! You get to pick after Laura! 😊
In Eleventh Place…
Sara Petersohn for Valentine Wins
Congratulations, Sara! You get to pick after Kate! 😊
In Twelfth Place…
Kimberly Shrack for The Perfect Valentine
Congratulations, Kimberly! You get to pick your prize after Sara! 😊
In Thirteenth Place…
Emily Keener for Special Delivery
Congratulations, Emily! You get to pick after Kimberly!
In Fourteenth Place…
Zach Schloss for Hoppy Belated Valentine
Congratulations, Zach!
All the winners should email me at susanna[at]susannahill[dot]com with the subject heading Prize Winner so we can work out details for you to receive your prizes! (The sooner the better!) And for your convenience, the whole prize list is included at the bottom of this post.
Congratulations again to all our winners – it was a stiff competition!! – and congratulations to EVERYONE who wrote and entered a story in the contest. You all deserve a huge round of applause and a gigantic chocolate heart… or lots of little chocolate hearts… or both… really, you can never have too much chocolate 😊 .
Oh! And as a special reward I will tell you that Princess Poppy went to the Bouncy Trouncy Pouncy Flouncy Pogosticking Championship and pogoed with astounding energy, bouncing and jumping as, one by one, all the other competitors fell victim to Jelly Legs and toppled off their pogo sticks, and she was so impressive that not only did she win the competition and the life-sized golden pogo stick trophy (“That’s my girl!” her mother said proudly), they also named a brand of beans after her, so now you can buy Princess Poppy Beans – Beans That Pop With Flavor and Will Make You Jump For Joy! They are high in fiber and an excellent source of protein so you really can’t go wrong! Try some with your chocolate! (er… or maybe that WOULD be wrong 🤣)
Thank you to everyone who helped make this contest SO MUCH FUN, whether by writing an entry, reading people’s stories, leaving comments for the authors, and/or voting in the finals. It’s because of all of you that this contest was such a success, so many, many thanks from the bottom of my heart!
Have a marvelous Wednesday, everyone! 😊
The Prizes: Swoonworthy! As always, we are so fortunate to have an abundance of wonderful prizes donated by our very generous friends in the kidlit community! Just look at all these goodies!
⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Read & Critique from agent Mary Cummings of Great River Literary, “an agency devoted exclusively to representing authors and author/illustrators of books for children and teens. Strong relationships with editors have resulted in a rapidly growing list of sales of board and picture books, chapter books and novels to such publishing houses as Knopf; Philomel; Viking; Nancy Paulsen/Penguin; Balzer & Bray; Walker; Little, Brown; Henry Holt; Holiday House; Feiwel & Friends; FSG; Running Press; WorthyKids; Abrams; Random House; Wiseman S & S; Chronicle; Candlewick; HarperCollins and many others.”
⭐️ 1/2 Hour Zoom Picture Book Manuscript Critique or Mentoring Session with authorLynne Marie!
⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique from Rebecca Gardyn Levington author of BRAINSTORM! (Sleeping Bear Press, Summer 2022), I WILL ALWAYS BE…(HarperCollins, Spring 2024) and a contributor to the delightful anthologyHOP TO IT: POEMS TO GET YOU MOVING (Pomelo Books, October 2020)
⭐️ Personalized Signed Copy of Winner’s Choice of any available Susanna Leonard Hill picture book
Please join me in thanking these very generous authors and other writing professionals for contributing their books and writing expertise as prizes by visiting their websites and blogs, considering their books and services for birthday, holiday or other gift purchases, rating and/or reviewing their books on GoodReads, Amazon, B&N, or anywhere else if you like them, recommending them for school and library visits, and supporting them in any other way you can dream up! 😊
Hi Everyone! I’m so sorry, but there is absolutely no chance I’m going to have finalists Friday morning as I originally posted. I’m not even sure when to say I will have them, though I’ll get them up as soon as I can. It will not be over this weekend, I’m sure of that. Thank you all for your patience. I’m so sorry for the delay!
[For those trying to post, you must click on the Blog Post Title to get on the blog post page and access the comments]
Roses are red
Violets are blue
Valentinies rock
And so do YOU!
Whether your characters are filled with pride and joy, puffed up with pride, or in danger of pride going before a fall, the time has come for . . .
The 7th Annual Valentiny Writing Contest
~ for children’s writers ~
The Contest: since writing for children is all about “big emotion for little people” (I forget who said that, but someone did so I put it in quotes!) and Valentines Day is all about emotion, write a Valentines story appropriate for children (children here defined as ages 12 and under) maximum 214 words in which someone feels proud! They can be proud in a good way or a bad way. They can be proud of themselves for asking someone to be their Valentine, or they can be proud of how they asked. They can be proud of a Valentine they make, or a Valentine celebration they plan. They can be proud of giving something up, or proud of asking someone they’re not sure about for some reason in order to be nice. They can be proud of their performance in a Valentines Day play or concert or parade. . . sky’s the limit! Just make sure it is clearly Valentine-centered! Think beyond the obvious! Your story can be poetry or prose, sweet, funny, surprising or anything in between, but it will only count for the contest if it includes someone proud (can be the main character but doesn’t have to be) and is 214 words (get it? 2/14 for Valentines Day 😊 ) You can go under the word count but not over! (Title is not included in the word count.) If you are so inclined, you are welcome to enter more than one entry – just remember you’ll be competing against yourself 😊 No illustration notes please!
Post your story in the comment section below between right now this very second and Sunday February 13th by 11:59 PM EDT. There will be no regularly scheduled posts for the duration of the contest (Tuesday Debut, Would You Read It, or PPBF), so the post and all of your entries will stay up for everyone to enjoy. If you have difficulty with the comments, which unfortunately sometimes happens, you may email your entry to me and I’ll post it for you. [Also, a small note: I have a serious family situation at the moment. I didn’t want to cancel the contest at the last minute, but please be patient with me if it takes me a while to post emailed entries and update the link list etc.I will do my best, but apologies in advance for delays.]
The Judging: my lovely assistants and I will narrow down the entrants to 6-12 top choices depending on number and quality of entries (hee hee hee – you know how much trouble I have with the narrowing, so we’ll see) which will be posted here and voted on for a winner on Friday February 18th (or possibly a day or two later if the judges need extra time.) The winner will be announced Monday February 21st depending on judging and voting time needed. The dates of the judging/voting/winner announcements are subject to finagling depending on how much time the judges actually end up needing!
Judging criteria will include:
Kid-appeal/Kid-friendliness – remember, this is a story for kids!
Creativity in using pride, and success in making us feel the pride (whether it’s good pride or bad)!
Valentine’s Day appropriateness – this is a VALENTINE story and Valentine’s Day must be central to it!
Quality of story – we will look for basic story elements and a true story arc
Quality of writing – use and flow of language, correctness of mechanics, excellence of rhyme and meter if you use it, PROOFREADING!
Originality – surprise us with something new and different! 😊
How well you followed the Submission Guidelines – agents and editors expect professionalism. This is a chance to practice making sure you read and follow specified guidelines.
The Prizes: As always, we are so fortunate to have an abundance of wonderful prizes donated by our very generous friends in the kidlit community! Just look at all these goodies!
⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Read & Critique from agent Mary Cummings of Great River Literary, “an agency devoted exclusively to representing authors and author/illustrators of books for children and teens. Strong relationships with editors have resulted in a rapidly growing list of sales of board and picture books, chapter books and novels to such publishing houses as Knopf; Philomel; Viking; Nancy Paulsen/Penguin; Balzer & Bray; Walker; Little, Brown; Henry Holt; Holiday House; Feiwel & Friends; FSG; Running Press; WorthyKids; Abrams; Random House; Wiseman S & S; Chronicle; Candlewick; HarperCollins and many others.”
⭐️ 1/2 Hour Zoom Picture Book Manuscript Critique or Mentoring Session with authorLynne Marie!
⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique from Rebecca Gardyn Levington author of BRAINSTORM! (Sleeping Bear Press, Summer 2022), I WILL ALWAYS BE…(HarperCollins, Spring 2024) and a contributor to the delightful anthologyHOP TO IT: POEMS TO GET YOU MOVING (Pomelo Books, October 2020)
Please join me in thanking these very generous authors and other writing professionals for contributing their books and writing expertise as prizes by visiting their websites and blogs, considering their books and services for birthday, holiday or other gift purchases, rating and/or reviewing their books on GoodReads, Amazon, B&N, or anywhere else if you like them, recommending them for school and library visits, and supporting them in any other way you can dream up! 😊
Now! Put your heart into it and proudly post your entries!
I can’t wait to read your stories!!!
Eager Readers: Check out the comment section for all the fabulous entries! 😊
ENTRIES (all entries are linked) [will be linked tomorrow – sorry for delay]
It’s Would You Read It Wednesday where we’re all about practicing, polishing, and perfecting pitches!
Let’s jump right in, shall we?
First, a fortifying snack, Something Chocolate which isn’t exactly chocolate today 😊 Since we had chocolate cake yesterday for our impromptu giveaway winner celebration party, and since it’s practically Valentine’s Day, and since this cake is SO pretty, I’m departing from the norm and serving Valentine’s Day Cheesecake! (And it does have chocolate crust! 😊)
That just looks like four layers of heaven, doesn’t it? YUM! Dig in!
Now then, onto today’s pitch which comes to us from Mary Beth who says, “I am a debut picture book author from Nebraska, blessed with four children who have given me more story material than I could ever use. I have been learning how to write picture books with the help of the wonderful writing community through SCBWI, 12 x 12, and the amazing authors like you with your informative and encouraging websites.
When I am not making Jam (Covid stress reliever?!) I am a retreat facilitator and am trying to build more and more pockets of time to write.”
I can be found online at: Instagram @mbwallarice Twitter @mbwallarice Facebook..Mary Beth Rice http://thevillagejoymaker.com
Here is her pitch:
Working Title: The Cottonwood Stars
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 4-8) (or maybe 5-9?)
The Pitch: Hattie shares the wonder of the Cottonwood tree with her brother near their Gram’s garden. In snip, snap, snapping the tree twigs in half, actual stars are revealed! Later that evening, Hattie makes a new discovery: Her heart is still linked to Gram’s through the stars in tree and sky. THE COTTONWOOD STARS encourages healing through the power of nature.
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 you answer is MAYBE or NO, please feel free to tell us what you think could be better in the spirit of helping Mary Beth improve her pitch. Helpful examples of possible alternate wordings are welcome. (However I must ask that comments be constructive and respectful. I reserve the right not to publish comments that are mean because that is not what this is about.)
Please send YOUR pitches for the coming weeks! For rules and where to submit, click on this link Would You Read It, or on Would You Read It in the dropdown under For Writers in the menu bar above. There is an opening February 23 and March is open too, so you could get your pitch up pretty soon for helpful feedback and a chance to have it read and commented on my editor Erin Molta!
Mary Beth is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch! I am looking forward to the Valentiny Writing Contest (guidelines HERE if you’re interested in writing an entry!) which opens in 2 days!!! I can’t wait to read everyone’s entries!
What a day! It’s Groundhog Day AND Would You Read It Wednesday AND World Read Aloud Day!
Since I wrote this post ahead of time, I don’t have Phyllis’s prediction for you, but I know what she’s hoping for 😊 I’ll give you a hint: it involves flowers 💐🌼🌷🌻🌹🌸🌺
She and I have a busy day, so we’re just going to jump right in and fortify ourselves with some fancy, fun, groundhog-friendly chocolate! Won’t you join us? We have a choice! Groundhog Day Cupcakes and Groundhog Day No Bake Cookies!
Groundhog Day Cupcakes & Groundhog Day No Bake Cookies
Please help yourselves to either or both. I mean, really, you should probably try both to see which one you like best 😊😊😊
Now then, onto today’s pitch which comes to us from Helen. Helen is a Texas transplant living in beautiful Richmond, VA with her husband and two children. When she is not writing and dreaming of engaging picture book ideas, she works as a medical provider with refugees and immigrants.
The Pitch: It’s first grade… Daphne’s new school requires sneakers. She refuses to wear them. What’s a bold fashionista to do when her individuality is threatened by everyday rules? With her big brother’s help, Daphne learns that embracing change can be wildly fun in DAPHNE’S DRESS CODE DILEMMA.
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 you answer is MAYBE or NO, please feel free to tell us what you think could be better in the spirit of helping Helen 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 Would You Read It in the dropdown under For Writers in the menu bar above. There are openings February 9 and 23, so you could get your pitch up pretty soon for helpful feedback and a chance to have it read and commented on my editor Erin Molta!
Helen is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch! I am looking forward to visiting classrooms full of kids to share Fun With Phyllis! 😊
In spite of my tendency to forget what day it is, I do know that today is Sunday. Not a posting day for me.
But let’s face it. It’s freezing cold, there’s snow everywhere, and going outdoors is likely to cause loss of digits or possibly your nose to frostbite. Not only that, it’s still January so the spring light at the end of the tunnel seems far far away!
We definitely need something to energize us (whilst keeping our fingers and toes intact)!
Let’s get the sun shining and our motivation flowing with a nice mug of hot chocolate (preferably topped with whipped cream because why not? 😊) and a writing challenge!
Are you ready to fire up those brain cells?
Because you’ve got two weeks (nothing like a deadline to get you focused on something besides how cold and dark it is!) to write your entry for. . .
The 7th Annual Valentiny Writing Contest
~ for children’s writers ~
The Contest: since writing for children is all about “big emotion for little people” (I forget who said that, but someone did so I put it in quotes!) and Valentines Day is all about emotion, write a Valentines story appropriate for children (children here defined as ages 12 and under) maximum 214 words in which someone feels proud! They can be proud in a good way or a bad way. They can be proud of themselves for asking someone to be their Valentine, or they can be proud of how they asked. They can be proud of a Valentine they make, or a Valentine celebration they plan. They can be proud of giving something up, or proud of asking someone they’re not sure about for some reason in order to be nice. They can be proud of their performance in a Valentines Day play or concert or parade. . . sky’s the limit! Just make sure it is clearly Valentine-centered! Think beyond the obvious! Your story can be poetry or prose, sweet, funny, surprising or anything in between, but it will only count for the contest if it includes someone proud (can be the main character but doesn’t have to be) and is 214 words (get it? 2/14 for Valentines Day 😊 ) You can go under the word count but not over! (Title is not included in the word count.) If you are so inclined, you are welcome to enter more than one entry – just remember you’ll be competing against yourself 😊 No illustration notes please!
Post your story in the comment section of my Friday February 11th Post between 12:01 AM EDT Friday February 11th and Sunday February 13th by 11:59 PM EDT. There will be no regularly scheduled posts for the duration of the contest (Tuesday Debut, Would You Read It, or PPBF), so the post and all of your entries will stay up for everyone to enjoy. If you have difficulty with the comments, which unfortunately sometimes happens, you may email your entry to me and I’ll post it for you. But please don’t email your entry before the start of the contest – my inbox is generally overflowing and things may get lost!
The Judging: over the following days, my lovely assistants and I will narrow down the entrants to 6-12 top choices depending on number and quality of entries (hee hee hee – you know how much trouble I have with the narrowing, so we’ll see) which will be posted here and voted on for a winner on Friday February 18th (or possibly a day or two later if the judges need extra time.) The winner will be announced Monday February 21st depending on judging and voting time needed. The dates of the judging/voting/winner announcements are subject to finagling depending on how much time the judges actually end up needing!
Judging criteria will include:
Kid-appeal/Kid-friendliness – remember, this is a story for kids!
Creativity in using pride, and success in making us feel the pride (whether it’s good pride or bad)!
Valentine’s Day appropriateness – this is a VALENTINE story and Valentine’s Day must be central to it!
Quality of story – we will look for basic story elements and a true story arc
Quality of writing – use and flow of language, correctness of mechanics, excellence of rhyme and meter if you use it, PROOFREADING!
Originality – surprise us with something new and different! 😊
How well you followed the Submission Guidelines – agents and editors expect professionalism. This is a chance to practice making sure you read and follow specified guidelines.
The Prizes: I’m still working on prizes (aren’t I always 😊), but I wanted to get the contest guidelines up so you’d have time to write. Start writing and watch this space for prizes which I will fancy up and add to as I get them organized!
⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Read & Critique from agent Mary Cummings!
⭐️ 1/2 Hour Zoom Picture Book Manuscript Critique or Mentoring Session with author Lynne Marie!
⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique from author Penny Parker Klostermann!
⭐️ 30 Minute Zoom Ask Me Anything with author Keila Dawson!
⭐️ Access to author/editor Alayne Kay Christians webinars!
⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique (fiction) from author Melissa Berger Stoller!
⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique from author Rebecca Gardyn Levington!
⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique (nonrhyming) from author Rebecca Kraft Rector!
⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique and Query Letter Critique from author Jessica Stremer!
⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique from author Cathy Ballou Mealey!
⭐️ Personalized Signed Copy of KING CAKE BABY by Keila Dawson
⭐️ Personalized Signed Copy of PLANTING FRIENDSHIP: PEACE, SALAAM, SHALOM by Melissa Berger Stoller
⭐️ Personalized Signed Copy of IT’S A MUFFULETTA! IT’S A WHATA? by Patricia Saunders
It’s Would You Read It Wednesday again, my friends!
And speaking of Would You Read It, what a glorious week in children’s publishing it is when the ALA Awards are announced – a whole BUNCH of books you’re definitely going to want to read! For the full list (in case you haven’t seen it already) click HERE.
So many books and not enough reading time . . !
I think I need Something Chocolate to munch on while I decide which one to read first 😊 It seems like just the right kind of day for fudgy chocolate brownie cookies loaded with extra chocolate chips . . . or fancied up for Valentine’s Day with Valentine M&Ms! . . . don’t you think?
Now then, if you can manage to read and type without getting too much chocolate on your keyboard, onto today’s pitch which comes to us from Reed who says, “I am a Registered Psychotherapist during the day and am a kidlit writer by night. I have MS in PB, CB and GN in various stages of development. I live in Toronto, Canada with my hubby, sticky humans and the real Mr Boots and Sassy (aka Boots and Mittens)”
Working Title: The Alley Cat Chronicles: Mr. Boots, Book 1
Age/Genre: Chapter Book (advanced) (ages 7-9)
The Pitch: Cocky housecat Mr. Boots, meets street-wise Sassy, and between them, they have one competent alley cat and it’s not Mr. Boots.
A tomcat, Mr. Boots, claims to be an “expert” of the streets despite a life lived indoors; the small sticky humans, dry clunky kibble, and stinky cramped litter box. When he finally slips away to chase his dreams – and some birds- he discovers that life outside is harder than it looked through the window. To help him learn the ways of the alley, a feisty street cat Sassy, his long-lost kid sister, who can out-hunt and out-climb him steps up. Mr. Boots must accept he is in over his ears and hightail it home or dig in his claws and let Sassy teach him the ways of the streets.
This is the first in a series of chapter books called THE ALLEY CAT CHRONICLES. The series will follow the adventures of Mr. Boots and Sassy and their alley-cat crew as they navigate living on the streets. The books will touch upon themes such as exploring the unfamiliar, facing one’s fears, discovering new cultures and trying new things. The series will keep readers young and old engaged through laugh-out-loud humour.
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 you answer is MAYBE or NO, please feel free to tell us what you think could be better in the spirit of helping Reed 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 Would You Read It in the dropdown under For Writers in the menu bar above. There are openings February 9 and 23, as well as in March, so you could get your pitch up pretty soon for helpful feedback and a chance to have it read and commented on my editor Erin Molta!
Reed is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch! I am looking forward to choosing one of those award-winning books and settling down with chocolate cookies to feel cozy being indoors while it’s sub-zero outside. . . right after I freeze myself doing barn chores 😊
Welcome to another exciting installment of Would You Read It Wednesday!
Let’s begin with a Fun Fact that might spark a story idea for you. . . so that you can have a turn on Would You Read It with a pitch for your brand new story sometime soon!
Did you know that porcupines can float? It’s true! North American porcupines are good swimmers and their hollow quills help them float. Also, just so you know in case you ever run into one, porcupines will stamp their feet and grunt a warning before they charge. You should probably mention that to your dog so they know when it’s time to beat a hasty retreat! 😊 I think it’s important that porcupines get some stories written about them that do not involve their prickliness. I think there’s an opportunity here for a superhero porcupine story, a quill-raising rescue involving AquaPorc. . . 😊
While we think about porcupine stories, let’s have Something Chocolate. It is scientifically proven the world over (okay, well, anecdotally-proven at Casa Hill) that chocolate promotes creativity, so let’s have some Cosmic Brownies!
Yum! Don’t you feel the explosion of creativity already, just from looking at that luscious, delightfully festive chocolate treat?! I knew you would! 😊
Now then, onto today’s pitch which comes to us from Jessica who says, “I usually write picture books, but I’ve recently delved into middle-grade territory as well. I’m looking for feedback on whether this pitch piques interest before I get too far into it. Thanks!”
The Pitch: Grace takes over the neighborhood paper route, only to discover that the papers magically reveal her neighbors’ secrets and wishes. When Grace learns that she is able to grant these wishes, she desperately needs the advice of her trusted friend, Miss Maisy. But, Miss Maisy died two years ago. How could she possibly help? As Grace comes to grips with reality, will she be able to grant one last wish—her own—before it’s too late?
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 you answer is MAYBE or NO, please feel free to tell us what you think could be better in the spirit of helping Jessica 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 Would You Read It in the dropdown under For Writers in the menu bar above. There are openings in February, so you could get your pitch up pretty soon for helpful feedback and a chance to have it read and commented on my editor Erin Molta!
Jessica is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch! I am looking forward to Cosmic Brownies and The Adventures of AquaPorc 😊😊😊
I learned something new yesterday that I know you’re all going to wish you’d known sooner (please prepare yourselves):
It is illegal to stand within 90 meters of the Queen without socks on!
Am I the only one who didn’t know this?
I mean, how many times have I stood 89.5 meters from the Queen in bare feet? Or in my sandals with NO SOCKS?
It is a miracle I have never wound up in the royal dungeon!
As soon as I heard about this I knew I had to warn you. I hope I’m not too late to save you all from incarceration.
I’m really wondering, though, who exactly this is a problem for. Is the Palace overrun with barefoot people (or shod but sockless people) romping about in the presence of the Queen?
Do the guards at Buckingham Palace entertain themselves by daring each other not to wear socks and see if anyone notices? 😊
Maybe the Queen walks along their ranks each day and uses her walking stick to lift the hem of their pants and see if they’re wearing socks with their shoes of if those sneaky guys tried to break the law by putting their shoes onto bare feet!
But mostly I wonder who thought this was something that mattered enough to be a law? I can just imagine a bunch of gray-wigged heavy-jowled folks sitting around saying, “By George! We’ve just got to do something about all these sockless people cavorting willy-nilly in the Queen’s presence! It isn’t to be borne!”
And is this law all about respect for the Queen, or is this her way of making a public service announcement to encourage people to protect themselves against athlete’s foot?
These are the kinds of questions that occupy the minds of writers as we wonder, what if? The seeds of stories yet to come! I can see it now. A picture book called A Royal Case Of Athlete’s Foot 😊
Wow!
When one is wrestling with these kinds of weighty questions, it is absolutely necessary to have Something Chocolate on hand, don’t you agree?
Since we’ve been talking about feet, how about some Bear Paw Cookies for our Something Chocolate? They’re so cute! And they might send our writerly minds down a whole ‘nother path. . . what if a bear was in the presence of the Queen without socks on? In bare/bear feet?! 🤣
When you’ve finished enjoying your delicious Bear Paw cookies and pondering sockless feet, we can get down to business – pitches!
Today’s pitch comes to us from Kizzi. Kizzi once ran away with the circus and worked with elephants and tigers. Now she writes as much as she can, finds lots of inspiration from her family, and goes on adventures a little closer to home.
Working Title: There Was A Small Python Who Swallowed A Flea
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 4-8)
The Pitch: There was a small python who swallowed a flea because it was small, but pythons need MORE after all. So small python swallows more and more things and grows and grows. As he grows, so does his appetite, and soon he’s swallowing everything in sight. After small python has swallowed, slithered, and slurped, a huge buuuurrrrppppp might just solve all his problems.
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 you answer is MAYBE or NO, please feel free to tell us what you think could be better in the spirit of helping Kizzi 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 Would You Read It in the dropdown under For Writers in the menu bar above. There are openings in February, so you could get your pitch up pretty soon for helpful feedback and a chance to have it read and commented on by editor Erin Molta!
Kizzi is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch! I am looking forward to visiting the Queen! 😊
Susanna Leonard Hill 
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