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children's writing rhyming poems Uncategorized writing

The 8th Annual Halloweensie Contest

Thank you Susanna Leonard Hill for once again offering your annual Halloweensie contest.  This year’s Halloween stories must be appropriate for children and no more than 100 words. You must use the words cauldronhowl and shiver.  Please check out the below link for the full rules to Susanna’s contest and the wonderful entries.

The 8th Annual Halloweensie Contest

My two entries are listed below.

ThMonsters

A loud knock on my door signaled dinner was here,
but what stood on my porch made me shiver in fear.

At my door was a monster whose name was Big Fred.
In his hands were my pizza, my soda and bread.

From a cauldron he handed out napkins and plates,
to the werewolves who toasted each other as mates.

Then together the monsters inhaled my whole meal.
Each one growling and howling, “It’s Halloween – deal.”

The Soccer Team

The soccer team that played on Halloween night
was manned by players causing shivering fright.

The vampires roamed as strikers baring sharp skills,
with crows for wingers who attacked with their bills.

The sweepers flew around. They all held a broom,
to stir their potion-filled hot cauldrons of doom.

Their zombie coach was lumbering by his net,
as werewolves howlingly defended the threat.

No shot on goal got past their keeper that day,
a six-foot monster who came ready to play.

smiling jack o lantern
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

 

Categories
children's writing poetry Rhyme Uncategorized writing

Rhythm and Rhyme

I have been absent from blogging for several months as I have been working on my latest story written in verse.

Today however I came across sad news that one of the true geniuses of meter and rhyme has passed away.

Jean Marzollo,  Author of more than 150 books.  Among these books a series which originally published in 1992 by Scholastic entitled “I Spy.”

This series of books present more than a game of search and find with rhyming text, it is a visual adventure.  Accompanying her perfectly metered text are elaborate scenes with photography by Walter Wick.

These books teach children word/object association, vocabulary and rhyme.

If you haven’t enjoyed this series, it is well-worth spending some enjoyable reading time with your little ones.

 

 

Categories
children's writing Fall Uncategorized writing

The 7th Annual Halloweensie Writing Contest

pumpkin

The 7th Annual Halloweensie Writing Contest hosted by Susanna Leonard Hill.

The Contest: write a 100 word Halloween story appropriate for children (children here defined as 12 and under) (title not included in the 100 words).  You must use the words candy corn, monster and shadow.  Here is my entry below:

The Candy Corn Monster

Lily’s favorite day had arrived. At exactly 5:30 p.m. she dressed in a spiky-hair white wig, bright orange dress and canary yellow high-top tennis shoes. Smiling in the mirror, she was proud of her homemade candy corn costume. Once outside, she shadowed behind the other trick-or-treating children as they ran from house to house. Lily held out her sack and the homeowners filled it with treats. Not a single person noticing that under Lily’s outfit she was a real two-horned, five teeth, three-foot tall, blue haired purple monster who loved Halloween.

Categories
adult/new adult genre children's writing inspiration Uncategorized writing

Start A Story

Where do you get inspiration from?

How do you start a story?

I find my creative juices flow with a great opening line.

Below are some opening lines I have thought of.

Let’s hide it in here, no one has been in here for eight years.

Brandon Schmidt wanted to be popular in the worst way.

After five days of nonstop rain, the morning sun held the promise of a great day.

I’ve looked everywhere where is my guinea pig Penny?  

Feel free to comment back to me with some opening lines you have thought of or use one of my opening lines and write a short story.   If you do, I would love to hear it.

Thanks for reading this short blog and Happy Writing!

Categories
children's writing writing

My Writing Journey – A Hobby, A Passion, A New Career

A good friend recently told me not to dwell on yet another rejection of my current manuscript.  She said “It is only a hobby. Not your career.”

If I would have kept a journal of my writing path, it would read something like this:

I am invited to a creative writing class by a close friend.  Thinking I might like this as I always considered myself creative, I agreed.  Remembering how many years ago (before children) I had sent a few manuscripts to several publishing agencies and received good feedback.

The instructor’s first assignment write a short story.

I will write my “Caroleisms” as I like to call them (quotes on life I love to refer to with friends and family)  My favorite – “Don’t be a mashed potato.  Stand up and be a French fry.”

Instead I wrote about my cats.

At the time I did not know the instructor was a cat lover.  This grew a mutual bond.  She and the class loved my story and I loved my newfound aspiration to write and see my name in print.

She introduced me to a wonderful new editor and she and the editor critiqued my work.

The long learning process began.

I read, researched and discovered the SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers) and through them found a wonderful children’s critique group from which I have previously spoke of.  I have been told that it takes seven long years on average to break into the world of published writer.  It has been a little over three years and I am at awe by the immense amount of knowledge I have obtained and the wonderful guidance and support I receive.

So, to answer my friends statement – When does your hobby become your passion or your new career.  I don’t know, but I do know this –

When one hour of writing, researching and reading becomes four or five hours or every free minute  – when you cannot get enough information on writing, revising and publishing – you are hooked and it is definitely more than a hobby.

I would love to hear feedback of your writing journey.

Happy Writing.

Categories
children's writing Uncategorized writing

Inciting Incident

Inciting incident is the spring board that drives the story forward – causes your protagonist to act.

This week in my writing critique group we had a great discussion about inciting incidents, where they should occur in the story and can you have more than one.

Below is a great article I found regarding inciting incidents from The Editor’s Blog.
Please see the link to the Editor’s Blog an always useful source of information.
http://theeditorsblog.net/2013/06/16/making-something-happen-in-story/

Not only is this a great article, but the responses are also very thought provoking.

Hope this blog helps all the aspiring writers out there. I would love to hear your comments on inciting incidents.

Categories
children's writing writing

Narrative Exposition

This is one area as a writer I am always working on perfecting.

Here are a few ways I found to introduce important background information/world-build my stories through:

Dialogue

Character thoughts

Background details

Information dump

For myself, as a children’s writer, the first two seem to work the best along with sounds and scenery description.

Two books which recently assisted me are The Secret of Nihm and The Tale of Despereaux.

I would love to know your suggestions on children’s books that helped you world-build.

Categories
children's writing writing

How to Create Your Own Children’s Writing Niche – One Simple Technique

In my never-ending search for writing tips, lessons, and ideas, I came across the below website that recently sent me this interesting article. I have posted the link below. Thank you Children’s Book Insider for sparking my imagination.

How to Create Your Own Children’s Writing Niche — With One Simple Technique (via http://writeforkids.org)

I was watching my new favorite comedy show — Kroll Show — last night and had a revelation about the creative process.   This episode featured a particularly hilarious installment of the sketch Wheels, Ontario, a delirious spoof on Canadian culture…

Categories
children's writing Uncategorized writing

Writing is a trip to the amusement park

When I think of writing, this metaphor comes to mind.

Writing is a trip to the amusement park.

  1. On sunny days, ideas flow through your mind like people at a crowded park.
  2. When it is rainy, ideas like rides shut down.
  3. The process of writing and a roller coaster are filled with exhilarating moments, steep hills to climb, thrills, twists and turns all to get your plot on paper or your body back on the ground.  At times you want to throw your arms in the air and scream.  Other times you hold on tight to your thoughts.
  4. Sometimes you feel all alone, strapped to your thoughts like being strapped into the sky coaster and being hoisted high in the air.
  5.  Your characters are the riders, each adding to the thrill.  You are your own protagonist.
  6. There is kiddy land, the spinning, twisting rides for YA and plenty of rides for the young at heart.
  7. The sweet smell of fudge, cotton candy and fries – the sweet smell of a book deal.

 

Categories
children's writing writing

Active not Reactive Characters

I was thinking about how to make my characters active not reactive when I came across this wonderful blog. It is from The Editor’s Blog.  See link below for the full article.

Make fictional characters suffer by pushing them beyond what they thought they could take. Give them challenges and then have them overcome those challenges.

via Dare to Challenge Your Characters.