It's Time for Susanna Leonard Hill's 7th Annual Halloweensie Contest2017 Prompt: Write a 100-word Halloween story appropriate for children 12 and under using the words candy corn, monster, and shadow. Candy's Tiny Surprise Candy Corn loved black cats and witchy cackles. She loved monsters, mummies, ghosts, and ghouls. Most of all, she loved spooky surprises. Her parents promised her a big one this Halloween! With a bag full of treats, Candy was ready for a trick. Her eyes widened when she saw her dimly-lit house and heard…wailing? Could it be a Halloween surprise party? She slid through the shadows to the front door. CREAK! Candy crept down the hall toward hushed voices. She popped through the door and said, “Happy Halloween!” “Shhhh!” her mom said. “The baby’s sleeping. Surprise, you’re a big sister!” I love participating in Susanna's writing contests, but wasn't sure I would have the opportunity this year. Like Candy, my daughter will become a big sister any day, and we are all wondering if baby will be a Halloween surprise! UPDATE: Thank you to everyone who commented, and I apologize for not visiting your blogs to read your amazing stories. Though it wasn't a Halloween surprise, we were excited to welcome a new baby to our family on the very day I shared this story. Our surprise was the gender -- it's a boy! Thanks again for the wonderful support - the Kidlit writing community is incredible!
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I’m in a slump…
I’m no longer writing daily. I missed some monthly writing goals in August. I got 2 rejections this month – I’m very selective in my agent submissions so these and the other 6 I’ve gotten this year feel very personal! And I’m having a baby next month – I feel as though the walls are closing in on my writing time (and maybe my sanity)! So I did the unthinkable. I heard a knock…and let her in. And now my inner critic refuses to leave. She’s watching cheesy Hallmark movies, flaunting celebrity children’s books, and hitting the snooze button on my alarm clock. It’s time to kick the critic to the curb. Here’s my plan of attack:
And I’m keeping in mind Josh Funk’s tweet that Kate DiCamillo’s BECAUSE OF WINN DIXIE was rejected 494 times!!! And his LADY PANCAKE picture book received 35 rejections from agents before he subbed directly to publishers through the slush pile. What tricks do you employ to get out of a writing rut? There are so many amazing resources out there for aspiring children’s book writers. Here are 5 that I love!
Kate Messner’s Picture Book Math & Why You Should Write Something New Kate starts with 365 “flashes of ideas” and breaks down how many become published books. The take-away, WRITE! Miranda Paul’s Path to Publication Checklist I’m at 50 and counting...Next time my daughter and I use play-doh, I’ll check off #32. And watching the Boss Baby film will knock off #47. Tara Lazar’s Storystorm (previously PiBoIdMo) Tara’s month-long picture book idea challenge is a great way to brainstorm ideas. She has also compiled in one place, links to all her amazing guest author blog posts from 2012-2014 with more coming soon. Beth Ferry’s My Euphoria at Discovering Anaphora: The Use of Literary Devices in Picture Books Literary devices are great tools for picture book authors. I had no idea I was writing anadiplosis poems to my high school boyfriend! And in Part 2, Beth suggests writers steer clear of periphrasis! Goodreads Picture Book Lists Great lists organized by publication year with approximately 100 books each year (2015-2018). Want additional KidLit resources, click here. Want to know more about the process of writing for children, click here. |
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