#50PreciousWords 2018 Writing Challenge is OPEN!!

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Today is the day, dear friends! Ready! Set! Go! The #50PreciousWords 2018 Writing Challenge is now OPEN!

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For those of you who have not participated before, let me give you a bit of back story. March 2nd is the birthday of the incredible Theodore Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss. For the last two years, I’ve hosted a little contest based on Bennet Cerf’s challenge to Seuss to write a children’s book using only 50 words. And the classic Green Eggs and Ham was born. It’s true that the story has over 700 words…but only 50 unique words.

In 2016, I thought it would be fun to try to write a story for kids with ONLY 50 words. With a beginning, a middle, and an end. I wondered if I could do it. And then I opened the challenge to everyone. Much to my surprise and amazement, there were 128 entries! And last year, there were 253 entries. And I hope we have a great turnout again this year because I am passionate about helping others follow their dream of writing for children.

In 2012 I had a dream. I wanted to write picture books. And I wanted to be traditionally published. And one of the most important things I did was to participate in writing challenges like Susanna Hill’s contests. Why was that important? Because it got me writing. It got me revising. It got me submitting. Hmmm….writing/revising/submitting. I believe that if we do those three things enough times, our writing improves and agents and editors get a chance to see our work. And as much as I am thrilled with my own success, nothing makes me happier than to hear about the success of others in our kidlit community.

So, please sharpen your pencils. Fire up your computers. And share your #50PreciousWords with us.

#50 PRECIOUS WORDS WRITING CHALLENGE GUIDELINES

  1. Write a story appropriate for kids ages 12 or under, using only 50 words…they can all be different words, or you can use some of them over and over…just as long as the total word count of the story is 50 or less.
  2. It can be prose, rhyme, free verse, silly or serious…whatever works for you.
  3. Title is not included in the word count.
  4. No illustration notes please.
  5. Please post your story in the comment section below. If you have your own blog and want to post your story there also, please do. And let us know your post link.  I ask for the link so that people will visit each other and find new friends in the kid lit community. Please make sure you put your name in the post. If you have any trouble at all posting the story, please email me and I will be happy to do it for you: viviankirkfield@gmail.com.
  6. Deadline for posting the story in the comments is Tuesday, March 6, at 11:59pm.
  7. Winners will be announced in a special blog post on Sunday, March 11.
  8. Winners? Of course, there will be winners…and prizes, too!
  • A critique from my beloved agent, Essie White (some of you may remember that the winner of the first year’s contest chose Essie’s critique as her prize…and she subsequently signed with Storm Literary Agency and THAT story, plus a sequel to it, will be published next year!

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  • Your choice of ONE of the following from author, mentor, and founder of Sub Six FB group, Alayne Kay Christian: Picture Book critique or Chapter book critique (first three chapters), or Complimentary Art of Arc course.

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  • Picture Book manuscript critique from author Lori Degman.

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  • Your choice of either a picture book manuscript critique from author Karen Valenti or a seat in her Master Course on Picture Book Writing.

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  • Picture Book manuscript critique from author Katey Howes.

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Julie Abery

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  • A piece of original signed art and a copy of LIZZIE AND LOU SEAL plus a silver seal necklace from author/illustrator Patricia Keeler.

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  • Rest & Relaxation package with two picture books and a surprise from author Maria Marshall.

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  • A signed copy of CAT IN THE CITY from author/illustrator Jill Weber.

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  • $15 credit in her TeachersPayTeachers store from Barbara Leyne(GradeOnederful)

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A big thank you to all of our amazing prize donors! Much appreciation to illustrator Vicky Fang whose awesome logo graces our challenge! And a grateful thank you to my dear friends and critique buddies, Maria Marshall and Julie Abery who will be helping me read and comment.

Last year there were over 2000 comments – ALL OF THEM POSITIVE AND ENCOURAGING!  I am so proud to be a part of this amazing kidlit community. Our news stations and politicians should definitely take a lesson from this kidlit community.

And before I leave you to post your stories and comment on those you have a chance to read, I thought it would only be fair if I posted my sample of a 50-word story which hopefully has a beginning, a middle, and an end.

WHY THE STARS TWINKLE (49 words)

It was Sun’s birthday.

Moon gathered paper, paint,

glitter and glue to make a card.

But Wind blew.

Glitter and glue covered the stars.

“Now I have no gift for Sun,” cried Moon.

“Twinkling stars are the best present of all,” said Sun.

And Moon glowed all night long.

The End

Remember, if you have any questions or concerns, please email me: viviankirkfield@gmail.com.

I am so looking forward to reading all of your precious words!

 

1,892 thoughts on “#50PreciousWords 2018 Writing Challenge is OPEN!!”

  1. Thanks for running this fun contest again, Vivian! Hope to see you at the NESCBWI Conference. Here’s my entry.

    When Trees Talk
    by Robin Brett Wechsler
    (50 words)

    Willow and Oak sagged in the sun—as red-cheeked children raced toward them.

    Oak lifted his limbs. “Come climb my branches!”

    Willow rustled her leaves. “Come laze in my shade!”

    “Huh?” asked Oak.

    “Shh!” whispered Willow.

    The children hung a hammock between them and swung.

    Willow and Oak stood tall.

    Liked by 12 people

  2. Pingback: #50PreciousWords 2018 Writing Challenge | Chris M. Regier

  3. I’m sensing a theme of animals, to which I shall add to that theme. Good luck everyone!

    ABCD DOGS AND MORE
    By Suzie Olsen

    ABCD dogs and more,
    That is what the D stands for.
    Dogs are cute.
    Cats are too.
    I like fluffy pets,
    How about you?
    ABCD dogs and more,
    That is what the D stands for!

    Liked by 8 people

  4. BE KIND
    by Meryl Sachs Cullom

    Be kind to dolphins,
    and doves and dogs
    and cats and coral
    and friends and frogs
    and bats and bear cubs
    and bumblebees
    and plants, and peacocks, piano keys,
    the glass that glitters
    upon the shelf,
    be kind to them all and
    be kind to yourself!

    Liked by 13 people

  5. A brief story inspired by seeing a friendship bench on a school playground, and things I see/hear that stick with me as a substitute teacher.

    Rainbows, Dreams and Flutterflies
    49 words
    Mary Vander Plas

    We sit on the friendship bench.
    Three of us.
    Silent.
    Eyes downcast.
    Rainbows remind me of my dog.
    Dreams remind me of my baby sister. She never came home.
    Flutterflies remind me of Grandpa.
    You mean butterflies?
    We called them Flutterflies.
    I’ll call them Flutterflies too.
    Three new friends.

    Liked by 10 people

    • Such a tender story. You captured their emotions so well in few words. Love that they found such a sweet thing in common!

      Like

    • Oh, that line about the baby sister . . .infant loss is something I feel like you rarely see addressed in children’s stories but I know it affects children.

      Like

      • Thanks everyone. In 49 words the grief /pain is definitely highlighted. I’m working on the full MS where hope, kindness and friendship are the shining stars! I would never have seen the difference in tone without joining 12×12 and very hesitantly jumping into this contest with both feet.

        Like

  6. PARTY TIME (50)

    Tiptoe, tiptoe, tippity toe. STOP!

    Sneaking, sneaking, super sneaky peeking.

    Hush hush, hush hush, don’t giggle or bust. SHHH!

    One pause. Two pause. Make sure it’s time pause.

    Three pause. Four pause. Almost in the door pause.

    Five count, NOW POUNCE! A happy birthday cheer pounce!

    Laughing. Grinning. Everyone delighting.

    Liked by 12 people

  7. CAKE, BY CAT AND BEAR
    (for 50 Precious Words 2018)
    By Sarah Hetu-Radny

    Cat and Bear plan.
    Cat measures. Bear yawns.
    Cat pours. Bear dozes.
    Cat bakes. Bear snores.
    Cat frosts. Bear drools.
    Cat rests. Bear stretches.
    Cat sleeps. Bear samples.
    Bear hiccups. Cat awakes.
    Bear blushes. Cat hisses.
    Bear apologizes. Cat sniffs.
    Bear hugs. Cat forgives.
    Cat shares.
    Bear does the dishes.

    Liked by 16 people

  8. Thank you Vivian for this great challenge! 50 words? Most of my comments are longer than that! lol. But what a great way to measure the importance of each one carefully. Here is mine inspired by the 600 (yep, you read that correctly) daffodil bulbs we planted last fall.

    A snow flake fell
    Then another
    and another
    then too many to count.
    But underneath the ground hid hope.

    Deep in the darkest places
    Forgotten
    Hope rested
    Waiting

    Finally, a shoot burst through
    Then another
    and another
    then too many to count
    And above the ground bloomed hope.

    Liked by 18 people

  10. Hahaha! Who knew cats would be so popular this year? Well, I’ll add to the cat-repertoire that’s building :D.

    —

    A CAT FOR MATT
    by Nicole Dusseljee

    Matt wanted a cat. BUT he was allergic.

    BUT he had an idea.

    BUT it would take some work.
    AND practice.

    SO That’s what he did.

    He learned to knit, practiced, and knit a hypoallergenic cat-suit.

    THEN he got a cat.
    She wore the suit, and he named her Purrl.

    Liked by 10 people

  11. Waiting for a Monarch

    Martha is tired of waiting.
    “Be patient,” her mother says.
    She was patient while she watched the caterpillar grow, crawl under a big leaf, magically form a chrysalis.
    Martha is tired of waiting.
    This morning she peeks under the leaf. No more waiting!
    A beautiful butterfly is waiting for her

    —
    Candace Kubinec

    Waiting for a Monarch

    Liked by 10 people

  12. MISH MASH MAMMAL by Bruna De Luca
    (50 words)

    Platypus bemoaned his beak,
    a tear slid down one furry cheek,
    “I don’t fit in. I don’t belong.
    My paddle tail,” he wailed, “is wrong!”
    Then otter, beaver, drake and duck,
    swam by and he was thunderstruck!
    “I have their strengths, their odds and ends,
    a hotchpotch of potential friends!”

    I’m a writing comp virgin but I enjoyed the challenge. Thanks Vivian!

    Liked by 20 people

  13. Song of Change

    By Jessica Kulekjian

    A song unsung

    hiding inside

    grows louder

    prouder

    deep and wide.

    At first a whisper

    sneaking out

    Like winds of change

    begin to shout.

    One,

    ten,

    hundreds,

    then

    thousands of singers joining in

    to sing the song

    that has become

    An anthem rising

    once unsung.

    Liked by 14 people

  14. The reverso didn’t print right. Sigh. They words were supposed to be side by side. The only way it will publish on the post is one side under another. Here ya go. Top is one POV. Bottom is another perspective.

    New at School: A Reverso
    by Janie Reinart

    Heads turn,
    our hearts beat together,
    staring.
    You walk in.
    Grin.
    Try to fit in.
    Longing for a friend.
    Look my way.
    “Sit with me!”

    “Sit with me?”
    Look my way.
    Longing for a friend?
    Try to fit in.
    Grin.
    You walk in,
    staring.
    Our hearts beat together.
    Heads turn.

    Like

  15. Please ignore this entry. Will make a minor but essential edit and post again. Couldn’t work out how to delete it.

    Like

  16. Erin (never) Feels C-old

    Making snow angels warms me up.
    But mom says, “Come in for cocoa.”

    I’m never cold!
    My hair flies as I sprint to school hatless.

    I’m exhausted from a cold.
    My toddler shared his germs with me.

    My old bones ache from winter winds.
    I’ll make tea and read poetry.

    Posted on my new site: Don’t write a crappy first draft. Write #50PreciousWords
    https://www.authormanjuhoward.com/single-post/2018/03/02/Dont-write-a-crappy-first-draft-Write-50PreciousWords …

    Liked by 7 people

  17. THE SOMETHING (43 words)

    by Merinda Wild

    Something’s creeping…

    through the garden…

    past the playhouse…

    over the leaf pile…

    around the sandpit…

    under the grape vines…

    across the doorstep…

    down the hallway…

    into the bedroom…

    up to the bed…

    It’s here! It’s ready to pounce…

    It’s…

    a cuddle monster!

    Raaaaaaaarr!

    …………………………

    Thanks Vivian, I had great fun with this challenge!

    Liked by 10 people

  18. Thank you for running this contest.

    Leo’s Snow Globe
    by Nina Nolan

    Leo loved his snow globe.
    The house inside glowed with pride. But no people. So he could imagine how they felt.
    Usually he thought happy.
    When he thought they were grumpy, it meant he was.
    So he decided, on purpose, that they were happy.
    Then he was happy again too.

    Liked by 7 people

  19. So much fun Vivian! Look forward to this each year. You’re the best!

    Two plus Two

    Two little runaways
    cornered in a barn,
    rescued by a shelter,
    keeping them from harm.

    Two little children
    visiting again,
    browse the cages slowly,
    looking for a friend.

    Four little green eyes,
    Look down to see four blue.
    Thought they came,
    for just one friend,
    now going home with two.

    Liked by 12 people

  20. Little Cat

    Come sit with me
    little cat
    Come sit with me
    upon my bed
    Come sit with me
    let’s read a book
    Come sit with me
    my pillow’s soft
    Come sit with me
    and stay the night
    Come sit with me
    my room’s so dark
    Come sit with me, won’t you?…please.

    My cats insisted I post this since cats seem to be the theme this year 🙂
    ~Vicki

    Liked by 6 people

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