It’s always a thrill to participate in one of Susanna Leonard Hill’s writing contests. They are a wonderful way to connect with other writers, they are a great exercise in saying a lot in a few words, and there are always awesome prizes.

Today I’m sharing with you my entry into Susanna’s First Annual Pretty Much World Famous Valentiny Writing Contest. Here are a few of the basic rules: 214 words or less, appropriate for children ages 12 or under, and one of the characters has to be grumpy. If you are interested in participating or just want to read a bunch of fun stories, you can go here: http://susannahill.com/2016/02/08/be-still-my-heart-the-1st-annual-valentiny-writing-contest-is-here/

So how do you write a story about a grumpy character and Valentine’s Day? I started thinking of what makes people grumpy. Getting older, right? And having wrinkles, right? So I Googled wrinkles and got lots of animals that have lots of wrinkles. And then I thought, what would happen if one of those animals wanted to get rid of his wrinkles.

I love elephants…they have lots of wrinkles. What if an elephant wanted to propose to his ladylove on Valentine’s Day, but thought she might not want him because of his wrinkles. And what if he was a scientist and had an assistant who was given the job of finding the formula. And what if the assistant found the formula, but by that time, the professor had already realized that his wrinkles served an important purpose. What would the assistant do?

I hope you enjoy my little story…please let me know what you think of it…and don’t forget to hop over to Susanna’s website so you can enjoy all of the fun.

FOR THE LOVE OF SCIENCE (211 words)

     Clutching a mirror, Professor Pachyderm glared at his assistant.

     “Wrinkles and crinkles! Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day!”

     “How can I propose to my ladylove with a face that’s folded and furrowed?”

     “This is the last night to come up with the formula, Mortimer!” Slamming the door, the professor stomped downstairs.

     Mortimer stared at the rattling test tubes. He shivered. He shuddered. He squeaked.    “Eek!”

     Mixing and measuring, he added a bit of this. He poured the formula onto a piece of wrinkled paper. Instantly it became…

a gob of soggy paper.

     Stirring and shaking, he took away a bit of that, brushed the formula onto a folded metal fan and waited. Nothing.

     Upending every jar and jug, Mortimer swirled and whirled the ingredients. He dipped a creased cloth into the big bowl and stared as the material smoothed out. Aha!

     Just then, the professor returned. “Forget about it, my dear fellow!” he trumpeted. “I Googled wrinkles on elephants. Did you know I need them to keep me cool?  My Valentine’s Day will be A-OK – she wouldn’t have me any other way! Sorry I wasted your time.”

     “No problem,” Mortimer said, as he filled out a patent application for Permanent Press Fabrics. “Exploring the possibilities of science is never a waste of time.”

Thanks so much for stopping by, everyone…I hope you will check on the contest during the week…more entries will be coming in until the deadline on Friday. And then next Monday will be the announcement of the finalists on Susanna’s blog and you’ll have a chance to VOTE for your favorite.

Have a beautiful week!