Entering contests is a great exercise in creative writing. It hones your writing skills, brings you into fellowship with other writers and helps you gain courage to put your work out there. For the past three years, I’ve been participating in Susanna Leonard Hill’s Holiday Writing Contests – today begins;
The Contest: Write a children’s story about a Holiday Mishap, mix-up, miscommunication, mistake, or potential disaster (a la Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer :)). Your story may be poetry or prose, silly or serious or sweet, religious or not, based on Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or whatever you celebrate, but is not to exceed 350 words.
A letter came for me today.
Dear Jack O’Lantern, don’t delay.
Please come to Santa right away
And help make balls and bikes and clay.
A strong wind blows – I rock, I roll.
I barely miss a huge mole hole.
No hole will stop me from my goal
Of elfing at the cold North Pole.
I cross the street – the light is red.
A tire almost hits my head.
I fear the car will squash me dead.
It pushes me along instead.
And in a muffin shop nearby,
The baker gives a battle cry.
She wants to put me in a pie.
I quickly tumble past – “Bye-bye!”
I see the lights of Santa’s shop.
I slip and slide and belly flop.
I’m turning like a spinning top.
What if I never ever stop?
I hear a jolly Ho-Ho-Ho.
It’s Santa standing in the snow.
He says, ‘The workshop’s down below.”
Elf Jack O’Lantern, come, let’s go!
I hope you enjoyed my little Christmas story – I’ll be linking up on Susanna’s website and you can go and read ALL of the amazing entries here. For the Halloweensie Contest, there were 79 stories!
A couple of important items to mention:
1. The Authors for the Philippines auction is over – they raised over 55,000 British pounds (not sure how many US dollars that is…but it is a lot!). I’ve just packed up a copy of my book that I donated – it is going to a mother of two in Staffordshire, England.
2. Please don’t forget the Kid Lit Giveaway Blog Hop Holiday Extravaganza that is still happening here and on 48 other blogs around the blogsphere. There are so many books and gift cards being given away.
3. I guest posted on the PreK and K Sharing Blog – one of the most incredible blog resources I have ever seen…please go and check them out.
4. Pull out those old manuscripts and dust them off – Meg Miller is hosting a challenge for the New Year – REVIMO will encourage you to REVISE – REVISE – REVISE. There will be prizes, inspiration and information.
5. And, one more reminder about the limited time only Holiday Sale of my book on Amazon – only $10!
Related articles
- December Contest Round-up (subitclub.wordpress.com)
- Getting Things Done? When? (clarbojahn.wordpress.com)
- How I Got My Agent: Alayne Kay Christian (sylvialiuland.com)
- No Fee Fiction Contest – Win Money – Get Published (kathytemean.wordpress.com)
- A Picture Book Is Worth A Thousand Words (teacherlingo.com)
VIVIAN KIRKFIELD - Writer for Children 