Hallowe'en Fun: The Scary Spell

Just for fun, I've decided to enter author Susanna Leonard Hill's Halloweensie writing contest.

In case you haven't checked out Susanna's blog yet, I recommend it! It's a great place to hang out if you write picture books (or if you write any kind of children's books). She has really useful features like Would You Read It on Wednesdays, where writers can get reactions and critiques of their short pitches and Perfect Picture Book Fridays, where you can learn about great picture books. And she even has yummy treats!

For the Halloweensie Contest, here's challenge:

Write a 100 word Halloween story appropriate for children (title not included in the 100 words), using the words spooky, black cat, and cackle.   Your story can be scary, funny or anything in between, poetry or prose, but it will only count for the contest if it includes those 3 words (you can count black cat as one word) and is 100 words (you can go under, but not over!)  Get it?  Halloweensie - because it's not very long and it's for little people :)  [Note: of you choose to use cackle as a verb, any form is acceptable - cackles, cackled, cackling...]

Post your story on your blog between now and Thursday October 31st by 11:59 PM EDT and add your post-specific link to the list on Susanna's blog.

One hundred words is not easy people! But here's what I came up with:

The Scary Spell

 

“Harrison!” cackled Leona. “Time to get scary for the witches’ ball.”

Harrison flicked his pointy ears. Oh no. Leona’s wand broke after the wart-away spell.

She waved it over him. “Abracadarey, big and scary!”

What? Now he was a boring, black cow.

“Mooo!” said Harrison, wishing he still had claws.

Leona waved again. “Abracaglarey, mean and hairy!”

Stamping tiny goat hooves, Harrison growled. “Naaa!”

Leona tried one more time. “Abracadat, spooky black cat!”

Sparks flew. Harrison’s fur crackled. He bared his teeth.

“You’re scarier than me!” Leona said. “You’d better stay home.”

Perfect. He could have a monstrous cat nap.

 

The Sweet Smell of Spring



Photo by S.R. Mack

Just for fun, I decided to enter author Susanna Leonard Hill's In Just Spring Contest.

In case you don't know, Susanna's blog is a great place to hang out if you write picture books (or if you write any kind of children's books). She has really useful features like Would You Read It on Wednesdays, where writers can get reactions and critiques of their short pitches and Perfect Picture Book Fridays, where you can learn about great picture books for read alouds. Susanna is a writer that really gives back to the writing community and I'm so glad to have found her blog.

For the In Just Spring Contest, here's challenge:

Write a children's story, in poetry or prose, maximum 350 words.

The story must be about something that really says "SPRING" to you - something that really makes you feel that spring is here!

The only other requirement is that the last line must be "[Character Name] knew Spring was really here!" or "[Character Name] knew Spring was here at last!"

Your entry should be posted on your blog between Friday March 15 at 12:01 AM EDT and Monday March 18 at 11:59 PM EDT, and your post-specific link should be added to the link list on this post.

THE SWEET SMELL OF SPRING

by Andrea L. Mack

 

Everyone was talking about SPRING, but Roxy had no idea what that meant.

She trotted to the treat cupboard. No one paid any attention. SPRING couldn’t be about food.

She dropped her rubber bone in a lap. It fell to the floor. SPRING wasn’t about fetch.

She flopped on her bed and sighed. SPRING obviously wasn’t for dogs.

Her leash jingled.

“Come, Roxy. Let’s go on a Spring walk,” said her girl.

Roxy danced through squishy grass. She barked at a bright-chested bird. And she stared longingly at a ball slapping into a boy’s gloved hand.

Which one was SPRING?

“Mmmm,” said her girl. “It smells like Spring.”

SPRING was a smell? Roxy absolutely loved smells. But there were so many.

The leftover people smell of a soggy mitten.

The earthiness of a wriggly worm.

Puddles. Leaf shoots. New grass. Rubber boots.

Which one was SPRING?

Roxy caught a whiff of something fresh. Something different. That had to be it!

She lunged for the smell. Her leash slipped free.

“Roxy, wait!”

But Roxy had to find SPRING.

She splashed through trickling water.

Quack!

A fat bird snapped. A whole line of little ones peep, peep, peeped.

Roxy sniffed, but they were not SPRING.

She scrambled up a muddy bank.

Plunk!

A small, spotty lump hop, hop hopped.

Roxy sniffed, but it was not SPRING.

The fresh, sweet smell of SPRING filled her nose. She was close.

Her girl called, “Roxy, stop!”

But Roxy couldn’t. SPRING smelled too delicious.

Her nails clicked on the sidewalk.

Ding-a-ling! Ding-a-ling! Wheels gritted to a stop.

Roxy’s nose twitched. She drooled. She shook off the mud, ready to sniff up SPRING.

“Euw!” someone said.

“Get that muddy dog away from the ice cream!” cried someone else.

PLOP!

At last! SPRING! Roxy licked as fast as she could.

Her girl snapped on her leash. “Roxy, you found the ice cream truck! Now I know Spring is really here.”