What’s the Why? My Picture Book Equation

This morning, I witnessed magic in my living room.  The kind that gently pulls everyone together under the same spell before anyone realizes what’s happening. It was a sticky July morning, windows wet with condensation and the smell of pancakes still wafting from the kitchen. (OC gets credit those, she’s a whiz with a spatula.)  It was there, in the sweet spot after breakfast but before the day really got started that YC, he’s 5 now, came to me with a book. It wasn’t one of our newest ones. It wasn’t shiny, or silly but it was long overdue. This summer has been filled with family board games, movie nights and vacations. We’ve been soaking up the laughter and the late nights, but it has been light on bed time stories.

A few weeks back I wrote about my struggles with our kids losing interest in picture books. Even the youngest, is choosing longer, more advanced stories that we read by chapters. But this book, this was an old favorite. We snuggled together on the sofa and I honestly don’t know who was more excited.  Most days, I would call for the other two the kiddos to join us, this time, I just started reading. It didn’t take long- two, maybe three pages into the book MC was sitting near his brother and OC was snuggled up by my shoulder.  For the beautiful few moments it took us to read about “Mike Mulligan, Mary Ann and some others…” the house was quiet and everyone was entranced.  Picture book magic, my favorite kind. I was elated to see it still exists, and reminded of the times I’ve seen its power in the past.  There have been teenage nieces and nephews, stopped in their tracks by a bed time story. Neighborhood kids who declare they don’t like reading, mesmerized by the power of words read from a picture book page.. Picture books are magic in its purest, most approachable form, and that is why I’m so drawn to write them. 

It’s easy to lose track of the ‘why I write picture books’ as I’m trying to find my own version of ‘how.’  I need to make sure that I stay driven by the ‘why’, and not bogged down by the ‘when’. I know that I have a lot to learn, but the answer to the ‘why’ will remind me that I don’t necessarily need to have a ‘who’ in order to find success.  There are no shortage of elements in the publishing equation, I need to remember that the ‘why’ is the most important. I write picture books because I want to connect with the most genuine members of the human race.  I want to speak in a language that they understand, and tell stories that resonate with their precious little spirits.  I want to make them laugh, and most importantly let them know they are seen.

In the past few months, I’ve doubled down on myself… I’ve taken a leap of faith and created more time to write. I purchased a domain name, just to have in my back pocket. I’m applying for the #PBCHAT Mentorship, and you should too.  I’m also knee deep into a summer writing challenge within my critique group and I have an exciting interview coming up. (I love celebrating the success of friends.) Keep your fingers crossed for me that if one of the mentors is a good fit, we find each other in the hundreds of applications… I promise to do the same for you.

 

Stay tuned for the interview!

Thanks for reading, come back anytime!

-JP

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Be My Guest, Vivian Kirkfield!

You might remember that I’m in the middle of a three-part conversation with Vivian Kirkfield about her picture book debut triplets. Well, I couldn’t have a conversation with her this close to #50PreciousWords and not ask about it! I posed the following questions to her while we were ‘talking’:

‘When you started the contest, did you ever dream it would take off the way that it has? And then you started #50PreciousWordsForKids! What are your favorite parts about running the contest?’
I hope you’ll read on as she answers my questions and brings us back to where it all began.  This year’s contest will run from March 2-March 6. I hope to see you there!

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I guess you could say I started #50PreciousWords on a whim. It was March 1st of 2016. Scrolling through some news articles online I found an interesting tidbit about Dr. Seuss and how his long-time editor, Bennett Cerf (founder of Random House), challenged him to write a story for kids using only 50 unique words. And Green Eggs with Ham was born. Of course, that story has over 700 words, but only 50 unique words. And I began to think about how the publishing industry was looking for shorter more concise word count picture books. Could I write a story in only 50 words? But not 50 unique words. 50 words ONLY. So, I tried it. And it was so much fun that I decided to challenge my friends. I quickly cobbled together a blog post for the next day, which was the birthday of Theodore Geisel. I reached out to a few of my friends and I mentioned it to my agent. And they were all onboard to donate a prize. I announced that the contest would run for five days and the winners would be posted the day after. The day after? Sure, because I assumed that maybe five or ten of my good writing buddies would take pity on me and submit a story. Boy, was I wrong! Within five days, there were 120 amazing entries. I was up all night long. I read them to my husband. I read them to myself. I read them aloud. They were so good, and the top prize winner wound up signing with her dream agent and that story, along with two others, are debuting this year! Dreams can come true!
The next year, I was even more energized. One of my dear critique buddies, Maria Marshall, volunteered to help read and comment. And she did. We had 230 entries and over 1800 comments on that blog post. And last year, both Maria and another kid lit friend, Julie Abery, helped by reading and commenting on 298 entries. And the top winner? She signed with her dream agent. That’s why I encourage people to get their work out there because a story that sings can’t be heard if you keep it locked in a drawer. So, this year, even though my plate is full and I won’t even be in the country, I am hosting #50PreciousWords—from New Zealand. And I’ll have Maria, and Julie, and also, my amazing NZ critique buddy, Diane Tulloch, to help read and comment on all the stories. I know I am making trouble for myself by saying this, but I hope EVERYONE enters!
My favorite part of the contest? Hmmm. I can tell you what my least favorite part is—having to cut from the finalists and winnow it down to the top 10 and then choose which story is first, second, and so on. What’s so difficult is that each story is unique…and so each has great merit and strengths.
My favorite part is seeing how many brave souls there are in this kid-lit community. Because when you put your story out there, you are exposing your heart, and I am touched and honored that so many writers trust that their stories will be treated with loving respect on my blog. Oh, and the other favorite part of the contest is to read the comment thread—100% positive and encouraging and supportive from EVERYONE. This is how the world is supposed to be. I may not be able to influence the leaders of the government or change the world situation, but I can create a haven of safety and support for writers in #50PreciousWords.
The offshoot, #50PreciousWordsforKids came about because one of the writers who participated in the contest messaged me that her young daughter had sat down at the table and wrote a 50-word story of her own. She was thrilled to have this unbelievable bonding moment. Then I asked my 8-year old grandson if he wanted to write a 50-word story. ‘Sure, he said…only 50-words? That’s easy.’ Of course, it wasn’t so easy, but he did it and had fun. I decided to do a kid’s writing challenge to coincide with Children’s Book Week in May and the first year we had children from 13 states and 5 different countries – it was amazing! This year is going to be more of a challenge for me because of all of the traveling, conferences, and book launch events, but I am determined to host it again because I think it encourages children to exercise their creativity and it builds their self-confidence to see their story ‘published’ on a blog. And each child receives a certificate of participation which the parent or teacher can download and print out.

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There you have it! The contest starts tomorrow, so if you haven’t pounded out a 50-word story you still have time. Good luck to all those who are participating, I’ll see you in the comments!
Stay tuned, I have a few posts coming down the pipe… a contest entry, a few of my own musings and, of course, interviews (more Vivian coming your way on 3/28!)

Thanks for reading, come back anytime!
JP

Valentiny 2019!

Hello and a Happy Valentines Day to you!

For so many people, Valentine’s Day means flowers, chocolate, and showering those you love with… well, love! I do love flowers, and chocolate and I promise to shower 😉 but for me, Valentine’s day means one (other) thing, Susanna Hill’s

4th ANNUAL PRETTY MUCH WORLD FAMOUS VALENTINY WRITING CONTEST!

Without further ado, here’s my entry. Good luck to all the participants! We’re all winners already because we showed up, wrote something and shared it with the world… long distance high five!

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Scooter’s Swap.

Scooter couldn’t sleep.

He had never broken a window before. He hadn’t ever hit a baseball that far before, either.

And he didn’t mean for Freddie to get in trouble, but, when his mom started yelling at Freddie, Scooter didn’t stop her.

The next morning, Scooter thought he might be sick. He dreaded the thought of Freddie being mad at him. But it was Valentine’s Day, which meant the neighborhood Sweet Swap.  If he told his mom the truth, she’d never let him go. If he didn’t go, he would miss out on Ms. Susie’s Strawberry Schmoozies. Those were his favorite cookies, ever.  

At recess, Freddie wouldn’t even look at him.

In the lunchroom, Scooter sat alone. “Is a cookie even worth it?” he asked himself.

During class, Scooter wanted to cry. Valentine’s Day was one of his favorites, but today had been the worst.

After school, he climbed into his mom’s car and crumbled, his truth and tears came pouring out.  

Once they were home, Scooter walked next door. As soon as he saw Freddie, it all came rushing out again. “I’m sorry,” Scooter said, while Freddie just stared. After a minute, Freddie ran inside leaving Scooter to worry and wait.  

Soon, Freddie was back with a Strawberry Schmoozie and a smile.

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That’s all folks!  Please visit the other amazing list of entries on Susanna Hill’s blog!

 

Thanks for stopping by, come back anytime!

-JP

 

Willa wants a bite!

When Willa walked inside,

Her nose picked up a scent.

Today is Halloween!

She knew what that smell meant.

 

The cauldron, piping hot.

It was her favorite meal!

Just thinking of the stew

Made Willa want squeal.

 

She pleaded for a taste.

Her stomach gave a growl.

Mom said she’d have to wait.

She howled a hungry howl.

 

Then pulled on her costume

And shivered down the road.

She hoped when she returned

She’d have a candy load!

 

And after the last house

Shared all their tricks and treats

She raced home, just in time,

A frightfully good feast!

 

 

In my family, Halloween has become the de facto favorite holiday.  We all gather at my parent’s house and cousins in costumes trick or treat around the neighborhood while Nana & Papa pass out candy. After every house on the block has been hit up for candy, we all rush back and feast on her famous Taco Soup. Its (barely) controlled chaos and we all love it.  My contribution this year will be three Looney Toons characters; Daffy, Bugs and the Roadrunner to be exact. 

I hope that whatever your plans are tomorrow, the weather is wonderful, moods are cheerful and there is plenty of the good candy to go around.  The story above is my entry into Susanna Leonard Hill’s Halloweensie contest.  The rules are simple, 100 words or less, must take place on Halloween and incorporate three words decided on by Her Majesty, Queen of Contests (Susanna, of course) at the start; this year’s words are cauldron, howl, and shiver. (I checked all the boxes and had one word to spare!  Plus, I’ve never entered a rhyme before!) If you have any extra time, head over to her website and check out all of the fantastic entries!

Thanks for reading, come back anytime!

-JP

 

Be My Guest, Mona Pease!

Here we go again! I have another wonderfully talented pre-published author friend that I can’t wait for you to meet.  I was lucky enough to be in a critique group with Mona a little more than one year ago, and we soon became Facebook friends.  That group has since fizzled out but she and I have stayed connected, continue to swap stories and are even participating in a book study together! She’s a very talented non-fiction writer, but don’t let her fool you! I’ve read a super sweet and silly story of hers that is all made up and such a delightful little read!  She was even one of Susanna Hill’s Holiday Contest winners and graciously agreed to come down here (figuratively speaking of course) for a cup of English tea to talk about the highlights of her writing journey.  (She also took me ‘around Robin Hoods barn’ a time or two!)

Without further ado… Mona Pease!

_____     _____     _____     _____     _____

            I’m really pleased to be here and share some of my writing thoughts with you. If you know me at all, you’ll know that I’m a chatterer. Sometimes I run out behind Robin Hood’s barn and come back talking about something different!

            So, my first thought was to write a post called, How Did I Find My Writing Tribe? To do that, I’d have to start with the first step of my journey. I decided to write children’s books. You’ve heard that before! Then, I decided that I wanted to attend the NESCBWI conference I’d been reading about online.

            In the meantime, there happened to be another writer from right here in Maine who was posting that she was looking for someone to join her in going to her first conference. We wrote back and forth, decided we’d go, and room together. It wasn’t until about the week before we were to leave that we shared phone numbers and our full names!

            My husband thought I was nuts, going out of state to “sleep” with a complete stranger. Her mother worried she might be going with an axe murderer! Thankfully, we bonded and have remained good friends. This happened just before Rules and it was my lucky day when I met my first and dearest, writing friend, Cynthia Lord, whose a name I now know!

            Not only did I meet my first tribe princess at that conference, I got the writing “bug” and the start of my writing education. I love learning and I hope that you do too, because I just stepped out behind Robin Hood’s barn and have to share my thoughts about the educational opportunities we have before us as children’s writers.  There are classes, courses, and workshops all over the place. This is an amazing, sharing, community we belong to, so let’s do a little window shopping.

            SCBWI (Society of Children’s Writers and Illustrators) is a good place to start the writer’s journey. It’s our organization and we’ve been invited to join.  If you can afford to go to one of the conferences, do it. There are several regional events too. New England is “my” conference. Can you imagine listening to, taking workshops, or being critiqued by the likes of Jane Yolen, Cynthia Lord, Laurie Halse Anderson, Jo Knowles, Erin Dionne, Kate Messner, Kwame Alexander, Jeannine Atkinson, Harold Underdown, just to name a few- yes, a few! And, then there’s a never-ending parade of participating agents and editors who are willing to hear from you.

            Falling Leaves on Lake George in New York, is another amazing event. It’s put on by the Eastern New York chapter. You have to apply with a written piece to be accepted because space is limited, but it is amazing!

            Be a web surfer. Be a site stalker. If you live in the boonies like I do, you can wiggle around the web like a worm in rich soil.  There are valuable groups and classes that you join. Some are free and others you have to pay your dues. I would love to take all of them,but have to pick and choose because the dollars (or lack of)!

            *Kid Lit College www.kidlit.org has an annual fee for members. Nonmembers can attend webinars presented by fabulous agents and editors for very reasonable fees. Jodell Sadler has organized this for us. Check it out. Try taking just one of the webinars and you may be hooked!

            *Rate Your Story is another of my favorites. This one has a fee too but there are the perks. Submit a manuscript every month for a professional critique. Then look for your rating of the story. A 1 rating says it’s time to submit! Look for their occasional free submission days if you didn’t join.

             *Aree Chung’s StoryTellerAcademy.com   offers step by step for creating your picture book. His first class is especially valuable for the author/illustrator. And he’s offering other classes for children’s writers. Again, there’s a fee, but a never-ending access to class or webinars with the addition of any webinar in the future. There’s a community of students that bond to discuss classes or to form critique groups.

            *Sussanna Hill’s, Making Picture Book Magic will really help you write magical words.  SusannaHill.com  Susanna will help you make your own words and sentences sing!

            *12X12 in another place with an annual fee. Monthly webinars. Golden Book members have opportunities to submit to agents every month. Try Julie’s free newsletter while you wait for the new sign-up year.

            There’s tons of free stuff going on. Get yourself a big fat notebook and start stalking. There are blogs, websites, challenges and contests.

*StoryStorm at TaraLazar.com  A professional post each day in January to help us boost our ideas. If you read and post a comment each day, you’ll be in the drawing for -Prizes! Prizes! Prizes!!!

*ReFoReMo – Carrie Charlie Brown’s Reading for Research is a March challenge. Read, read, read, children’s books, read the daily posts, then comment, and you’re eligible for prizes here too! This is an amazing way to find mentor texts for your own stories

*Not only does Susanna Hill offer classes, she has weekly blogs and annual contests that are free and fun with more prizes. I know, I recently won a 2018 Children’s Writer’s & Illustrator’s Market!

*KidLit 411 is another place to find the news, and the weekly updates give you insight to what’s going on in the industry. This place is like an encyclopedia for children’s writers!

*Check out author, Vivian Kirkfield’s page. She presents author interviews, book reviews, and books to give away!

            Honestly, those are only a few of the gems you’ll find here on the internet. And now, for another trip around Robin Hood’s barn to take you back to where I started.  Along the way, on my journey, I have found friends! Some I’ve met in person and others I only know from here, but you are comrades, friends, critiques, cheerleaders. This is my tribe!

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Hands down, my favorite line? … “you can wiggle around the web like an earthworm in rich soil.”  Yes, yes, yes! I’m so grateful that I’m a picture book writer in the age of technology and social media, so much of what we need to learn is right at our fingertips! I’m lucky to have such a wonderful group of friends to call my own, Mona included…even though I missed her birthday! How does that even still happen in a Facebook world! Agh!! Mona, I’m sorry! I hope your day was delightful! Thanks for having me as a part of your tribe, my friend, and taking a leap of faith to join me here today!

 

Thanks for reading, come back anytime!

-JP

 

 

#50PreciousWords

Tommy’s Two Wheels.

“It’s broken, buddy.”

“My training wheel? This is the worst day.”

“Want to try riding without them?”

Tommy’s stomach flipped.

          “Two wheels? But, will you help?”

Dad smiled, “Foot on the pedal.”

          “Don’t let go!”

“Push!” Wobble.

          “Don’t let go!”

“Pedal!” Wobble.

          “Don’t… let…”

“Go!”

         “This is the BEST day!”

 

Well there you have it! That was HARD.  For a lot of reasons, one, 50 words is a lot less than you think. Two, I really wanted to rhyme… really, really, really, but in the end, the story didn’t, so I let it go.  Three, I’ve been feeling a little creatively tapped out. I nearly gave myself a brain cramp trying to get this story down on paper and four, did I mention it was only FIFTY WORDS? The struggle is real for a naturally wordy person like myself.  I will almost always use 45 words to say something, when I really only need 5.

Here’s a fun fact! This story is loosely based on true events.  My five-year-old (MC) had an unusually tough day at school, last Friday. You know, in the big picture, the day wasn’t so bad for him, but as his parents it was tough on us.  As my husband and I tried to shake off the events of the afternoon and start the weekend MC took a minute to survey his options. He was punished… from a lot, but he’s the pragmatic sort and quickly settled on a bike ride. After a couple trips up and down our street, he parked to his beloved hand-me-down bike and declared, “I think I’m ready to take my training wheels off!” And he was.

In a moment, the day was transformed by the pride on his face and the squeals he let out as he quickly got the hang of riding on two wheels.  Any lingering frustration and frazzle, my husband and I were still feeling melted away as we watched him conquer the open road.  In the end, it was a great weekend and we all survived the punishment. It’s been ten days and every evening it’s still an act of Congress to get that kid off of his bike and inside for supper. That fateful Friday will forever live on as the day he rode without training wheels (after earning himself a trip to the principals office).

There are so many incredible entries, head on over to Vivian Kirkfield’s blog here and check out the comments section for a plethora of short and sweet stories. I give myself and everyone else who entered an A+ for completion. I’m not kidding- That. Was. Hard.

The End.

(Also, I think I’m going to give myself bonus points for using the words plethora and pragmatic after 9pm on a Monday)

Stay tuned for my visit with Camille Andros next week!

Thanks for reading, come back anytime!

-JP

 

It’s (almost) Valentiny Tuesday!

For most of you tomorrow is Tuesday, February 13 but down here in my neck of the woods, it’s anything but an ordinary day. That’s right, it’s Mardi Gras y’all! If you aren’t familiar, I’ll catch you up to speed. It’s a sweeping cultural holiday with hints of religious origins.  Fat Tuesday, as it’s also known, is a day of celebrating, splurging and of course, sweets, before the somber church season of Lent.  Before I share my Valentiny entry, allow me to introduce you (Susanna) to the world-famous King Cake.  The doughnut shop in the small town that I call home (and every donut shop, bakery and grocer in the state actually) is known for their King Cakes.  There are as many different styles of King Cakes as floats in the parades, but my particular favorite is this one– a big, stuffed glazed donut (this one is chocolate, obviously!)  Trust me, it’s even better than it sounds. So please enjoy a digital slice of King Cake as you read through all of the wonderful Valentiny stories. Since you’re here, you might as well start with mine, right? (In case you were wondering, I’m not actually allowed to take the wrapper off- I don’t get to eat this one.)

Without further ado, my Valentiny entry… a story of hope in (under) 214 words.

Every Day but Sunday

There was a time when Amber didn’t even think about the mail.

She never wondered what was in all those envelopes and she surely didn’t know what time the mailman passed each day.  That wasn’t the case anymore.

“Will he come today?”  Amber asked.

“Every day but Sunday” her mom replied.

“What about tomorrow? It’s a holiday,” she worried.

“For you and I, it’s Valentine’s Day. For the mailman, tomorrow is just Wednesday.”

Even though her mom gave her the same answer each morning, Amber waited by the mailbox every afternoon, just to see for herself.

By now the mailman knew her by name. “Sorry Amber, nothing today” he said.  She managed a smile, but inside she felt like a balloon that lost all its air. “Thanks anyway. Maybe tomorrow,” Amber replied.

That night she reminded herself, every day but Sunday, and her heart started to feel full again.

The next afternoon, Amber stood in her spot, watching and waiting.   As the mailman turned toward her house, her heart started to race.

Was there a smile on his face? Was there a spring in his step? Amber saw him pull a big, brown envelope out of his bag. Finally, her wait was over.

Best of luck to everyone who’s participating.

Happy Mardi Gras! Happy Valentine’s Day! Happy Everything!

Thanks for reading, come back anytime!

-JP

Hindsight & Forecasting

I’ve been wrestling with and working on this post in my head for weeks now but every line I tried to open with sounded cliché and I keep talking myself out of it. (Hence the reason I didn’t even get it posted in 2017.) Like so many others, I’ve been in a reflective mood. Here are the facts: 2017 was an interesting year for my family, one filled with opportunities, challenges and celebrations. We hit a few mini-milestones (All of our kiddos can put on their own shoes! Everyone can ride a bike! We took our first plane ride as a family!) and added one adorably enthusiastic chocolate lab to the mix. From a writing standpoint, it was a year of great success, a few rejections (5/5) and wonderful connections. Because I believe in the power the importance of celebrating success, big, small or otherwise I challenged myself to list out all of my Kid Lit accomplishments for the past year. I need this on paper, so I can refer back to it anytime I feel like I’m spinning my wheels. I need it to serve as a reminder that I’m laying the foundation now, so that hopefully I can have a prolific writing career one day. I need to know exactly where I am now, where I’ve come from and where I hope to go.

So, in 2017, I…

1. Started a blog, which was something I had been thinking of for months. Since I started on February 9, I’ve posted 61 times and found 73 followers. (I’m grateful for each and every one of you! I never dreamed I’d get more than about 10.)
2. Participated in 5 contests, (KidLit College Board Book Contest, Sparkhouse Contest, Susanna Leonard Hill’s Hallowensie & Holiday Contests) generating 2 honorable mentions.
3. Participated in 3 writing challenges, NaPiBoWriWee, WOW-NONFICPIC and #50PreciousWordsforKids (well, technically my daughter gets credit for that one.)
4. Wrote 6+ manuscripts, brainstormed another 15+ ideas.
5. Joined and have remained active in 3 critique groups, and have met an incredible group of dear friends along the way (This one holds the most weight, my friends are the greatest… It starts with a few MS swaps and before you know it you’re adding them to the Christmas card list!)
6. Facilitated an online book study. We started working through Steering the Craft by Ursula le Guin. Sadly, the holidays interrupted our plans, but I hope to resume once we settle in to 2018… and maybe even start a new book!?!
7. Started Paper People, a monthly debut picture book author interview series plus three lagniappe interviews (one being ANN WHITFORD PAUL!)
8. Completed my challenge to read 100 Picture books in the course of one summer… (#100PictureBookSummer)
9. Attended my first writing conference (Bayou Writers Group Fall Conference) P
10. articipated on a book launch team (Maggie and the Summer Vacation Show and Tell by Randi Mrvos)
11. Joined SCBWI

I’m proud of my list, considering how much I did not now at this time last year. And now its time to look ahead at this new year. When it comes to making resolutions, I’m like a kid in a candy store! In a wonderful podcast a few weeks back, Katie Davis (Writing for Children) gave pointers on how to set attainable goals and set yourself up for success in the 2018. My favorite nugget was something along the lines of “don’t set a goal that you have no control over.” So, in 2018 I plan to…

1. Complete Storystorm (registered, 1 idea in the books!), ReforReMo, #50PreciousWords, NaPiBoWriWe, & (apply for) Writing with the Stars.
2. Attend JambaLAya SCBWI Annual Conference (registered! Bonus points if I make it to another!)
3. Continue Paper People, 12 interviews in 12 months (Stay tuned for Annie Silvestro!)
4. Enter 6 contests
5. Continue blogging, at least weekly, on a set schedule. I also hope to sprinkle in a few guest posts from other pre-published writers that I’ve met. (Week 1, check!)
6. Focus submissions energy towards magazines and publishing houses.
7. Attend local in-person SCWBI critique groups.

I hope you made your own list. I hope you’ve taken a moment to pat yourself on the back and I hope you have a very Happy New Year.
Thanks for reading, come back anytime!

-JP

It’s Contest Time!

Like I said, it’s contest season!  Below you will find my contest entry for Susanna Leonard Hill’s 7th Annual Holiday Contest. Much like Halloweensie, the rules were clear and simple, but that’s where the similarities ended. For the Holiday Contest the rules were:
1. Each entry must be about a holiday surprise
2. 250-word limit
What did I tell you? Simple, right? Deceptively simple actually. The judging will be on: Kid-Appeal, Holiday Surprise, Quality of Story, Quality of Writing, Originality and Creativity. I had even more fun with this contest than Halloweensie. It definitely took work, a few rounds or revisions and a lot more feedback from a couple dear friends. The story was inspired by the ornament that you see as my featured image, except I quickly realized that in this story, she was a she, and not a he.  Her name is Ginger, and she led the story, as characters do when you give them the proper time and space.  So now, without further ado, I give you, in 249 words…

GINGER’S GIFT.
Ginger was Melody’s favorite ornament and always snagged the best spot on the tree. This year, even with all the holiday decorations, she could see that Melody’s eyes didn’t have their usual sparkle. Ginger knew this first Christmas in the new house would be tough for Melody. She wanted to help.

One day, she watched Melody gloomily flip through the pages of the toy catalog. She stopped only once, to stare at a picture of a guitar. Right then, Ginger knew what to do. She shared her idea with the other ornaments and the entire tree rustled in agreement.

That night, when Ginger gave the signal, the Nutcrackers near the fireplace tip-toed over to the catalog and dragged it to a spot under the tree. Ginger took a deep breath and pulled her hook straight. She tumbled from one branch to the next and landed under the tree with a soft THUD. Ginger quickly and quietly found the page with the guitar and laid down next to it.

The next morning, Melody’s mom saw Ginger on the ground. As she picked Ginger up, the catalog caught her eye and the corners of her mouth twitched into a knowing smile.

On Christmas Day, Ginger watched from her branch as Melody ripped the wrapping off the final present. Instantly, Melody was jumping around the living room screaming, “A guitar! It’s perfect! How did you know?” Melody’s mom gave a smile in Ginger’s direction, and said, “I had a little help.”

There it is! Best of luck to everyone who’s participating; I’ve read some of the entries already and they are fantastic.  (Susanna and her team of judges have their work cut out for them!) Don’t forget to check out yesterday’s Paper People Interview and Giveaway with Jodi McKay, author of WHERE ARE THE WORDS? The Rafflecopter link for the giveaway is tucked in the interview, and will run until Friday, Dec 15.

That’s all folks!
Thanks for reading, come back anytime!
-JP

Tis the season…

For contests! Sure, you thought I was talking about the Holiday Season, and that’s nice too, but I’m talking about the wonderful variety of Kid Lit contests that are floating around in the world today! That’s one of the reasons I’m so off schedule here, (no post since 11/19!!) I’ve been polishing up my entries and trying to give all my story kids the best chance to bring home a prize. Here’s the list so far…
1. Halloweensie- That was great fun, especially the part where I received an honorable mention. It’s over, obviously, but it’s really where the snowball started…
2. Sparkhouse Contest– well this one is technically over, the deadline was in November and the winner will be announced soon (Dec 15)! I hit ‘submit’ on this contest entry the same day I found out about my Halloweensie good fortune. I figured it couldn’t hurt to have a little luck on my side. I don’t have a link to share because like I said- it’s over… fingers crossed.
3. Kid Lit College 2017 Contest– there’s a small fee for this one, but it also offers some really exciting perks. You have the option to submit and continue revising your manuscript even after doing so, right up until the deadline. Also, its open to many different genres, not only picture books and the site says every entry will receive feedback! So, you’re paying a little but getting a lot. See the link for more info https://kidlitcollege.org/
4. Susanna Leonard Hill’s Holiday Contest– well of course! With a 250-word limit, the story must be about a holiday and contain an element of ‘surprise’. Easy enough right? Wrong! My entry will be posted here, sometime this weekend. It’s not quite ready yet, but I’m really excited about my chances. Stories will be judged on the quality of story/writing, kid-appeal, originality and creativity. Have I piqued your interest? Check it out here… https://susannahill.com/2017/11/24/a-special-saturday-surprise-for-you/
5. Writing with The Stars (aka WWTS)- If you’re a frequent follower here, you may remember a comment on my Steering the Craft post from Tara Lubbe that talks about her brainchild, WWTS. My explanation probably won’t do it any justice, but I’ll try… aspiring (unpublished/unagented) writers get three chances to apply to one of a group of Picture Book Mentors who have committed their time and energy into helping the selected mentee learn the ropes of the publishing industry- for three months. The list of mentors for 2018 was just released and it’s STACKED! I’m working on my applications now! The window to apply is not until mid-January, but I know enough to know that I’d better do my homework, polish up my answers and patiently give my self the best chance for success. Here’s the link to the page and mentor list… (I can’t pick a favorite out of this list, but I sure am excited by the possibility of an opportunity like this!) http://beckytarabooks.com/wwts-contest/
6. StoryStorm– technically I think this falls into the category of a challenge instead of a contest, but prizes are given away and creative energy runs amok! The premise is that you come up with “30 story ideas in 30 days” and there are guest blog posts galore from all over the Kid Lit community. If you’ll remember, Mr. Particular, the debut picture book from my September Paper People interview was a Storystorm success! That takes place the entire month of January and I can’t wait! https://taralazar.com/storystorm/
I feel like I’m forgetting something… but surely that’s enough to keep anyone entertained! And guess what else? Friday is Paper People day! This month I had the chance to talk to Jodi McKay, author of WHERE ARE THE WORDS? and it was a blast. Want to know the icing on the cake? She offered a giveaway! Yep, you’ll be able to check one of your Christmas gifts off your list with a copy of this quirky, punctuated (literally) tale. To recap, Friday is Paper People and you have to come back to give yourself a chance to win. Saturday or Sunday I will post my Holiday Contest entry and there might be a few other good things that I have up my sleeve, so don’t wander off.

Thanks for reading, come back anytime!
-JP