Tag: contest entries

Challenges

Holiday Writing Contest

Teresa Traver/Anne Rollins

If you’re part of the picture book world, you may already know that it’s seasonal contest time again! Here’s my entry for Susanna Leonard Hill’s Holiday Writing Contest.

The Snack Before Christmas

‘Twas the night before Christmas, and Santa Claus needs a snack break. Frosted sugar cookies and a table for one, please!

Look who’s chirping at the door—an Arctic Warbler. How about a snack for two with caterpillars and cookies?

Another guest already? Hello, Ground Squirrel! Table for three, please, with grass seeds, caterpillars, and cookies.

How you doin’, Arctic Hare? The four of us will feast on fresh berries, seeds, caterpillars, and cookies. Yum!

Ah, Mr. Fox is right on time! We’ll have a festive snack for five, with birds’ eggs, berries, seeds, caterpillars, and cookies.

So glad you could join us, Captain Caribou. Six is the perfect number for a meal of lichens, eggs, berries, seeds, caterpillars, and cookies.

Come in, come in, Polar Bear! Just for you, we’ll add a seventh chair. Blubbery seals, lichens, eggs, berries, seeds, caterpillars, and cookies are on the menu.

Mr. Walrus was running late, but our party’s getting lively, ‘cause now we have eight! Please enjoy clams, seals, lichens, eggs, berries, seeds, caterpillars, and cookies.

Oh boy, Beluga, things are getting crowded. But we’ll find room for all nine guests. We’re dining on cod, clams, seals, lichens, eggs, berries, seeds, caterpillars, and cookies.

Another guest? We’ll have a party of ten. Hello, Mr. . . . Abominable Snowman?! Oh no, he looks hungry! We gotta get out of here! Run!

Abominable Snowman, party of one?

Photo by Jill Wellington on Pexels.com
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October Wedding

Teresa Traver/Anne Rollins

Note: This is my entry for the 2021 Fall Writing Frenzy. Check out the contest page to read other fabulous stories!

The sun set over the little church in the woods. At last, the bridesmaids could begin to decorate. Cobwebs, autumn leaves, and withered daises festooned the walls.

The organ began to play “The Dead March.” The doors to the church flew open, and in floated the bride, her tattered white dress flying behind her in the breeze. A veil covered her from head to toe.

Where was the groom? A groan ran through the congregation. Heads turned. Eyes peered. Would the wedding be canceled? The mother of the groom rattled her bones nervously.

But wait! Col. Hampton’s carriage rattled up to church, surrounded by a cloud of grave dust.

“Sorry we’re late,” the coachman gasped. Col. Hampton tipped his tricorn hat at the congregation and strode towards the altar, as confident in death as he had been in life.

“By the power invested in me,” creaked the clergyman. “I now pronounce you ghost and fright. You may kiss.”

When the groom lifted his bride’s veil, some of the audience fainted at the sight, but the colonel just smiled. “As gruesome as the day we met!” he said, as he beheld his bride. And they all (un)lived happily ever after.

Fall- Credit: Julia Solonina / Unsplash

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Halloweensie 2018: “The Halloween Guest.”

Teresa Traver/Anne Rollins

Later, maybe I’ll make a proper introduction post. But today, I’m going to jump right into blogging with my entry for Susanna Hill’s “Halloweensie” contest. Here it is, my 100 word Halloween story:

“The Halloween Guest”

 

Halloween night was stormy. Grimalkin huddled under a dripping bush. Shiver!

When the witch’s cottage door cracked open, he took his chance and ran inside. Warmth! Light!

“Shoo, cat!” grumbled Tansy the witch.  A howl of the wind softened her heart: “You can stay, but just for the night.”

Grimalkin explored. So much to see: jars of herbs; bottles of potions; bubbling cauldron!

Sniff! That potion didn’t smell right. Grimalkin tipped a little catnip in and stirred clockwise. Better!

Tansy tasted the potion. “Sweet! With magic like that, you’d be a great familiar. What do you say?”

“Purr!” said Grimalkin.

monochrome photography of black cat
Photo by Crina Doltu on Pexels.com