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The Contest: since writing for children is all about “big emotion for little people” (I forget who said that, but someone did so I put it in quotes!) and Valentines Day is all about emotion, write a Valentines story appropriate for children (children here defined as ages 12 and under) maximum 214 words in which someone feels proud! They can be proud in a good way or a bad way. They can be proud of themselves for asking someone to be their Valentine, or they can be proud of how they asked. They can be proud of a Valentine they make, or a Valentine celebration they plan. They can be proud of giving something up, or proud of asking someone they’re not sure about for some reason in order to be nice. They can be proud of their performance in a Valentines Day play or concert or parade. . . sky’s the limit! Just make sure it is clearly Valentine-centered! Think beyond the obvious! Your story can be poetry or prose, sweet, funny, surprising or anything in between, but it will only count for the contest if it includes someone proud (can be the main character but doesn’t have to be) and is 214 words (get it? 2/14 for Valentines Day 😊 ) You can go under the word count but not over! (Title is not included in the word count.) If you are so inclined, you are welcome to enter more than one entry – just remember you’ll be competing against yourself 😊 No illustration notes please!
Please click the button below for further information. GOOD LUCK! I'm excited to participate in the 1st Annual Kids' Choice Kidlit Writing Contest, organized an hosted by the awesome author Kailei Pew. Details and rules for the contest can be found here. Participants can submit stories with a 200 word count. Illustration notes count so be careful how you use them. You can submit PB, MG, or YA , but the stories must hook a kid judge's attention. THAT'S RIGHT--this contest will be decided by our actual readers---KIDS! Hope you enjoy reading these stories! Check out all the entries on Kailei's blog (linked above).  STORYSTORM 2022 ended yesterday and I'm a winner with 31 story ideas! Thank you, Tara Lazar and guests, for the inspiration and jump into the creative spirit!  It's happening again and you are invited! February is NF Fest. This year you won't need to register, just show up. Learn more at https://www.nffest.com/ and get your participant badge. We have an amazing lineup of authors and illustrators who will inspire, educate, and support you.  STORYSTORM 2022 IS HERE! Get those writing ideas down for your creative journey! I'm a participant and those guest blogs are filled with great idea generators. Join me for the fun! Click the button below!  Thank you for stopping by to read my story SLEEPY SEEDS! Good luck everyone!  SLEEPY SEEDS 146 Words
Image halloween-samantha-hurley-burst by Charlotte Dixon In a ripe plump pumpkin, resting in a sack, slept dozens of seeds in a pack. In a pack, plump, wet seeds clumped so nice, lulled in sleep filled with sugar and spice. But . . . they awoke to . . . SLICE! SLICE! SLICE! In a glob, plump, wet seeds plopped. In a spin, plump, wet seeds dropped. SQUIGGLE! WIGGLE! JIGGLE! In a pile, plump, wet seeds lumped in muck! YUCK! Dumped in water, and tossed on a sheet, swirling seeds spread and dried in the heat. The next day . . . SCRAPE! SCRAPE! SCRAPE! In one scoop, flat, crisp seeds built a stack. In a stack, flat, crisp seeds slept in a pack. Until . . . they awoke to . . . THUMP-THUD! THUMP-THUD! In a hole, a crisp seed found a room. In a room, a crisp seed found a womb. In a womb, a crisp seed sprouted in earth-- WAITING FOR . . . REBIRTH! PLEASE READ THE RULES POSTED BELOW!  1. All non-agented writers may pick one of the images below and write about it. It can be a poem, a story, a mood piece, or whatever comes to mind. Happy, scary, beautiful, grotesque, whatever suits your fancy for any kidlit age, board book through young adult.
Maximum length: 200 words (not including the title). 2. You can write about the picture in a literal or metaphorical way, or focus on a memory or emotion it elicits. Just let the photo inspire you and have fun! 3. Entries for the contest can be submitted between October 1 and October 3, 2021 11:59 PM EST. Come back to this website and there will be a special blog post specifically for entries. You will enter your information to the form on the blog post, and you can include the link to your entry. If you don’t have a blog, no worries, you can post in the comments of the blog post. This is meant to create connections with others in the writing community so you visit (and maybe even subscribe to each other’s blogs). One entry per person please. 5. Share, share, share! Please spread the word about the contest with your writing groups, on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook etc. When you do, we’d love it if you tag us so we can interact too! Kaitlyn is @kaitlynleann17 and Lydia is @LydiaLukidis. And once the event starts, comment on other entries with supportive, encouraging messages. Don’t forget to use out official hashtag: #FallWritingFrenzy. 6. The winners will be selected by Kaitlyn, Ameerah Holliday, myself, OR their prize donor. We’ll choose whatever speaks to us the most, could be sentimental, sweet, powerful, funny, lyrical, scary, inspiring, or something we haven’t thought of. We’re excited to be surprised! 7. We are aiming to announce the winners by October 31st but depending on how many wonderful entries there are, it may take longer, please be patient with us so we can give each entry the attention it deserves. INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR JANIE REINART ABOUT HER UPCOMING DEBUT PICTURE BOOK: WHEN WATER MAKES MUD: A STORY OF REFUGEE CHILDREN Hi Readers: I’m sharing the true journey of refugee children as they use their imaginations to find hope because we’re talking to author and my amazing CP, Janie Reinart, about her debut picture book When Water Makes Mud: A Story of Refugee Children that comes out next month!
Book Description for: When Water Makes Mud: A Story Of Refugee Children A Heart-Warming Story About Loss, Family, Kindness, and Hope. When war forces two sisters to flee their home in South Sudan with nothing but the clothes they are wearing, Big Sister strives to help Little Sister smile again at the refugee settlement. But as quickly as Little Sister's smile appears, it disappears: that is until water makes mud. In the end, Big Sister's artistry and kindness brings hope to their situation. This title is a tribute to the resourcefulness of children who have no toys, but continue to play and is dedicated to the 200,000 refugee children living at the Bidibidi settlement in Uganda. INTERVIEW Charlotte: Hi Janie, thank you for joining us today. Janie: Hi Charlotte. Thank you for taking the time to interview me for your blog. You are the best critique partner, cheer leader, and note-taker I know. Your feedback is always amazing! Charlotte: Thank you Janie. It is a privilege to share your incredible journey as your debut picture book gets ready to celebrate its upcoming Book Birthday! Can you share where your inspiration for this book came from? Janie: A National Geographic article about refugee children making their own toys from mud, paper, and plastic caught my eye. The exquisite pictures in the article started the picture book story for me. I noticed the photographer, Nora Lorek was on Instagram. I contacted Nora to ask if she would consider confirming what animals might be found in the Bidibidi Settlement. Nora was gracious enough to give me her email and became my inspiration and resource. Charlotte: National Geographic is a great resource for writers. I’ve seen Nora Lorek’s photography—her work speaks volumes. Why did you want to share this story? Janie: One of my favorite quotes from Albert Einstein is “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” I was inspired by the refugee children at the Bidibidi Settlement; children who invented toys from found objects using their imagination and critical thinking skills. Children without toys—yet children who play. Their hope becomes our hope. I would like to see today’s tech savvy children disconnect from screens and spend more time using their imaginations and creating. I’m hoping When Water Makes Mud will also inspire people to donate to UNICEF. Publisher’s profits from When Water Makes Mud are being donated to UNICEF. Charlotte: Janie, you were meant to bring this story to publication. Children struggle all over the world. UNICEF has been a leader in helping children find their hopes and dreams. It’s generous of the publisher to donate their profits to this amazing organization. Speaking of the publisher, can you share the publication journey of this book? Janie: I read the story about the children in the National Geographic article in December of 2018. After several drafts, I was ready to show my critique group and get their wonderful feedback. It is always a treat to work with you Charlotte, Pamela Courtney, Melissa Rutigliano, Kathy Halsey, Marietta Apollonio, and Monique Morales Wakefield. When my 184 word story was polished (after a few more drafts), my CP’s gave me their blessing to send the story out. I submitted to Alayne Kay Christian/Blue Whale Press on Feb. 3, 2019. Alayne emailed for a phone call on—Feb.10, 2019 and the contract finalized on Feb. 19, 2019. The release date is June 1, 2021. Charlotte: What a journey! As part of your critique group, I can tell everyone how proud we are of you and your beautiful story. Since you mentioned Alayne, can you share why you enjoyed working with her as your editor/designer? Janie: What a joy to work with Alayne Kay Christian, acquisitions editor and creative director for Blue Whale Press. From the first moment, Alayne was excited and loved the story about the children as much as I did. “Well, Janie, you did it. You tugged at my heartstrings.” Not only is Alayne an editor, but she is also an award-winning author, and creator and teacher of her own picture book writing course. Alayne’s vision for the story was the steady hand at the helm that launched my picture book. Charlotte: It sounds like it was destiny for the two of you to team up and send When Water Makes Mud out into the world. Is there anyone else you would like to credit with helping this story forward? Janie: The charming and talented Morgan Taylor, illustrator for When Water Makes Mud : A Story of Refugee Children, tells stories though art, and promotes making the seemingly ordinary, beautiful. Morgan’s art carries so much emotion. Each spread is more lovely than the next. Her pictures make the story come alive. Charlotte: I agree Janie. Morgan’s characters come to life with her palette, textures, and thoughtful compositions. Before we go, I’d like to ask one more question. What pinged your heart on a classroom visit? Janie: I love doing classroom visits. During my latest virtual visits, I wanted the students to think about the importance of the written word. I asked a third-grade class in Ohio and a class in Minnesota—Why do we write? These are the answers that pinged my heart. We write—to change people’s lives, to bring joy, to express our feelings. Bio for Janie Reinart  Janie Reinart revels in playing with words. As an author, educator, storyteller, and poet words are her tools. Janie’s passionate about encouraging emergent writers of all ages to find their voice, share their stories, and experience the sheer joy of writing. Her latest work for hire picture book, a retelling of The Ugly Duckling, was published by Wonderbooks, 2020. Her debut picture book, When Water Makes Mud: A Story of Refugee Children (Blue Whale Press 2021) celebrates its book birthday on June 1, 2021. She lives in Chagrin Falls, Ohio with her charming husband. Janie relishes reading historical novels and poetry, writing picture books and singing, and delights in playing with her 16 grandchildren. You can find Janie at: https://www.janiereinart.com Charlotte’s review of When Water Makes Mud: A Story of Refugee Children  WHEN WATER MAKES MUD hugs your heart as two sisters flee from their war-torn home to a refugee camp. This inspiring story engages the reader as Big Sister’s toy artistry and kindness brings back Little Sister’s smile. The illustrations shine with tenderness and warmth as the children struggle to find hope again. Please share this true story told with heart and compassion.
Links to buy your copy of this book: Amazon Barnes & Noble Target Thank you all so much for reading and supporting this amazing creator! Sincerely, Charlotte Dixon |
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