And now for the kidlit community's grooviest contest...Kidlit Vibes 2023! The challenge: Spin the "wheel of feels" and use the vibe given as a prompt for creating a kidlit story (12 years of age and younger), all in 125 words or less. The contest is open to both unagented and agented creators alike, and the entries are judged anonymously. Contest dates are May 12-14th, so there's still time to spin and create your own story. You can find more details at the link here and all the great prizes can be found here. Last year I landed on "longing," which was a great (and prize winning!) inspiration. This year I spun "cozy," which happens to be one of my favorite feelings. I hope you like this little taste of a kidlit cozy mystery. Thank you for reading! Let me know your thoughts in the comments - did you get a cozy vibe? Do you want to curl up with a cup of cocoa and a plate of cookies and find out whodunnit? p.s. Feel free to leave a link to your own entry, as I'd love to read yours, too. Good luck! The Pie Spy |
It's that time again ~ the 50 Precious Words International Writing Contest. This fun competition started in 2016 thanks to Vivian Kirkfield's unflagging enthusiasm and support for the kidlit creative community. Thank you to Vivian, the judges, and prize donors for your time and generosity! Entries can be silly or serious, poetry or prose. You can let your imagination run wild! But, whatever the piece, it must be an actual story (with a beginning, middle, and end) and no more than 50 words. Quite the challenge, right? I always love seeing what people come up with--you should check it out here, too. {{link}} My 50-word entry was inspired by watching my dog cycle through the 5 stages of grief repeatedly one afternoon, as he ripped up one cheap squeaky ball after the other in quick succession. I had fun getting inside my pup's mind for this one. Let me know what you think in the comments! |
Just in time for Valentines! Once again, one of Susannah Hill's fun holiday-themed contests is getting the kidlit community's creative juices flowing. Between now and February 14th, enter a 214-word max story for the chance to win one of many fabulous prizes. [Check it all out here.] The gist of the rules is that it must be 1) Kid appropriate, 2) Valentine themed, 3) incorporate this year's prompt/concept, which is skepticism, 4) and be a real story, with a beginning, middle, end. |