THE LIGHT DREAMER: |
| by Carrie Karnes-Fannin His camera was old and heavy, a thing of the past. Deep in a mine, he found a boy working in the dark. In a burst of light, Lewis took his picture. As the photo developed, birds glowed from the paper floating in the pan-- chalk birds drawn by the boy on a door. Lewis called the drawings "hieroglyphics," symbols he couldn't read. He'd once dreamed of being an artist. Maybe the boy did too. Those dreams deserved to see the light. Could light change lives? Lewis was determined to try. Wanting to keep the world in the dark, bosses barred Lewis from their mills and factories. To get inside, Lewis pretended he was a salesman and wrote the children's names in a secret notebook. People complained - they were tired of seeing child labor pictures. "I am too!" Lewis said. After many years, he grew ill. But Lewis' photos kept working. His dream finally came true in 1938, when President Franklin Roosevelt signed The Fair Labor Standard Act. Lewis' camera was old and heavy, a thing of the past. But through its lens Lewis scattered the darkness of child labor, and brought kids' dreams into the light. |  "Self portrait" by Lewis W. Hine, as the photographer's shadow is seen while capturing a photo of a young "newsie." Source: Library of Congress  "Vance, a trapper boy, 15 years old. Has trapped for several years in a West Virginia coal mine at 75 cents a day for 10 hours work. All he does is to open and shut this door: most of the time he sits here idle, waiting for the cars to come. On account of the intense darkness in the mine, the hieroglyphics on the door were not visible until plate was developed. September 1908. Photograph and caption by Lewis Wickes Hine. Source: Library of Congress  Photo by Lewis W. Hine of a a "Spinner", in a Carolina Cotton Mill, 1908. Source: Library of Congress  Lewis W. Hine in later life with his Graflex camera, date unknown. |
The Backstory:
When children worked dangerous jobs for little pay, a teacher-turned-photographer had to act. The bosses wanted to keep the world in the dark, but Lewis W. Hine couldn't rest until his camera brought the truth into the light.
He became an unstoppable activist and in addition to changing child labor laws, Lewis' photographs shaped other documentary photographers such as Dorothea Lange and Walker Evans.
Even now, Lewis’s photos continue to shape lives, including mine. I grew up in a factory town, the daughter of a factory worker. Thanks in part to Lewis, I spent my childhood reading books and daydreaming instead of stitching shoes or making batteries.
The Library of Congress holds thousands of Lewis’ stunning child labor photographs - see more of them here. Joe Manning's blog project "Mornings on Maple Street", tracing the history of the children pictured in Lewis's work, is fascinating. Check it out here.
*all photos on this post are held by the Library of Congress and are in the public domain
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I'm happy to share that my 125-word cozy mystery "The Pie Spy" received an honorable mention in the 2023 Kidlit Vibes contest!
There were so many awesome entries that I don't know how the judges were able to make their decisions. You can read all the winning pieces alongside the honorable mentions at the link here.
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 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
A Baker's Burrow Mystery
by Carrie Karnes-Fannin
(125 words)
(125 words)
Autumn rain pattered on the burrow’s window and sugar wafted into the air as they opened the old trunk. “Granny was Watson Woods’ best baker ever,” Blanche said. “I hope her recipes are in here.”
Max’s long ears flopped in his face while he rummaged inside. He held up some yellowed papers tied with twine. “Is this a cookbook?”
Blanche squinted as she made out the old-fashioned handwriting. “The Case...of...the...Pie Spy.”
“Detective notes?” Max clapped his paws together. “Ooh, delicious...let’s read them!”
“Now?”
“Pretty please?”
Blanche laughed. “Oh, who could say ‘no’ to that face?”
Max settled against her shoulder with a contented sigh as Blanche began to read. “My latest creation was cooling on the windowsill when the stranger knocked...”
Max’s long ears flopped in his face while he rummaged inside. He held up some yellowed papers tied with twine. “Is this a cookbook?”
Blanche squinted as she made out the old-fashioned handwriting. “The Case...of...the...Pie Spy.”
“Detective notes?” Max clapped his paws together. “Ooh, delicious...let’s read them!”
“Now?”
“Pretty please?”
Blanche laughed. “Oh, who could say ‘no’ to that face?”
Max settled against her shoulder with a contented sigh as Blanche began to read. “My latest creation was cooling on the windowsill when the stranger knocked...”
Baker's Burrow kitchen - Art by Carrie Karnes-Fannin
After a long cold winter, spring is in full bloom!
And what would a new season be without a seasonal writing contest? A super fun one is the annual Spring Fling Kidlit Writing Contest, hosted by author Ciara O'Neal and agent Kaitlyn Sanchez and open to entries April 1-3.
The challenge:
"Find a gif and write a spring-inspired story. Blossoming flowers? Sure! Easter eggs? You bet! Mothers day? Of course! Anything related to Spring is yours for the telling."
(You can find more details about the rules and samples here.)
Telling a complete story (beginning, middle, end) within the 150-word limit works all the writing muscles! I enjoyed "borrowing" well-known rabbit characters to use in my piece. Can you spot them all?
Writing tip: Borrowing (or "intertextuality") is a recognizable echo from another work of literature. It's a great way to pack a lot into a few words, as the reader brings the backstory with them. As someone who writes poetry and humorous picture books, intertextuality one of my favorite devices.
While contestants aren't required to create the GIF paired with the entry, a lot of them do. I took that on this year as well. It was nice to play with visual storytelling in addition to words. Even though they look a little bit like potatoes, aren't the bunnies sweet?
I hope you enjoy my 150-word story and homegrown GIF. Are you entering this year? If so, please leave a link in the comments so I can also read yours. Good luck to everyone who entering!
p.s. As anyone who reads my work will notice, I love archaic words. Here are some from the story, along with their definitions:
p.s.s. My blog won't support playing my GIF for some reason, so I had to load it as a MP4. But I do have it as a GIF as well.
And what would a new season be without a seasonal writing contest? A super fun one is the annual Spring Fling Kidlit Writing Contest, hosted by author Ciara O'Neal and agent Kaitlyn Sanchez and open to entries April 1-3.
The challenge:
"Find a gif and write a spring-inspired story. Blossoming flowers? Sure! Easter eggs? You bet! Mothers day? Of course! Anything related to Spring is yours for the telling."
(You can find more details about the rules and samples here.)
Telling a complete story (beginning, middle, end) within the 150-word limit works all the writing muscles! I enjoyed "borrowing" well-known rabbit characters to use in my piece. Can you spot them all?
Writing tip: Borrowing (or "intertextuality") is a recognizable echo from another work of literature. It's a great way to pack a lot into a few words, as the reader brings the backstory with them. As someone who writes poetry and humorous picture books, intertextuality one of my favorite devices.
While contestants aren't required to create the GIF paired with the entry, a lot of them do. I took that on this year as well. It was nice to play with visual storytelling in addition to words. Even though they look a little bit like potatoes, aren't the bunnies sweet?
I hope you enjoy my 150-word story and homegrown GIF. Are you entering this year? If so, please leave a link in the comments so I can also read yours. Good luck to everyone who entering!
p.s. As anyone who reads my work will notice, I love archaic words. Here are some from the story, along with their definitions:
- Burrow: a hole or a tunnel dug by a small animal, especially a rabbit, to use as a dwelling
- Cony: rabbit, especially a male (boy) one, usually older
- Doe: a female (girl) rabbit, deer, ferret, rat, or kangaroo
- Fluffle: a group noun for wild rabbits
- Kerfluffle: a disturbance or commotion, usually as the result of a dispute
- Kit: a baby or young rabbit
p.s.s. My blog won't support playing my GIF for some reason, so I had to load it as a MP4. But I do have it as a GIF as well.
The Fluffle Kerfuffle ~ A Rabbit's Tale
As was their custom since time out of mind, a fluffle of rabbits gathered to choose the Easter Bunny. They sipped rosehip tea and nibbled carrot cakes while debating this year’s hopefuls.
“What about Peter?”
“Bugs is our bunny!”
“In my day, a pocket watch meant something.”
Lanky, half-grown kits rolled their eyes. The perpetually late white rabbit never let anyone forget his ancient brush with fame.
Jessica’s cloak flared as she hopped up. “What about me?”
A kerfuffle ensued. “But...but...you’re...”
“A girl?” Jessica’s whiskers twitched.
“It’s never been done!” one old cony gasped. All around, long gray ears sagely nodded. Who could argue with that?
This doe could.
“When better for new beginnings than spring?” Jessica filled the egg basket and flung open the burrow’s door. “Count on me, gentlemen.”
With a flick of her cottony tail, she was gone. Easter mornings would never be the same.
Congratulations to all the winners and honorable mentions in this year's 50 Precious Words contest!
This was an amazing outpouring of creative talent--756 entries!--as well as support and celebration by the kidlit community. (Check out the list here. ) A heartfelt thank you to Vivian Kirkfield and the rest of the judges for all the time and care they put into reading and making decisions, as well as the generous prize donors.
I'm pleased to say my entry MY BEST FRIEND IS GONE AND ALL I WANT TO DO IS CHEW THE FURNITURE is among the honorable mentions. My muse Bodhi is stoked at being a little bit famous.
This was an amazing outpouring of creative talent--756 entries!--as well as support and celebration by the kidlit community. (Check out the list here. ) A heartfelt thank you to Vivian Kirkfield and the rest of the judges for all the time and care they put into reading and making decisions, as well as the generous prize donors.
I'm pleased to say my entry MY BEST FRIEND IS GONE AND ALL I WANT TO DO IS CHEW THE FURNITURE is among the honorable mentions. My muse Bodhi is stoked at being a little bit famous.
 |  |
 | 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! |
MY BEST FRIEND IS GONE
AND ALL I WANT TO DO IS CHEW THE FURNITURE
by
Carrie Karnes-Fannin
AND ALL I WANT TO DO IS CHEW THE FURNITURE
by
Carrie Karnes-Fannin
| So chewy! So slimy! Ball and me. Me and Ball. Best buds, fur-ever. Uh-oh. No. NO. Shh...Ball’s asleep. Right? Ball? Ball? Grrr! C'mon, bounce... Please? Pretty please?? I promise I’ll fetch you. Oh, Ball. I miss... ...Woof! So shiny! So fast! Frisbee and me. Me and Frisbee. Best buds, fur-ever. |  |
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