Thank you Kaitlyn Leann Sanchez, Lydia Lukidis, and Alyssa Reynoso-Morris for this contest! Photo credit: Fall - John Mccann for Unsplash The Monster’s Candidate By Sarah K. Rose 200 words Hairy Larry nailed a flier to the tree. VOTE FOR HAIRY LARRY THE MONSTER’S CANDIDATE A WEREWOLF WHO CARES FIGHTING FOR A DARKER FUTURE The Scary Council Election was tomorrow. Larry didn’t have the votes. He was running on a platform of preserving the dark. Daylight Savings Time caused many problems for Frightening Forest’s monsters. The Fang Club, led by Victor Vampire, supported Larry. The Squad Ghouls loved Larry’s biggest rival – Undead Fred, the zombie. If only Larry could convince the other monsters that turning off lights would conserve darkness and energy and save money, he might win. Fred was the monster’s choice. He didn’t have a platform. Monsters loved that Fred could barely speak clear sentences. They didn’t want Larry’s detailed plan. The Daily Beast called him too controlling. Everyone agreed, especially after the last campaign dinner when Larry complained the meat was overcooked. “GRRRRR…” Fred ambled out of the forest toward Larry to read the flier. Larry rolled his eyes. “Go away, Fred.” As Fred stared at the flier, Larry clutched the hammer in his hand and grinned. Fred wouldn’t be missed. Larry was the Monster’s Candidate. The Werewolf who cares. Fighting for a darker future started now.
10 Comments
I love the challenge of Vivian Kirkfield's #50PreciousWords contest! Below is my entry for 2022.
New Room By Sarah K. Rose 50 words Baby June’s arrival kicks me out of my own room and into Benjamin’s. Mom says June needs her own room. “You both breathe too loud.” Before bedtime, Benjamin and I sail seas, trek forests, and climb mountains from our bunks. “HOIST THE SAIL!” “WAAAAAH!” Maybe our breathing isn’t the problem. Below is my entry for Susanna Leonard HIll's 2021 Halloweensie writing contest. For more info, check out Susanna's blog here. I had fun writing this one!
No More Sugar! By: Sarah K. Rose 99 words “No more candy tonight!” If Mom was in charge of Halloween, neighbors would pass out packages of roasted Brussel sprouts instead of chocolatey goodies. But, Mom was sleeping. The glow-in-the-dark pumpkin sat on the counter. With goosebumps on the back of my neck, I tiptoe to the kitchen and stuff my pockets with candy. In my room, I gobble up every last morsel. “Yum. Delicious!” I lick chocolate off my fingers before falling asleep on top of sticky wrappers. In the morning, Mom’s voice wakes me from my sugar coma. “Spinach and scrambled eggs!” “Ughh….” My stomach churns. Perhaps Mom does know best. Interested in earning a critique from an author, illustrator, or agent? Check out Brian Gehrlein's website to learn about this fun and simple opportunity in kid lit! In addition to filling out the Google form on Brian's website, you can also earn extra entries by posting on social media. See the chart below for more details. Thanks Brian for this fun opportunity! #PBCritiqueFest
Halloween – Credit: Matthew Henry/Burst Below is my entry for Kaitlyn Sanchez and Lydia Lukidis' #FallWritingFrenzy2021 contest. For the contest, unagented writers chose a picture from Lydia's website to inspire their entry of 200 words or less. The picture I chose is featured above. Good luck writers! Thank you Kaitlyn and Lydia for this opportunity. Thank you all for reading! Shake, Rattle, and Rock ‘n’ Roll By Sarah K. Rose 197 words “Herniated bisque!” said Innard Skynard. “Bone appetit!” Skel’ton John couldn’t eat. He was nervous. At Grave Yardley Stadium last winter, he managed one verse of “Compound Fracture” before bolting off stage. He tried to open for No Gout in the spring. But, his bones rattled, and he kept dropping his guitar pick. Skelton’s bandmate, Pelvis Presley, always gave him tips. “No bones about it, Skel’ton,” he said. “You’re talented. Let’s work on those nerves before my fall “Ghouls Just Wanna Have Fun” party.” Pelvis Presley helped Skel’ton practice all summer. Skel’ton drank milk and soaked up Vitamin D, but his bones ached from constant playing. When the air turned crisp and Skel’ton needed a sweater to warm his bones, he was ready. “Join me in welcoming Skel’ton John to the stage.” Skel’ton felt the air rush through him. Then, he saw Pelvis Presley’s eyes and kind smile. I can do this. He charmed the crowd with “Dislocation Nation,” but his song “Bone To Be Wild” got everyone dancing. “That was a party to remember,” Pelvis Presley said after Skel’ton’s performance. Skel’ton grinned. “Without you, I wouldn’t have had the guts to go through with it!” Below is my entry for Kaitlyn Leann Sanchez and Ciara O'Neal's Spring Fling Kidlit Contest. Enjoy! You can find the gif at the link below. It was created by @CBeebiesHQ, the official BBC CBeebies parenting feed.
https://giphy.com/gifs/oHv97bqH0tZTO2t4R2/html5 Hanging Laundry By Sarah K. Rose 145 words “Fresh air and spring sunshine are the best way to dry sheets,” Grandma says. “Our laundry will dry quickly in this warm weather.” I hand Grandma wooden clothespins. Dark clouds form. A crack of thunder makes me jump. “Hurry!” I cry. We yank the damp laundry off the line. “Run!” Grandma laughs. We race inside before the sky releases the storm. “What now?” I ask. “I know just what to do,” Grandma says. Grandma tucks and drapes the sheets over furniture. Grandma’s tents transform the living room. She points a fan at them. “They’ll dry soon,” she says. That afternoon, we read books and listen to the storm in our cozy hideout. Later, I help Grandma put the clean sheets on each bed. “They dried,” I say. At night, I snuggle under the covers and sniff. I can almost smell the sunshine and spring rain. Last Mother’s Day, a friend texted to say she had a gift to drop off for me. The last thing I expected at my door were these little friends. Ever raised silkworms? In Mandarin, they are called 桑蚕. Kids and I managed to get six to the cocoon stage. If you’re looking for an easy pet with minimal care and clean-up, silkworms are great! Once your silkworms arrive, you need a container (cardboard box, small plastic tub, etc.) and mulberry leaves. Since we live in a sub-tropical climate, we have several months of heat and high humidity. We kept our mulberry leaves “fresh” in the refrigerator after a friend recommended it. Silkworms poop – a lot. You need to clean the container and place fresh mulberry leaves in every day. On my first trip to China in 2012, my husband and I toured a silk factory where they showed us pillows they make using silkworm poop. Apparently, silkworm poop pillows are good for arthritis, removing toxins from your body, and much more. Silkworms don’t like direct sun. Wash your hands before and after handling as silkworms are susceptible to bacteria. I’m currently working on a picture book about silkworms. We are hoping to get more and raise them through until the moth stage. Let me know if you also give it a try! Tomorrow, we are celebrating Chinese New Year with friends who can’t travel back to visit their families. This will be my first time hosting CNY, and I'm nervous. Hopefully, I will blog about it soon! Happy Year of the Ox! 春节快乐! A few months ago, we helped a couple of expat families who were stuck stateside pack up and clean their apartments. Those friends made the tough decision to repatriate after border restrictions prevented their return to Shenzhen for the unforeseen future. A silver lining to the process was we found ourselves with more English books. We kept some for our kids, and the rest we gave away to neighbors. I didn’t think much of it until a neighbor asked if my kids and I could come over to their apartment. When we got there, we were treated to a concert on this instrument. Any guesses as to what it is? In Chinese, the characters are 二胡, (pinyin: èrhú), or a two-stringed instrument somewhat similar to a violin. The family’s 爷爷 (Grandpa, the father’s father) showed us how to play. Then, he gifted us with this one, which he made himself! He also attempted to teach me how to play “Oh My Darling, Clementine.” I failed miserably, so he wrote it down and told me to go home and practice. Since then, a few Chinese families have told me about special 二胡’s they have from relatives. One friend said she hopes to have her 爷爷’s restored so she can pass it down to her kids. I can’t think of a better gift to pass down! If you're in China, you might see older people playing instruments and singing outside in parks or neighborhoods. I have yet to find a friend who can play (besides our neighbor), so I guess that means I just need to keep practicing. Our kids are interested in our 二胡, but I think they need to be a bit older. I'm afraid they might break it! What about your families? Any special instruments that have been passed down through generations? I am often asked what living overseas is like. Shortly after arrival, I started Mandarin classes, and I quickly learned that I would not pick up the language easily. It would take a lot of work, and I would be humbled – a lot.
For every ten mistakes I make, I have one successful conversation. These conversations have developed into friendships and encourage me to keep pressing on with learning the language. I have really patient neighbors, friends, and teachers. Perhaps one of the great things about being able to communicate is how much I learn about different things like cooking and culture. The best thing, however, is the kindness shown by those we’ve met and gotten to know over the years. Our family took a planned trip back to the US in January 2020. Once COVID-19 raced across the globe, our flights back to Shenzhen were cancelled – twice. On the third attempt, we made it back and quarantined for two weeks in our apartment. Our neighbors sent messages asking how we are doing and what they could do to help. We were touched by how considerate every one was. In a world where it’s easy to get upset and paint someone else as an enemy, simple questions like “How are you? What can we do to help?” (In Mandarin: 你们怎么样?可以帮你们吗?) reminded us that it’s worth it to keep practicing and communicating. So, I will be a lifelong second language learner. There will always be a new word or phrase I don’t know. And, that’s ok – as long as I keep trying. |