Warm up your computer and write a 150-word Kindergarten story and win $500.00!
The winning stories in this Kindergarten Story Contest will be published in the January eNews newsletter.
In addition, we will publish the winning entries our website.
Win one of five cash prizes
The contest offers five cash prizes: $500 for the winner, $250 for second place, and $100 for third, fourth, and fifth places. These alone are a lot of good reasons to write and enter.
To enter our Kindergarten Story Contest, submit a fiction or nonfiction story about family, friends, life, play, or school—really anything—for ages 5 to 6, up to 150 words. The story should be appropriate for kindergarteners who are just learning to read on their own. It should be fun, use appropriate vocabulary and syntax, and be interesting to youngest readers.
Please take care to not write too high for this age group. Know what a five- or six-year-old can and cannot read. Originality and the overall quality of writing will be important. Publishability is the ultimate criterion.
Entries must be received by November 7, 2014
Entries must be received by November 7, 2014. All entries pay a reading fee of $15, which includes a six-month subscription to Children’s Book Insider newsletter and a six-month membership in the writer’s community CBI Clubhouse. Winners will be announced in the January eNews newsletter. Prizes: $500 for first place, $250 for second place, and $100 for third, fourth, and fifth places.
Obtain Official Entry Form or make online submission
You may submit your entry either online or by regular mail.
If you choose to enter online, you’ll need to first save your manuscript to a file on your computer and submit it through our safe and secure entry page. Please make sure to submit your entry and reading fee at the same time.
Your online entry is encouraged. Please click here to continue to the submission page.
You will be directed to the section requiring the pre-payment of a $15 reading fee.
For Mail-in Entries:
To submit manuscript entries through the mail, please click here to obtain an entry form.
Contest Rules
| Submission Requirements: Any original, unpublished piece not accepted by any publisher at the time of submission is eligible. |
- Entries must be accompanied by a reading fee of $15 (credit card, check or money order accepted). Please add GST for entries from Canada.
- The fee will also entitle you to a six month subscription to Children’s Book Insider plus six months access to the CBI Clubhouse website, an interesting and active community for writers.
- We encourage entries to be submitted online, however, you may submit your entries either online or by mail. Please be sure to read and follow the directions carefully for the method you select.
- We cannot return submissions, please retain a copy of your manuscript.
- All manuscript submissions must meet the entry deadline outlined in each contest
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| Manuscripts should be typed double-spaced. Please put your name and address on the first page of your manuscript, and your name on all following pages.To see an example of how to format your contest entry, please click here. |
No entries containing violence or derogatory, racist, or sexist language or situations will be accepted, at the sole discretion of the judges. No employees or relatives of employees or former employees of the Institute or its divisions are eligible.
| Obtain Official Entry Form or Make Online Submission You may submit your entry either online, using our safe and secure entry page, or by regular mail. If you choose to submit online, you’ll need to complete your manuscript and save it to a file on your computer. You will be directed to the payment section first, then to the online entry page.For Online Submissions: Please click here to continue. |
You will be directed to the section requiring the pre-payment of a $15 reading fee.
For Mail-in Entries: To submit manuscript entries through the mail, please click here to obtain an entry form.
Word Count: Kindergarten Story Contest: 150 words.
Judges: All entries will be read by faculty and editorial staff members of the Institute. Winners will be notified by mail approximately 105 days after the close of the contest. Once the winners are announced, all entries are released for submission elsewhere.
Winners: The winners will be announced in the January eNews newsletter, which receives first rights to the prize-winning manuscripts, after which all rights revert to the authors.
Good Luck!
Talk tomorrow,
Kathy
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One of the writing sites I subscribe to had a recent article about plot. This topic was pertinent as I am planning out my next story. Yet, it is also relevant in putting the finishing touches on a piece I am revising.
A good book must have story. The author needs to take the reader by the hand and lead them to a new world, a new reality. The main character’s circumstance must be believable and the writing smooth. I want to open a book, delve in, and become so absorbed by the story that my own living room seems foreign a few hours later when I come out of the story.
Jane McBride Choate, in the Children’s Book Insider October newsletter, describes plot as a summation of cause and effect. Often this is referred to as sequence action & reaction. It is not merely a series of events. The events must be connected to each other, with each new incident building on the last. Each attempt the MC makes to solve his problem should change something vital for him or her. Choate says every part of the story should be an absolutely essential step along the way to the outcome. If a scene does not belong in your story it should be removed. If its removal can be done without altering the outcome of the story then it doesn’t belong in your story.
Choate advises the author to look at each event through the MC’s eyes. Continually ask, “how does this make the MC feel?” “how will he react to this?” “how will he act in the future because of this?” Ask these questions of each scene of the story. If no answer comes, the scene is either out of order or doesn’t belong. Cut the scenes that don’t advance the story.
In the classic story arc, the main character has an object of desire they pursue. In that pursuit, something gets in the way – the cause, altering the MC’s path – the effect. That, then, becomes the new cause, forcing a change. You can build your whole plot right there. Dorothy lands in Oz and inadvertently kills the witch of the east. This causes celebration of the Munchkins, which in turn causes the arrival of the wicked witch of the west to claim her sister’s powerful red slippers. Acton and reaction, the events connected and built upon the last.
Choate’s message applies to the new story I’m developing, but is important to the one I am revising. In it MC1’s agenda guides the scenes and the story and MC2 merely has to respond. MC1 reacts to that response, and so on. As a writer, I must ask myself if this action/reaction sequence plays out. When it does, fine. If a scene does not help advance the story, it is superfluous and must be deleted.
Jon Bard, Managing Editor at Children's Book Insider, is offering a FREE e-book on writing for children. "Getting Started Writing Children's Picture Books" is free at
Children's Writer magazine is sponsoring a contest for a fictional story or nonfiction article related to a holiday or season for children age 4. 125-words is the limit. They'd like to see less well-known holidays featured. And keep in mind that the story should appeal to the adults who will be reading it to the children as well. "Winners will be selected on age-appropriateness, use of language, clarity, originality, and the overall quality of writing." Oct. 31 is the deadline. Visit
Children's Writer for more details.
Jessica Kennedy, the Differently-Abled Writer, has just posted a new interview with me. Visit her
blog and take a peek.
And
Just One More Book is starting its 3rd year highlighting children's books. They provide a free online podcast celebrating children's literature--without any advertisements! It's a fun site to visit, and you can call in and be part of the show (1-206-350-6487.) What's a favorite kid's book you'd like to share?
Children's Writing Update, the online e-zine from Children's Book Insider, never fails to pass on great information. In their latest newsletter, they suggest checking out http://www.readthewords.com
I love computer gadgets and suffer the same problem as most- I need more time in the day. I could search the web all day if I could, however life beckons and the computer gets turned off. With readthewords.com, you can bring ebooks, blog postings, and websites with you as audio downloads that you can listen to on your mp3 player, and it's FREE.
To be honest, I don't know how often I'll use this tool, but having the option is great- you even get to select your own robot! Too cool!
OKAY, CHILDREN'S WRITERS
Today I am recommending the new,
Children's Writing Web Journal
Their special logo
From the Editors on the Children's Book Insider -
The Newsletter for Children's Writers
WHY SPECIAL?
GREAT CONTENT:
* You'll find publishing news
* Cool links
* Full length articles
* PLUS much more
All geared specifically to writing children's books.
<><><><><><><><>
And, if the puffy white clouds, and the light and airy page set-up
doesn't put you in the writing mood - what the heck will?
FLOAT OVER there and take a look. Hook up to an
RSS feedright on their Blog.
I'm SOLD!
And it's FREE!!!
. . . .
(Comments Welcome)
. . . .
Dang! Since we seem to be on a balloony thread here, I think I'll post this one I did for a story about controlling your gas. For help with this troublesome and potentially embarrassing condition, please go here.
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Hi Cynthia...great reminders. We have a mutual writer connection, Jessica Kennedy. She is great. I'm going over now to read your interview.
Warmly,
Donna McDine
www.donna-mcdine.blogspot.com
Hi Donna!
So great to hear from you. I hope your writing is going well. And yes, Jessica, is a super lady. Thanks for stopping by.
Cindy