Once Upon a Time I Entered a Contest to Write a Fairy Tale...

that could be illustrated by this lovely painting by Julie Paschkis:

and I won!  My prize is the painting!  I'm so excited.  It will live happily ever after above my writing desk, to remind me that, amid all the rejections, sometimes good luck breaks through.  Here's the announcement:

AND….the winner is Deborah Holt Williams. We liked that in so few words she created a plot using all of the elements in the painting in a way that made sense but was not predictable. Her fairy-tale language felt timeless but not cloying. Her ending was funny and a good piece of advice.  Congratulations!

And here is my story:

Once upon a time, young Helga and her brother Hans followed their frisky hound into a deep forest and became hopelessly lost. A cloak of darkness fell upon the woods, and the children began to worry about wolves in the night.
“I shall sleep on top of the tree,” said Hans,”where I can see the wolves if they come in the night.”
“I shall tie myself to the tree with my hair,” said Helga, “so I will feel the tree shake if the wolves come in the night.”
The dog lay down with his nose to the ground, so he could smell the wolves if they came in the night.
But while they slept, a hungry and very quiet bear tippy-toed through the woods and ate them all.
“When you prepare for one misfortune,” said the bear, picking his teeth, “you may be surprised by another one entirely.”

Agent Danielle Smith's Webinar

   I really enjoyed this webinar, especially to hear that Danielle doesn't think it's absolutely mandatory for authors to have a "platform"--Twitter, facebook author page, etc. and because she feels the same way I do about the importance of hanging around little ones.  I subbed in the toddler room at my daughter's preschool this week, and got inspired to write a story during naptime.  It's so good to see what makes them laugh, what holds their interest, etc.  I just can't get that sitting here at my desk!  My grandkids inspire me, too, but they're far away. 

One Step Closer to an Agent?

  I heard from the Lavender Ninja this evening, asking me to query and send more stories!  I wanted to send a variety, so I sent Mom Dot Com, I'm a Good Dog, Bottled Anger and Trashing Through the Snow.  She loves Confetti the Yeti, but thinks it would be hard to sell.  I agree, but I think it's worth the effort!  So curious to see how this all works out.

Stalked by a Lavender Ninja!

  I signed up for WriteOnCon for two reasons: 1.)  I work weekends and I live in a small town, so going to conferences involves travel and a missed paycheck, and 2.) it seemed like another opportunity to get my work in front of agents.  "Ninja Agents" stalk the forums looking for queries or stories that appeal to them.
   Yesterday on the query forum, I got a request from "Ninja Agent Lavender" asking me to private message my Confetti the Yeti story!  I was so excited, but when I tried, I got a message that the agent was not accepting PMs!  Aaaagh!  But she wrote me again that she'd fixed the problem and to try again, so I did.
    Let the waiting begin!  I so hoped that I would hear from her this morning, that she (or he) would love it and that a contract would shoot out of my printer.  It didn't happen.  But, we writers are a patient breed...
    In other news, Glenwood Springs caught fire last night (thank goodness for the rain that followed),  and I heard from my friend in Cedaredge who is planning a picnic for my visit tomorrow.  It was a very busy evening!

Senior Moment

  Sometimes, usually after several rejections, I wonder if I'm just too old for this writing biz.  Not for the creative part, but for the self-promoting, tweeting, website, do I need to know how to make a video part. I query agents a third my age, and wonder why they would take on a client that used to type her stories on a typewriter, who remembers the smell of the mimeograph machine, and taking rolls of film to the drugstore...but I keep on keepin' on because I so want my and grandkids to hold a book in their hands that their Nana wrote!
    What are some of the challenges and the joys you face as an older person writing for children?

A Sensei-tional Compliment!

  Corey Rosen Schwartz, author of Three Ninja Pigs, used my Confetti the Yeti poem as an example of good rhyme and meter when she appeared on Julie Hedlund's 12x12 blog.  Then I found a private  message from her where she said I had a black belt in rhyming!  Wow, that means so much coming from her.  She also said she has three new rhymers coming out!  And she encouraged me that well written rhyme will sell.  I would so love to find a home for Confetti.

Making Stuff Up And Writing It Down: How to Use Twitter In A Way That Won't Get You Kicked in the Face

Making Stuff Up And Writing It Down: How to Use Twitter In A Way That Won't Get You Kicked in the Face