Fall Writing Frenzy Contest

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Fall Writing Frenzy Contest

I hope everyone is doing well. This week’s blog is my entry for kidlit contest, ‘FALL WRITING FRENZY’. So fun! I hope you like it. I really enjoyed writing this piece. Thank you to the contest hosts and all the prize donors for this opportunity. I look forward to reading everyone’s entries.

The contest was created by author & agent Kaitlyn Sanchez, co-host author & artist Lydia Lukidis. Find the contest here.

RULES: * Select one image prompt * Write 200 words max * Write in any genre of children’s literature from picture book to young adult * Have fun!

Word Count: 199 * Image Prompt No. 4 via contest, courtesy of Unsplash

Consolation Prize

I realized there was bad news when mum handed me the bigger slice of pumpkin pie. Family house rules — never tell someone awful news right before bed, and not without some desert. At least she got one right. 

I rested the plate next to my music sheets. Any flavour I tasted right now, might never be the same. It could take me back to this moment.  

I swallowed the first bite savouring the cinnamon butteriness. I felt the spice sting my tongue. 

Taking an apple from the bowl, I scraped off the sticker. A piece of skin came with it. She hadn’t washed the fruit but I bit into it anyway. The cool apple flesh masked the cinnamon taste slightly.

That’s when she said it. I didn’t get into the music program.

My hand swayed, knocking over the water glass. It shattered, spilling droplets onto my music. The notes began to bleed out black feathery lines, trails like a spider creeping across the page. 

Another house rule broken. Don’t get rattled by something you didn’t even know existed a year ago. Now, one festering cinnamon bite was my consolation prize. What a treat. 

Sometimes, there’s just not enough pie.

44 Comments on “Fall Writing Frenzy Contest”

  2. Aw, I love how this began. And then how it ended. I truly feel your MC’s emotions. Good luck with the contest.

  5. I love all your sensory details. I feel like I’m right there in the scene. Good luck in the contest!

    • Thank you Jennifer! Appreciate this 🙂 Thanks so much for reading.

    • Thanks so much for reading! Appreciate it! Perfect time of year for lots of pie 🙂

  11. Ugh, there is definitely not enough pie! Love the word choices – so many wonderful visuals weaved throughout. I could feel her disappointment and the unique family rules and voice made your narrator so real. Fabulous job and good luck!

    • Nicole, thank you so much! Appreciate this! Good luck to you as well 🙂

  12. Rosanna, this is wonderful! I love the voice of your MC and really sense their disappointment about the music program. My favorite line is “ The notes began to bleed out black feathery lines, trails like a spider creeping across the page.” Beautiful!

    • Amanda, thank you thank you!! 🙂 for your comments and reading my words! I appreciate it 🙂

  13. Oh, how I feel this character’s pain.You tell such a relatable story with compelling voice and authenticity. I feel as if I’m reading the character’s diary. I hope your character will go on to even bigger and better prizes than a hunk of pie. My reward is this slice of life. @AnneLipton

  14. Wonderful sensory piece! This is one of my favorite lines– The notes began to bleed out black feathery lines, trails like a spider creeping across the page. Your writing made me feel I was there! Great job.

    • Thanks for reading! So kind of you to say, Janie! Thank you so much 🙂

  15. Rosanna, you really captured a mood here. You’re so good at making me taste your words. I love it.

  17. This is wonderful! The character feels real and fully flushed out, which is so hard to do in 200 words (some books don’t accomplish this much character development in 50,000 words). Great job. Good luck!

  20. This is so we’ll written, I could feel the pain with her and lived the descriptions of the music bleeding with her, very poignant. Also your site is adorable, tell me your secrets! Thanks for sharing this with us for the Fall Writing Frenzy!

  21. I thought I was the only “crazy” person who doesn’t eat something they like when they think they will,get bad news. It could be the flavor you associate with something negative the rest of your life. What a weird, child like observation. Then again, I am slightly weird and definitely childlike. Great description of the ink bleeding onto the music pages, like a spider. Keep up the good work. Good luck and stay well! ✌🏼💙🎶🎨📚😊