The March Madness Writing Contest!

Here are the rules:

“Write a children’s story, in poetry or prose, maximum 400 words, that is a fractured fairy tale.  Feel free to add a theme of spring, or mix in one of the spring holidays if you like.” Check out the complete rules at Ms. Hill’s blog HERE. My word count came in at 389 not including the title.

The Tale of Cinder Ella

By Sheila Renfro

There once was a tomboy named Ella who preferred to be called Cinder.

She fished and climbed trees and put snakes in her stepsister’s bed.

 

Her stepsisters were mean! They made her model their dresses and experiment new hairstyles. They’d pull and yank and oohed and ahhed.

So Cinder put snakes in their beds and frogs in their bath water.

 

One day a ball was announced and her stepsisters vowed to get even with her. They would dress her up like a doll.

They caught her and tied the corset so tight, and then they styled her hair just so.

When they were done, they dragged her to the ball to meet the prince.

When the prince extended his hand for a dance, Cinder teetered in the glass slippers she wore. So she kicked them off and high-tailed it out of there.

As she went, she pulled pins out of her hair and discarded the skirts she wore so she could run fast.

Finally she stood below her favorite tree and climbed up as fast as she could. She huffed and puffed trying to get her breath. She could hear the horses running towards her.

 

She waited and watched.

Then the Kings army thundered underneath her tree, and they were gone.

She made herself comfortable on a limb that branched out in the shape of a “Y” and soon she was asleep.

 

In the morning she looked all around and, not seeing any King’s men, she slid down the tree.

She broke off a branch and tied some twine to it and at the other end she made a hook out of a hairpin. Next she dug for a worm to put on the hook and then she fished for her breakfast.

 

She heard a rustle and before she could hide, the prince stepped out, fishing rod in hand.

“May I join you? I love to fish, but the King says it’s too dangerous and I have to run and hide to get away from my body guard."

“I’m Cinder,” she patted the ground next to her. “I’ll make sure you don’t fall in, just make sure my stepsisters don’t find me and put a dress on me.”

 

They agreed and fished the whole day.

Afterwards they had a fish fry at the castle and invited the whole village.

 

Goal Setting-How's it Going?

At the beginning of the new year, I had set some goals for myself and was evaluating myself.
Unfortunately, after the time changed, it's been difficult getting up and writing. I've tried going to bed earlier. I go to bed at 9pm and sleep 8-9 hours and force myself to get up then!
I'm hoping my body will adjust and I can get back on schedule,
Some things I have accomplished.

1. I have entered a contest every month so far this year.
2. I am studying markets like never before.
3. I am writing more days than I have.
4. I am also putting forth effort to eat right and exercise. I do feel more energized. So I'm going to       keep doing that!


How are goals going?

Book Review: Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson

FEVER 1793

By Laurie Halse Anderson

ISBN 978-0-689-83858-3

Pages: 252

During the summer of 1793 Philadelphia was hit with an epidemic of Yellow Fever.

This is the story of one family's struggle to survive.

Sixteen year old Mattie Cook lives above the coffee house her mother and grandfather own and run. She works in the coffee house alongside their cook, a free black woman named Eliza.

Ms. Anderson's writing is impeccable, sprinkling historic facts in with the fiction of her character.

Each chapter begins with an excerpt from a letter or newspaper or journal, describing the happenings in the city.

President George Washington and others leave the city at the end of the term for the summer recess, missing the epidemic.

Mattie's mother sends her off to stay with friends in the country until the worse is over. But she never makes it there. Her grandfather, who was traveling with her, fell sick, not of the Yellow Fever, but the people were so paranoid they abandoned them on the side of the road.

She is taken to a hospital where French doctors who have experience treating Yellow Fever, save her life as well as her grandfather's. She makes her way back to Philadelphia, searching for her mother.

Mattie Cook goes from a child avoiding chores, to do doing what she must to stay alive.

At the end of the book are author notes with further information about the period and the history of medicine.

I can see why this book should be on the list for  "Must Read".