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UPDATE - Winners Announced:
We absolutely LOVED reading ALL the stories submitted for the 7 Spooky Sentences contest! Your stories really got us in the spooky spirit and ready for our month-long Trick-or-Treat event that kicked off earlier today with NYTs Bestselling Author Ame Dyckman.
And now, it’s time to announce the winners of the 7 Spooky Sentences!
The winners are...!
1. Andy Wowor
2. Lindsay Moretti
3. Chris Spitters
4. smskolfield
5. Julie Hauswirth
Fun Fact: we use Random Name Picker for our drawings at #SeasonsOfKidLit.
A HUGE congrats and thanks again for joining in the fun! We'll be in touch with all the winners shortly.
If you didn’t win a treat, tune in: we have a fun month filled with tricks (aka writing/illustration tips) and treats (aka giveaways, including books, critiques, skip-the-slush passes and MORE!) coming your way!
And now, here’s a short and sweet Q&A with your hosts, Heatherween and GobLynne Marie:
Q & A for Heatherween!
Q: What are you looking forward to most for this year’s Trick-or-Treat event?
A: We have another amazing guestlist and so many seasonal books coming your way! Seriously, have you seen the calendar? It’s jam-packed with tons of talent. Be sure to check it out if you haven’t and get ready for boatloads of fang-tastic fun!
Q: The 31st says you and Lynne Marie have a surprise double post. What is it? Can you give us a hint?
A: Yes! Let me just say, I’m sharing 6 pretty cool things that day. Can’t wait!
Q: What’s your favorite Halloween candy?
A: OK, hear me out. I know it’s awful, but I’m obsessed with candy corn. It is my absolute weakness (especially the candy corn shaped like little pumpkins - seriously, take my money!). I try not to keep candy corn in the house b/c I lack self-control when it comes to it.
Q&A for GobLynne Marie!
Q: What are you looking forward to most for this year’s Trick-or-Treat event?
A: Oooh! That there are lots of treats! And by that I mean the opportunity to learn about or learn more about various authors, editors and agents! It helps us keep our finger on the pulse of kidlit! And the prizes! I am pea-green envious that I can’t win any of them! But I’m so happy to share them with our readers instead.
Q: What is your surprise post all about on the 31st? Can you give us a hint as to what you're sharing?
A: Yes! This little treat is a sneak peek at the main characters for my upcoming book (co-written with Brenda Reeves Sturgis), which will be flying in next summer, just in time for my favorite season!
Q: What’s your favorite Halloween candy?
Since I was a child, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups have been my top treat. I used to assign candy values by how much I liked them. Then I would bargain with my siblings for their Reese’s. For example, I’ll give you one Pay Day and Milk Duds for one Reeses. If they didn’t go for it I would up my offer by throwing in smarties or bubble gum or bit-o-honeys, and if I had to, another chocolate bar variation. I didn’t care if I lost most of my candy as long as I had all Reeses and Licorice left. I always tried not to trade my licorice. This love for Reeses has carried into my adulthood. I have sampled every Reese’s variation ever made. I can’t see a new variation and pass it up! But it’s usually thumbs down from me. I’ve only ever thought one to be better than the original – Dark Chocolate Reese’s are my absolute favorite!
Thanks again, and make sure to get your Trick-or-Treat bags ready!
Sincerely,
Heatherween and GobLynne Marie
Original Post!
At #SeasonsOfKidLit, we are all about stories – spooky or otherwise! But to kick off the spooky season, we are (g)hosting a contest to get you all in the writing spirit.
What is 7 Spooky Sentences? A just-for-fun writing contest with NO judging. This is simply to get your creative juices flowing. Your entry automatically makes you eligible for some pretty spook-tacular prizes including:
A query letter critique from Lynnette Novak, Agent at The Seymour Agency!
About Lynnette: Prior to joining The Seymour Agency, Lynnette spent seventeen years freelance editing. She worked with new writers, advanced writers, as well as New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors. Lynnette earned a Bachelor of Education degree from the University of Manitoba, where she specialized in English and French. She excelled in Advanced Creative Writing in university and studied writing for children and teens through the Institute of Children’s Literature. She was a Pitch Wars mentor in 2015 and 2016. Both her mentees acquired an agent. Lynnette has since closed her editing business and is excited to bring her passion for the written word to agenting.
She loves dark and suspenseful, mysterious twists, unique worlds, light and funny, a good love story, and lots of voice. To see her current MSWL, click here.
A Picture Book Mechanic Consultation with Agent Mentee Lynne Marie at The Seymour Agency!
About Lynne Marie: Lynne Marie is a #KidLit Author, an Agent Mentee with The Seymour Agency, the Director of Rate Your Story and spirited lover of Holidays, Halloween, and all things spooky!
Lynne Marie celebrates holidays, big and small! As a child, her favorite book was Chase's Book of Days which lists them all! Five of her published and pending picture books are all Holiday Tie-ins! Lynne Marie is especially excited to celebrate Halloween with #SeasonOfKidLit.
A picture book or first four chapters of a Chapter Book critique PLUS Query Letter critique from Heather Macht!
About Heather Macht: Heather Macht is the creator of #SeasonsOfKidLit and the author of 15 books including The Mutant Critter Sitter (ABDO, 2024), a six-book chapter book series featuring #girlpower, responsibility, spliced mutant creations, and science-filled fun!, The Woodlot Monster Mysteries (ABDO, 2023), a 6-book Chapter Book Series featuring less-common monsters, and promoting #girlpower, problem solving, and teamwork!, and more!
A #SeasonsOfKidLit coffee mug! Because, what's more fun than sipping in style this holiday season?
General guidelines for your story:
Your sentences can be about anything but must tell a complete spooky or seasonal story.
If you’re stuck, you can follow this format for your submission. If nothing else, you will have a story to *flesh out* later!
Sentence One: Introduce your setting
Sentence Two: Introduce your character
Sentence Three: A story problem / goal
Sentence Four: An obstacle
Sentence Five: An active attempt to solve the story problem or achieve the story goal
Sentence Six: Introduce a failure
Sentence Seven: Solve the story problem or achieve the story goal!
When you've posted a story below, share this graphic on social media with the text, "I shared seven spooky sentences over at #SeasonsOfKidLit.com"
Tags:
#7SpookySentences #SeasonsofKidLit @AuthorHMacht @Literally_Lynne
As your co-(g)hostesses for this chillingly creative event, we look forward to reading your submissions!
7 Spooky Sentences runs from Sept 25 - Sept 30th. Participants must get their entry in by 11:59 PM EST on Sept 30th to be eligible for the drawing. The giveaway winners will be announced on or about Oct 7th.
Sincerely,
Heatherween and GobLynne Marie
Congratulations to the lucky winners!
Bit by Bit
by Amy Martinez
He glances at me adoringly as we weave through the party, his hand on my lower back. His touch gives me purpose and his affection validation, so I practice restraint and like a leech suck his soul bit by bit. Tonight, my gnawing emptiness is ravenous therefore I must capture his attention and siphon enough of him to be relevant tomorrow. Scrolling through videos with a glassy eyed stare, my process begins until he rudely leaves me in search of snacks. When he doesn’t return, I am engulfed in darkness and I feel my energy drain. On the couch where I sit, I take a selfie with his ex and post it, knowing…
Thank you for the opportunity, Heatherween and GobLynne Marie! 🎃
The Wizards, the Ghoul, and the Humans
by Andy Wowor Two young wizards, Serena and Ego, lived in a dark and mysterious forest of twisted oaks and gnarled pines.
Their eyes widened as they gazed longingly at the human world, and a slimy purple ghoul stood guard at the portal, letting out a low growl.
The purple ghoul with glowing red eyes only unlocked the portal when the full moon was at its peak, the blood-red light forming eerie shadows on the forest floor.
As the crimson moon rose, Serena and Ego snuck up to the portal, and the ghoul’s bony fingers clawed at the lock while singing a long and…
Color me Ghostly
By Thelia Hutchinson
The ghosts sulked their way into their haunted house one by one.
They were tired of being the same boring white color and wanted a change.
Together they devised a spook proof plan to paint themselves different colors.
The only problem was they had no paint.
So, they went to the kitchen, took out all the colorful vegetables and boiled them each in different containers until the water changed color.
One by one they each drank a different color mixture and transformed, except Manny who drank all the colors and turned into a kaleidoscope of colors.
They then marched happily out of the haunted house with plans to frighten the whole neighborhood with colorful…