Susannah Leonard Hill is the author of multiple fun picture books and sponsors three online kidlit contests throughout the year – one for Halloween, the holiday season, and Valentine’s Day. She and many other kidlit authors are incredibly generous to host these contests, read through the amazing entries, and offer awards like manuscript critiques and books! These contests also provide practice in writing to a prompt and honing your story to remain within very tight word limits.
This year – the 11th year that she has run the Halloweensie contest! – the requirements are to write a story in 100 words or less! And the story must include the following three words: glow-in-the dark, goosebumps, and goodies. Entries are welcome through the end of October 31, so check out the full post with rules and prizes HERE.
You can read all of the Halloweensie entries HERE…and if you are interested in a GIVEAWAY (a manuscript critique, no less!!), please see my last First Stories entry HERE.
My little story is based on one image (see below) in a beautiful series of Inktober drawings done by my incredibly talented critique partner, Rachel Michelle Wilson! Check out all of her Little Ghost pictures on Twitter @_rmwonders!
Now for the story! Would LOVE to “hear” your comments below!
GHOST HOUSE 87 words
By H.C. Morris
Little Ghost heard fall leaves crackling and sniffed the crisp smells drifting through a broken window…
Stuck in a house he couldn’t leave.
“Another Halloween alone? Unbearable.”
Little Ghost fretted and floated.
Ding! An idea…
His wails and howls only succeeded in giving passersby goosebumps.
Hmmm…not quite right.
Dong! Another idea…
On All Hallows’ Eve, light poured from cracked windows. Little Ghost heaped pumpkin spice goodies on plates.
Ding, dong!
“Visitors!”
Soon his house was haunted with trick-or-treaters. Stuffed with strangers. Full of possible friends.
Little Ghost glowed-in-the-dark.
© 2021 Heather C. Morris
Heather C. Morris 