Agent/author Kaitlyn Sanchez and author Lydia Lukidis cohost an annual writing contest, Fall Writing Frenzy, where #kidlit writers of all genres pair 200-words-or-fewer stories, poems or whatever strikes with preselected images. As they say, “You can write about the picture in a literal or metaphorical way, or focus on a memory or emotion it elicits.”
Here’s the image that I was inspired by this year, which brought back memories of the dinosaur days when costumes were more likely to be homemade–for better…or worse…
Halloween costume fail (80 words)
by Elayne Crain
Most homemade costumes are wonderful;
too bad this is not one of those.
Instead, I’m wearing a white trash bag
over Mom’s old pantyhose.
Cardboard hangs from my front and my back,
with a third piece I’ve painted brown.
It’s late so I grab my pumpkin pail
and head to de-candy my town.
But no one can guess just what I am—
each doorbell’s becoming a chore.
It turns out that perhaps I needed
to work on this costume S’more.
Interested in submitting your own? The contest runs through October 3. Click on the badge to be taken to the page for more info.
by Elayne Crain
