The Plan
100 words
by Rebekah Hoeft
Princess stirs the bubbling
concoction. In the flickering firelight,
her tarnished crown and tattered dress look eerily royal.Jester and Bear arrive as something howls in the dusky distance. The group shivers and huddles by the fire.
"All is as planned," Princess says. "None will resist."
Concerned, Bear peers into the cauldron. "Will there be enough, you think?"
Jester cackles. "Of course! Princess plots perfectly.”
A lone figure emerges out of the shadowed woods.
A lone figure emerges out of the shadowed woods.
“Look. It begins."
"Trick-or-treat?" Mouse says timidly.
Princess smiles kindly. "Welcome. Come. Warm yourself.”
She offers Mouse a cup of cocoa. “Nice costume, Keith. Happy Halloween!”
© October 2018 Rebekah Hoeft
Per usual, Susanna's rules are simple:
1. Super teeny tiny story: 100 words or less.
2. Use the words cauldron, shiver, and howls.
3. Have a main character and story arc.
4. Tell a story that is clearly about Halloween.
5. Write well, with readers age 12 and under in mind.
Head on over to her site to join in as a reader or writer (stories due by October 31 at 11:59 p.m.).
Edit (Sunday, October 28): This morning, I realized I hadn't read Susasanas whole blog post.
So I read it.
Gulp.
I found what I am sure every writer dreads most...that the story you wrote and slashed at and muttered over has already been written. By someone else. And worse, that someone else is the person you are submitting your work to.
Susanna's is a 20-line rhyming poem. My original was a 16-line rhyming poem. I liked it, but it didn't emphasize a character enough or feel like it had a story arc. So I canned it but kept the basic idea.
Our stories ARE different stories. A witch MC vs. a Princess MC. Cocoa motives are different. But still. I cringe. But leave it 'cause writing 100-word stories is darn hard. Plus, it's report card, parent teacher conference week.
So, Susanna, if you've read this far, my apologies for inadvertent plagiarism. Great minds think alike?!
You had me shivering, Rebekah! Great story!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Patricia!
DeleteAww, love the ending! Good luck!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Nancy!
DeleteRebekah, it is a great twist of an ending. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteI think I'll take a break from all these great stories and get a nice cup of cocoa. =) Good luck!
ReplyDeleteBut where will you get it from!?
DeleteI think your end note is a story unto itself, LOL. This happens quite a bit with picture books, I think. Rock on!
ReplyDeleteOh my word, it happens to me all.the. time. My very first rhyming story was this great (I thought!) idea of a a story about a bat who was doing his living during the daytime. A year later, I read Stellaluna (my bat also had a long unusual name) to my class for the first time.
DeleteI had heard the title but but never had gotten as far as reading it or even finding out its basic plot. I wanted to throw it out the window. I didn't, but I never submitted it anywere.
It needs a LOT of polishing but I swear, I'm gonna do it one day, Stellaluna be darned!
That just means you have lots of good ideas. You just need to get them out faster, LOL. Easy for me to say, right? Good luck!
Delete:) Late to the game must be the problem. Or maybe never to the game!
DeleteThanks for the encouragement!
I am glad there was enough hot cocoa to go around. Nothing beats a cozying up with a hot cocoa or warm spiced cider during the cool months!
ReplyDeleteMmmm, cider! It's rainy and cold here and I have a day off and I have cider in my fridge. I know what I'm doing next!
DeleteA spooky, delightful story with a warm ending. Nothing better than that!
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteI was laughing as I read your story, Rebekah, thinking exactly what you said - great minds think alike! I think your story is much better than mine, though! I love your eery set-up! Thanks for joining in the fun!
ReplyDelete:) It was fun! I so rarely write stories because I can't stand myself when I do because if the droning on and on and not knowing where to go/when to stop! :) So your challenges fit me to a T---no choice but to know when to stop! Thanks for having a laugh and not a "grrrr" over the story (and I'll agree to disagree on whose version is better!).
Delete