Fall Writing Frenzy 2022
The air is cool and crisp, the tea is steamy, and the blankets are cozy.
It’s the perfect time for the super fun #FallWritingFrenzy contest hosted by Lydia Lukidis and Kaitlyn Sanchez. It is seriously amazing how many people have dedicated their time and energy to this contest and the amazing Kid Lit Community - It might be one of the best communities around.
I had so much fun writing my entry, Franken-Pumpkin. You can read it below.
Stop by this blog post to read all the other entries!
The contest challenges us to write a story based on one of the provided fall themed images. I chose the one posted above.
Halloween- Photo Credit: Samantha Hurley / Burst
Thank you, @kaitlynleann17 and @LydiaLukidis for bringing the #WritingCommunity together yet again with a spooky-fun contest.
The story of Franken-Pumpkin began very differently from how it ended. Writing is fun and funny that way.
Somewhere in this spooky pumpkin patch, Victor and Mimi were born - and the rest took on a life of its own. What remains is one of my favorite read aloud stories - about a kid scientist, his quirky sidekick, and a very lively pumpkin, on an electrifying night! Mwahahaha!
FRANKEN-PUMPKIN
by Christina Shawn
Lightning flashes over the steely laboratory.
“It’s Time!” hollers Victor,
”Prepare the specimen!”
Mimi squeals.
She peels back a sheet to reveal their lumpy, bumpy…
PUMPKIN!
“It’s resting,” she whispers, stroking the shiny surface.
“But soon, our creation will be terrific and terrifying!” thunders Victor, “Mwa-hahahaha!”
Mimi echoes, “Mwahahaha!”
Carefully she lays out their tools.
Metal blades clink.
Newspaper crinkles.
“Now we operate.” says Victor.
“Marker!”
“Oooh risky. No pencil first?” Mimi asks, handing him the marker.
He raises it to the sky, “I’m fearless and powerful!”
then glides it across the pumpkin’s surface.
Squeeak. Squeakety-Squeak.
They step back to look.
“It’s gloriously gruesome,” giggles Mimi.
“Knife!”
They saw through the crisp surface…
SHHH – SHHHH!
and pluck off the cap.
Victor Sniiiiifffs.
“Ahhh! Ooey gooey brains, my favorite!”
They plunge their hands into the sticky insides.
Piles of pulp Squish, Squelch, Squerch!
“Spoon!”
He scrapes out the last stringy bits.
Scrape, Scratch, Scritch,
carves two creepy eyes -
Poke. Poke.
and one mangled mouth.
Then replaces the cap.
SLURP!
Thunder rumbles. KA-BOOM!
Click! The room goes dark…except for the flickering of a tiny flame.
They stare as their creation RISES from the table!
Terrifying. Terrific.
Franken-Pumpkin LIVES!
“Mwahahahaha!”