Blog Archives - Kari Ann Gonzalez, Children's Author

Happy Halloweensie!

10/31/2020

I hope everyone is having a wonderful, safe and happy Halloween! It has been a busy week, but I can't resist the lure of holiday writing prompt! I give you my 100 word Halloweensie contest entry using the words, crept, mask, and skeleton: Sweet Treats. There are some really amazing entries, hop on over to Susana Leonard Hill's website to check out the other entries!

Sweet Treats
By Kari Ann Gonzalez

It was Halloween at the museum, but Rex refused to be the same old thing…
Skeletons were so prehistoric!
This year, Rex had big plans and a grumbly tummy.
He crept to the supply closet and snagged some sheets.
One last touch.
"Perfect!"
One by one, children filed in.
Rex devoured the sweet scent.
“Trick-or-treat!”
Candy tumbled into plump bags.
“Where is the T-Rex?” a child asked.
Rex made his move.
“A chicken costume? Not scary!” the child laughed.
“Skeleton it is!”
Rex ripped off his mask.
“Trick for you, treat for me!”
ROAAARRR!
AHHHHHHHHHH!
The children ran.
“Yum, chocolate!”

Revisions Are Hard

10/24/2020

What do you do when your fickle manuscript talks back and just doesn't do what you want? You have probably already stared at the darn thing until your eyeballs burn, waved a magic wand, and of course tweaked and revised and rewritten it no less than a million times. But what does it take to FINISH it?! Here are a few handy tricks to truly SEE the story you have written versus the story you would like to write.

Time- seriously shove that manuscript in a proverbial drawer for a month until it starts to behave. But in all seriousness, sometimes we get to close to our written babies and need time away to see it from a fresh perspective.
Change up how you revise- do you look at all key elements of a story at once. Try revising only for voice in one pass. The following week, only revise dialogue and the week after plot, etc. This will help you focus on all key elements not just the story as a whole.
Get a fresh perspective- swap critiques with someone who has never seen the evolution of your story- or know your intentions behind it. There are so many opportunities to connect with other writers interested in critiques. Check out Kidlit411, The Storyteller Academy, and 12x12 Picture Book Writing Challenge. And if you are lucky enough be in the middle of writerly contest such as #PBCritiqueFest hosted by Brian Gehrlein at Picture Book Spotlight, with an opportunity to win a FREE critique from a fabulous creative, always put your name in the hat. Feedback is a fabulous gift and can pull you right out of those hard revision blues. Wishing you the best of luck on your contest entry, your current revision, and all of your revisions to come.

Fall Writing Frenzy

10/1/2020

One of my favorite seasons has arrived, and with it, scents of pumpkin spice and apple cider and of course a wonderful contest and writing prompt! So, I give you: my 86-word entry for Fall Frenzy and the sweet gathering photo that prompted my STEM (pun intended) acrostic poem. Fingers crossed to win a picture book prize- but I already won a personal prize- the delicious new story I am posting and a few new story ideas! What did you think? I would love to hear from you! Then, pop back over to the Fall Writing Frenzy blog post to check out all the amazing stories. Thank you to Kaitlyn Sanchez and Lydia Lukidis for the contest and lovely inspiration!

SEEDS FROM AUTUMN
By Kari Ann Gonzalez

Prior to pumpkin, Spring magic stirs life in a sleepy little seed.
Under the soil, roots dig deep, and a sprout begins to reach.
More sun. A lot more water. Vines race, play chase, then bide their time, until…
Prickly green greets a golden flower and soon, an emerald globe.
Keep watching. The globe grows burnt marigold, into perfectly pumpkin! Then…
Into the kitchen to bake, mash, spice and sweeten. The aroma, beseeching.
Now, gather to eat! All except seeds saved to conjure next Autumn’s feast.

And, now you’re hungry- am I right? If you need a pumpkin fix check out this allergy friendly pumpkin-spiced donut recipe from Audrey Roberts at Mama Knows Gluten Free. See photo below-It’s the stuff dreams are made of!

Enjoy, and thanks for stopping by!