In Which Maddie Writes Flash Fiction

Anna at Yearning for Wonderland is holding a flash fiction contest.  The basic rules are that you select a picture of her Faerytaleish Pinterest board, write a three hundred word flash fiction, and then link up on her site by the end of Friday.

This is Maddie. She just turned four. Also, she is cute.

I've been meaning to write something, but have yet to do so (eta: finally wrote it, see mine here).  Maddie, however, has selected a picture and written a flash fiction story about it.  It is slightly less than the 300 word goal, but this is her first flash fiction...actually her first story I've written down other than her amazing dream idea for my upcoming dragons book.  I should probably spend more time writing down her stories, because she has some great ones.

So here is Maddie's first writing contest entry:

Maddie's inspiration picture

Golden and Magical

by Maddie Melendez

Once upon a time there was a fairy who was turned to gold.  

She was turned to gold by the sun.

She became a golden robot and all her friends were fairy robots.

And then her father was happy because he was all golden and magical.

The end.

 (48 words)

Contest Details

* This writing contest is a quickie and open for one week only! It starts tonight (5/25/12) at midnight EST and closes 6/1/12 at midnight EST.

* Write a short story inspired by one of the Faerytaleish pins (300 words or less) and post in on your blog. Link up with the linky tool by 6/1/12 midnight.

* Select from any one of the 575 lovely pins on the Faerytaleish board. Include this image in your post.

* Note: You do not have to have a Pinterest account to participate in this contest, but if you do I will be happy to add you to the board (just comment below).

1. Jeffrey Hollar	2. Laura Huntley	3. Whitney Moore
4. H Johnson	5. Sif Dal	6. Angie - Write Me Happy
7. Afsaneh K	8. Jessica M	9. eilis phillips
10. Donna B. McNicol [@DonnaBMcNicol]	11. Last Krystallos	12. Cameron Lawton
13. Marilyn Dieckmann	14. Mindy Williams	15. Jaime
16. Miranda Boers	17. Jen DeSantis	18. Miss Bliss
19. Kimberly Gould	20. Anna	21. Spencer Goff
22. Stacy Bennett-Hoyt	23. Bullish	24. Jen Eldridge
25. Meg McNulty	26. Steven - @ashviper	27. Jo-Anne (jtvancouver)
28. J. Whitworth Hazzard	29. Stacy Bennett-Hoyt	30. Rebecca Fyfe
31. Christina	32. Meg McNulty 2nd Entry	33. Bullish 2nd Entry
34. Eric Martell	35. Cameron Lawton 2nd entry	36. Rachel Stanley
37. My Vitreous Humour	38. Maddie Melendez	39. Anna Meade
40. Cameron Lawton 3rd entry	41. Jessica Grey	42. ThatDenrele
43. Veronica Stewart	44. Veronique Kootstra	45. Christina
46. Afsaneh K	47. Polly	48. Donna B. McNicol - entry #2
49. Meg McNulty (entry #3)	50. Bullish 3rd Entry	51. J.M. Blackman
52. Last Krystallos	53. Beth	54. Lillie McFerrin
55. Dawn Nikithser	56. Dawn Nikithser	57. Anna Meade Entry 2
58. Stacy Bennett-Hoyt	59. Nanette

(Cannot add links: Registration/trial expired)

If you have a Wordpress blog, here is the proper code:

The Last Full Measure of Devotion

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.


Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.


But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate - we can not consecrate - we can not hallow - this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us - that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion - that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain - that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom - and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.


President Abraham Lincoln
November 1863




 

As you celebrate this Memorial Day with your family and friends, please consider a donation to the Children of Fallen Soldiers Relief Fund.  Thanks.

Costume Party Madness

Prepare to die of cute.

I'm not joking.  You've been warned.

My now four year old daughter, Maddie, came up with the genius idea of having a costume party for her birthday.  She was incredibly committed to this scheme and it ended up being ah-mah-zing.  This kid has more style and savvy in her little finger than I do in my whole body.

We had a blast.  We made princess wreaths out of pipe cleaner, ribbons, and fabric flowers.  We had ring pops and made linky necklaces.  There was a Rapunzel cake.  Her brother took a huge spoonful out of it before the party but she told him it was okay.

We had little girls in adorable costumes and poor Jamie the lone knight among the ladies.

It rocked.