Cheryl Klein | Cathy C. Hall Writes

As you may recall when I wrote about my mission to acquire Cheryl Klein’s SECOND SIGHT, I am not one to give up easily. And so once again, I shall be rolling up my sleeves, flexing the brain, and looking for an unusual newspaper headline for my Highlights Fiction Contest story.

Yep, it’s that time of year again when hope springs eternal and visions of dollars dance in my head as I write up a scathingly brilliant kiddie story of 750 words or less (475 words if I think up something brilliant for the younger readers of Highlights). Although, I’m a little flummoxed at the moment by this part:

CATEGORY:

A funny story inspired by an unusual newspaper headline.

I mean, I can do funny, and I read all kinds of newspapers. But I may have to do some digging to come up with an unusual newspaper headline to write this story and send by January 31.

Not that I’m deterred. On the contrary. ‘Cause you know what? I finally won SECOND SIGHT. And Highlights Fiction Contest? You’re next.

I am a woman on a mission.

If you read my Finding Something Friday post over at the Hall of Fame last week, you might think the mission is to win Cheryl Klein’s Second Sight. But it’s so much more than that.

I want to write the best darn novel I can write. So I read and read and read some more. I read the best darn novels I can find out there in the children’s lit world. I read books on writing craft. I read blogs, too, especially the ones filled with great writing advice. Which brings me to today’s darn good writing advice…

Zip over to Cheryl Klein’s blog and read her last three posts on Behind the Book: Three Things Writers can learn from Liar’s Moon. You don’t have much time left for the giveaway, but I hope you can find the time to read her examples from Behind the Book. And maybe you’ll have the time to read Star-Crossed and Liar’s Moon by Elizabeth Bunce.

Because if you want to write the best darn novel, you’ll need to know what a darn good novel is, right? (Over and out!)