It’s the end of October and you know what that means!
My Reading For Renn challenge is officially over! If you don’t know about my challenge please click HERE to learn more about it. Basically I have been trying to raise money for my friend Renn’s medical bills. Renn has uncontrollable seizures because he has epilepsy. Renn has just had brain surgery to put a grid in his head. Now the doctors have to wait for him to have a seizure so they can tell where it is coming from. Then they will take that part out. You can read about Renn, and how he is doing, at the Brain of a Jedi blog (click HERE).
First off I want to thank EVERYONE who spread the word, encouraged me and sponsored me! I was so happy to have so many people cheering me on and wanting to help Renn and his family!
THANK YOU!
My personal goal for the challenge was to get 150 AR points (just so you know 50 points is what my school requires me to get during the entire year). So how did I do?
WOO HOO! Loamhedge by Brian Jacques got me 19 points to plow past 150! 😀
If you are interested in the books I read in October for the challenge, I have been keeping track of them at my “Books I read this year” page on my blog. Click HERE to go THERE!
For everyone who said they would sponsor me, I will email you this weekend to give you instructions on how to send the donation in. Thank you everyone again!
NOW TO THE CONTEST!
Happy Halloween (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
YAY! IT’S THE HALLOWEENSIE CONTEST!
Susanna Leonard Hill is hosting a Halloween writing contest! Here are the rules – write a 100 word Halloween story appropriate for children (title not included in the 100 words), using the words spooky, black cat, and cackle. Your story can be scary, funny or anything in between, poetry or prose, but it will only count for the contest if it includes those 3 words (you can count black cat as one word) and is 100 words (you can go under, but not over)!
To read all the great entries visit Ms. Hills blog by clicking HERE!
I usually write funny stories with a twist but I am trying something new for this contest. I decided to write a scary story (which is weird because I don’t like horror stories). My entry is exactly 100 words (phew!) with black-cat as one word.
Here is my entry! I hope you like it!
The Dare
by Erik
Joseph walked out in the dark of night.
The thought of his quest gave him a fright.
Shouldn’t have taken that dare.
The street was damp and empty as well.
The cold breeze blew up in a big swell.
Shouldn’t have taken that dare.
The air filled with a spooky thick mist.
Joseph jumped back when a black-cat hissed.
Shouldn’t have taken that dare.
The full moon shone in a bloody red.
The cemetery gate was ahead.
Why did I take this dare?
Tombstones and graves abruptly appear.
A dead voice cackled in Joseph’s ear.
“Shouldn’t have taken that dare.”
I hope you liked it!
*shivers* Cool story, Erik! Very evocative and I felt like I was right there with Joseph.
Congratulations on meeting your Reading Renn goal! Hooray hooray hooray! This was a wonderful challenge; you are a good friend to Renn and an inspiration to us all.
Have a Spooktacular Halloween! Hope you get a lot of Twix :).
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Thank you Ms. Rattigan! I am glad you liked my poem! I did get quite a few twix (but not enough 😉 ).
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Congrats on doing so well with your reading challenge!!
I really like you’re spooky story…especially the repetition. It really builds tension!
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Thank you! I am happy you liked my story! 🙂
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I’m so glad your reached your goal, Erik, and never doubted that you would succeed!
Spoooky story! My kid never should have taken the dare either! ;0)
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OH NO! Your kid took that DARE?!? YIKES! Thank you Ms. Sadd!
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Fantastically spooky story, Erik. I never took dares – I was too big of a chicken. 🙂 I look forward to Neighbor Girl reading your story.
CONGRATULATIONS on reaching your goal – I had no doubt you would pass it – you are that good. Thank you for allowing us to support Renn, too!
~Cool Mom
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Thank you Cool Mom! I hope Neighbor Girl likes it. 🙂 Thank you for your support of Reading for Renn and for making that button code! That really helped!
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She LOVED it!
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🙂
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This was a great piece. Thanks for sharing it.
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Thank you for your comment! Please visit my blog again! 🙂
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I will. You visit mine and follow and I will visit and follow yours.
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OK! Will do! 🙂
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Thanks.
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🙂
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Erik, Your story is wonderful! Love the use of repetition. Congrats on your quest for Renn. How much do I owe you? And where to send funds?
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p.s. Happy Halloween!
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Happy Halloween! 🙂
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Thank you Ms. Newman! I will be emailing everyone this weekend with instructions on what to do. I really appreciate your support! 🙂
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Super job for Renn. I’ll look for your email. And love the poem!
Have a fun Halloween tonight!
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Thank you Mrs. Isenhoff!
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Happy Halloween! I’ll be reading your story to my class today, since we just started a poetry mini-unit. I love your repetition & mood–spooky!
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Thank you Ms. Cabael! That is SO COOL! I hope they like the poem! 😀
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Congratulations on meeting your AR goal, Erik. That’s a lot of reading. Your Halloween poem is a work of art. You have some real talent that I hope you continue to nurture. It will bring you and others much pleasure throughout your life. Thanks for sharing.
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Thank you so much Ms. Dinsmore! That means a lot to me! 🙂
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Geart story to read
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Thank you for your comment and for stopping by my blog! Please come again! 🙂
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Congratulations on 165 points! You are truly amazing. I look fiorwrad to your email this weekend. Your story rocks!!!
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Thank you Ms. Foster!
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Way to go, Erik! I’m looking forward to paying up for a great cause.
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Thank you Ms. Larson! I will be emailing you this weekend!
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MORE! MORE! MORE! What a great mood you’ve set! Gives me the shivers! I had already donated what I could to the Telles family, but you’re success inspired me, and so without further ado, I donate every last coin in every last jar in the house (may take a while – there are quite a few!) Don’t worry, I won’t be sending it all to you to count!
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Thank you Mrs. Rozo! I have to tell you the line “Mrs. Rozo’s gate creeked in the wind” was in my second draft of my poem but I had to take it out because I had too many words. 😦 😉
I really appreciate all your support and for designing my buttons! That was a HUGE help! THANK YOU!
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That’s because that gate is tough to open – even in a poem!
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You’re right! I’ll come right over for tea – if I can get past the gate! 😉
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Oooooooooh, what a wonderfully spooky story/poem, Erik!!! That repeating “shouldn’t have taken that dare” is fantastic for increasing the tension.
WOW, Congratulations on all those AR points! You ROCK!!!!!!!
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Thank you Ms. Stilborn! I am glad you liked it!
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Great spooky Halloween entry, Erik! Liked the repetition.
Congratulations for your heartfelt effort to help Renn and his family. You did a super job and I hope many people made pledges. Just knew you’d go over 150 points. You are amazing! I will look for you e-mail Saturday.
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Thank you Ms. Tilton! The repetition was hard to put in because I only had 100 words because of the contest rules. Thank you for your support for Reading for Renn too (I will probably get to email you Sunday because I have a book signing to go to Saturday 🙂 ). Have a great weekend! 🙂
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Well done, Erik for supporting Renn. What a great effort. And good luck with the contest. Certainly is a poem to make your hair curl!
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🙂 Thank you Dr. Clune! I actually creeped myself out writing that poem!
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Love your poem, really enjoyed reading it.. 🙂
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Thank you Ms. Constance!
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I really like the way you welcome the reader’s imagination into your story.
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Thank you very much! I hope you stop by my blog again! 🙂
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Happy Halloween, Erik! I think William Gaines would have loved that story. Way to go on earning all those points 🙂
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Hey – I learned who William Gaines is in All Hallows Eve. 😉 That is a huge compliment Mr. Eveleigh! Thank you! 🙂
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Oh, wow, Erik! What a fantastic spooky entry! I loved that repeating line in italics that just sounded exactly like Joseph whispering to himself… or maybe the wind whispering to him! Great job! And congratulations on exceeding your goal for Renn – I knew you would! Please email me because, although I didn’t give you an amount, I will certainly sponsor you!
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That’s a good point Ms. Hill! I originally had it as “I shouldn’t have taken that dare” but I cut the “I” out to save words. Now that you said it could be Joseph or the wind – I like it better without the “I”. 🙂 I also used some of the things I learned in your class when I wrote this – like highlighting words and substituting them for better words (that’s how I got “abruptly” in the poem). I will email you this weekend, probably Sunday because I have my first book signing to go to Saturday! YAY! Thank you! 🙂
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Two goals in one month! Well done to you. I love the poem it had me spooked!
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🙂 I hope you didn’t get too scared (it kind of creeped me out writing it 😉 )!
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SPOOKY and awesome refrain! Huge congrats on superseding your AR points goal for Renn. You are amazing!
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Thank you Miss Marple! 🙂
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Super fun story, E. I’ve made up my mind. I am NEVER taking a dare!!
Love and licks,
Cupcake
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Good idea Cupcake!
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Congratulations on reaching your goal, Erik! That’s a lot of reading. What a kind thing to do for Renn.
I LOVED your story. The refrain is perfect and really adds to it.
Happy Halloween!
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Thank you Ms. Finison! Happy Halloween to you too!
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Congrats on those points! Great job!
Loved your story. The repeated line was perfect 🙂
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Thank you Ms. Klostermann! 😀
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I like the repetition of the line about the dare! (I agree – any dare involving a cemetery should be passed up!)
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I agree about the cemetery thing! 🙂
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Congrads Erik! I’m gonna pay off too. So thankful for you. 🙂
Loved your story. That last sentence says it all! (Triple dog dare you to turn this into a picture book.):-)
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I will TAKE that triple dog dare! 😛
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Erik, I LOVE this. Excellent! I really like the repetition, and the last line was terrific. Great job! And congratulations for reaching 165 points! Outstanding.
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Thank you Ms. Secomb! I am glad you liked my poem. 🙂
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wickedly awesome job on both counts — overachieving on the reading goal and daring to write that spooky poem!
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Thank you Rhythm! 😀
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BIG congrats on your goal–no easy feat! and big congrats on a well-told spooky story!
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Thank you Ms. Hall! 😀
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I don’t like it.
I LOVE it! Very spooky. And I’m glad you “took the dare” to help Renn. Pretty amazing work!
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Thank you Ms. Meyers! Renn is doing a great job being very brave! 😀
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Good job Erik. This is why I never take dares! I’m a scaredy cat.
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I don’t take dares either. Except ones where I profit from them. 😉
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Really loved your poem. Kept me in suspense!
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Thank you! 😀
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First off, CONGRATULATIONS on doing so well in your reading challenge to help Renn. I look forward to getting your email to find out how to send you the money.:)
Secondly, WOW…great story! The last few lines were quite chilling…and very powerful. Well done, Erik!
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Thank you Ms. Kirkfield! I’ll email you! 🙂
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Well done, Erik! The creepiness of your repeated refrain really had me hooked. (Congrats on exceeding your reading goal as well!)
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Thank you Ms. Barnes! 🙂 Please come again! 😀
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I was scared.. good job
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Thanks!
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First, I’m very proud of you for going above and beyond. Great job with the reading. Congrats on the book signing! Yaaaay!!! Next, LOVED you entry. Talk about taking a walk to a place that dark and spooky. And that last line, YIKES! Well done, Erik!
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Oh, and email me regarding the money owed. Not sure what I pledged and wanted to make sure you get all that you earned. Again, proud to know you!
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Thank you VERY much Ms. Courtney! 😀
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Next goal: have this verse published or illustrated! Very very nice, Erik. And cheers to you for reaching your goal for Renn! What an accomplishment!
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Thank you Dr. Bacsal! I wish I could get something published! 🙂
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