Free Write Friday

Free Write Friday; #FWF Write to Win Book & Tote!

Posted on by 56 Comments

 

In celebration of the release of my book, Magic in the Backyard, I am once again feeling generous! If you missed out on my Twitter #magicbook Giveaway, no worries…#FWF to the rescue! As always, let me begin with your prompt and then we will get to the goodies!

Created and designed by the wonderfully talented graphics team at Winter Goose Publishing, I would like you to use my book cover as your prompt, your inspiration! Pretend you have never read my poetry and you are seeing this book in a store. What do you think this book would hold? What would it be about? Tell me YOUR story to go with the cover.

Inspire me!

  • There is no word limit
  • One entry allowed per writer
  • Do not forget to post the link to your entry in the comments below!
  • Deadline is Thursday, April 12th
  • One winner will be announced in next weeks FWF post

Now for the goodies! One winner will receive a free, signed copy of Magic in the Backyard AND I am also throwing in this adorable tote bag! Fella’s… don’t fret, this makes a great gift!

What are you waiting for? Go write for me!

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56 thoughts on “Free Write Friday; #FWF Write to Win Book & Tote!”

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  9. I am so nervous about what I wrote, cause I doubt it’s magical, but still I wanted to share it with you :) . Hope it makes sense and is any good :) … My heart is enjoying your book so much. I will send an email once I’m done of my fav picks, I have 2 already. Great Job! I have stalled enough, here’s my ” attempt”

    How could it be so cold inside
    When it was summer all year round
    The pain and discord in the house was
    Freezing everything

    The love
    The joy
    The people
    And me

    Until I discovered
    The well
    It was a small deep hole
    Dug by brother in our backyard

    The freeze in the house
    Could never reach the backyard
    The hole was too magical
    To let that happen
    It was the magic of the backyard

    We would sit in it
    And talk for hours 
    Without end

    Memories
    Sweet memories were made

    Brother and I shared secrets
    Foods, tales, and laughs
    We Dared to dream
    Laughed out loud
    Protected each other 
    And found peace
    And more peace
    In the well

    It was just a well 
    Dug by my brother

    But to us
    It was
    Magic in the  backyard

    4/6/12 17:40pm

    Reply

    • What a sweet tale of siblings, it makes perfect sense… and I love that you used the title in it! =) You made me smile, thank you! I am so happy you decided to write for me! ♥

      I am also thrilled to know that you are enjoying my book. My biggest fear was that it would disappoint. Once you finish, feel free to leave a review on Amazon! I love surprises! =)

      Thank you again! Hugs!
      Kellie

      Reply

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  11. This is a great idea, but I am so committed to my own writing outline that I have sworn off these blogging/tweeting contests for a while. I will say that I LOVE the tire swing, which reminds me so very much of the tire swing in the yard ot the wonderful home in Georgia where we raised the children.

    Reply

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  17. Magic in the backyard? Of course, there is magic in the backyard—you just have to go outside and let the outdoors simply hit you right smack between the eyes! I can truly remember as a little girl spending time playing cowboys (oops! cowgirls, I should say) with my friends as Daddy’s saw horses became the palominos and switches from the willow tree the whips. Then, of course, climbing high up the pecan tree limbs made for the best hideout ever! Mama always had heart failure as she looked out the kitchen window and saw only a tiny head peeping out from the heavy foliage encasing the branches.

    Ah-h-h-h! But the best times of all were during the summer rain! Read the verses below and you will definitely see what I mean. Perhaps its visions will stimulate your desire to experience some of that magic the next time rain visits your backyard:)

    SUMMER RAIN

    Dancing cool summer rain
    Splattered fervently against the window
    “Come romp with me outside
    Like friends frolicking in the meadow”

    Slipping, sliding, dancing in the rain
    Prompted silly giggles and laughter
    Mud puddle hunting, finding, jumping
    Beset memories the morning after

    Noisy, croaking green tree frogs
    Begged catching in a jar
    Scooped up in one swift motion
    Precise and quite bizarre

    Lying on our backs against the earth
    The rain peppered against our faces
    Licking and savoring the rain drops
    Incited thoughts of faraway places

    Collecting icky, yucky worms
    Putting them in a can for fishing
    Running indoors all soggy and a mess
    Left hot chocolate for the wishing

    Hopping into warm fuzzy clothing
    Didn’t deter looking out at the rain
    Being all warm and cozy inside
    Enhanced the reality of summer rain

    Taking all breath away with its beauty
    Ominous skies shed soft torrents of rain
    Suddenly, we longed to go back outside
    To romp and frolic in the rain again

    Reply

    • Are you going to wait until next Thursday to read all the entries? Or shall I take your lack of comment on my blog to mean that you do not care for my poem? :)

      Reply

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  27. I have to win this. I’ll just tell you now. I really want a copy of your book. And that tote bag is so awesome; if I don’t have it, I’ll totally die. :)

    Your cover provides great inspiration.

    Reply

  28. Two children hid in the tall grass behind a very old house as an elderly couple slowly managed the front steps and shuffled to their car. Although the house had seen much better days, the car had perfectly polished chrome and gleaming white wall tires. The old gent closed the door for his smiling wife, grandmother of fourteen, before walking back to the driver’s side door. Just before getting in, he peeked over the roof at the tall grass in the field behind what was still their home after 67 years.

    “Now?” said a freckled boy.

    “Not yet,” said his 13-year old sister, three more years than his.

    “But they’re gone,” said Joey.

    “Doesn’t matter.” She kept a sharp eye on the setting sun as it crept below the far hills of Shenandoah County. She knew it would only be another minute, but she didn’t want to give away everything.

    The boy huffed, looked down, then quickly looked to his right where there were noises. Still looking right, he blindly reached left and tapped his sister on the arm, then pointed to the noise when she was looking.

    She looked once more at the sun, just seconds from ending the day. She rolled over her brother and army crawled as quickly as she could. Joey couldn’t see her as she disappeared into the grass, but he could still hear.

    “You got ‘til three to run, or you’re gonna wish you never met me,” she barked in a loud whisper. It was noticeably darker when she crawled back, looked at her brother, and said, “Let’s go.”

    Millie hadn’t totally lost the anger from the tall grass, but slowly her eyes were softening as Joey’s eyes widened. The crossed half of the large yard, perfectly manicured lawn, and slowed as they reached the outer branches of what had to be the largest maple tree in the county. A light summer breeze flowed through the rest of the neighborhood, many in their rocking chairs and enjoyed yet another glorious sunset, and lemonade, on the front porches. But not here. Once they reached the outer branches, the air stopped and nothing seemed to move. There were no birds, no flies or mosquitoes. No squirrels were nesting in this big oak. Nothing alive could be found, except two straw-haired children with anxious feet.

    “You wanna go first?” Millie asked. Joey shook his head and hadn’t blinked since he left the tall grass. “Okay by me.”

    They stopped at an object hanging from the tree. There were only four things in this yard, the largest yard in town. There was the mighty oak, the perfect lawn – although nobody ever heard or saw that smiling old man mowing it – the tall grass that went on for a mile behind the house, and the tire swing that hung from the tree.

    The thick, brown rope that held that tire to the tree was once a bright white back when the old man had carried it wrapped around his shoulder. That was the day he walked off a navy ship at the end of World War II, and his lovely wife-to-be was waiting at the end of the gangplank. “Of all the things,” she cried, “a rope? Really, Jerry?”

    “Not just any rope,” he smiled. “It saved my life.” They went home, and the first thing he saw as their car turned the corner was that mighty oak that he’d known all his life.

    As Millie reached for the rope, the tire turned just a little. She looked around for a second but knew there couldn’t have been anything else. She put two hands where the rope held the top of the tire, jumped up, and needed one swift motion to thrust her legs through and park her bottom on the bottom of the tire.

    “Stand back a little,” she said. Joey nodded as his eyes followed the rope into the tree. The smaller branches and leaves were so thick, and the sun so gone, that he couldn’t see there exactly the other end of the rope was tied. “Now watch.”

    Joey stepped back and watched. Slowly, then more, the leaves were rustling above as if a storm was coming. The previously still air was now alive, and the tire began to move. Joey looked up again and watched as the tree itself moved, a great bough began to push itself back and forth, and the tire swing, and Millie with it. Each push sent Millie and her giant eyes left and right, greater swings each time, and all she had to do was hold on. Her dry, wavy hair blew across her eyes, but she dared not let go of the tire and shook her head instead.

    Joey watched, still might not have blinked since leaving the grass, but was starting to get worried as his sister and the tire were swinging so far, with the rope so long, that he feared she might fly off. His joy started to change to worry and concern, and his eyes were now blinking plenty, and his smile was lost. The swing slowed and slowed, the tree stopped moving, and Millie quickly came to rest beneath it.

    “Did you get worried?” she said. He only nodded, now more worried, but of her, not the tree. “I forgot to tell you. It knows. You can’t do that. There’s nothing to be afraid of. But if you get afraid, then it gets afraid.”

    “Is it my turn?” Joey asked.

    “Nah. Won’t work now. Once it gets worried, won’t swing again ‘til tomorrow.” Joey’s eyes fell to his worn shoes. “But you go first tomorrow. It’s my fault, not yours. I shoulda told you.”

    The big sister put an arm around the little brother as they headed back to the tall grass. Although it was only a minute from complete darkness, there was a wonderful full moon that watched over them and kept a lit path as they walked back home.

    Reply

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  36. I love the bag and would definitely still love a copy of your book! :D
    My entry won’t be done until sometime next week though as I’m going away fro the Easter weekend. Hopefully I’ll get it in just in time! :) xx

    Reply

      • Thankyou for the reminder! Sorry I didn’t get to see it till now. I’ve been so busy and ill and life has just been hectic that I haven’t been able to really sit down at the computer until now!

        I’m sad that I didn’t get to give this a go, but congratulations to the winner! And I’ll probably still eventually write something to go with the title of your book. It really did inspire me so much seeing as when I first came to your page I thought it was a novel. XD

        Amber. xx

        Reply

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