Halloween Drives Me Batty October 31, 2012
Posted by nrhatch in Fiction, Humor, Word Play, Writing & Writers.trackback
Winifred stared at the calendar, “It’s Halloween!”
Unimpressed, her black cat, Cackle, turned away and returned to slumber.
“I know witches are supposed to like Halloween. But I don’t. Halloween drives me batty. I never want to hear “trick-or-treat” again.”
Winifred grabbed her Spell Book and turned pages, “No . . . No . . . Not a chance . . . Hmm . . . Maybe . . . No . . . YES!”
Winifred chanted as she tossed ingredients into her cauldron:
Eye of Newt, Hair of Dog, Wing of Bat
Just for today . . . turn me into a Cat!
*POOF*
Winifred padded over to join Cackle for a cat nap, and purred, “Better catty, than batty.”
* * * * *
Written for: The 2nd Annual Halloweensie Contest (Susanna Leonard Hill)
Contest: Write a 100-word Halloween story appropriate for children (title not included in the 100 words), using the words witch, bat, and “trick-or-treat”. 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 and is 100 words or less. Then link it HERE.
* * * * *
Susanna just posted the 8 Finalists . . . and I’m in the running! If you want to vote, click this link: Vote for your Favorite!
* * * * *
I’ve renamed the cat ~ from Ebony to Cackle ~ to tie in with the 2013 Contest.
Comments
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Spirit Lights The Way 
“better catty than batty”, love it!
Thanks, Suzi! I had great fun writing this story for the contest ~ trimming it to 100 words helped to tighten it.
If you want to play along, I’ve added the link and contest rules.
The Prize is FABULOUS . . . 5 (that’s FIVE!) brand new picture books personalized and signed by the authors!
PUZZLED BY PINK by Sarah Frances Hardy
THE MONSTER WHO LOST HIS MEAN by Tiffany Strelitz Haber THE THREE NINJA PIGS by Corey Rosen Schwartz,
MARATHON MOUSE by Amy Dixon
FLAP! by Alison Hertz.
Great to keep for your own collection or to give to little ones in your life as holiday gifts.
I agree with suzicate 🙂 loved it.
Thanks, Jas. If you love Halloween, children’s stories, and/or entering writing contests . . . I’ve add the link above and described the prize in response to Comment #1.
I agree with suzicate and Jas. 😀
Lisa ~ This contest has your name all over it. What better way to spend Halloween than writing a story for little ghosts and ghouls. 😯
Ooh, I didn’t even notice it was a contest. I’m clearly not reading fully. If I can come up with something, I will definitely enter. I’m on a roll with writing my book at the moment, so want to focus on that first.
The best part . . . only 100 words required! And Susanna gave us 3 of them ~ witch, bat, and “trick or treat.”
Excellent entry, Nancy. Happy Halloween.
Any chance that you’ll play along, Andra?
If you don’t want it to mess up the flow of your series, you can post your 100 words in the comment section of Susanna’s post.
I am writing so many words right now off the blog……..100 extra shouldn’t be too hard, should it? 🙂
Exactly! That’s the Halloween spirit! 😀
I may have a go at this, Nancy, but just for fun, not to win! I have a challenge to write 50 100 word stories, and this fits nicely in with that!
Happy Halloween!
Superb! I felt the same. Winning is always nice . . . but playing the writing game is where the FUN lies for me.
This was a cute story. I like the premise of a witch that doesn’t like Halloween. And the ‘better catty than batty’ – love it!!
Thanks for the heads up on this contest. I don’t really have time…but I don’t have any sense either, so I’m going to see if I can come up with something anyway 🙂
Yay! Just for today, we can all be “ghost writers.” 😀
Better catty than batty! Tons of fun Nancy! What an creative and entertaining entry. I’m so glad you joined in! I will see if I can add your link!
I hope I got in on the list… let me know if you don’t see it!
Thanks, Susanna! I’m looking forward to reading all the submissions.
What a great way to ensure we all have a Happy Halloween.
When I just submitted my link, I didn’t see yours yet – hope it shows up – both yours and mine (mine being the most important of course, but I wouldn’t be so crass as to mention that!) I couldn’t find a place to make a comment, either – and she gets hundreds! More in one day than I get in a year, it looks like – maybe even more comments than YOU get! Zounds!
What or what shall we do if we are left out of this contest? Stage a protest? Boycott Blogspot altogether? (Sounds like a good idea anyway! What do they have against WordPress – other than the fact that WP is superior?)
PTC ~ You are there at #27. I’m there at #14. I checked both links and they are ACTIVE!
I did have to switch from IE to Firefox in order to leave a comment on her blog. Her comment thread doesn’t support Internet Explorer.
Thanks! I just checked back and found both too! I hate IE (along with Blogspot!). I now use Chrome, and have very little problems with interconnecting with other browsers. I used Firefox for a while too before switching to Chrome, which so far I find is the best – which is funny, because Chrome is a Google property and so is Blogspot! Oh well, the minds and ways of Techies are mysteries I have no desire to plumb, to say nothing of my ability to do so! Cheers! – PTC
All this techno babble makes me dizzy
Now I’m in the mood for something fizzy
Maybe it’s time for a Happy Hour drink
Hmm . . . a ZOMBIE is just the thing, I think
Excellent Nancy! And fun.. 🙂
Thanks, Pix! Care to play along? You could use your black cat and pumpkins to illustrate your post.
B~O~O!!! 😯
ME do a writing contest? Now that’s funny!!
I know you don’t see it
But your fans and readers do
You’re a FAB photographer
And you have a way with words too!
Awww geesh. Thanks Nancy.
You mixed a perfect brew! Great entry!
Thanks, Penny! I’m looking forward to reading all the enticing and spook~tacular entries today. What a great way to spend Halloween . . . especially after surviving Sandy.
Oh dear, NRH! You KNOW I believe I’ll never catch or match yours (it’s great!), but you also know that I can’t resist the challenge. Hope I’m not too late, but I will do my best to get it in on time. I haven’t been to the site yet, but I am, with this wish for you, heading over now – enough. . .
Thanks, PTC. You have until midnight . . . and maybe longer. Susanna is considering extending submission time due to Sandy blowing the lights out in so many places.
Can’t wait to see what you come up with.
Fun story – love the ending!
Thanks, Julie. I am reading other entries and am just WOW’ed at the creativity and what can be done with 100 words.
Me too!
[…] here’s the deal. Halloween really isn’t my thing…but writing is Nancy at Spirit Lights the Way told me about a writing contest and it looked like so much fun, I had to do it. That’s the […]
Yay! Loved it, Janna. 😀
What a neat entry! I’d love to turn myself into a cat and curl up and not go out on this cold night.
Cats have the right idea, don’t they?
“There’s always time for that . . . later. But first, a nap.”
Clever idea! I would so love to be a cat for a day 🙂 Nice entry!
[…] in the (2nd Annual!) HALLOWEENSIE CONTEST!!!!! that was recommended to me by Nancy when I read her entry. The rules are […]
Yay! You captured the angst of a trick or treater’s 1st Halloween. 😯
Definitely better catty than batty! Excellent entry 🙂
Thanks, Heather. Susanna’s contest has made for a FUN Halloween ~ so many spook~tacular entries.
Don’t we all wish for an escape like that from time to time? Great entry!
Cats are Zen Masters . . . able to escape with a brief cat nap. 😀
Great story, and I especially liked your catchy last line!
Thanks, Julie. It was FUN watching the ending emerge as I trimmed words.
This is so clever! I really love the punchline at the end.
Thanks, Carrie! I have been so impressed with the entries to the contest. They are all great, but yours is the only one that made me laugh out loud (so far, anyway):
Meanwhile the bat was festooning his attic
With lawn signs – Republican and Democratic.
[…] you want to play along (I was enticed by “Nancy Hatch of “Spirit Lights the Way,” here are the rules: Write a 100-word Halloween story appropriate for children (title not […]
Yay! PTC decided to play!
Whether trick or a treat . . . it’s sure to be sweet.
Yup! For better or worse, it’s up! But it was fun! Thanks for the “heads up!”
You’re welcome! And see . . . sometimes LESS is MORE, or at least ENOUGH. 😆
Well, I started out with a lot more words. I have a second verse which I had to toss, but it’s my favorite:
Can you guess what those three things each screeched three times outside my door?
Was it “Happy New Year!” screeched out louder than a dinosaur?
Yet “Happy”doesn’t scare me
“New” can be quite nice,
AND
each “Year” has a birthday with a wonderful cake to slice!
And then I had several more verses with the screeches being different three-word things, finally ending up with “Trick-or-Treat!” SO, sometimes more can be more too. I think. I know that less can be less, but, wait, what was I trying ti say?
A few people included their drafts in their posts . . . so feel free to include your longer version too. Just know that I am impressed you entered a 100-word challenge . . . and on such short notice.
“Better catty than batty!” I love it!! Sometimes, I think I might just be both, lol!
Thanks, Carla! Your comment made me LOL . . . you’re definitely NOT alone.
[…] at Spirit Lights the Way stopped by my blog earlier today and encouraged me to participate in Susanna Leonard […]
I did it!
Wonderful submission, Milka! Glad you played along . . .
Thanks for letting me know about the contest! I always miss these things by not paying attention enough. I missed a great photo challenge recently so it’s not just about writing or kid stuff.
I’m glad I heard about it in time to participate . . . a nice change of pace from watching the weather.
Tee hee – brings a whole new dimension to the phrase ‘crazy cat lady’! Thanks for the fun!
Thanks, Cathy. This contest has been a FUN way to enjoy Halloween . . . without scaring my socks off!
What a fun game. I love spooky tales.
You might still have time to play along, Barb. Susanna may be extending the submission deadline to Friday. If not, there are some stellar entries linked up at her blog.
Great punchline! She’s like a Grinch witch who hates Halloween – fun premise!
Winifred and the Grinch are third cousins, twice removed. 😉
[…] Nancy mentioned a challenge on a children’s author’s blog for a one hundred word story featuring the […]
Ah, wouldn’t that be lovely, to turn into a cat for a while? Endless sleep, no worries…
Yes . . . cats rule. 😀
I love your entry, Nancy…and I really enjoyed all of the comments here…and your rhyming responses to many of them. But the best thing is that you encouraged all of your readers to take part…I’ve seen so many ‘new’ names in the entries for this contest…it’s fantastic!
I think it was a perfect contest to help people focus on something other than Mother Nature. 🙂
Thanks for letting me know about the contest so I could spread the word, Vivian.
I agree with you . . . the contest gave us a break from the devastation Sandy caused friends and family members.
Love it!
Thanks, Robyn. I love witches . . . and cats . . . and witches who turn themselves into cats to avoid having to answer the door and pass out candy. 😉
“Trick or treat?”
“Bah-humbug!”
That’s perfect, William. Winifred and the Grinch are third cousins, twice removed . . . and they are big fans of Scrooge!
Susanna just posted the 8 Finalists . . . and I’m in the running! If you want to vote, visti Susanna’s post, Vote for your Favorite.
http://susannahill.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-halloweensie-contest-finalists-vote.html
[…] just posted the 8 Finalists from the Halloweensie Contest . . . and I’m in the […]
[…] the 8 Finalists from the Halloweensie Contest this morning . . . and I’m in the […]
This one got my vote – strong finish with “better catty than batty”
Thanks, Lauri! I’m glad you enjoyed Winifred’s spell. 😀
I didn’t realise it was a contest! Am I too late?
No, there’s still time to vote. The polls are open until sometime tomorrow. Thanks, SammyDee.
Thank you for replying so quickly! I’ve placed my vote so fingers crossed 🙂
Thanks so much, SammyDee. Winifred appreciates your support. I do too! 😀
Almost a month late, but CONGRATULATIONS, you Halloweensie you! 😆
Thanks, Paula! Your congratulations is only half as “late” as that . . . I haven’t even spent the gift certificate yet.
[…] Related post: Halloween Drives Me Batty […]