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One of the characters in my latest book – If the Boot Fits – is a young boy with a vivid imagination. Fergus Ellis is the hero’s youngest brother, and he never goes anywhere without his pencil and tablet. He names the animals around the house and dreams up adventures for them that he jots down in his tablet. He has dubbed the family milk cow Mrs. Merriweather and has set her up as banyard maven. Throughout the novel different people (especially ther hero and heroine) introduce new animal characters into his story world and help him come up with adventures for them to experience.
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I had so much fun with Fergus in this story, and readers have clamored for a bonus story about Mrs. Merriweather and her barnyard friends as written by Fergus. I love the idea, but I just don’t have the time to write one myself. So why not turn it into a contest?
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Several years ago, I ran a fan fiction contest asking readers to write a romantic epilogue pairing Chloe and Duncan from To Win Her Heart. I received some fabulous entries, and the winning epilogue has been posted on my website as bonus material for the last twelve years. You can read it here: http://karenwitemeyer.com/epilogue-twhh.html
I decided to try that again with a Fergus story. If you have read If the Boot Fits and if you enjoy writing, I’d love to invite you to submit an entry. Fergus is a bright ten-year-old boy, so we will be looking for a children’s story. Here are the official details:
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RULES
- Write a children’s story about Mrs. Merriweather as if you were Fergus Ellis. (Bonus if you incorporate details Fergus was already considering in If the Boot Fits.)
- There are no word count parameters, but children’s stories are typically short, so I’d expect something between 1,000 – 2,000 words. If you go a little shorter or longer, that’s fine.
- DEADLINE: May 18, 2024
- Send your story to me as a Word doc attachment to this email address – karen@karenwitemeyer.com
PRIZES
- The winner’s story will be published on my website.
- The winner will receive two autographed books of their choice from titles I have in stock. (If the winner is international, we will come up with an alternative prize.)
I can’t wait to read these stories!
Once I have chosen the winning story, I will run an illustration contest as well so that we can add 2-3 images to the text. The illustrator who wins will receive the same prizes. This is going to be so fun!
Have you ever written a fan fiction story?
For those who love to smile as they read, bestselling author Karen Witemeyer offers warmhearted historical romance with a flair for humor, feisty heroines, and swoon-worthy Texas heroes. Karen is a firm believer in the power of happy endings. . . and ice cream. She is an avid cross-stitcher, and makes her home in Abilene, TX with her husband and three children. Learn more about Karen and her books at: www.karenwitemeyer.com.
Hey Karen! What a wonderful challenge! I’ve not read your book, If the Boot Fits, it sounds good though! I love this exciting Fan contest! Although I love to read, I’ve never written a 1000 word story. I have always wanted to do the illustrations! Since I’m an artist at heart. But this would be a fun experience! Best wishes to all who enter!
Now you are making me want to at least try my hand at writing a short story! What fun! Good luck to all that enter!
How fun, Tracy! I’ll make a note of your email address and let you know when I run the illustration contest. That part will probably mostly be held in my reader group, The Posse, on Facebook. You can join here is you are interested: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1839437643052460
Oh thank you Karen! How exciting! Thank you so much! Many blessings!
I’ve never written a fan fiction story, but I’ve maybe imagined a few in my head. 😀 haha! Sounds fun! I’d participate if my health was not so compromised at the moment, but I’ll look forward to reading the winning story. Best of luck to all the participants!
Daydreaming stories is how I got my start, Lori. I wasn’t really a writer as a young girl. I just loved to read. But I would often “rewrite” movies or books in my imagination, adding my own slant, and usually writing myself into the story in the process. The imagination is a powerful tool. 🙂 Hope you are feeling better soon.
What a fun offer!
Thanks, Denise. I’m hoping we get several entries.
What a great thing to do!!! How fun!!
Thanks, Trudy. I really look forward to reading the entries. 🙂
I never have but this should be fun.
Thanks, Debby. I’m excited about peeking into the imaginations of my readers.
What an exciting idea. Best wishes to all who enter.
Thanks, Barbara. 🙂
What an amazing and fun idea, Karen! I hope you get a flood of fabulous entries!
Thanks, Shanna!
What a fun, idea. I hope you share the winners with us.
Good idea, Charlene! I’ll do that once I have all the pieces in place.
What a great idea and opportunity. I wish I had the time to read If The Boot Fits to get a feel for Fergus and write the story from his viewpoint by the 18th. I look forward to reading your winner.