I promised to start featuring some excerpts from the SPITFIRE WRITERS & CHARACTERS contest, so today…meet Amber Hamilton, a wife, mother, writer of magazine articles and books (in progress) for kids, and undisputed spitfire. Her essay will make you smile if you’ve ever tried to juggle writing with kids!
Whether people would call me a spitfire or just a glutton for punishment, I’m not sure. Still, no one will stop me from doing either of two things. Number one is writing, no matter how deep I spiral into the abyss that is brokeness. (Don’t tell me you hold on to that ancient concept of grammar that says I can’t make up a word like “brokeness.”) Number two is entering a contest where you can win a free, signed copy of a historical novel, especially when everyone who enters has an equal shot.
But, personally, I believe that anyone who changes two pooooooooooooopy diapers while listening to “Popcorn, Popcorn!” being screamed into one ear from one knee and breastfeeding a one-month old who’s teetering on the other knee while typing the finishing line of your third chapter (Well˜ OK, that scenario does describe almost all of my writing time now. I just wrote that part about it only being during the last line of a third chapter to make myself sound like a better mother.) deserves the title SPITFIRE, don’t you? (And don‚t argue with my spelling of pooooooooooooopy. I‚m telling you, “poopy” just doesn’t cut it.)
It is for those reasons that I hereby, being of frazzled mind and worn-out body, qualify myself for the title of “spitfire.” Now, I must go. I may be a spitfire, but I still haven’t figured how to keep typing when it’s time to swap kids to different knees.
I’ll feature at least a few more SPITFIRE Writers & Characters on the Book Blog this week & next, and I know there are more of you out there. Don’t forget to send me your entry. You can win a signed copy of SPITFIRE and a box of Lake Champlain Chocolates. (Mmmm…chocolate….). Just email me a short essay (Heck, did I say essay? How about a sentence or two?) about why you’re a spitfire in your writing life OR your favorite spitfire character in children’s literature. Feel free to introduce us to a character in your book or someone else’s. The email is kmessner at katemessner dot com (no spaces).
The winner will be drawn at random from all entries I receive by the end of the day on Tuesday, September 25. And If you mention this contest on your blog or website so others can join in the fun, I’ll enter your name in the drawing twice.
Kate,
I posted on a sidebar on my Spider & Fly blog about the contest. (I used the book avatar so if that’s not okay let me know and I can remove it.)I copy and pasted the contest info.
http://www.spiderstale.blogspot.com
I love chocolate by the way but planned on posting before I got to that part of the contest! =)
I am getting a Spitfire story together for you. Yay, a contest I can enter! I am so jealous because I can’t enter to win the prizes on my own contest!!! I was so hoping no one would enter and I would just have to keep the prizes! =) 😉 (Insert sarcasm font here!)
I’ll look forward to your entry – and I love your contests over at Spider & Fly, too!