STORY INFO
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Once Upon All Times

Content

The grandmother had finally rounded up the children and marshaled them through their bedtime routine like a military operation: brushing teeth, scrubbing hands and faces, changing into pjs, locating stuffed animals that had gotten lost in the excitement of the day. But going to sleep itself, that was another matter for three small children in beds that were not their own. A summer with their grandparents was going to tak...

Outstanding reviews

What a creative way to link with the theme and exploiting the bed time stories to great effect. Well done!
Thank-you!
Thank-you!
The Taj Mahal blew my socks off and I was at that jaded age when a kid thinks nothing in the world can impress them. Thanks for reading and for the feedback.
Congratulations!
Thank you so much.
Thank you so much.
Thank you so much.
Hi!I loved your story.I have a Danish sleep podcast, were I read stories, fictional and articles. I would love to translate this to Danish and read it on the podcast. I will credit you if course.It's just a hobby of mine, because I love narrating
You have my permission to do that, though I would appreciate being credited. Hope it goes well!
Of course!
Of course!
Thank-you for these very kind words! This one was just a pleasure to write for the exact reason you state, it's just a story about storytelling at its simplist.
Hello! K A from your critique circle. Sorry I'm late. :)This is such a sweet story. I love the way you fold the stories together instead of just blending them overtly. It's such a subtle approach.
Thanks!
I loved the story, Laurel, and will use it on my own grandchildren! I, too, am a grandmother and have made up stories - although none as wonderful as yours - at bedtime at their requests. I love that the children want to be included as characters - whether they are themselves or animals! Thank you for a great read!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Glad you enjoyed it!
This backstory is almost as beautiful as the story. I love the idea of you all sharing your stories under canvas. Magical. Thanks for sharing Laurel.
Pop the corks my dear, much deserved, I loved this beautiful tale. I'll respond to your email soon x
Man, can you spin a story, Laurel. I also submitted to this prompt, but mine is more like empty calories compare to the rich fullness this offers. Such a joy to experience and so much to like. You are definitely one of the writers I fund with my entry fee!Truly, truly wonderful. Thank you!
Thank-you for the kind words. I haven't read much on reedsy that is empty calories so I very much doubt your claim, if for no other reason than the simile in your comment was so expressive, but also because I have already read one of your stories which didn't fit the simile. Look forward to reading the latest.
Thank you Laurel. I guess that did come across more negative than I intended. My style is different and doesn't always feel as descriptively rich. That doesn't make it bad. I tend toward a lot of dialogue; but I really enjoy the more narrative? styles like you, Wendy and Michelle seem to have. I learn much from reading them.
Great story about telling stories! I think you captured the essence of why people have been telling stories for so long and why we have we love to listen to them so much. I love how the kids mix themselves up with the characters!
Many thanks!
Hey Laurel, Awesome use of consonance and assonance surface in darkness, suddenly, sled, slide, side, sand, dune, sound. Love the onomatopoeias, alliterations and overall sentences. "...shot lickety-split through darkness, a strange wind whooshing all around them. Suddenly, the sled landed with a thump and began to slide downhill, just like sledding in the winter, only they were sledding down the side of a sand dune. It made a sshhhsshh-ing sound..." Cool story! Excellent writing. Layered depths with meanings to match. Well done! LF6.
Appreciate the feedback. Writing for kids seemed to need more sound. And food. Always need food in kid lit!
Precious! As a grandma to 17 (well, 21 if I count some steps and halves) and all of them over 10 now, I feel like I have done a totally inadequate job of fulfilling all I should have done. Got another chance as my first great-grand is on the way:)
Good heavens! 21! Anyone doing that is already doing a heroic job. Hope great grands are as fun as grands.
This was a delightful tale, layered and subtle in its messages. You could add some nice artwork to this and you would have a top-notch children's book. This is just great work, Laurel. Your talent and writing skills are evident in every paragraph. Nicely done, my friend. Nicely done indeed.
Much appreciated! I actually didn't see how this had a niche at all, just was trying to address the prompt, but feeling like there might be an application for this is intriguing. Thank-you.
This is an incredibly imaginative and heartwarming story. It meets the letter and the spirit of the prompt in a walk, and even has a happy ending, which I am a sucker for (he said clumsily, ending the sentence with a preposition). All that, and s’mores too. Hard to get better than that.-:) Beautifully told. -:)RG
"All that, and s’mores too." Made my day! Cheers and thanks for reading!
"All that, and s’mores too." Made my day! Cheers and thanks for reading!
Thank-you for your kind feedback. I'm glad the inability of the kids to separate themselves from the characters they helped develop was coming through. To me, the idea that we enter the stories we hear was really important. Cheers!
Ha, you know, I reflected on this point, and it occurs to me I do this all the time. Either riding along with the characters, or sometimes putting the book down to argue with one of them - because some decisions, while they might drive plot, are infuriating :) So maybe that's why stories appeal. We can put ourselves in them without any real risk.
Exactly. Best way for us to think about weighty issues and make moral decisions without screwing up in the real world.
Congratulations on the shortlist!

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