The Halloween Promise

If you’re here from Write to Done, welcome.  If you would like to enjoy some wonderful writing, you can subscribe here, or peruse anything from “Some of My Best So Far.” You’ll find entries in the right hand column.  Thanks for visiting, and I hope to see you again soon.

It’s that time of year again.  No not Halloween.  Time for Blogger Dad and I to exchange a hundred and one emails to come up with another one of our ridiculously wonderful little time wasters.  This one is titled, “The Halloween Promise.”

What makes the “Promise” especially awesome (way more for me than Dave), is the collaboration of words.  Get that?  We BOTH wrote the words, but only HE drew the pictures.  Then we split the credit.

Awesome.

It’s a little ditty that just about anyone can relate to.  If you’ve been a kid or a parent, like candy or trick or treating, or enjoy breathing and being alive, you’ll probably really enjoy “The Halloween Promise.”

Please feel free to download it and send it along to anyone you think might smile.  Please keep the requirements in mind.

 

 

You can download a Halloween Promise here.  A wonderful weekend to all, and I’ll see you Monday.

Writer Dad

If you enjoyed these words, please subscribe (for free) by RSS or Email.  I tweet here, and Stumble here.  Thanks.

About Sean Platt

Sean Platt is author of Syllable Soup and Penny to a Million, plus co-founder of Children Write the Future. Follow him on Twitter (and make your life better with the right words!).

Comments

  1. Oktober Five says:

    I can’t wait to take my one year old trick-or-treating so I can eat all his candy.

    So, bloggerdad, do you use a tablet to draw your cartoons?

  2. Oktober Five says:

    I can’t wait to take my one year old trick-or-treating so I can eat all his candy.

    So, bloggerdad, do you use a tablet to draw your cartoons?

  3. Fantastic, truly fantastic. You guys got skillz. My P.I. readership would have loved it.

    If I had a time machine, I’d do the following:

    For a week I’d save all the best articles in all of the world wide web. Then, I’d go back in time one week and publish them one after the other.

    Id’ be a hero and not a damn thing anyone could do about it.

    Makes me all warm and fuzzy inside just thinking about it.

    Bamboo Forests last blog post..How Would You Resdesign the Interior of the White House?

  4. Fantastic, truly fantastic. You guys got skillz. My P.I. readership would have loved it.

    If I had a time machine, I’d do the following:

    For a week I’d save all the best articles in all of the world wide web. Then, I’d go back in time one week and publish them one after the other.

    Id’ be a hero and not a damn thing anyone could do about it.

    Makes me all warm and fuzzy inside just thinking about it.

    Bamboo Forests last blog post..How Would You Resdesign the Interior of the White House?

  5. Glen Allsopp says:

    Haha great poem Sean and some excellent illustrations from David. Taking a look at the PDF version now :)

    Glen Allsopps last blog post..How Strong is Your Sense of Entitlement?

  6. Glen Allsopp says:

    Haha great poem Sean and some excellent illustrations from David. Taking a look at the PDF version now :)

    Glen Allsopps last blog post..How Strong is Your Sense of Entitlement?

  7. Blogger Dad says:

    Oktober Five – What happened to your site? I’ve tried to visit the past few days and it’s been down. As to your question, no, I wish I drew with a tablet but I can’t afford one yet. I do everything by pen and then scan it in and color it.

    Bamboo Forest – Thank you!

    Glenn – Thank you, enjoy!

    Blogger Dads last blog post..An early Halloween treat

  8. Blogger Dad says:

    Oktober Five – What happened to your site? I’ve tried to visit the past few days and it’s been down. As to your question, no, I wish I drew with a tablet but I can’t afford one yet. I do everything by pen and then scan it in and color it.

    Bamboo Forest – Thank you!

    Glenn – Thank you, enjoy!

    Blogger Dads last blog post..An early Halloween treat

  9. Lance says:

    Hey guys, a wonderful rendition of the Halloween story! We go out this Sunday, and this is a story that will be acted out just as you’ve written. And we’ll all love it…

    Lances last blog post..Life Balance: A Very Personal Pyramid

  10. Lance says:

    Hey guys, a wonderful rendition of the Halloween story! We go out this Sunday, and this is a story that will be acted out just as you’ve written. And we’ll all love it…

    Lances last blog post..Life Balance: A Very Personal Pyramid

  11. Rita says:

    Writer Dad and Blogger Dad,
    What a terrific poem and illustrations! I loved the ending – I think it’s a promise that all kids make – that lasts for 365 or so days!

    For all of you trick-or-treating parents this weekend – a reminder: bring a flashlight! It not only helps the kids to see, but it alerts drivers to be more careful!

    And remember – even old farts like us LOVE to hear that doorbell ring on Halloween…and we’ve got some GREAT candy this year!
    Enjoy everyone!

    Rita

    Ritas last blog post..I MET STALIN – PART II

  12. Rita says:

    Writer Dad and Blogger Dad,
    What a terrific poem and illustrations! I loved the ending – I think it’s a promise that all kids make – that lasts for 365 or so days!

    For all of you trick-or-treating parents this weekend – a reminder: bring a flashlight! It not only helps the kids to see, but it alerts drivers to be more careful!

    And remember – even old farts like us LOVE to hear that doorbell ring on Halloween…and we’ve got some GREAT candy this year!
    Enjoy everyone!

    Rita

    Ritas last blog post..I MET STALIN – PART II

  13. Evelyn Lim says:

    Well done!! The poem is cute, the pictures perfect!

    Evelyn Lims last blog post..Can You Read My Mind?

  14. Evelyn Lim says:

    Well done!! The poem is cute, the pictures perfect!

    Evelyn Lims last blog post..Can You Read My Mind?

  15. Janine says:

    Very cute! A great combination of efforts.

    Janines last blog post..My First Experience Interviewing A Source.

  16. Janine says:

    Very cute! A great combination of efforts.

    Janines last blog post..My First Experience Interviewing A Source.

  17. Oktober Five says:

    @bloggerdad: I was looking at a wacom intuos3 tablet for $200. It’s only 4×6, but I’d so love to have a tablet, just to do photo editing. I was just curious if you had recommendations.

    Sorry the site was down–big bumber, I know–but thus is the nature of self-hosting and not paying for a static ip address. My internet provider will change my ip up, sometimes multiple times a day, so I have to go and change my dns settings each time, which take a while to propagate, hence the near-perpetual down-ness of the site.

    So, you draw them in pen and then color them online–that’s impressive. Do you use photoshop, gimp, other?

  18. Oktober Five says:

    @bloggerdad: I was looking at a wacom intuos3 tablet for $200. It’s only 4×6, but I’d so love to have a tablet, just to do photo editing. I was just curious if you had recommendations.

    Sorry the site was down–big bumber, I know–but thus is the nature of self-hosting and not paying for a static ip address. My internet provider will change my ip up, sometimes multiple times a day, so I have to go and change my dns settings each time, which take a while to propagate, hence the near-perpetual down-ness of the site.

    So, you draw them in pen and then color them online–that’s impressive. Do you use photoshop, gimp, other?

  19. Julie says:

    You two are TERRIFIC! Adorable story and illustations…I grinned throughout. Such memories this invoked! I wish every child could experience the kind of small-town mayhem I did: There was no parental oversight with the door-to-door thing. Kids were decorated, given a deadline and then set free—-whee!!! All the parents stayed home to play it up big time at home, and the town became a sea of kids racing in all directions at once. The air was filled with glee; it sounded like a happy playground on steroids! Nearly half the goodies were homemade, too. (That dates me.) The part that was so precious is that we were allowed “freedom” to be “unsupervised,” to scare/laugh ourselves silly, and to indulge in exhausting competition AND cooperation (hey! did you get this one? mrs. x three doors over on the corner has them, but they’re goin’ fast so ya better hurry!). Your happy story BEAUTIFULLY evoked the childhood emotions—you really must be kids at heart, yourselves! You’re magicians, you are… ;)

    Julies last blog post..Been There, Done That

  20. Julie says:

    You two are TERRIFIC! Adorable story and illustations…I grinned throughout. Such memories this invoked! I wish every child could experience the kind of small-town mayhem I did: There was no parental oversight with the door-to-door thing. Kids were decorated, given a deadline and then set free—-whee!!! All the parents stayed home to play it up big time at home, and the town became a sea of kids racing in all directions at once. The air was filled with glee; it sounded like a happy playground on steroids! Nearly half the goodies were homemade, too. (That dates me.) The part that was so precious is that we were allowed “freedom” to be “unsupervised,” to scare/laugh ourselves silly, and to indulge in exhausting competition AND cooperation (hey! did you get this one? mrs. x three doors over on the corner has them, but they’re goin’ fast so ya better hurry!). Your happy story BEAUTIFULLY evoked the childhood emotions—you really must be kids at heart, yourselves! You’re magicians, you are… ;)

    Julies last blog post..Been There, Done That

  21. That last picture is PRICELESS.

    This was so cute! Is this what the wee books are like?

    Hayden Tompkinss last blog post..How to Overcome Jealousy

  22. That last picture is PRICELESS.

    This was so cute! Is this what the wee books are like?

    Hayden Tompkinss last blog post..How to Overcome Jealousy

  23. steph says:

    This is really good, guys!! Very sweet…and typical of an excited kid! :) Our parents had to take our candy from us and put it in tins to ration out.

    stephs last blog post..In the Key of Friar…

  24. steph says:

    This is really good, guys!! Very sweet…and typical of an excited kid! :) Our parents had to take our candy from us and put it in tins to ration out.

    stephs last blog post..In the Key of Friar…

  25. You guys are so creative. I’m a tiny bit jealous. :)

    Vered – MomGrinds last blog post..Chocolate-Covered Strawberries

  26. You guys are so creative. I’m a tiny bit jealous. :)

    Vered – MomGrinds last blog post..Chocolate-Covered Strawberries

  27. Ian says:

    WD and BD,

    Fantastic work. Very fun. I’ve sent a copy to family and friends alike. Happy Halloween to you both!

    Ians last blog post..Comcast 50 Mbps Coming Soon

  28. Ian says:

    WD and BD,

    Fantastic work. Very fun. I’ve sent a copy to family and friends alike. Happy Halloween to you both!

    Ians last blog post..Comcast 50 Mbps Coming Soon

  29. Blogger Dad says:

    Lance – Thank you. Have fun this weekend. Make sure you save some candy for yourself!

    Rita – Thank you. A good reminder on the flashlights. And Writer Dad and I (along with our broods) will be at your house with bags wide open!

    Evelyn – Thank you!

    Janine – Thank you!

    Oktober 5 – Small tabs suck for drawing. However, for photo editing, they might work well for you. Check out youtube for tutorial videos which might help you choose what you want. As for my stuff, I use Photoshop which I bought years ago. I would like to check out gimp, which is free, rather than upgrade to a new Photoshop.

    Julie – Thank you. That’s a wonderful story and it resonates with my own memories of Halloween as a child in the 1970’s and early 80’s. And I can only speak for myself here, yes I am very much a kid at heart. Just ask my wife who is continuously amazed at my immature antics.

    Hayden – Thank you. That is like a shorter version of what our last collaborated wee-book was like. Sean’s other wee-books have utilized photos which lend better to some of the subjects than cartoons. All of them are awesome and incredibly cheap.

    Steph – Rationing Halloween candy? Your parents sound like The Meanest Parents Ever!

    Vered – Thank you.

    Ian – Thank you and thanks for spreading the Halloween love. Happy trick-or-treating to yourself as well.

    Blogger Dads last blog post..An early Halloween treat

  30. Blogger Dad says:

    Lance – Thank you. Have fun this weekend. Make sure you save some candy for yourself!

    Rita – Thank you. A good reminder on the flashlights. And Writer Dad and I (along with our broods) will be at your house with bags wide open!

    Evelyn – Thank you!

    Janine – Thank you!

    Oktober 5 – Small tabs suck for drawing. However, for photo editing, they might work well for you. Check out youtube for tutorial videos which might help you choose what you want. As for my stuff, I use Photoshop which I bought years ago. I would like to check out gimp, which is free, rather than upgrade to a new Photoshop.

    Julie – Thank you. That’s a wonderful story and it resonates with my own memories of Halloween as a child in the 1970’s and early 80’s. And I can only speak for myself here, yes I am very much a kid at heart. Just ask my wife who is continuously amazed at my immature antics.

    Hayden – Thank you. That is like a shorter version of what our last collaborated wee-book was like. Sean’s other wee-books have utilized photos which lend better to some of the subjects than cartoons. All of them are awesome and incredibly cheap.

    Steph – Rationing Halloween candy? Your parents sound like The Meanest Parents Ever!

    Vered – Thank you.

    Ian – Thank you and thanks for spreading the Halloween love. Happy trick-or-treating to yourself as well.

    Blogger Dads last blog post..An early Halloween treat

  31. orlund says:

    Nice little story. No matter how old we get we seem to keep making promises like that.

    orlunds last blog post..Friday’s Photo: Pumpkin Head

  32. orlund says:

    Nice little story. No matter how old we get we seem to keep making promises like that.

    orlunds last blog post..Friday’s Photo: Pumpkin Head

  33. Marelisa says:

    I went trick or treating until I was 13, and I’m not ashamed to admit it. Halloween is my second favorite time of the year, right after Christmas. And you captured the spirit of Halloween brilliantly, including the tummy ache after eating all of the candy, even though you knew full well your stomach would hurt if you ate it all :-)

    Marelisas last blog post..18 Ways to be Uber Creative

  34. Marelisa says:

    I went trick or treating until I was 13, and I’m not ashamed to admit it. Halloween is my second favorite time of the year, right after Christmas. And you captured the spirit of Halloween brilliantly, including the tummy ache after eating all of the candy, even though you knew full well your stomach would hurt if you ate it all :-)

    Marelisas last blog post..18 Ways to be Uber Creative

  35. Writer Dad says:

    Oktober Five: I’m with Dave, buddy, we miss you.

    Bamboo: I’ve often dreamt of having a time machine, then going back to the early sixties and recording every A+ classic rock song ever written. The Beatles who? That would be really, really cool. Let’s make a deal; whoever fashions a time machine first, takes the other with them, okay?

    Glen: I cannot take the credit. It was actually Dave’s poem, and drawings. All I did was a single, lousy edit. I’m the executive producer on the project.

    Lance: Thanks. Story = Dave. Drawings = Dave. Half credit = Sean. Situation < Fair.

    Rita: The ending, also, was Dave's idea. Flashlights, check. Happy faces, check. Good candy for the homestead, check. Rita, we're ready to go.

    Evelyn: Thanks, Evelyn! It's hard to get better than perfect. What are we going to do for Thanksgiving?

    Julie: It's a totally different time isn't it? I think I grew up at the tail end. It seems like there was a lot more freedom when I was super small, but by the time I was old enough to go out on my own, the reins were definitely tighter. I like being called a magician, so thank you. Dave definitely works magic, there's no doubt about it.

    Hayden: That is precisely what the WeeBooks are like, just longer.

    Steph: Rationing candy is illegal in thirty-six of the fifty states, and it's starting to spread. Make sure you get out and vote on the first Tuesday in November!

    Vered: I'm glad it's only a tiny bit. Have a great weekend, and thanks for allowing Rita's words to spark some terrific discussion this week.

    Ian: Thanks for spreading the love. Much appreciated, and Happy Halloween.

    Blogger Dad: It's embarrassing how similar our comments to Ian are, but I'm not changing mine.

    Orlund: Ha! Isn't that the truth.

    Marelisa: It's my second favorite time as well. My sister likes it way better. She always comes up with the most amazing costumes, and still dresses up to this day, even though she has no children. One year, back in the early nineties, she dressed up as Alice, from Disney's version of Alice in Wonderland. Then she wrapped herself in chains. She was "Alice in Chains." Everyone asked who she was. I think a lot of people thought she was supposed to be a housewife.

  36. Writer Dad says:

    Oktober Five: I’m with Dave, buddy, we miss you.

    Bamboo: I’ve often dreamt of having a time machine, then going back to the early sixties and recording every A+ classic rock song ever written. The Beatles who? That would be really, really cool. Let’s make a deal; whoever fashions a time machine first, takes the other with them, okay?

    Glen: I cannot take the credit. It was actually Dave’s poem, and drawings. All I did was a single, lousy edit. I’m the executive producer on the project.

    Lance: Thanks. Story = Dave. Drawings = Dave. Half credit = Sean. Situation < Fair.

    Rita: The ending, also, was Dave’s idea. Flashlights, check. Happy faces, check. Good candy for the homestead, check. Rita, we’re ready to go.

    Evelyn: Thanks, Evelyn! It’s hard to get better than perfect. What are we going to do for Thanksgiving?

    Julie: It’s a totally different time isn’t it? I think I grew up at the tail end. It seems like there was a lot more freedom when I was super small, but by the time I was old enough to go out on my own, the reins were definitely tighter. I like being called a magician, so thank you. Dave definitely works magic, there’s no doubt about it.

    Hayden: That is precisely what the WeeBooks are like, just longer.

    Steph: Rationing candy is illegal in thirty-six of the fifty states, and it’s starting to spread. Make sure you get out and vote on the first Tuesday in November!

    Vered: I’m glad it’s only a tiny bit. Have a great weekend, and thanks for allowing Rita’s words to spark some terrific discussion this week.

    Ian: Thanks for spreading the love. Much appreciated, and Happy Halloween.

    Blogger Dad: It’s embarrassing how similar our comments to Ian are, but I’m not changing mine.

    Orlund: Ha! Isn’t that the truth.

    Marelisa: It’s my second favorite time as well. My sister likes it way better. She always comes up with the most amazing costumes, and still dresses up to this day, even though she has no children. One year, back in the early nineties, she dressed up as Alice, from Disney’s version of Alice in Wonderland. Then she wrapped herself in chains. She was “Alice in Chains.” Everyone asked who she was. I think a lot of people thought she was supposed to be a housewife.

  37. The only reason I liked Halloween is for the next installment of the Saw series.

    Now this is the second reason.

    Matthew Drydens last blog post..The Writer Touch

  38. The only reason I liked Halloween is for the next installment of the Saw series.

    Now this is the second reason.

    Matthew Drydens last blog post..The Writer Touch

  39. Friar says:

    So when’s the book coming out?

  40. Friar says:

    So when’s the book coming out?

  41. CK Lunchbox says:

    Thought these were pretty clever – you both come up with some good stuff when you get together.

    CK Lunchboxs last blog post..CLARK KENT’S INBOX October 24th

  42. CK Lunchbox says:

    Thought these were pretty clever – you both come up with some good stuff when you get together.

    CK Lunchboxs last blog post..CLARK KENT’S INBOX October 24th

  43. Patricia says:

    This is so great and a wonderful combining of energies, talents and creativity – I met my husband and had our first date on Halloween – a 32 year trick/treat orchestrated by my next door neighbor, our minister, and my parents!
    I have a fondness for this holiday and what a wonderful neighborhood event it was when I was young and we got homemade caramel apples, and cookies and ghosts out of popcorn balls….and lots of hugs and joy to go around….Unicef boxes….Thank you for the great story…and pictures.

    Patricias last blog post..Factoid Friday: ANTS or Automatic Negative Thinking

  44. Patricia says:

    This is so great and a wonderful combining of energies, talents and creativity – I met my husband and had our first date on Halloween – a 32 year trick/treat orchestrated by my next door neighbor, our minister, and my parents!
    I have a fondness for this holiday and what a wonderful neighborhood event it was when I was young and we got homemade caramel apples, and cookies and ghosts out of popcorn balls….and lots of hugs and joy to go around….Unicef boxes….Thank you for the great story…and pictures.

    Patricias last blog post..Factoid Friday: ANTS or Automatic Negative Thinking

  45. John Hewitt says:

    I never ate all my candy the first night. I always waited until the next day, so I could first run a “candy exchange” with all the neighbor kids so we could trade until we got what we wanted.

  46. John Hewitt says:

    I never ate all my candy the first night. I always waited until the next day, so I could first run a “candy exchange” with all the neighbor kids so we could trade until we got what we wanted.

  47. Hi Writer Dad – What a great “treat” for your readers. Thank you!

    I love how you and Blogger Dad collaborated and created this beautiful piece. You make a great pair.

    Your post reminded me I need to buy candy for Halloween. I best find something I don’t like, otherwise it will be gone before the little ones start knocking on the door. :)

    Barbara Swaffords last blog post..Who Taught You – Open Mic

  48. Hi Writer Dad – What a great “treat” for your readers. Thank you!

    I love how you and Blogger Dad collaborated and created this beautiful piece. You make a great pair.

    Your post reminded me I need to buy candy for Halloween. I best find something I don’t like, otherwise it will be gone before the little ones start knocking on the door. :)

    Barbara Swaffords last blog post..Who Taught You – Open Mic

  49. megan says:

    WD and BD: you two make a good team! (And BD, I have the Bamboo Fun Wacom tablet… it was only $99 and it’s way awesome! Although it is very small).

  50. megan says:

    WD and BD: you two make a good team! (And BD, I have the Bamboo Fun Wacom tablet… it was only $99 and it’s way awesome! Although it is very small).

Trackbacks

  1. [...] Writer Dad wrote an interesting post today onThe Halloween PromiseHere’s a quick excerptThis one is titled, “The Halloween Promise.” What makes the “Promise” especially awesome (way more for me than Dave), is the collaboration of words. Get that? We BOTH wrote the words, but only HE drew the pictures. … [...]

  2. [...] Writer Dad wrote an interesting post today onThe Halloween PromiseHere’s a quick excerptThis one is titled, “The Halloween Promise.” What makes the “Promise” especially awesome (way more for me than Dave), is the collaboration of words. Get that? We BOTH wrote the words, but only HE drew the pictures. … [...]

  3. [...] you ever met a kid who didn’t like Halloween?  Me neither.  It isn’t as cool as Christmas, but after a childhood spent hearing that we [...]

  4. [...] you ever met a kid who didn’t like Halloween?  Me neither.  It isn’t as cool as Christmas, but after a childhood spent hearing that we [...]

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