THE WORRY WARTHOGS by Chris Regier Approx. word count: 500
The dummy for this story is finished. It's out in the world looking for a publisher!
Eve is such a worrier! She runs up and down the hallway telling Daddy about the latest disruption in her room instead of just laying still and going to sleep. Daddy really wants to sleep. He can be forgiven for not believing her. After all. Who ever heard of warthogs in the house? The following is a brief excerpt from "The Worry Warthogs".
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Eve was worried. She stared into the dark corners of her room and squinty eyes stared back.
“Daddy, I can’t sleep. The Worry Warthogs are watching me.”
“There are no warthogs in your room,” Daddy mumbled. “You worry too much. Go back to bed and close your eyes.”
As soon as Eve closed her eyes the Worry Warthogs disappeared. But Eve still couldn’t fall asleep. What if they came back?
“Daddy, I can’t sleep. The Worry Warthogs are watching me.”
“There are no warthogs in your room,” Daddy mumbled. “You worry too much. Go back to bed and close your eyes.”
As soon as Eve closed her eyes the Worry Warthogs disappeared. But Eve still couldn’t fall asleep. What if they came back?
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As I thought about the things kids worry about it led me to thinking about worrying in general. And I realized something.
As I thought about the things kids worry about it led me to thinking about worrying in general. And I realized something.
- Most things we worry about are silly.
- Even though the "thing" we are worried about may be silly, the worry, or fear, is real.
- How we handle the worry, not the "thing", is the only thing we have control over.
I had a critique member comment on how appropriate the suggestions that Eve's daddy gave her were for dealing with anxiety. Well, as they say, write what you know!