MG Entry #6 - Alex Daily: Sometimes Superhero

Name: Ashley Keene
Title: ALEX DAILY: SOMETIMES SUPERHERO Genre: MG Magical Realism Word Count: 78,000

Hook:
It’s not easy being a superhero with a different power every day and a 9:00 bedtime every night. Alex Daily has no way of controlling or predicting which superpower he’ll wake up with each morning, but that won’t stop him from his pursuit of uncovering the source of his abilities, while performing a few heroic deeds along the way.

Line:
“Alex suddenly understood why so many superheroes didn’t have parents; having parents meant a lot of lying and sneaking around, which good heroes weren’t supposed to do.”

Sinker:
The day before getting his first superpower, Alex Daily found himself climbing to the top of his stepdad’s forbidden twelve-foot ladder. The sun-soaked metal burned his fingers and the cardboard box under his arm kept catching beneath each rung and throwing him off balance. He’d be grounded for life if Mom or Walter caught him climbing this ladder. The worst part? He didn’t even want to climb it.

Melanie watched from below, a half-smile tugging at the corner of her tiny mouth. He was afraid of heights and of breaking rules, but he was most afraid of being called a wimp by a girl. Melanie was a tomboy but she still counted as a girl, and her smile (which could open wide and start yelling insults any moment) was the only thing that kept him climbing.

When he got to the final rung he set the box on the little shelf at the top.

"Okay, Melanie, you ready?" Alex asked. He wanted to get it over with.

“No!” she said. “You have to go to the tip-top.”

"The box is on there. Besides, it’s for paint cans and tools."

"Not that part, stupid. Look! You’ve still got a step to go."

Melanie was right, as usual, but she couldn’t see the sticker that covered the top rung. "NOT A STEP!" the red letters warned. There were pictures of stick figure men falling to horrible stick figure deaths. One fell forward, bringing the whole ladder down with him. Another fell backwards somehow landing directly on his head with his legs straight up in the air, which didn’t even seem physically possible but scared Alex nonetheless.


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**Please remember, only participating agents should comment on these posts for the duration of the contest. Any other comments, including requests from agents who aren't participating in Hook, Line & Sinker, are welcome AFTER the contest closes at 7pm EDT on Wednesday, October 24th.

5 comments:

  1. Dear Ashley, I'm charmed by the humor here. I'd love to see more! Please send the full to me at susan(at)thebentagency(dot)com, attached as a word doc. Also include HLS Contest Request in the subject line. Many thanks! Susan

    ReplyDelete
  2. This sounds terrific. So much potential, great humor. I would love to consider this full manuscript. Ashley, please e-mail me the full ms, synopsis (2pg max) and your query letter containing all of the above info with your bio at marisa(at)corvisieroagency(dot)com. Thanks! ~Marisa

    ReplyDelete
  3. Ohhh, I like this opening. I like it a lot. There's some great humor here, and I want to see what sort of bizarre superpowers Alex gets! Please email the full manuscript, a synopsis, and your query to me at brooks(at)fineprintlit(dot)com, with "HLS Requested Material" in the subject line. Looking forward to seeing the rest!

    Brooksishly,
    me

    ReplyDelete
  4. Well, now I have to see more! Too good to pass up!
    Please paste into the body of your email: your cover letter, synopsis and first three chapters, and send to: Submissions(at)akaliteraryllc(dot)com. In the subject heading please state: HL&S - Requested by Terrie - with your entry number.
    Thanks,
    Terrie

    ReplyDelete
  5. I'm @notforbreakfast on Twitter, if anyone wants to follow there.

    ReplyDelete

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