Fiction by Teens

The Froggy Prince continued...

by Alexa Schnee
Alexa is sixteen year old homeshooled, aspiring author. She participates in tap dance and plays the violin (though badly). She loves hanging out with her animals and reading books that make her laugh.

Installment One here

Installment Two here

Installment Three here

Fourth installment:

“No,” the king said quickly.

“No?” the frog asked.

“No?” the queen said confused.

“NO?” Amelia questioned.

“No,” the king confirmed. “Amelia has gotten away with too much. Just yesterday she asked me for a new carriage, even though she just got a brand new one this year. My dear, it is time that you showed some responsibility in keeping your word.” He stroked his beard.

“But Daddy,” Amelia whined.

“You promised,” the king said. “Now take this nice frog up to your room and show him around.”

Amelia slammed her silverware onto her plate, creating a large clanging. Stamping her heels into the marble floor, the princess marched up to her room, again leaving our frog to hop behind her.

Now, the nicest joint our frog had ever been in was the Hotel Far, Far Away. And let me tell you, it was nothing special. Our frog thought that a mediocre dinner that was served to him was nice. Imagine how he felt when he saw the marble floors, the colorful tapestries and the beautifully carved wooden doors! Now, this was worthy of something. It amazed our frog how someone could actually live in a place this nice. Wouldn’t you be upset if something got dirty?

Amelia stood at the end of a hallway, opening the door for the frog. As soon as he entered the room she slammed it with fury.

“Okay frog, let’s get this straight. You play by my rules, not my daddy’s. No matter what he says, you will do what I say. Got that? If the girls come over for a sleepover, you will stay hidden in the closet. If Charming comes over, you will stay hidden in the closet. At night you will sleep under my bed and you will not say a word unless you are spoken to. Understand?”

Our frog could not answer.

Our frog was in awe of this room.

Amelia’s room was unlike anything he had ever seen before. Her bed was the largest thing he had ever seen in his life. It was covered with pillows, blankets and stuffed animals. Her walls were painted pink, and they were covered with pictures of her Princess Academy friends. At the center of these pictures was a large poster of Prince Charming, her one and only. It was signed in the bottom right hand corner, saying, “I am charmed for you, Beautiful. Love, Charming.”

Looking to his right, the frog saw a large closet. In fact, our frog couldn’t see the end of it. It was filled with as many dresses as it could hold.

“Are you listening?” Amelia said annoyed.

I have a favor to ask of you, dear reader. Please don’t be too mad at Amelia. Yes, it is easy to be mad at her. She did run away from our frog when she had promised that she would hold up her end of the deal. She did back-sass her father, and she was being a terrible sport about things. But, reader, pardon the expression, put yourself in Amelia’s shoes. She has had everything she has wanted all of her life. Whatever she desired she has gotten. Now, her life has drastically changed. Imagine having a stranger come and share your room with you. They are always with you, they talk in their sleep and they use all of the warm water in the shower. Now does Amelia look like such a bad guy?

You see, life is all about choices. Sometimes you make a good choice. Sometimes you make a bad choice. Amelia chose to run from our frog. Our frog chose to come and live with Amelia. The king chose to make Amelia live with her promise, and Amelia chose to be a brat about it. But one thing many of us have learned over time is that, whatever choice you make, with a little positive thinking, you can make it the right choice.

the end of installment 4...tune in next week

Stop Lurking! Every week I will draw names for a free Tricia Goyer book from those who comment on my blogs. Winner's choice! Tell your friends.

Choices, Choices

A few years ago I helped a family member purchase a money order to mail to her daughter who lives out-of-state. It seems her boyfriend kicked her out, and she’d been staying in a hotel. Unfortunately, she ran out of money, and her boss from the local diner had already fronted all he could. This person needed money quick, and she didn’t know where else to turn.

Around the same time a friend of mine related the story of being startled awake by her son. It was 3:30 a.m. when the phone rang. Her son had been partying and needed a ride home. Though my friend had to work the next morning, she jumped out of bed and hurried to her son’s aid.

Does this sound unusual? Maybe not. People find themselves in binds like this all the time.

Well, what if I told you that these people in trouble were 50 and 55-years-old? That’s right. They experienced adolescence in the 1960s, yet here they were not straying far from their old ways.

Many times teens get a bad rap for being irresponsible. Teens drive too fast. Party too hard. And don’t make wise choices about their future.

Well, as far as I’m concerned, wise-decision making has more to do with a right heart-attitude than with age. I’ve seen teens make very wise choices . . . ones that their older acquaintances should try to copy!

Proverbs 1:15 and 18 says, “Don’t go along with [sinners], my child! Stay far away from their paths . . . they set an ambush for themselves; they booby-trap their own lives! Such is the fate of all who are greedy for gain. It ends up robbing them of life” (NLT emphasis mine).

For the past few weeks, I’ve been wearing a white wristband similar to Lance Armstrong’s Livestrong. It says these words: “Choose Life.” On the surface the meaning is pro-life, of course. But to me this bracelet also reminds me to choose life in all the decisions I make.

Deuteronomy 30:19-20 says, “This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him” (NIV).

Choosing life means choosing God’s way. It’s choosing to seek Him instead of the world’s answers. It’s choosing hope, peace, abundance, and faith. It means serving God and loving people, instead of attempting to find happiness through live-in boyfriends and all-night-parties. It means not booby-trapping your own life by making bad choices over and over again.

Each of us messes up. I have too many times to count! But being “grown-up” means realizing those mistakes and deciding to take a better way. As Psalms 119:30 says, “I have chosen the way of truth” (NIV). Truth as Jesus gives it--not as Hollywood tries to display.

So the next time someone tries to give teens a bad rap, be sure to tell them differently. Let them know you’re choosing life. You’re choosing not to bobby-trap your future. Choosing blessings instead of cursings.

After all, your choices are good choices when you choose God’s choices for your days!


Stop Lurking! Every week I will draw names for a free Tricia Goyer book from those who comment on my blogs. Winner's choice! Tell your friends. (Last week's winner was Beth B!)

I'm curious!

Do you blog?

Do you have your own blog or do you contribute to someone else's blog?

What blogs are your favorites and why?

What about a blog turns you off?

Inquiring minds...



Stop Lurking! Every week I will draw names for a free Tricia Goyer book from those who comment on my blogs. Winner's choice! Tell your friends.

Fiction by Teens

The Froggy Prince continued...

by Alexa Schnee
Alexa is sixteen year old homeshooled, aspiring author. She participates in tap dance and plays the violin (though badly). She loves hanging out with her animals and reading books that make her laugh.

Installment One here

Installment Two here

Installment Three:
It was a lovely dinner. Roast duck, pork, cooked veggies, (for Amelia, who liked to be lean) and buttered frog legs. Amelia didn’t take these. It felt a little awkward after meeting a talking frog, but she was trying to forget that incident.

The king sat at the head of the table with the queen at his side. Amelia’s mother was the fairest in the land; of course, someone had to take Snow White’s place after she had the crazy notion to fight wars in the galaxy. She was the runner-up in the Fairest of the Land Beauty Pageant.

Amelia had her long brown hair and her piercing blue eyes. In fact, Amelia was the exact image of her mother, but she got her brains from her father. Though no one would admit it to the queen, pardon the expression, she wasn’t the brightest light bulb ever screwed in.

Anyway, as Amelia was explaining how she would get all of her dresses to Princesston there was a knock on the door. A very soft knock, so soft, that Amelia could barely hear it. But she did, and she stopped talking.

“Who could that be?” the king asked. He stood up slightly, and then motioned for a guard to answer the door.

The young man ran to the large doors and pulled them open ever so slightly. Amelia watched as his eyes roamed farther and farther down until they met the ground. He turned around to announce the visitor.

“It is a frog, sir,” he said quizzically.

Amelia’s veggies almost made an appearance on her new dress. The frog was back? Amelia felt like saying a few choice words, and they wouldn’t be appropriate for this story, so she whispered them under her breath.

“A frog?” the king asked.

“Yes sir,” the guard said. He swallowed nervously before he continued. “A talking frog.”

“When you meet up with a talking animal, you should always pay attention,” the queen mentioned.

Everyone looked at her. The king and Amelia exchanged a look. The queen had often said this, but it wasn’t often that her advice actually applied to anything.

“Sir,” the guard whispered. “He says he knows the princess.”

Amelia’s eyes grew wide. The king turned on her.

“Amelia?”

Amelia began to think. Though she may have been spoiled, though she may have been naughty for leaving our frog, she was very smart.

“A talking frog, huh?” she said entering her speech and debate mode. “Is that scientifically possible? How could a frog speak when he has no capabilities of proper humanist speech? Clearly, a frog’s brain does not have enough capacity to fit the part of the cortex of the brain that controls speech.”

By now, the king was getting angry and the queen was getting confused. But, the queen was always confused.

“My daughter is right,” the king said. “Is this a joke young guard?”

“No sir, I assure you that this frog has spoken to me,” the young guard said, sweat now pouring down his face.

“Bring him in then,” the king commanded. “Let me see this talking frog.”

The guard opened the large doors a tad more, and in hopped our frog.

“Hello, Princess. Next time you run, could you do it so I can keep up?” he asked. It looked like it had taken him hours to make it to the castle on those puny frog legs. He was warty, he was green, and now he was muddy. Amelia knew she had lost this battle, but for sure, she wasn’t going down without a fight.

“Amelia, it is a talking frog,” the king said raising one eyebrow at his daughter.

“Yes, I am,” the frog said hopping towards the king. “Your daughter made a promise to me. She said if I got her basketball out of the well, then I could live with you.”

“I did not!” Amelia cried.

“Yes you did!” the frog exclaimed. “You shook on it!”

“I crossed my fingers!” Amelia cried.

“Crossies didn’t count!” the frog exclaimed.

Amelia’s smile began to fade. She was starting to get desperate.

“I LIED!” Amelia cried, her scream echoing on the palace walls.

The frog was silent. The room was silent. The world was silent. Then, he opened his mouth and spoke.

“You promised,” he whispered.

Everyone looked at Amelia. She looked at everyone. And then, Amelia began to cry. Now, Amelia only cried when it was a desperate situation. When she lost, she cried. And when she cried, she usually got what she wanted. Again, it was another instance of Amelia being spoiled. Big tears began to roll from her eyes.

“Oh, don’t cry!” the queen sympathized as she ran over to her child. She stroked Amelia’s long hair.

“You should be ashamed of yourself,” the queen scolded the frog. “even though I believe talking animals are a blessing, you have been nothing but a curse to our daughter.”

The frog hung his head in shame and embarrassment. Although he felt bad about Amelia leaving him, he felt even worse if he was a burden.

“Fine,” the frog said quietly. “I’ll leave.”

end of installment...check back next week to see what happens.


Stop Lurking! Every week I will draw names for a free Tricia Goyer book from those who comment on my blogs. Winner's choice! Tell your friends.

New Holiday

Today, I am making a new holiday! Yes, I decided that on my own, and I think you'll want to add it to your calendar.

BE A FRIEND DAY.

I got started thinking about this when I read the 'thoughts from the editor' from the Feb. 08 Issue of Christian Single (which is a great magazine that I read even though I'm not single!) Anyway, the editor, Larissa Amanlt was talking about the struggle of trying to keep up with all her friends ... and the problem of added one more. Yet how can we say no to one more friend? I know I can't. Here is what Larissa said:

"I'm learning something here that's coming as quite a shock--friendship is not all about me. It's not cramming my schedule with people who make me feel full, but it's stepping out on a limb for someone who might need it more than I do ... realizing that a small piece of my time could make a difference in someone else's life gave me a change of heart."

So on BE A FRIEND DAY the task is to schedule time with someone new--someone God has placed on your heart. It can be going out for a cup of coffee or just chatting on the phone. Either way, be the friend ... be the difference!

And ... if you have a few minutes email THIS FRIEND and let me know how it went. I'd love to hear!


Stop Lurking! Every week I will draw names for a free Tricia Goyer book from those who comment on my blogs. Winner's choice! Tell your friends.

The first Video Contest entry!

Here is a note from Lauren-Cool!

Friends and family,
I have created a video for a video trailer contest. The person with the most viewers on their video wins. Please click on the link to view the video I have made. It is promoting Tricia Goyer's book my life unscripted a devotional book for teen girls. Feel free to forward this on to all of your family and friends so they can forward it on to all their family and friends so they can forward on to all their family and friends...you get the idea.

Love Lauren
http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=01e7a8efd20ad9c25089

Who will be next?

Garbage in, Garbage out...

Have you ever heard the saying Garbage In ... Garbage Out? What you read, you think. What you think, you live.

For many years, garbage is exactly what I read, thought, and lived. And amazingly, once I started reading books with good morals, I started living better. So, maybe you don't know what to read ... here are some suggestions!

Also, tell me about your favorite book that you'd recommend!

The DragonSpell books by Donita K. Paul

The Christy Miller Series and Sierra Jenson Series by Robin Jones Gunn

Anything by Melody Carlson

Anything by Sandra Byrd

Anything by Sarah Sumpolec

Historical novels by Wendy Lawton

Anything by Nancy Rue, Bill Meyers, Robert Elmer, Bryan Davis, Lauraine Snelling


These are all friends of mine (and EXCELLENT writers) and I can vouch for their character as well as their good, moral stories. Check them out!

Fiction by Teens

The Froggy Prince continued...

by Alexa Schnee
Alexa is sixteen year old homeshooled, aspiring author. She participates in tap dance and plays the violin (though badly). She loves hanging out with her animals and reading books that make her laugh.

Installment One here



“Oh, it’s very simple,” the frog said softly. “I want to come and live with you. I want to eat with you, be with you and be treated like a prince.”

Amelia was horrified. What would her boyfriend, Prince Charming, say when he found out that she had a frog living in her palace? What would the other princesses from the Academy say? That the Valedictorian had lost her marbles? Still, she really needed her basketball if she was going to practice for the big game. She knew her parents, the king and queen, would never think about getting her another one. Maybe she could keep the frog hidden from her friends, and then no one would have to know!

“Alright, frog, you have a deal,” she said holding out her hand hesitantly. She took his webbed hand in hers, sealing the deal.

Then suddenly, the frog dove into the well, creating a small ripple of water. She watched as the frog’s head popped out of the water, and how he situated is back legs to push the ball out of the water.

“Fire in the hole!” The frog cried with his croakish voice, and suddenly, the ball went flying out of the well like a cannonball out of a canon! It flew higher and higher and higher, until it slowly drifted down and landed at a thud at Amelia’s feet with a PLUNK! She picked it up and placed it under her arm. Hiking up her very large dress she took off in a very brisk run towards her castle.

“Wait!” The frog cried, again jumping on to the ridge of the stone well. “I can’t keep up with you!” Still dripping wet and wishing he had paid more attention in gym class in high school, the frog began to hop as fast as his little legs could after Amelia.

Amelia reached the doors of the castle far before the frog. In fact, she wouldn’t have been surprised if the little fellow had given up and gone back to the well to freeload off of some other princesses. Now she was safe. He wouldn’t follow her all of this way, would he?

Opening the castle doors, Amelia could see her father, the king, looking over some of his notebooks at the big long table they used for dinner events.

Now, here’s a little know fact about the king. He was a brilliant man, who believed he was much more suited to be a reporter for the Fairyland Times. In fact, when he had just gotten out of college he had gotten a job writing for the Weekly Neverland, a tabloid newspaper.

Unfortunately, the most important articles he had written were the titles; “Beauty Weds Beast” and “Grandma is a Wolf.” Once his father had died, he took over the family business and pushed his dreams of writing aside.

“Hello, Daddy,” Amelia said, setting her basketball down in an empty chair and kissing her father on the cheek.

“Amelia!” The king exclaimed through his long, white beard. “I didn’t even see you come in! What have you been doing today?”

Amelia shrugged her shoulders. There was no reason to mention the frog. It had been a great day, why ruin it with mentioning something bad and warty?

“Here’s a letter for you,” the king said handing her a neatly sealed envelope. It was sealed with elegance, something worthy of even the richest princess. Amelia tore it open, anticipation gnawing at her heart.

“Princesston? I got into Princesston?” Amelia began to do a little dance around the table. Princesston was the finest university for girls in the kingdom! And Amelia was accepted! She could just imagine enough basketball to make her sick, beautiful campuses, and an opportunity to become a queen if she worked hard at her studies.

“How about we have a family dinner tonight?” The king asked. “This is a special occasion.”
Amelia kissed her father on the cheek again and grabbed her basketball.

“Thanks Daddy, I’m going to go pick out something to wear.” And with that Amelia ran up the stairs as quickly as possible.

Now, I’ve bet you’ve noticed by now just how spoiled Amelia is. She has this beautiful castle, a loving family, a princess-ship, and the opportunity to go to the best college in the land. Yet, she always wants more. She isn’t happy with being a princess; she wants to be a queen. She doesn’t want to just play basketball; she wants to be a professional player. She doesn’t want a frog, she wants Prince Charming. Have you ever heard the expression, “to have your cake and eat it too”? That is what Amelia believed her life should be like. As such, pardon the expression, she wanted to have her cake and eat it too. But you seem to know this story as well, an unexpected visitor happens to change Amelia, and I think you know who this visitor is.

{End of Installment II}

You Asked...about Robin Jones Gunn

Meet Lauren, today she is interviewing author Robin Jones Gunn!


Lauren: My favorite author is Robin Jones Gunn. I have three questions for her.

Tricia: Lauren, good choice for your favorite author! Robin is one of my dear friends, and her answers to your questions are below!

Lauren: What do you like to do for fun?

[Robin Gunn] I LOVE to travel. Any time, anywhere. Last year at this time I was in Brazil and that was amazing. I also love meeting up with friends from around the world and lingering over a leisurely meal or cup of tea.

Lauren: How do you plan out your books?

[Robin Gunn] I start with a written out prayer, asking God for a new story that will draw His children closer to His heart. Then I get a three-ring binder and start collecting all kinds of bits of info like pictures to get an idea of what the characters look like, maps, a calendar so I know when the story starts and stops and any other helpful info from the internet or from photos I’ve taken. Then I start with a pen and paper and just write and write until I see a summary of some of the key points of the story. It always changes, but the freehand start is a good loosening of ideas exercise. Then I sit down at the computer and write chapter one, page one and go from there.

Lauren: Who is your favorite author?

[Robin Gunn] I don’t know that I have one favorite. I like different authors at different times. I love reading biographies to see how real lives played out as God wrote their stories. I adore Tricia Goyer. (and she didn’t make me say that, either!)

Lauren: to find out more about Mrs. Gunn check out her website!

Ever tempted?

Yeah, not me either. JUST KIDDING!!!

All of us are tempted. In fact, it's something that should be expected. We live in a world that promotes "you deserve it, go ahead." Our mind and body likes this idea. In fact, it's a fight not to listen.

Matthew 19:7 says, "Temptation to do wrong is inevitable, but how terrible it will be for the person who does the tempting."

I don't know about you, but I don't like to think about the other side of the coin. It's easy to fight against temptation in our lives. It's harder to realize that some of the time I'M the one doing the tempting--maybe by how I dress, or how I talk, or simple kindness that leans toward the flirting side ... that can lead places it shouldn't go. Anything I do that could cause another person to stumble is not cool. Knowing that helps me to watch myself--to see if I'm doing something that could lead someone else down the wrong path.

What about you ... what things tempt you most?

What things do you do that might tempt others?

What do you do about both?

Kristen Anderson blog

Last week I was in Chicagoland, working on a book with an AMAZING person that is one of my new favorite people: Kristen Anderson. Kristen tried to commit suicide when she was seventeen by laying down in front of a train. God saved her--both physically and spiritually--and now she travels and speaks and has given millions of people hope!!!

Anyway, I couldn't stop talking about Kristen's story when I got home, and I can't wait until we finish the book. Our desire is that God will be glorified and that many millions, millions more will hear about Jesus through Kristen's story.

If you missed Kristen on Oprah, you can watch it by going here: http://www.myspace.com/kristenjaneanderson

Just look under BLOG and OPRAH.

And ... remember to keep us in your prayers as we write!

You Asked .... about Meg Cabot

Sarah W. asked the following:

Meg Cabot is my favorite author, if I could ask her three questions they would be: How do you get the commitment to write a book? How do you get your ideas for books? How did you learn to write?

Tricia answers:

I wish I had Meg's number so I could call and chat. But ... I did find your answers Sarah, by going to Meg's website: http://www.megcabot.com/

These answers come from her website!


What inspires you to write?

Meg: The same thing that inspires you to breathe. I can’t help it.

Where do you get your ideas?

Meg: Much of what is in my books is taken directly from my own diaries that I kept when I was in high school ... I still have them, though I am the only one who will ever be allowed to read them. I am only using the selective bits that won’t incriminate me.

What advice do you have to give to aspiring writers?

Meg: My advice to young writers is:

Write the kinds of stories you like to read. If you don’t love what you’re writing, no one else will, either.

Don’t tell people you want to be a writer. Everyone will try to talk you out of choosing a job with so little security, so it is better just to keep it to yourself, and prove them all wrong later.

You are not a hundred dollar bill. Not everyone is going to like you … or your story. Do not take rejection personally.

If you are blocked on a story, there is probably something wrong with it. Take a few days off and put the story on a back burner for a while. Eventually, it will come to you.

Read—and write—all the time. Never stop sending out your stuff. Don’t wait for a response after sending a story out … start a new story right away, and then send that one out! If you are constantly writing and sending stuff out (don’t forget to live your life, too, while you are doing this) eventually someone will bite!

It is nearly impossible to get published these days without an agent. The guide I used to get mine was called the Jeff Herman Guide to Agents, Editors, and Publishers. It was well worth the money I spent on it, since it lists every agent in the business and what he or she is looking for. It also tells you how to write a query letter, what to expect from your publisher, and all sorts of good stuff...a must buy for any aspiring author!

And above all, become a good listener. In order to write believable dialogue, you need to listen to the conversations of the people around you—then try to imitate them!

Good luck, and keep writing! If I can do it, so can you!

Who was the first person Jamie Spears turned to when she found out she was pregnant?

A friend.

What if you were that friend?

Who was the first one Jamie Lynn Spears turned to when she found out she was pregnant? Not her mom. Not her sister. She turned to a friend.

So as a teen what can YOU do when a pregnant friend comes to you for advice?

Remain calm and loving. Your friend most likely feels alone, frightened and extremely sensitive about her pregnancy. The most important thing you can offer is your continued friendship.

Show God's love and forgiveness. Your friend may have been looking for love by giving herself intimately to a guy. Now she might feel ashamed and unworthy of love at all. Point her to God, who loves her unconditionally.

Celebrate life. Your friend may consider this baby a "mistake"—a barrier between her and "normal" life. She needs you to lovingly remind her that no matter how the baby was conceived, he or she is a gift from God.

Be available to share … and to listen. Your friend has big decisions to make, and although you can't make those decisions for her, you can be available to help her consider her options. Share information you've discovered on fetal development and on the physical and emotional trauma of abortion. Most of all, be willing to listen to your friend's deepest concerns.

Find help. Your friend is most likely in need of more answers than you can give. Visit a local crisis pregnancy center with your friend, or call CareNet for help at 1-800-395-HELP. Encourage her to tell her parents and to seek the counsel of a pastor or youth pastor.

Partner with her to make better decisions in the future. My Life, Unscripted (Thomas Nelson) is a book for teen girls and encourages teens to script their lives instead of being caught up in the drama and emotions of the moment. Read it together. Talk about the importance of making good choices.

Give her a book to help her face her unique issues, such as Life Interrupted: The Scoop on Being Young Mom (Zondervan).

Tricia Goyer writes articles for national publications such as Focus on the Family and is a columnist for teen moms through MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) International: (www.mops.org/teen)

For more information, go to: http://www.triciagoyer.com/

Fiction by Teens

The Froggy Prince

by Alexa Schnee
Alexa is sixteen year old homeshooled, aspiring author. She participates in tap dance and plays the violin (though badly). She loves hanging out with her animals and reading books that make her laugh.

Installment One:

Once upon a time, yeah, yeah, yeah, you’ve all heard that before. And let me guess, it ends with a “Happily Ever After”. Not this story. You see reader, not all is always well in fairytale land, no matter what you read in the storybooks. Once in a while there is a mess-up, and there is nothing the brothers Grimm can do about it. First, Cinderella’s slipper was made of wood and Hansel and Gretel were middle-aged moochers that still hadn’t gone to college and gotten a real job. Then, Sleeping Beauty was having a good dream and decided that she would rather not wake up no matter how insistent the prince was. And Snow White decided she wouldn’t like to be so innocent and joined the mafia in the Ernerian galaxy along with Captain Trann. But that’s a different story.

Our story starts out with a frog. A simple, warty frog with a goal that would make going to the moon in a tin can look easy. He had to kiss a princess, and not just any one, but the most beautiful princess to come out of the Princess Academy of Princesses. Yeah, no small feat. Her name was Princess Amelia. And she was the Valedictorian, Homecoming Queen, Head Cheerleader and organizer of the “Give Elves their Rights Club”.

And he was just a frog. A frog that had joined the chess team in high school, but it’s hard to move your rook with webbed hands. Even the local geeks, Pinocchio and Rumpelstiltskin were safe to call our frog a nerd. He wasn’t even able to give the chess team a win. He was banished from the high school social scene.

Anyway, he graduated and set out to do something with his life. After he found out that no college would accept him because his grades were too low, (that’s what you get for having a giant as your study partner) he decided to follow his dream and become a prince. A handsome prince. He knew that the only way he could succeed in life is if he could be something he wasn’t, and if that meant becoming a prince, he was okay with that. So he sat by a well, waiting for Amelia to come by and maybe give him a kiss.

Well, one day, it actually happened. Princess Amelia came by the well with a basketball. Now, this is a little known fact about Amelia. Her dream in life was to become a professional basketball player for the Fairyland Hoopsters. Her parents, however, wanted her to be a lawyer, but who wants to listen to their parents? Anyway, Amelia took a jump shot and aimed her favorite basketball at the well. It fell in nicely, creating a slight splash at the bottom.

“Dang it!” Amelia exclaimed, using the words that she was famous for. “That’s my only basketball!” She ran over to the well and looked down into it. There was her beloved ball, floating ever so nicely on top of the water.

“Nice shot!” A voice said croakily.

Now, Amelia, who was very concerned about her ball, did a little jump. She hadn’t seen anyone at the well. Was she hearing voices?

Suddenly a frog jumped onto the rim of the well and looked her straight in the eye. He was warty, he was ugly, and he was green, so Amelia immediately felt like running. But her mother, the queen, always said that when you met up with a talking animal, you had better listen up. But who wants to listen to their parents? So Amelia began to run.

“Wait!” the talking frog cried, hopping on the edge of the well. “I can get that ball for you!”
Amelia stopped. It was her ONLY basketball. Turning around she slowly walked up to the frog.

“You can help me?” she asked trying not to flinch.

“Yes. But you have to do something for me in return.” The frog said.
Amelia thought. It was her ONLY basketball.

“Okay,” she said. “What are you thinking?”

The frog smiled.

Check back next Thursday for the next installment!

Light...let there be

Have you ever wondered what it meant that God's Word is Light? I used to wonder that. For many years I believed in God ... or rather I liked the idea of God. I'd pray ... at basketball games when we were down by two points and I wanted our team to win. I'd think about God, at Christmas time. But the rest of the time I pretty much did what I wanted to do. And the truth is, that what I wanted to do wasn't always pretty. In fact, I made a lot of stupid choices.

Looking back now, I can see they were stupid. Mostly because I've had many years to live with the consequences. I've had to deal with emotions tied to old boyfriends. (Yes, the connections you made will stick around for YEARS.) I've had to deal with regret over having an abortion at age 15. It's a choice that I can never take back ... a choice I regret every day. But what does this have to do with light/darkness?

Psalm 119:105 says, "Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."

If you've accepted Jesus as your personal Savior, then God's Word will guide you. It will help you make good decisions. It will lead you on a path heading in the right direction. And because of that you hopefully won't have huge regrets to deal with.

What if you don't have a personal relationship with Jesus? Or if you don't use God's Word to help you guide your way? Then you're in darkness ... and most of the time you WON'T make right decisions.

For many years I lived in this darkness. In high school, I was like a blind person in a dark room. I had my hands outstretched and I was desperately seeking love, acceptance, and happiness. In the darkness I'd bump into things. I'd run into walls. I'd grasp onto anything (or anyone) that seemed to fit my need. Do you know anyone like that?

Looking back, I realize that I was grasping and coming up wanting. Now that I'm in the light, I see so much more. Mostly, I SEE. I see hope found in God. I see a good future. I see God active around me. I see how God's Word applies to everything I do. I SEE.

If you're still stumbling in darkness, it's not too late to pray and ask Jesus to come into your life ... to be your light.

If you know someone who is stumbling in darkness, then pray. Pray that their hearts will want Jesus and seek Him.

If you have done stupid things in the past, realize your bad choices were a result of grasping--trying to find love, acceptance, and happiness. Ask God forgiveness for those things, and seek Jesus and His Word to help you in the future.

And no matter what, realize that Jesus wants you to walk in the light. It is no coincidence that you're reading this. Maybe these works are the spark that will grow into something bright in your life!

Cooties

Circle, circle, dot, dot now you got the Cootie shot!

How important to you is having a boyfriend?

At this point, not very important because I have higher priorities and need to focus on other things right now.
Miranda, Georgia 16

That isn't important to me at all! I love the band Barlow Girl because they feel the same about boyfriends and dating as I do. I know that God has a plan for my life, and I know that if God wants me to be married to someone, then it'll happen. I don't need to worry myself in finding him. Being friends with guys is enough right now. My favorite quote is something Lauren Barlow said, "If our hearts were meant to be broken, God would have given them to us that way." If you have a boyfriend at my age, usually you're not going to end up getting married, and there will be a break up involved, someone will always get hurt.
Mallory, Arizona 14

Kind of important. I want a boyfriend but I want a guy who is going to be good for me. It is more important for me to make good choices in my life than to have a boyfriend.
Sarah, Minnesota 14

I don't care. I'd be fine with it if I found someone that could be it, but otherwise I just want a guy friend and nothing else. Having a boyfriend just to have one can be really dangerous to your heart if you're not careful.
Anna, Texas 14

This may seem strange but having a boyfriend is my last priority at this point. Having a perfect relationship with God is far more important than having a relationship with a guy. I think that God should be the foundation for any relationship and, I don't feel that I am "right" with God at the moment.
Sophia, Texas 14

I would like to have a boyfriend now, but I still haven't found the right person to date yet. I have a guy who shares my same values, but I'm not sure if he is interested.
Shelby, Iowa 15


What about you?

Welcome!

Hi friend!

I'm very excited to bring in 2008 with a shiny new blog called Teen-Script: Your Story, Your Life. The cool thing is that I want to make the blog interactive like My Life, Unscripted. I just don't want it to be about me blabbing about teen issues, I want to involve YOU. I want your voice to be heard.

I was wondering if you'd like to help? (Say, yes!) Here is how you can do it:

1. Bible Q and A: Do you have any questions about the Bible you'd like answered?

2. Author interviews. Who is your favorite author? If you could ask him/her three questions, what would they be?

3. Media: Have you watched a good movie you'd recommend? Or listened to a good song? Or read a good book? What did you like about it? Why?

4. Romance: To date or not to date? How far is too far? How do you know when you've found Mr. Right? Send me your questions OR offer advice!

5. Health and Fitness: Do you have any tips for healthy food? Exercising?

6. Body Image: How do you deal with body image in a world that obsessed with thin and sexy? What advice do you have for others?

7. My favorite things: What is your favorite .... (fill in the blank). Here are some to get you started. Bible verse, Color, Food, TV show, actor?

8. To do: What is something you want to learn to do? Where is some place you want to go? Do you set goals for yourself? What do you hope for your future?

9. Real Life: What does being a Christian look like in the real world? How do you cope? What do you struggle with? How do you connect with God day-by-day?

10. Fun Stuff: Write a quiz. Tell a joke. Share a cool saying ... the sky's the limit!

11. Relationship: Do you struggle with parents? Friends? a boyfriend? Siblings? Do you have any questions about relationships you'd like answered?

I can't wait to hear from you!!!

Tricia
http://www.triciagoyer.com/

Submission Guidelines

Teen-script.blogspot.com Submission Guidelines

Teen-script is eager to work with teen writers. Teen-Script is looking for fresh, creative, and entertaining stories, articles, and opinion pieces from teens.

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR:
We are actively looking for teen writers in a wide range of genres.

We're interested in all kinds of commercial young adult short fiction, including: mysteries, children's, sweet romance, ethnic, science fiction, fantasy and general fiction. We are also interested in literary fiction as long as it has a strong narrative voice.

In nonfiction, we are interested in current affairs, history, health, adventure, personal experience, Bible reflections, and opinion. Tell us your thoughts!

We will not accept any material that uses bad language or is offensive. Please be positive and encouraging!

How to submit your work:
Your submission should be submitted via email to bookmarketing@triciagoyer.com and should include:

• Short piece (300-800 words). If you are submitting a longer piece, then please break it into small segments.
• a short author bio
• any corresponding artwork as a .jpeg attachment
• contact information (i.e. address, email address)

Response Time
Our average response time is a little over a month, but that's an average; sometimes we take longer. You will be contacted via email to confirm receipt of your work. You will also be notified via email if your work is accepted for publishing on Teen-Script.

Payment:
Teen-Script pays $5 dollars per published piece. Payment upon acceptance.

Rights:
Teen-script.blogspot.com retains one-time publishing rights for your work.