The contest rules stated: "A pastiche is a piece written in the style of a famous Author. You may not plagiarize and you must write about a totally different subject. You must pay tribute to the author by naming the work you used as your model." Later, it stated, "You should paste a copy of the passage used so readers can see how well you've done."

I have never tried to write one of these before but was intrigued when I read Bard Owl's entry so decided to find one of my mom's Helen Steiner Rice books and give it a try to honor both my mom and her favorite writer. My daughter often questions why some people seem to do well yet seem to have no morals. That's why I selected the particular poem to mimic. I am sometimes guilty of the very thing about which I wrote -- wondering why some pieces have gotten high ratings when others (not always my own) have not when they seem to be better written. After 13 months on the site, I have decided to not worry about such things, to review each piece on its own merit, and to accept the reviews I receive in the same manner (unless I am attacked by someone which has happened a time or two). When that occurs, I let Tom deal with it and move on. We need to be a community of writers who are committed to assisting each other. I know that some of my pieces are heaven sent and take little or no time to write -- others have taken weeks to write. Many times, the shorter they are, the harder they are for me to do. Anyway, thanks to Scribbelini for organizing the contest and to Diamondeyes for the dazzling jewels.

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