Back at my old blog, I used to do the occasional story contest. I show a photo, set up a bunch of arbitrary and inflexible rules, and then invite readers to submit a story that goes along with the photo. I choose the winners based on creativity, rules adherence, and where the dart hits my computer screen…and the winner gets a free signed book of their choice.

It’s time to introduce all that fun to Dadequate.

Yesterday, the webs were abuzz with a story about a mysterious blue shark that was found by a couple of guys in the woods of New Hampshire, an hour’s drive away from the ocean.

No, it wasn’t this kind of woodsy shark:

It was THIS one:

Parents, as you hopefully know, are required by the rules of good parenting to be able to make up a spur-of-the-moment story about pretty much anything. Tell me a story about dinosaurs and the teapot, Daddy! Tell me a story about the little people that live inside my shoelaces!

So that’s going to be the scope of this story contest: Tell us the story of this shark.

Rules:

1. You have to explain how a blue shark came to be in the woods of New Hampshire.

2. The story must be written in a story-type format, but using no more than 6 sentences. You can use less than six but no more.

3. The story must be creative and plausible enough for a 5 year-old, or at least my perspective on what is plausible a 5 year-old.

4. About the word “plausible” — it doesn’t have to make logical sense. It can involve mermaids or aliens or Charlie Sheen or whatever, just as long as it works.

5. It cannot reference Shark Week. Because I already know what you’re thinking. It can reference James Woods, but that’s not a requirement.

6. Everyone is welcome to enter, whether you are a mom or dad, a parent or not.

All submissions must be left in the comments by 6 pm Eastern tomorrow, August 10. I’ll announce the winner here on Thursday.

Ready? Go!