Friday 3 October 2008

Wearing My Children's Writer Hat...



The main characters in my mystery series for children stay in a house that’s part of a coastal railway station. The first story is finished (25,500 words), the series proposal is on its way to a publisher and the second story is 'bubbling' nicely.

Over on Fiction Is Stranger Than Fact Helen has listed the soundtracks to her novel.
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. So…
Here are some of the songs I’d choose for my soundtrack:
"I Love the sound of a Whistle" Box Car Willie
"Ghost Train" The Bee Gees
"Bye Bye Black Smoke Choo Choo" Joe Glazer
"Peppermint Twist" The Sweet
"Rockaway beach" Ramones
"The Peppermint Rock Song" ???

Sticks of rock play quite a part in the first book.



Of course there's a dog in all the stories.
She's called Hilda.
The song for her is: Cat Steven's "I Love My Dog".

45 comments:

Amanda said...

That's brilliant, Pat. It's great to hear that you have your writer wings back and your flying! x

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

Well done finishing your story, it sounds great fun.

I used to love rock when I was small, mind you I haven't had any for years now.

HelenMWalters said...

That's fantastic. And I am most flattered x

The Weaver of Grass said...

Love the sound of your childrens' stories - and the illustration. Do hope you have great success with it.

Pat Posner said...

Yes, Annie. It feels good! I like your new pic!

Pat Posner said...

Truth be told, Debs, I finished the first book in the (proposed) series a while ago. It took me a while to come up with another few storylines. But now I have. YAY.

I still love peppermint rock - it doesn't like me much unless I can get some with natural colouring.

Pat Posner said...

Glad you're flattered, Helen! It was a fun thing to do!

Pat Posner said...

Thank you, Weaver. The pictures are bits and pieces from here and there, the only thing I did was to make them into a sort of montage.

Tamsyn Murray said...

Well done you! Great news about your latest sub, I have everything crossed for you :-)

Lane Mathias said...

That's great Pat! And I love the sound of your series. The very best of luck with it:-)

Pat Posner said...

Thanks, Tam and Lane.
I hope crossed fingers and very best of luck works as well as it did for the Large Print publisher *smile*

DAB said...

Great songs, fantastic rock, give us a lick :) BTW Have you got any of those pink rock type dummies, the one's full of sugar. Good luck with submission (is that the right terminology?) TFx

Annie Wicking said...

Wow, I love the sound of your children's book!

My fingers are cross for you, and not at you, lol

I like your soundtrack list too.

Best wishes and a fresh cuppa to keep you going too.

Annie W

Pat Posner said...

I'd forgotten about sugar dummies, TF. Do you remember sugar mice made of the same sugary mix?Haven't seen any for yonks.
Thanks for the good luck - and yes, your terminology is right.

Pat Posner said...

Thanks, Annie W.
I love the Box Car Willie one - he does fantastic train whistle noises; so appropriate for the steam train in the series.

Honeysuckle said...

Good luck with this, Pat. Loads of lovely things in there - railways, rock and Hilda the dog - sounds like a winning combination.
I always find it so much easier to come up with something like the soundtrack than to do the actual writing. Must remind myself I need a story first...

Amanda Ashby said...

Hahahaha - Pat, only you could mix The Bee Gees and The Romanes together!!! But since this is one of my fav stories I'm not complaining!!!!!!!

Pat Posner said...

Honeysuckle, that made me laugh! But sometimes the words of a song can give you a lightbulb moment, so having a soundtrack first is okay!

Pat Posner said...

Well, see, Amanda
Choosing the songs was hard because I needed ones suitable for 'innocent' minds and a lot of beach songs just aren't.

Chris Stovell said...

What a lovely post, Pat. Good luck with the series.

Sara Hantz said...

I LOVE LOVE LOVE rock.... that photo had me drooling hahahaha

Christina Phillips said...

Oooh everything firmly crossed and fairy dust sprinkling your way, Pat! *~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Yvonne said...

That's such a great idea, listing the soundtrack to your novel. Congratulations on finishing your first story!

Pat Posner said...

Thank you, Chris
I hope you're feeling better?

Pat Posner said...

Rock's dairy-free, Sara, so you can eat it! Next time you come to UK, we'll go visit a rock factory.

Pat Posner said...

Fairy dust much appreciated, Christina.

Pat Posner said...

Hi, Yvonne
It is a good idea, isn't it. I pinched it from Helen - then took it one step further and put a couple of the songs here.
Thanks to Amanda for telling me how to do that.

Jayne said...

oooh that reminds me I have a stick of rock in the kitchen drawer at home! Your stories sound fabulous. Can't wait to hear more :)

Flowerpot said...

What a great dog Pat - keep writing I love the sound of it!

Pat Posner said...

Hi, Mummy
Thank you for visiting and for the comment. I can't wait for everyone to hear more - fingers crossed the publisher will feel the same way.

Flowerpot, I agree, Hilda is a great dog. In the series she's actually a Tibetan Terrier/Bearded Collie cross but, seeing as I made her up, I couldn't find her exact likeness.

Mistlethrush said...

Good luck with the proposal - and here's to another acceptance.

Pat Posner said...

Hi, Mistlethrush
Good to see you back - thanks for the luck.

Karen said...

I wondered what was going on for a minute. The volume is quite low on my PC and I was searching round the room trying to trace the noise!!

The story sounds great, but I don't like rock despite growing up by the seaside.

Pat Posner said...

Oh, Karen
I bet you thought you had ghosts 'whhhhooo-ing'.

Unknown said...

Oh well done on the proposal, Pat! Will be keeping fingers crossed for you.
Loved the music selection for the story - brilliant!

Pat Posner said...

Thanks, AV(&A)
I've a feeling it might be a longish wait so hope you don't get cramp in those crossed fingers.

Anonymous said...

Hi Pat, sounds absolutely brilliant. I'm so looking forward to meeting you.

CJ xx

Pat Posner said...

Hi, Crystal
I'm looking foward to meeting as well. Not long to go now!

Kat W said...

Well done on finishing your story! Like the post. My son and I just been enjoying the whistle soundtrack!! Kat :-)

Pamela Terry and Edward said...

Edward and I have never heard that Cat Stevens song. We are off to look it up now!!!

Pat Posner said...

Thanks, Kat
I'm glad you and your son enjoyed the Boxcar Willie soundtrack.

Edward and Pamela, I've added the video for you!

Cait O'Connor said...

Congratulations Pat.

Sound track to a novel, what a great idea.

And what about a soundtrack to the story of our lives, now you have got me thinking, I have one or two in mind.

Pat Posner said...

Cait, thanks
But it was Helen who started this.
Anyone remember that song by Michael Holiday (I think) "One day I'm going to Write...the story of my Life."
Oh, I'll have to see if I can find it now!

Fiona Mackenzie. Writer said...

Oh, I love, 'I love my dog' and anything else by Cat Stevens.

Your book looks great and the pictures! No wonder you're wanted.

Pat Posner said...

Huh, Fiona, I WISH *smile*

I wish I could draw, too. But I can't so that's why I cut out pictures and make montages and models.