Monday 9 February 2009

"Still Under Consideration..."


I first posted this picture on October 3rd. That was when I sent a proposal for a mystery series to a publisher. A week later (after speaking to the editor) I sent a couple of other proposals for a younger age group. So, when I opened a letter from the publisher this morning and read that my mss weren't suitable for their new list, I just pushed the letter to one side. It wasn't until Husband up the Hill picked it up and read it that I discovered
Stationmaster Ruth - Seaside Sleuth is still under consideration by the editorial team.
So hope rises again!
The letter was in a bundle Husband collected from the sorting office - postman hasn't been able to get to us for a week - and there was a couple of books I'd ordered in the bundle, too. One's a 'writing' book I read about somewhere, can't remember where, it's called Writing Magic - Creating Stories That Fly and it's by Gail Carson Levine (author of, amongst others, of Ella Enchanted and Fairest). I think an early night with some dark choccie is called for. I love reading in bed. And, yes, I'll have a notebook and pen with me as well, just in case I decide to do some of the writing exercises GCL sets.
Here's to a great week (with no more snow) for you all. Shirley, if you read this, please don't do your snow dance again!

37 comments:

DAB said...

Aahh a warm bed with chocolate and a good book what more could you ask for out of life :) Hmmm, maybe a hot Summers day. TFx

Amanda Ashby said...

Yay - you know how much I love Stationmaster Ruth. Everything is crossed for her!!!!! (they are also crossed for that snow going away!!!!!)

Nell Dixon said...

Fingers crossed for you and hopefully no more snow.

HelenMWalters said...

Please - no more snow. Enough now! Stationmaster Ruth sounds very interesting.

Pat Posner said...

I agree with the first bit, TF. As for a hot Summer's day...as long as it isn't too hot. LOL, I'm hard to please when it comes to weather.

Unknown said...

Yay, fingers crossed here, Pat.

And I'm not doing a snow dance. Honest. It hasn't crossed my mind.

Pat Posner said...

Thanks, Amanda!
I'm keeping my fingers crossed for your blog party, too.

Do I hear anyone asking 'What blog party?' Well pop over to Amanda's to find out all about it. http://amandaashby.blogspot.com/

Pat Posner said...

Thank you, Nell.
Helen agrees with the no more snow as well so we're a united front.

Shirley, thanks for the crossed fingers and I do hope I haven't put any dancing ideas into your head!

The Weaver of Grass said...

Hi Pat - nice to know you are nearly back in circulation after all that snow. We have had a foot but it is more or less under control now, thank goodness - shows no sign of going though. Tess sends licks. Hope there is more good news for you on the book front.

Sara Hantz said...

Fingers crossed!!!!!!!!!

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

Yes, I'll keep my fingers crossed and hold my thumbs for you too.

Jayne said...

Ooooh, how exciting! Fingers crossed for you and I agree, no more snow! Enough already!

Pat Posner said...

Hi, Weaver
Please thank Tess for the licks, I'm sure they'll bring me luck. The hill up to ours is all thick slush with icy bits still. Rain is forecast for tomorrow - I hope they're right and I hope it clears away everybody's remaining snow.

Pat Posner said...

Thanks for the crossed fingers and holding thumbs, Sara, Debs and Mummy. The letter did say I'd be notified shortly of their decision so, hopefully, you won't have to keep it up for too long.
But we all know 'our' time and publishing time is often two different things *sigh*.

Lane Mathias said...

Well that's good news Pat.

Everything crossed here for you!:-)

Tamsyn Murray said...

Ooooh! Am crossing everything!

Fionnuala said...

It just shows how we read the first line of those letters and assume we know whats in them. Hmmmm. Must route out the box of rejections.....!
I'll keep my fingers crossed for you and look forward to the blog giving us the good news. Fx

Pat Posner said...

Lane, let's call it hopeful news *smile* the good news will be if... OK, I'll try and think positive ...when they say 'yes'. And thank you and Tam and Fionnuala as well, for the crossed fingers.
I love the support and friendship of Blog Land.

Christina Phillips said...

Yay! Fingers crossed for Stationmaster Ruth!!

Honeysuckle said...

Fingers crossed - hope they don't take too long deciding.

Could you report back on how good the book is please? I tend to choose my books on writing according to what's in the Reduced To 99p section at Yorkshire Book Clearance. There's probably a more efficient method.

Pat Posner said...

Thank you, Christina and Honeysuckle.

Yes, I'll let you know about the Writing Magic book. What I didn't realise when I ordered it is that it's geared towards teen writers and readers. I've only read a couple of chapters so far - a lot of those chapters is ideas for writing exercises; GCL gives sentence starters but then suggests how you can tweak the ideas within the sentences as well. Plus she talks about how and why she changed and tweaked one of her early mss she wrote before Ella Enchanted.
I'm enjoying it so far (and I think you learn odd bits without realising when something is written in a chatty style like this book is), will tell more when I've read more.

Carol said...

LOL....I can't believe it....you've actually found a use for husbands!! (just kidding)

I'll keep my fingers crossed for you

C x

Pat Posner said...

HaHa!
Nice one, Carol. Hope you're settling into your new home nicely.

Anonymous said...

Hope to catch up soon, Pat.

CJ xx

Flowerpot said...

Oh fngers crossed for you Pat - and hope you dont get any more snow!

Pat Posner said...

Crystal
Hope you're feeling better now!

Thanks, Flowerpot.

Karma said...

hi! i just wanted to let you know that I am back from mars, and here to rock n roll the blogosphere!

Pat Posner said...

Welcome back, Ellie!

Annie Wicking said...

So this snow is all down to your friend and her dancing and there was me thinking it was globe warming that was playing around with our weather.

Good luck with your book, Pat.

Best wishes and warm (((Hugs)))

Unknown said...

Keeping fingers and toes crossed for you, Pat!!! And let me know how you get on with Gail Carson Levine's book - sounds good - as does bed and dark choccie! :-)

Broadbeans said...

Hi, Pattypops! Just dropping in, after spotting your lovely blog whilst surfing around and trying to book a package hol with lastminute.com for Pebbledown Bay again. It's great to see all your cheery pics - and you don't look any diff since I last saw you! Peter's classic model cars look just the job, so am now going to have a butcher's at his site.I'm into old BSA motorbikes!

Blue skies from Johnny Broadbeans!

Pat Posner said...

AV(&aA)
Thanks for the crossed fingers and toes - hope they won't ache too much 'cos it might take a while to hear anything.
The 'Writing Magic' book is great. As well as the writing exercises at the ends of chapters it's got a couple of examples of how some of GLC's first pages started out and then how (and sometimes why) they were changed. I sort of re-learned things I already knew in a different way so they seemed new and really made me think.
I have to confess I'd never read Ella Enchanted - I have now and I'm ordering a couple of her other books as well and then I'll read the Writing Magic over again and find even more to make me go, 'aah, now I see!'
Hope the peeps are fine, I must pop over to yours and check, I've not done much visiting this last few days.

Pat Posner said...

Hi, Annie, I nearly missed you then.
Thank you for the good luck - same back at you!

Johnny B!!
Great to see you after all these years, must be erm...3 decades *ouch*
Hope you enjoy your hol at good old Pebbledown. Watch out for Nipper, he can be dangerous.

Cait O'Connor said...

Good luck with Ruth.

Bed, a good book and chocolate sounds like heaven to me. Let us know if the book is any good.

Unknown said...

I read Ella Enchanted a while ago, Pat, and it was good fun - they made a movie of it too - with Anne Hathaway.

Ah, the peeps, yes, well - I haven't blogged about them in a while because it hasn't been good, sadly. I think of all the peeps that were born this season only one has survived - little Bo... I must do an update this week.

I'm definitely going to look out for the "writing magic" book - I could do with some inspiration and motivation!

Carol said...

There is an award for you over at mine :-)

C x

Pat Posner said...

Hi, Cait
Thank you for the luck. Writing Magic is a great book - see my post 2 above yours.
Aww, Vanilla, how sad about the peeps but I look forward to reading more about gutsy little Bo.

Carol, thank you for my award. I'll save it until after Amanda's party. Hope you - and everyone else - will go to the party.