quote:

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What if I'm kidnapped by pirates from Schnogg?
What if I'm chased by Fang-fanny the dog?
What if my school is an alien lander,
Or I'm dared to eat worms by Jason Morander?
What if I'm lost while camping out back,
And a hungry old troll stuffs me into a sack?
What if my very best friend in the world
Leaves me all alone, to play tea with the girls?

Will you chase down the pirates and cage up the dog?
Will you fight off invaders and dare Jason with frogs?
Will you come hunting for us, both the troll and for me,
And summon your magic to help me go free?

I'll be your very best friend on the earth,
And I'll find you wherever, from Fairbanks to Perth.
I'll be there to hold you, and make it all right�
And in the dark darkness, I'll turn on the light.
There's no troll can keep you away from my love,
No alien starship can drag you above
Where my strength cannot reach you; it cannot be done.
For I am your Daddy and you are my son.

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This is just an excerpt from a longer work, entitled 'Sing Me a Song of Canterby Downs.'

[ June 10, 2004, 11:19 AM: Message edited by: Scott R ]
 

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Posted by Scott R (Member # 567) on :
 
:bump?:
 

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Posted by Muwahaha (Member # 6488) on :
 
Very cute! I like the trolls and aliens; these are things that my own son would enjoy if this were read aloud to him. The only suggestion I have is to change the line about "tea with the girls" to "tea party with girls." I think it flows better and is more clear that way. Of course, I don't know what context this excerpt fits into, so perhaps it's better the way you wrote it. I would love to read more!
 

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Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
 
Scott, you've got a real talent for light verse. Have you looked into finding an illustrator?
 

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Posted by Beren One Hand (Member # 3403) on :
 
I hear Bill Watterson is free.

I can totally picture a Calvin and Hobbes type of illustration (Something Under the Bed is Drooling).

quote:

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What if my very best friend in the world
Leaves me all alone, to play tea with the girls?

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Cute.
 

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Posted by Scott R (Member # 567) on :
 
Tom-- The children's book publishing world is a completely new one to me. I am looking into getting this published, but have very little idea how to go about getting started.

An acquaintance I met at OSC's boot camp recently sold a children's book-- I'm following her reports very carefully for clues.

From what I understand, if you don't illustrate your own work, you can still submit your manuscript to a publisher, and if they like it enough, they'll find an artist for you.


 

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Posted by Scythrop (Member # 5731) on :
 
You're spot on there, Scott. Most publishers (in Australia, at least) actually prefer to find their own illustrators, it makes the overall marketing of the book easier.

I'm writing and publishing in the children's and Young Adult areas here in Oz, and if you want to chat or ask anything, feel free to shoot me an email, I'd be happy to share my experience.

Be aware, though, that the children's publishing section of the industry is *real* competitive, and really hard to break into. You'll need to have your persistence gland working overtime.......

That said, good luck! I'd thoroughly encourage you to give it a bash.
 

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