Today’s guest is children’s writer, Clemency Crow and we’re chatting about her new nonfiction, Little People: 10 Famous Composers.
During her virtual book tour, Clemency will be giving away a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble (winner’s choice) gift card to a lucky randomly chosen participant. To be entered for a chance to win, use the form below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit her other tour stops and enter there, too!
Welcome, Clemency, please tell us a little bit about yourself.
I can’t remember when I wrote my first story. We had a word processor when I was very little. It was an archaic piece of technology with no mouse, which meant you had to know the codes for it to work. My sister, Judith, and I wrote several stories using this. I think one of my stories was about a mammoth, probably during my I-want-to-be-a-mammoth-when-I-grow-up stage.
When I was a bit older, during Year 3 at Primary School, another sister brought home several A5 grey jotters and gave one to Ginny and Judith to plan and write their stories in. Naturally, I wanted a notebook too, so I said I was writing a story called “The Rule of the Unicorns”! Years later, I adapted that peculiar little story in a children’s chapter book called “Unicorns Rule!”
A good few years down the line and I’m a Primary Teacher in the tip-top north of Scotland. To encourage a love of reading in my pupils, I often write a story with them in for their Christmas present. The first thing they do is flick through and try and find their name – but I hope they enjoy the story too!
When I’m not teaching, I love writing, working on my garden and I’m crazy enough to be doing a Science degree at the same time.
What do you enjoy most about writing short stories/children’s books/novellas?
I love writing for children because all they want is either a gripping story, or interesting facts. They don’t worry about themes and the meaning behind each sentence until they’re a bit older. I love coming up with exciting storylines, or rewriting fascinating facts into a readable form, which is what I did with “Famous Composers”. The facts are all out there in preexisting books or the Internet already – I’ve just reworded them and condensed them to be easily digestible. I love that part of writing for kids!
I’ve always been more of a C S Lewis fan, than a Tolkien fan. We have semi-regular discussions about it in our house! My reasoning is that C S Lewis was all about the storytelling, and telling a good tale. There’s no flowery language to muddle through, which is another reason I love writing middle grade so much!
Can you give us a little insight into a few of your short stories – perhaps some of your favorites?
Well, “Famous Composers” is more non fiction than stories, but I particularly loved researching Brahms. His music has always fascinated me (which is why he’s featured in the book!) because of his use of folk tunes. His Hungarian dances, for example, are a soundbite time capsule that has been saved for future generations to hear.
Excerpt from Little People:
Felix Mendelssohn
1809 – 1847
Mendelssohn was a German composer who is, perhaps, most famous for his tune “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing”. His family were important members in the Jewish community in Germany, although his father turned his back on this before Felix was born.
His father, Abraham, thought their daughter, Fanny, would be the more musical but at the time, it wasn’t proper for a woman to have a musical career. As such, Felix was the one who went down the professional music route, although it is generally thought that Fanny wrote some of Felix’s compositions.
Felix started learning piano with his mother when he was 6 years old. His first public appearance in a concert was when he was 9. By time the time he was 13, he had written 12 symphonies and he had his first piece of music published in that year. He met a famous writer, Goethe, when he was young and Goethe was very impressed with his ability. Felix later put some of Goethe’s poems to music.
In 1832, Felix hoped to be appointed as the conductor of a famous orchestra but people voted against him. However, this started a good period in Felix’s life where he became a musical director, earning his f irst pay as a musician.
As well as his compositions, Felix is also famous for starting the Leipzig Conservatory, a prestigious music school.
Mendelssohn started writing music when he was very young. He started playing piano when he was six.
What genre are you inspired to write in the most? Why?
When I’m writing non-fiction, I usually gravitate towards science (get it?) so the Composers book is a little off the beaten track for me. For fiction, middle grade fantasy adventure is my absolute favourite. In fact, all my fiction books fit into this genre. I love the fantasy element because I can make up my own rules (and, yes, there are still clear rules) and I love adventure because of the danger! Oooh, I go a bit crazy with my characters some of the time, and put them into all sorts of terrifying situations. The only problem is then I have to find them a way out!
What exciting story are you working on next?
Well, I should be editing the sequel to “Taking Wing”, which is about groups of people who can turn into birds. I left the first book with some unanswered questions so I have some disgruntled people asking why the next book isn’t out yet.
But, you know… editing!! Not the most exciting of jobs!
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I’ve always been a writer. We were lucky enough to have computers when I was growing up – my Dad would bring old ones home from work. I wrote my first stories on an ancient word processor which didn’t have a mouse, so you had to know the keyboard commands for everything.
I became a published author in 2019 when I published Taking Wing at a lovely book shop in Brigg, North Lincolnshire called “The Rabbit Hole”. Definitely worth a visit if you’re ever in the area!
How do you research markets for your work, perhaps as some advice for writers?
I often consider the market before I start writing the book. I usually write what I want to read. And if I want to read it, I won’t be the only one. There is a market for everything. It may be the nichest (is that a word?) of niche markets, but it’s there! Trust me – there are some very wacky sub-genres out there. Here’s looking at you, Dinosaur Romance!
So continue writing the book because it will be someone’s idea of a perfect read.
What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
Every Christmas holidays, two of my sisters and I sit down at the table and have a Story Day. We all write as much as possible of our “Story Stories” (we all have a story story – the story that most embodies ourselves) and we eat chocolate, and listen to our inspirational playlist. In the evening, and sometimes well into the night, we read to each other what we wrote in the day. It’s a wonderful tradition going back many years!
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A mammoth, and then a fox, and then a mermaid. I eventually settled for a teacher.
Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
Well, thank you for reading this interview. I hope you enjoyed reading the questions as much as I enjoyed writing them!
While we continue to upload “Famous Composers” to Amazon, the paperback is available from the Crowvus shop: www.crowvus.com/shop
Links:
Website | Blue Sky Social Media
Thank you so much for hosting and featuring Clemency Crow today.
Thanks for sharing.
Such a fun and interesting author interview!! Also, I like the book cover!!