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[CCBC-Net] [Fwd: Re: just the story]
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From: Linda Stanek <lkstanek1290>
Date: Thu, 10 Aug 2006 03:55:33 -0700 (PDT)
Hi Cassie,
In the defense of editors, publishing is a business, and a very tough one at that. So they have to feel certain that in the end, each book they publish will make money (though obviously not all do). There will always be editors who are willing to step outside the box, (Wendy Lamb and "how i live now") and I greatly admire them for their vision. But that's not to say that the publishing "rules" are all bad. As a writer, I look at each book as a collaborative effort. It's my book, and the editor's book. If it's a picture book, it's mine, the illustrator's, and the editor's. Perhaps child-like narrative is a better fit for the reluctant reader. I wonder if "older" language is more appropriate for the eager reader.
Cassie Wilson <cassiewilson at comcast.net> wrote:
It's hard to say how kids would react to a continuous ist person or kid-type narrator voice, but it seems to me that it would get pretty old and boring with one book starting to sound a lot like another. More to the point, where did editors or publishers get the idea that they have the freaking right to tell writers how to create art? This isn't fashion where everyone wants to be the one with the latest theme and they use and use it till everyone's sick of it and can't wait for something new to come along. This is art we're talking about, and no one should be dictating it. Certainly editors exist to make suggestions and improvements, but I, at least, want to hear the words the author is saying and to be able to admire his all-round skill. This is something that has bothered me considerably since the scandal with Metha whats-her-name when we learned about "packaging houses." Are we being given work done by a committee? How can we know who or what is good anymore if we're not seeing the real thing? Does this worry anybody else? Is what we get to read going to be as regulated as children's reading levels? Am I overreacting? Please, just don't flame me.
cassie Wilson
>Hi everyone,
>
> I am a children's author (first book coming out next summer). The trend in publishing is to have all children's books written from the main character's point of view, and as such, editors insist that all the writing should sound as if it came from a child's mouth. This sometimes means poetic or insightful prose (including narrative) gets the ax for simpler words and thoughts. This is especially true for anything written in first person, but carries over into third person as well.
>
> I wonder what you think about this trend, and how you think it might affect children's literature in the long run, including if you feel this kind of "child like" prose is more effective with the reluctant reader.
>
> Thanks!
>
> Linda Stanek
>
>
>Margie Wirth wrote:
> Cassie made a good point. I think good writing is as important as a good story. It does not have to be "literature" to be well written. Even though Edith Warton is "literature," I could read her for the story, but her prose is so beautiful that I could read her just for the beautiful poetic prose. There are other writers, who are not deemed "literature" that write extremely well and tell a good story.
>
>Charlotte's Web is very well written and a great story to boot.
>
>
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>
>
>
>
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Received on Thu 10 Aug 2006 05:55:33 AM CDT
Date: Thu, 10 Aug 2006 03:55:33 -0700 (PDT)
Hi Cassie,
In the defense of editors, publishing is a business, and a very tough one at that. So they have to feel certain that in the end, each book they publish will make money (though obviously not all do). There will always be editors who are willing to step outside the box, (Wendy Lamb and "how i live now") and I greatly admire them for their vision. But that's not to say that the publishing "rules" are all bad. As a writer, I look at each book as a collaborative effort. It's my book, and the editor's book. If it's a picture book, it's mine, the illustrator's, and the editor's. Perhaps child-like narrative is a better fit for the reluctant reader. I wonder if "older" language is more appropriate for the eager reader.
Cassie Wilson <cassiewilson at comcast.net> wrote:
It's hard to say how kids would react to a continuous ist person or kid-type narrator voice, but it seems to me that it would get pretty old and boring with one book starting to sound a lot like another. More to the point, where did editors or publishers get the idea that they have the freaking right to tell writers how to create art? This isn't fashion where everyone wants to be the one with the latest theme and they use and use it till everyone's sick of it and can't wait for something new to come along. This is art we're talking about, and no one should be dictating it. Certainly editors exist to make suggestions and improvements, but I, at least, want to hear the words the author is saying and to be able to admire his all-round skill. This is something that has bothered me considerably since the scandal with Metha whats-her-name when we learned about "packaging houses." Are we being given work done by a committee? How can we know who or what is good anymore if we're not seeing the real thing? Does this worry anybody else? Is what we get to read going to be as regulated as children's reading levels? Am I overreacting? Please, just don't flame me.
cassie Wilson
>Hi everyone,
>
> I am a children's author (first book coming out next summer). The trend in publishing is to have all children's books written from the main character's point of view, and as such, editors insist that all the writing should sound as if it came from a child's mouth. This sometimes means poetic or insightful prose (including narrative) gets the ax for simpler words and thoughts. This is especially true for anything written in first person, but carries over into third person as well.
>
> I wonder what you think about this trend, and how you think it might affect children's literature in the long run, including if you feel this kind of "child like" prose is more effective with the reluctant reader.
>
> Thanks!
>
> Linda Stanek
>
>
>Margie Wirth wrote:
> Cassie made a good point. I think good writing is as important as a good story. It does not have to be "literature" to be well written. Even though Edith Warton is "literature," I could read her for the story, but her prose is so beautiful that I could read her just for the beautiful poetic prose. There are other writers, who are not deemed "literature" that write extremely well and tell a good story.
>
>Charlotte's Web is very well written and a great story to boot.
>
>
>---------------------------------
>Do you Yahoo!?
>Next-gen email? Have it all with the all-new Yahoo! Mail Beta.
>_______________________________________________
>CCBC-Net mailing list
>CCBC-Net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu
>Visit this link to read archives or to unsubscribe...
>http://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/mailman/listinfo/ccbc-net
>
>
>
>
_______________________________________________ CCBC-Net mailing list CCBC-Net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu Visit this link to read archives or to unsubscribe... http://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/mailman/listinfo/ccbc-net
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Received on Thu 10 Aug 2006 05:55:33 AM CDT
