YA

[davefreer]

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-young-adult8-2010mar08,0,1082099.storyRead more... )

Comments

[eneit]

Well said. I was talking to a librarian a few years back on the subject of books that win awards, her remark stayed with me:

"The quickest way to get kids to ignore a book is to put an awards sticker on it. The very best way to get kids to read books is tell them they can't."

[davefreer]

Which if you apply logic makes a comment on the awards - which then begs the question -what is the purpose of the award?
The trouble with reverse psycology of 'you can't' is that it's occassionally true(I read -age 10 - the Rise and Fall of the Third Reich for that reason) and it bored me very much.

[eneit]

lol, yes. I read Kafka at 9 simply because an aunt told me I couldn't. Bored me pretty much all the way through, but it sure gave me a really weird take on adults for awhile. But the particular instance the librarian was talking about were the schools that banned Harry Potter because witchcraft is evil.

[reverancepavane]

It was interesting to hear some of the the comments made by Dianna Wynne Jones when she started writing "adult" fiction, after her "adult" editor looked askance at some of the things she wrote for A Sudden Wild Magic.
She explained, that when writing a young adult/children book, you can't leave anything out. They don't have the life experience to fill in the gaps and thus their absence will be noticed and questioned by the young reader. So you just have to handle "adult" situations as if they were perfectly ordinary and natural things and not make a fuss.
Adults, on the other hand, will tend to read their own life experiences into the story, and thus tend to react strongly to what they have read. So you have to handle certain information with kid gloves, and leave stuff to their imagination.
I thought it particularly amusing that the best solution in writing was essentially to treat kids as adults and adults as children.

[davefreer]

As DWJ is one of may favourites and I have almost all of her books I think, her earlier novels DID leave constructively quite a lot out. They were very powerful for that reason IMO

[reverancepavane]

Just relaying her own comments about the surreal nature of the whole shift from being a YA author to being a "mainstream" author. [Although I couldn't tell you the source at the moment.]
It made me think about the idea anyway. And it's probably less involved in actually leaving stuff out than in being plain-speaking.
PS: My favourite's Dogsbody. What's yours?
Although I do love the cover copy of A Sudden Wild Magic, which described her as a new and exciting author with this being her first book.
Well, it made me (and someone else I showed the cover to in the store) laugh.

[davefreer]

That's a difficult question, because it varies with mode (I'm several people in one head - which is awkward, but does make for a lot of internal dialogue). I have a soft spot for Homeward bounders in certain mindstate. Castle in the Air when feeling miserable, and Crown of Dalemark in another frame of mind. And Probably archer's goon in most of them.

[qbzzt]

Call me a philistine, but money from actual readers is what counts. Awards don't.

Although I'd be happy to award you "The Ori Pomerantz irrelevant award" if it will make you feel better ;-).

[rosencrantz23]

can I put that award on my LJ? maybe list it on my CV, too, Ori?

[davefreer]

No! You have to be REALLY irrelevant, like me!

[qbzzt]

Sure you can put it on your CV. Unless, that is, you want to actually get the job. Then, it is probably counter-indicated.

[denelian]

QFT, sir

i've read mostly sci-fi my entire life. while i can appreciate esoteric novels, what i WANT are GOOD FUN BOOKS.

i mean, i STARTED with "Have Spacesuit, Will Travel" by Robert Heinlein.

lately, i've been reading a lot of Urban Fantasy. which gets tricky - i don't like "formulaic romance" and a large amount of UF is really "Paranormal Romance" [i.e. Bodice-Rippers With Vampires]

oh, but WORLDS! worlds, i like.
speaking of - our heros are still trapped in Aesgard... when is the next Pyramid book coming? [it *IS* coming, right?]
also: on pins and needles, waiting for "Much Fall of Blood!"

i adore your work :)

[davefreer]

It will be coming... life (like changing countries) has just interfered a bit. MUCH FALL OF BLOOD I tell you unapologetically has a romance in it. Probably not formulaic unless I hit on the formula by accident :-). I've just re-read it and I am rather pleased with it. I think I took a stereotype and changed it. Bullied it so much that it's mother wants to go and see the head teacher about me.

I have a UF I want to write. Um. Two now that I think about it.

[denelian]

i like romance HAPPENING in a book - that's different than a book that follows "Romance Boilerplate"
it's the boilerplate of romance novels that i dislike

but a romance happening within the plot is generally good :)

and i will look forward to UF from you! that would be awesome!!

House warming

[seaboe]

So, this is totally off topic, but I'd like to send you your housewarming present now that you're settled. Do you want me to go through Mike, or will you trust me with your mailing address? If the latter, please send me an e-mail (I believe you have my address).

Thanks, Dave.

Lisa S. in Seattle

Re: House warming

[davefreer]

Box 153, Whitemark, 7255, Flinders Island :-)

Re: House warming

[seaboe]

No "Tasmania, Australia"? No postal code? Wow, that's simple. I'll try to get it into the mail next week.

Lisa S. in Seattle

Re: House warming

[davefreer]

:-) We monkeys are FAMOUS - of course everyone who is anyone knows where Flinders Island is. Heh. 7255 is the post code (and the 7 means Tasmania). Australia might be a good idea though.