Beta-testing my Novel at the American School in Japan
My major work-in-progress is a Young Adult novel, currently into its second draft.
Joel Thomson and the Frog Netsuke is a quest story, set in Japan, and involving large numbers of Yokai. It's around 42K words. I was lucky enough to have members of the Book Club at the American School in Japan beta-read this book.
I'm in Japan now, and I was invited to join them for an informal pizza lunch and discussion at their school. The school is in Tama, about an hour and two train changes away from the center of Tokyo. I found myself in a small-town atmosphere of narrow streets, double-storeyed houses with flowers in the yard, an elegant temple with a small cemetery, and this big school.
The librarian, who leads the book club, and had also read the book, was warm and helpful and gave me her feedback separately. She'd held an earlier meeting about the book, and gave me a page of notes she made. I met with a group of about 10 teenagers, boys and girls. Their main feedback was that my main character seemed younger than I had intended. We talked of ways that could be remedied.
As I was leaving, two local kindergartens gave out. A flood of beautiful little kids poured onto the street, dressed in navy or black uniforms - pleated skirts for the girls, shorts for the boys, little jackets, and round felt hats with upturned brims. They looked as tidy leaving school as most kids do entering it. They took off in groups, walking home or to the station. One group caught the same train as me - a gaggle of 5 year-olds, happily catching the train with no adult supervision. People smiled to see them. A couple of stops later, they poured out and took off.
Five-year olds. On their own. Catching trains. Japan is special in many ways.