Sunday, August 31, 2008
Laurell K. Hamilton just announced
Laurell K. Hamilton just announced that a movie and possible tv show for Anita Blake are in the works. Sweet!
Who You Callin' A Kid?
This is a dump from the session Sarah and I attended on Friday that was intended to be the opening of the YA Track. It's rough notes... be warned. I didn't even check the names of the presenters to see if I had them right. This will probably only be of interest to my readers who are librarians or readers of SciFi/Fantasy. Maybe not even all of them.
Trudy Leonard – Atlanta Fulton Public Library
Brandon Sanderson – Author Epic Fantasy, Finishing Wheel of Time!!! Write Alcatraz vs. the evil librarians!
Areta Taylor – Atlanta Public Schools – Elementary and Atlanta Radio Theater
Jody Lanai – Robert Aspirin cowriter and continuing those
Tamora Pierce (Tammy) – Classified as YA, but writes for whoever gets it (1/3 adults and 1/3 guys) Melting Stones coming out next month (published FIRST in audio), Second Becca Cooper book is coming out.
How does a book become a YA book?
Marketing, What the publisher decides. Back in the day, it started out being the age of the protagonist
Anne McCaffrey was in the children’s section
YA is more about omissions than inclusions. Less interested in intricate romance, but can always understand adventure, fellowship, friendship
Until 1999 or 2000 – Writing SF for teens was mainly stealing plots from books that were out of copyright. No sex, no drugs or drinking, no violence, and you can’t make any money. Tamora says you can have all those things now, except making money. But all things have to be there for a reason… not gratuitous. Must forward the plot and contribute to the conflict. Many adults are tired of the excesses of adult literature. These are “Bridge books”
Phillip Pullman, reissued with adult-friendly covered because of the complex material. Garth Nix is another complex author. Chabon’s Summerland can also be in teen.
Don’t talk down. You are allowed to genre bust. And you can be less serious. Epic fantasy has to be very consistent and true. A younger audience will tolerate inconsistencies. Kids will read it just as a book.
Fantasy fans don’t tolerate the gossip girls and a-list books.
Type A Readers – Read stories about people like them.
Type B Readers – Read anything else. Which means 7x more than anyone else.
Scott Westerfeld ("The Ugles") is single-handedly keeping YA Sci Fi alive.
In the late 90’s, we were hitting a slump in adult fantasy. People were trying to tell the same story. Spectacular flops. Goodkind worked, nothing else did. Children’s was hitting a renaissance. Harry Potter, Philip Pullman, Scott Westerfield. Spanked the Adult Fantasy market. Wake up call for those writing for adults.
There are better editors in YA! Jane Yolen says when she does an adult book, she insists on more editing than normal for those editors. Kids editors do much more. Tammy is on third rewrite for Bloodhound AT EDs REQUEST.
Kids won’t tolerate messages or preaching.
If you can hang on for ten years in this market, you will last forever. If librarians like what they see in you, they will keep you alive. :-)
Constrictions of length make books tighter. Can’t go over 60K for middle grades. Will give you more if you have a case. Harry Potter opened that up.
Publishers are getting more risky. (Diane Duane’s blog tells a story of one publishers trying to include a morality clause in a writer's contract, however.)
Libba Bray – fascinating fantasy but truly accurate on the Victorian treatment of young women.
Power of Scholastic… good for getting it out there. Can start telling you what you can write. That can really compromise a smaller writer. Huge force in middle grade… older you get, the less important.
Kids are a very good marketing tool.
Discussion ensued on the irony of the prejudice between Science Fiction to YA, since Sci Fi suffers the same fate from Adult Fiction.
The decision to be YA is usually made before the writing starts. Although it can go both ways. Lowering the age of the protagonist can make a book shift from adult to YA.
Teens are a writer’s ideal protagonist because we expect teens to get into trouble.
A “GREAT BOOK.” How many books read by adults change their lives? People often say "I am who I am today because of the books I read as a teen." If you are trying to change the world, write books for kids.
High.low books (high interest, low vocab) focused on problem people THOUGHT teens had.
Trudy Leonard – Atlanta Fulton Public Library
Brandon Sanderson – Author Epic Fantasy, Finishing Wheel of Time!!! Write Alcatraz vs. the evil librarians!
Areta Taylor – Atlanta Public Schools – Elementary and Atlanta Radio Theater
Jody Lanai – Robert Aspirin cowriter and continuing those
Tamora Pierce (Tammy) – Classified as YA, but writes for whoever gets it (1/3 adults and 1/3 guys) Melting Stones coming out next month (published FIRST in audio), Second Becca Cooper book is coming out.
How does a book become a YA book?
Marketing, What the publisher decides. Back in the day, it started out being the age of the protagonist
Anne McCaffrey was in the children’s section
YA is more about omissions than inclusions. Less interested in intricate romance, but can always understand adventure, fellowship, friendship
Until 1999 or 2000 – Writing SF for teens was mainly stealing plots from books that were out of copyright. No sex, no drugs or drinking, no violence, and you can’t make any money. Tamora says you can have all those things now, except making money. But all things have to be there for a reason… not gratuitous. Must forward the plot and contribute to the conflict. Many adults are tired of the excesses of adult literature. These are “Bridge books”
Phillip Pullman, reissued with adult-friendly covered because of the complex material. Garth Nix is another complex author. Chabon’s Summerland can also be in teen.
Don’t talk down. You are allowed to genre bust. And you can be less serious. Epic fantasy has to be very consistent and true. A younger audience will tolerate inconsistencies. Kids will read it just as a book.
Fantasy fans don’t tolerate the gossip girls and a-list books.
Type A Readers – Read stories about people like them.
Type B Readers – Read anything else. Which means 7x more than anyone else.
Scott Westerfeld ("The Ugles") is single-handedly keeping YA Sci Fi alive.
In the late 90’s, we were hitting a slump in adult fantasy. People were trying to tell the same story. Spectacular flops. Goodkind worked, nothing else did. Children’s was hitting a renaissance. Harry Potter, Philip Pullman, Scott Westerfield. Spanked the Adult Fantasy market. Wake up call for those writing for adults.
There are better editors in YA! Jane Yolen says when she does an adult book, she insists on more editing than normal for those editors. Kids editors do much more. Tammy is on third rewrite for Bloodhound AT EDs REQUEST.
Kids won’t tolerate messages or preaching.
If you can hang on for ten years in this market, you will last forever. If librarians like what they see in you, they will keep you alive. :-)
Constrictions of length make books tighter. Can’t go over 60K for middle grades. Will give you more if you have a case. Harry Potter opened that up.
Publishers are getting more risky. (Diane Duane’s blog tells a story of one publishers trying to include a morality clause in a writer's contract, however.)
Libba Bray – fascinating fantasy but truly accurate on the Victorian treatment of young women.
Power of Scholastic… good for getting it out there. Can start telling you what you can write. That can really compromise a smaller writer. Huge force in middle grade… older you get, the less important.
Kids are a very good marketing tool.
Discussion ensued on the irony of the prejudice between Science Fiction to YA, since Sci Fi suffers the same fate from Adult Fiction.
The decision to be YA is usually made before the writing starts. Although it can go both ways. Lowering the age of the protagonist can make a book shift from adult to YA.
Teens are a writer’s ideal protagonist because we expect teens to get into trouble.
A “GREAT BOOK.” How many books read by adults change their lives? People often say "I am who I am today because of the books I read as a teen." If you are trying to change the world, write books for kids.
High.low books (high interest, low vocab) focused on problem people THOUGHT teens had.
You Can Get It All at Dragon*Con
some photos from the first day
a few costumes and whatnot...
aliens
"If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball"
Strawberry Shortcake
Steampunk guy
Tamora Pierce
aliens
"If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball"
Strawberry Shortcake
Steampunk guy
Tamora Pierce
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Mickey Dolenz accepting the Julie Award
This award is the top honor given at this banquet and it is for cross-genre work. Sort of a lifetime achievement award.
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