September 4, 2009: Transitions, open chat 2
The transcript below covers the complete #litchat conversation on September 4, 2009. The order appears sequentially from the first post to the final post. Topic was open discussion of Transitions.
| LitChat Welcome to #litchat on this Finally A Friday. We’re continuing TRANSITIONS talk with guest host @MaggieDana. Join us and introduce yourself. -1:02 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mindywithrow Joining #litchat for the next hour. Flurry of tweets may follow! #litchat -1:02 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| CarlaBuckley Hi everyone @maggiedana #litchat -1:02 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| booksoulmates Hello all 🙂 #litchat -1:02 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| maggiedana @mdbenoit2 Hey, there! #litchat -1:02 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| rebeccawoodhead Hi all, Rebecca here. I write stuff. #litchat -1:02 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| LexxClarke Good evening literatti twiteratti #litchat -1:03 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mindywithrow Hi, all! Author of a YA non-fic series, now transitioning to adult fiction, so today’s topic right up my alley! #litchat -1:03 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| rebeccawoodhead @LexxClarke hello litchat addict 🙂 #litchat -1:03 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mdbenoit2 Will be in #litchat room for an hour. Tweets might flood. -1:04 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| maggiedana @mindywithrow We’ve traveled the same path, then. #litchat -1:04 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| CarolyBurnsBass Waving to the “twitter-literatti” from hot and fiery SoCal. #litchat -1:04 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| LexxClarke RT @rebeccawoodhead: @LexxClarke hello litchat addict 🙂 || I hold you entirely responsible #litchat -1:04 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| TwinkleChar Charlene Baumbich, already looking up twittersnooze.com and deciding if need to warn followers like others have. u all know stuff. #litchat -1:04 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mdbenoit2 Missed Mon and Wed. so I’m not sure what this transitions topic is about. #litchat -1:05 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mindywithrow @maggiedana Yes, so am v. interested in hearing about your experience. #litchat -1:05 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| LitChat @MaggieDana, I know it was some time ago that you pubbed children’s books, so what have you learned through the transitional years? #litchat -1:05 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mindywithrow @mdbenoit2 Transitioning from one genre or niche to another. #litchat -1:05 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| rebeccawoodhead @mdbenoit2 transitions – genre, author etc #litchat -1:06 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| maggiedana @mdbenoit2 Transitions, as in change (of all sorts) inc. trans. between scenes/chapters. #litchat -1:06 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| maggiedana @LitChat My trans. years from kids to adult included a bout with breast cancer. Learned to grab life with both hands and shake it. #litchat -1:07 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mdbenoit2 Ah, thanks. Then I guess I am transitionsing, from SF to straight mystery. As a trial of sorts. #litchat -1:07 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| maggiedana @mdbenoit2 ST to mystery … quite a big transition. #litchat -1:08 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mindywithrow Challenging? RT @mdbenoit2: Ah, thanks. Then I guess I am transitionsing, from SF to straight mystery. As a trial of sorts. #litchat -1:08 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| Eugenia_Kim #litchat happening now. Topic, “transitions” -1:08 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| CarlaBuckley #litchat I transitioned from writing mysteries that didn’t sell to thriller/general fiction. -1:08 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| TwinkleChar RT @maggiedana:My trans. yrs. from kids to adult included bout with breast cancer.Learned to grab life w/ both hands and shake it. #litchat -1:09 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| CarlaBuckley #litchat @maggiedana was that experience with cancer what spurred to make the change? -1:09 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mdbenoit2 @maggiedana My series is SF mysteries but I’m weeding out the SF as a trial. #litchat -1:10 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| maggiedana That, plus challenge from good friend! @CarlaBuckley: was that experience with cancer what spurred to make the change? #litchat -1:10 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| rebeccawoodhead @writeranonymous you joining in with #litchat? Just started. -1:10 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| Eugenia_Kim @maggiedana Hi Maggie, what is ST? #litchat -1:10 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| kashicat @mdbenoit2 Wow SF to mystery isn’t the usual sort of jump. #litchat -1:10 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mdbenoit2 @mindywithrow Yes, very challenging. Straight mysteries are more structured, I think. #litchat -1:10 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| CarlaBuckley @maggiedana #litchat Could you explain, please–interesting to know how that experience made you write for a diff audience -1:11 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mdbenoit2 @Eugenia_Kim I think she meant SF. #litchat -1:11 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| kashicat @maggiedana That was some shaking up you had. #litchat -1:11 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| LexxClarke @maggiedana good friends always set the best challenges! #litchat -1:12 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| danish_novelist @CarlaBuckley I started off as a satirical/humorous writer in Denmark but got my break through writing historical fiction #litchat -1:12 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| TwinkleChar @kashicat What I love about writing: nothing has to be “usual.” YAY! #litchat -1:12 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mdbenoit2 @kashicat No, herein the challenge. I needed to grow my writing skills in a different way. One can become complacent #litchat -1:12 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| maggiedana I saw a need for novels with older protags, women like me who’ve faced a few knocks, raised kids, dealt with aging parents, etc #litchat -1:13 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mindywithrow @maggiedana On Wed. you mentiond you’re much better writer now than when you were 1st pubbed, but is it a matter of diff interests? #litchat -1:13 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mdbenoit2 @maggiedana Anne Tyler is excellent for those older protags stories. #litchat -1:13 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| maggiedana They also nag!!! RT @LexxClarke: @maggiedana good friends always set the best challenges! #litchat -1:13 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| TwinkleChar @maggiedana Yep. My Dearest Dorothy series’ protag was 87. #litchat -1:14 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| kashicat RT @TwinkleChar: @kashicat What I love about writing: nothing has to be “usual.” YAY! #litchat [I agree!] -1:14 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| CarolyBurnsBass @maggiedana What are some of the things that you shook hardest in respect to getting past the cancer survivor stage? #litchat -1:14 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| maggiedana @mindywithrow I’ve learned to write tighter, to paint bigger picture with fewer words. Cut adverbs and whatnot. #litchat -1:14 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mindywithrow @mdbenoit2 I, too, am finding that too much of one genre can cause lopsided writing growth. Need to branch out to build new skills #litchat -1:15 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| LexxClarke @maggiedana without wishing to be ‘low-brow’ how about Jane Marple as an older protag? #litchat -1:15 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mdbenoit2 @mindywithrow Yes. You end up falling into a writing rut. #litchat -1:15 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| CarlaBuckley Do you write humor now (other than in tweet form?) RT @danish_novelist: #litchat -1:15 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| maggiedana @CarolyBurnsBass Seeing how worried my daughter was and how well she hid it. She put her life on hold to take care of me. #litchat -1:16 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mindywithrow @mdbenoit2 Exactly. Also realizing that if I don’t change now, I’ll be ‘typecast.’ Too much more I want to do. #litchat -1:16 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| KateMessner Writing in different genres = crop rotation for me – keeps things fresh. #litchat -1:16 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| TwinkleChar @LexxClarke Please, DO be ‘low-brow’ so I can stay with the conversation. #litchat -1:17 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| danish_novelist @maggiedana Sounds good. I like tight writing, not wordy books. Rhythm of language is so important, too #litchat -1:17 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| maggiedana @LexxClarke Ashamed to admit I’ve never read any Agatha Christie! And me, a card-carrying Brit. #litchat -1:17 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mindywithrow @maggiedana Is your daughter a writer too? Sounds like she has a story to tell as well! #litchat -1:17 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| maggiedana LOL! RT @KateMessner: Writing in different genres = crop rotation for me – keeps things fresh. #litchat -1:17 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| Eugenia_Kim Maggie and others who went thru change in genre, life: what was the reward? What was easiest and what was hardest? #litchat -1:17 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| LexxClarke @TwinkleChar welcome to my world!! #litchat -1:17 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| LexxClarke @maggiedana shame on you!!! #litchat -1:18 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| kashicat @mindywithrow @mdbenoit2 I think I handle the “being complacent” problem by writing a zillion different types of things at once. #litchat -1:18 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| JenniferWeltz mixing genres can also expand your readership for all your books b/c once a reader discovers a wonderful writer, they want more! #litchat -1:18 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| maggiedana I’m now mulling over a mid-gradeYA crossover, going in other direction. #litchat -1:18 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| TwinkleChar RT @KateMessner: Writing in different genres = crop rotation for me – keeps things fresh. #amwriting #litchat -1:18 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| kashicat RT @KateMessner: Writing in different genres = crop rotation for me – keeps things fresh. #litchat [I like this way of looking at it.] -1:18 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mindywithrow @Eugenia_Kim I’m still going through that transition & so far hardest is just finding confidence! #litchat -1:18 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| danish_novelist @CarlaBuckley I combine historical fiction with humor/satire. At least that’s what most people say about @TheTsarsDwarf #litchat -1:19 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mdbenoit2 @kashicat I’m pretty linear in my writing. One story at a time. #litchat -1:19 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| rj_anderson Oh, well said! RT @KateMessner: Writing in different genres = crop rotation for me – keeps things fresh. #litchat -1:19 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mdbenoit2 @maggiedana I, too, am toying with a YA story line for next book. #litchat -1:19 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mindywithrow @JenniferWeltz Great point about expanding readership! #litchat -1:20 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| maggiedana Hangt on .. Am babysitting daughter’s 2 kids. They have 3 friends over. Just had water situation. #litchat -1:20 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mindywithrow @mdbenoit2 @kashicat I’m linear too in my fiction writing, but can do non-fic concurrently. #litchat -1:20 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| littlefluffycat Hi, I’m a fictioneer/ poemist/ allergen! 😉 #litchat -1:21 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| maggiedana @mdbenoit2 I worry my next YA (if I write one) won’t be edgy enough for today’s market. #litchat -1:21 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| JenniferWeltz #litchat But you have to make sure you don’t sacrifice your core readership! -1:21 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| TwinkleChar Re change genres: pub houses don’t always encourage that, so prepare ye to pitch. #litchat -1:21 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mdbenoit2 Wow. I’m impressed. @mindywithrow @kashicat Im linear too in my fiction writing, but can do non-fic concurrently. #litchat -1:21 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mdbenoit2 @maggiedana what, no vampires? #litchat -1:22 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| rebeccawoodhead Transition-wise love contrasts within one novel – transitions from comedy to tragedy & vice versa. Life’s like that. #litchat -1:22 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| maggiedana Great advice. RT @JenniferWeltz: #litchat But you have to make sure you dont sacrifice your core readership! #litchat -1:22 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| littlefluffycat @maggiedana The Mysterious Mr. Quinn! Best place to start! #litchat -1:22 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| rj_anderson Anyone got examples of books which start off in one genre but transition into another partway through? Successfully, I mean. #litchat -1:22 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| Eugenia_Kim @JenniferWeltz Re: mixing genres. I would think one would fear one’s ability to accomplish more than 1-2 genres. #litchat -1:22 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| KateMessner @maggiedana @mdbenoit2 From a teacher’s perspective, I think there’s a need (and a market) for both edgy and not-edgy tween and YA. #litchat -1:22 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| maggiedana No spiders, either! RT @mdbenoit2: @maggiedana what, no vampires? #litchat -1:22 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mdbenoit2 @TwinkleChar Switching genres may mean not putting all your eggs in the same publisher’s basket. #litchat -1:23 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| rj_anderson @maggiedana Edgy is by no means required. There are all kinds of YA, just as there are all kinds of YA readers. #litchat -1:23 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| LexxClarke @rj_anderson hey there :o) #litchat -1:23 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| renisanz RT: @rj_anderson: Oh, well said! RT @KateMessner: Writing in different genres = crop rotation for me – keeps things fresh. #litchat –Cool -1:23 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| kashicat @mindywithrow @mdbenoit2 I suppose I have ADD sort of approach. 🙂 My brain needs the break from one, so I can switch back & forth #litchat -1:23 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| TwinkleChar @Eugenia_Kim Fear nothing. #litchat -1:23 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| Eugenia_Kim @rj_anderson Maxine Hong Kingston’s WOMAN WARRIOR goes from memoir to fiction to legend and back. #litchat -1:23 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| maggiedana @rj_anderson Your book just arrived! Can’t wait to read, then share with fairy-loving granddaughter. #litchat -1:23 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| TwinkleChar @mdbenoit2 That’s exactly what I meant. Thanks for clairfying. #litchat -1:24 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| KateMessner @mdbenoit2 Exactly – I write in three kidlit genres (MG, chapter bks, & PB) w/ three different publishers. #litchat -1:24 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| kashicat RT @mdbenoit2: @maggiedana what, no vampires? #litchat [Hahahahahahahaha! perfect!] -1:24 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| maggiedana Thanks. @rj_anderson: Edgy is by no means required. There are all kinds of YA, just as there are all kinds of YA readers. #litchat -1:24 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| Eugenia_Kim @TwinkleChar “Bravely go…!” 🙂 #litchat -1:24 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| wendykwebb I’d hesitate to go too far afield from a genre I built a loyal readership in. Maybe: adult magic realism to YA of that same genre. #litchat -1:24 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mdbenoit2 @rj_anderson As long as the story is good and not condescending or moralizing #litchat -1:24 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| rj_anderson @Eugenia_Kim Sounds interesting! Thanks for the rec. #litchat -1:25 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| maggiedana @KateMessner I see big need for Tween books. Same with clothing. Not all kids transition from kids to adult togs. #litchat -1:25 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| danish_novelist @maggiedana @JenniferWeltz No disrespect, but should we be so concerned about “sacrificing core readership” if we’re artists? #litchat -1:25 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mindywithrow @Eugenia_Kim RE: accomplishing more than one genre, yes: thus confidence being my biggest hurdle #litchat -1:25 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| rj_anderson @mdbenoit2 I think “edgy” stories are more vulnerable to moralizing tendencies than the lighter ones, though. #litchat -1:25 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| MelissaWrites This is why I LOVE Cloud Atlas.! 6 genres. Have u read it? RT @KateMessner: Writing in different genres = crop rotation for me #litchat -1:26 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| Eugenia_Kim @danish_novelist re” core readership & artists. Depends on if you want to continue having readers. If a tree falls in the forest… #litchat -1:26 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| kashicat @danish_novelist I think we all have to straddle “artist” & “marketer” to some degree, unless we’re independently wealthy #litchat -1:27 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mdbenoit2 @rj_anderson Not sure how “edgy” leads to moralizing. Example? #litchat -1:27 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| wendykwebb I pick up a new novel by an author I’ve read because I liked the last bk. Bewildering to find a completely different sort of style. #litchat -1:27 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| maggiedana Do you think it’s harder to go YA to adult, or adult to YA? Same with mid-grade to YA or adult, and vice versa. Ditto other genres. #litchat -1:27 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| KateMessner @MelissaWrites Haven’t read Cloud Atlas, but it’s going on my list right now – sounds great. #litchat -1:28 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| TwinkleChar @wendykwebb If author’s new style still delivers a great story, that’s fine by me. #litchat -1:28 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| CarolyBurnsBass I don’t think a book can “switch” genres. A book may have cross-over appeal in more than one genre, though. #litchat -1:28 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mdbenoit2 @wendykwebb Mary Doria Russell started with SF then went into historical fic. She’s an anthropologist, so maybe it works w her #litchat -1:28 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| rj_anderson @mdbenoit2 Just that if you’re dealing with controversial subjects then it’s harder to avoid inserting your own opinion. #litchat -1:28 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| wendykwebb Contradicting my own point: Madeline L’Engle did YA fantasy and adult mysteries and non fiction. #litchat -1:28 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mdbenoit2 @maggiedana I think it’s harder to go from adult to YA. #litchat -1:29 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mindywithrow @kashicat @mdbenoit2 I need the breaks too. But can’t do it w fiction, too hard to exist in more than one world at a time. #litchat -1:29 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mindywithrow @wendykwebb Yes, and did it well! Love L’Engle’s stuff. #litchat -1:29 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| JenniferWeltz Exactly – if too different – pseudonyms RT @wendykwebb: I pick up a new novel by an author I’ve read because I liked the last bk. . #litchat -1:29 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| Eugenia_Kim @wendykwebb re: Bewildering transition in style. I think pubs almost require 2nd books to be like 1st. Third (if one) = more freedm #litchat -1:29 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| Eugenia_Kim @CarolyBurnsBass There are unclassifiable books though. Like WOMAN WARRIOR & others that admit straddling memoir & fiction. No? #litchat -1:31 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| JenniferWeltz See Nancy Springer, Pat Murphy, Ellen Potter RT @maggiedana: Do you think it’s harder to go YA to adult, or adult to YA? #litchat -1:31 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| TwinkleChar Can we acknowledge a difference between style and storytelling ability? #litchat -1:31 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| maggiedana Will keep this in mind when I try. Been a long time since I wrote YA. @mdbenoit2: Harder to go from adult to YA. #litchat -1:31 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| danish_novelist @kashicat IWe have to take chances & explore, not playing it safe. Trying new genres make us grow, even if bank account doesn’t #litchat -1:32 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mdbenoit2 @TwinkleChar Style and storytelling are waaaay different #litchat -1:32 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| kashicat @Eugenia_Kim Sounds right. After 2 bks, author could be touted as “going in a new direction,” & readers might be willing to follow #litchat -1:32 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| kashicat @JenniferWeltz Nancy Springer — she went from adult to YA, didn’t she? Not other way around #litchat -1:32 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| Eugenia_Kim @maggiedana Other than the obvious (sex, curses, certain themes), what then makes a book YA vs adult? #litchat -1:33 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mindywithrow @TwinkleChar I hope so! My non-fic series required certain “style” but I’d like to think my storytelling abilities go far beyond it #litchat -1:33 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mdbenoit2 @danish_novelist It’s the thin line between selling books and being read. #litchat -1:33 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| KateMessner @JenniferWeltz I adored Pat Murphy’s YA novel THE WILD GIRLS. Awesome, awesome book. #litchat -1:33 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| wendykwebb Right now I don’t want to go in a new direction. I like the road I’m on. Later, who knows? #litchat -1:33 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| maggiedana Style, yes. Storytelling? No. @TwinkleChar: Can we acknowledge a difference between style and storytelling ability? #litchat -1:33 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| kashicat @danish_novelist I shall be sure to give your name to my landlord when the rent cheque bounces, then. Will you feed me? #litchat -1:33 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| danish_novelist @Eugenia_Kim The authors I admire the most were mainstream, had lots of readers but took chances, like John Fowles #litchat -1:33 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| TwinkleChar @mdbenoit2 Agreed. That’s why I think fav. author can change style/genre and still hold audience with great storytelling. #litchat -1:34 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| rj_anderson With my 3rd ms I’m moving from tweens to teens, from fantasy to SF — and book itself starts off realistic but gets pretty surreal. #litchat -1:34 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| CarolyBurnsBass @Eugenia_Kim Yes. This is what I mean by crossover. Yet a book doesn’t begin as a memoir and switch to fiction. #litchat -1:34 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| maggiedana @jenniferweltz ?? @Eugenia_Kim: Other than the obvious (sex, curses, certain themes), what then makes a book YA vs adult? #litchat -1:34 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| Eugenia_Kim I’m thinking of Sherman Alexie’s DIARY OF PART TIME INDIAN. Won Nat’l Book Award for YA, yet very adult themes. #litchat -1:35 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mdbenoit2 @TwinkleChar It depends if the reader is a genre reader or an author reader. #litchat -1:35 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| maggiedana Sadly, some do! RT @CarolyBurnsBass: Yet a book doesnt begin as a memoir and switch to fiction. #litchat -1:35 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| littlefluffycat @maggiedana lots of YAs have cursing, these days-I think a lot is in the age of the protagonist. #litchat -1:36 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mindywithrow @maggiedana @Eugenia_Kim With my YA publisher, vocab/reading level were also considered #litchat -1:36 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| wendykwebb Books growing along with your readers, so to speak. @rj_anderson With my 3rd ms I’m moving from tweens to teens #litchat -1:36 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| Eugenia_Kim @danish_novelist Agreed-mainstream readership but took chances. Key is they had a mainstream. Us newbies don’t have that luxury. #litchat -1:36 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| KateMessner @maggiedana Age of the protagonist often defines YA vs. adult – teen protag is usually YA with a few exceptions. #litchat -1:36 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| maggiedana Readability is key with kids. RT @mindywithrow: With my YA publisher, vocab/reading level were also considered #litchat -1:36 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| rj_anderson @Eugenia_Kim: You can find sex, swear words, and every theme imaginable in YA. It’s all in the focus/attitude with which it’s done. #litchat -1:37 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| danish_novelist @kashicat But who says we have to make a living as writers? We might get better if we go back and forth between real jobs & writing #litchat -1:37 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mdbenoit2 @Eugenia_Kim Because a book tackles serious issues, doesn’t mean not YA. It’s who the protag is and how credible that’s important #litchat -1:37 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| Eugenia_Kim Chang-rae Lee (NATIVE SPEAKER, GESTURE LIFE) switched from Korean or Asian protag to Italian. Folks didn’t go for it. #litchat -1:37 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| TwinkleChar @mindywithrow One of fav things I heard from reader, “Oh, don’t usually like this type of book, but loved yours!” #litchat -1:37 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| maggiedana @KateMessner One of these exceptions is Elizabeth Berg’s DURABLE GOODS. #litchat -1:38 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| rj_anderson @wendykwebb Well no, this is a very different project from my first 2. So I don’t really think of it as being for the same readers. #litchat -1:38 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mindywithrow @maggiedana Am interested in how you approached new publisher in light of your writing background. How did you pitch it? #litchat -1:38 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| LexxClarke as there are so many writers in here I am still wondering if you start out writing in one genre and end in another? #litchat -1:38 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| Eugenia_Kim @KateMessner re: YA protag usual YA. Makes sense, as does vocabulary. But otherwise I’m seeing little difference. Death, sex, abuse #litchat -1:39 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| KateMessner @rj_anderson And in the kidlit market, we are building reputations w/ not only young readers but also teachers, librarians. #litchat -1:39 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| rebeccawoodhead can’t add anything to the convo at the mo so am watching chat from beanbag at back of litchat room with resident litchat cat – Dash #litchat -1:40 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mindywithrow @TwinkleChar Yes! Also nice for me is adults saying they didn’t expect to enjoy my YA books but found they enjoyed/learned from. #litchat -1:40 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| Eugenia_Kim @TwinkleChar RT “One of fav things I heard from reader, “Oh, don’t usually like this type of book, but loved yours!” [PRECIOUS!] #litchat -1:40 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| maggiedana @mindywithrow 15 years between genres. My agent retired and I had to start all over as a newbie. Pub credits a small plus. #litchat -1:40 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mdbenoit2 @Eugenia_Kim It’s also in the way issues are addressed, from a younger, less mature POV #litchat -1:40 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| Mer_Blackwood @LexxClarke I’ve written horror, scifi and fantasy, but those often get grouped together and are read by the same people. #litchat -1:40 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| rebeccawoodhead Dash is purring and playing with a split infinitive. #litchat -1:41 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| rj_anderson Right. RT @KateMessner: And in the kidlit market, we are building reputations w/ not only readers but also teachers, librarians. #litchat -1:41 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| CDominiqueG @danish_novelist RT We might get better if we go back and forth between real jobs & writing #litchat *I think so sometimes too* -1:41 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| Eugenia_Kim @LexxClarke One genre to another: I began memoir/biography, junked it for fiction, which left the back door wide open. Freedom! #litchat -1:41 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mdbenoit2 As an aside, those people who followed me on @mdbenoit, please now follow me on @mdbenoit2. Former ID was hacked. Thanks. #litchat -1:41 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| LexxClarke @rebeccawoodhead snuggles Dash #litchat -1:42 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mindywithrow @maggiedana Ah. So it was all on strength of your current writing, then. Good for you! #litchat -1:42 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| jamieharrington ohhh it’s #litchat day! Wonder what the topic is! -1:42 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| CDominiqueG @LexxClarke I think I’m all over the place Lexxy #litchat -1:42 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mindywithrow @mdbenoit2 Will do! Sorry to hear that. #litchat -1:42 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| maggiedana 100% RT @mindywithrow: @maggiedana Ah. So it was all on strength of your current writing, then. Good for you! #litchat -1:42 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mdbenoit2 Yes! RT @mindywithrow: @maggiedana Ah. So it was all on strength of your current writing, then. Good for you! #litchat -1:42 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| Eugenia_Kim @mindywithrow Is YA genre then a pub’s delineation? Is it more pigeonholing than necessary/useful? #litchat -1:43 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| LexxClarke @Mer_Blackwood @Eugenia_Kim within the same novel? #litchat -1:43 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| LexxClarke RT @CDominiqueG: @LexxClarke I think Im all over the place Lexxy || no comment…. #litchat -1:44 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| Eugenia_Kim @maggiedana re: 15 yrs between genres. Time helps for transitions, both for inner and outer lives, yes? #litchat -1:44 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| wendykwebb Sometime it’s hard to classify a novel as one genre or another. They can straddle more than one. #litchat -1:44 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| rebeccawoodhead @LexxClarke 🙂 In answer to your question, I started off writing children’s stories and changed to women’s fiction. #litchat -1:44 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| TwinkleChar Who mentioned Elizabeth Berg? Did you say that book was change in genre? If so I didn’t notice. I just like her stories. #litchat -1:45 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mindywithrow @Eugenia_Kim In my case, it was the pub’s call (and broad, ages 9-14), and pigeonholing perhaps helpful but also somewhat limiting. #litchat -1:45 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| maggiedana Does anyone know when YA label first introduced? #litchat -1:45 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| corb21 Late again…sorry. the YA genre has spiked recently, it’s an attempt to get at those in-between kids. #litchat -1:45 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| maggiedana Yes! Am lucky to be alive. RT @Eugenia_Kim:15 yrs between genres. Time helps for transitions, both for inner and outer lives, yes? #litchat -1:46 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| corb21 I think most books stradle at least two genres #litchat -1:46 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| rj_anderson Catherine Fisher’s INCARCERON a good example of genre-blending — SF with mystical/fantastic elements & a quasi-historical feel. #litchat -1:46 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| Eugenia_Kim @LexxClarke @Mer_Blackwood re: Memoir/bio>fiction. Same story went from fact-truth to fiction-truth. Less restrictions. #litchat -1:46 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| LexxClarke Thanks to @Eugenia_Kim Mer_Blackwood @rebeccawoodhead for responses :o) #litchat -1:46 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| LexxClarke @corb21 a) you’re rubbish for being tardy and b) YA as a marketing scam???? #litchat -1:47 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| Eugenia_Kim @mindywithrow Your agent say anything about this? Were you unhappy with the YA designation? #litchat -1:47 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| TwinkleChar @corb21 Agree w/two genres. #litchat -1:47 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| maggiedana How about a new genre? BMGAYA = between mid-grade and YA. #litchat -1:47 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| Mer_Blackwood @Mer_Blackwood No novels here. Written scifi with horrorish elements. #litchat -1:47 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| TheTsarsDwarf @CDominiqueG In my case I got better as a writer after I started teaching in 2004 #litchat -1:47 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| TwinkleChar RT @corb21: I think most books stradle at least two genres #amwriting #litchat -1:48 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| rj_anderson @corb21 Good point; for instance, there are a lot of books w/ major romantic elements that aren’t categorized/pubbed as romances. #litchat -1:48 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| Eugenia_Kim @maggiedana RT Yes! Am lucky to be alive. [There’s that, too! 🙂 And we’re lucky also.] #litchat -1:48 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mdbenoit2 LOL! RT @maggiedana: How about a new genre? BMGAYA = between mid-grade and YA. #litchat -1:48 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| Mer_Blackwood @LexxClarke No novels here. Wrote shorts including scifi with horror elements. (There. Botched last tweet.) #litchat -1:48 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| CDominiqueG @LexxClarke LOL.Honestly,1 day it’s fantasy then 2morrow its literary,then next week its a thriller,whats the point of genres neway #litchat -1:49 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| kashicat @rj_anderson In many ways SF can straddle other genres most easily, I’d guess. Draws from so many other disciplines #litchat -1:49 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mindywithrow @maggiedana A new genre! That’s all we need! :o) #litchat -1:49 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| KateMessner @maggiedana I’d consider writers like S.E. Hinton and Judy Blume our real pioneers of the YA label. #litchat -1:49 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| maggiedana @Eugenia_Kim Thank you. That’s really sweet. #litchat -1:49 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| rj_anderson @maggiedana It’s called “upper MG”, usually. My home turf at present. #litchat -1:49 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| Eugenia_Kim @maggiedana re: BMGAYA. Ha ha. Sounds like black male gay lit for Asians, or Kumbaya. #litchat -1:49 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| LexxClarke @Mer_Blackwood no probs, so did I, forgot the @! #litchat -1:49 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| CDominiqueG @TheTsarsDwarf I hope something stops my genre skipping #litchat -1:49 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| maggiedana @KateMessner Love Judy Blume. #litchat -1:50 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| TheTsarsDwarf @wendykwebb Good novels often combine genres. It’s just harder to do well writing-wise #litchat -1:50 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| rj_anderson @kashicat So why isn’t THE TIME TRAVELLER’S WIFE in the SF section? 😀 #litchat -1:50 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| maggiedana LOL! RT @Eugenia_Kim: @maggiedana re: BMGAYA. Ha ha. Sounds like black male gay lit for Asians, or Kumbaya. #litchat -1:50 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mdbenoit2 @maggiedana Did you make a deal w the devil? Twitter is working so well today. 🙂 #litchat -1:50 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| LexxClarke @kashicat I think SF and Fantasy are more flexible by their own nature…..discuss lol #litchat -1:50 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| rebeccawoodhead @KateMessner loved Judy Blume #litchat -1:50 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| whimsicalwalney RT @KateMessner: @maggiedana I’d consider writers like S.E. Hinton and Judy Blume our real pioneers of the YA label. #litchat -1:50 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| KateMessner @rj_anderson @maggiedana And publishers have started using the Tween label, too. There are imprints, too – like Aladdin’s MIX. #litchat -1:51 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| rebeccawoodhead @maggiedana snap! #litchat -1:51 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| corb21 @LexxClarke A. did you just call me RUBBISH!? B. all categories are set for marketing, but I’m not calling YA or any others a scam #litchat -1:51 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| kashicat @rj_anderson Ha! It should be, shouldn’t it? It could be in fantasy too. And maybe history. #litchat -1:51 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| maggiedana @rj_anderson My fairy-lover just wafted by, saw your avatar … I told her it was your book’s cover. She wants to read it. #litchat -1:51 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| Eugenia_Kim @CDominiqueG re: What’s the point of genres? Also, @maggiedana question. When did YA become a genre? Was it all pub decisionmaking? #litchat -1:51 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| LexxClarke RT @Eugenia_Kim: @maggiedana re: BMGAYA. Ha ha. Sounds like black male gay lit for Asians, or Kumbaya. || already intrigued! #litchat -1:51 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| KateMessner @rebeccawoodhead Me too – Meeting Judy Blume at ALA this summer was a highlight of my life. #litchat -1:51 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| maggiedana Sssshhhhhh …RT @mdbenoit2: @maggiedana Did you make a deal w the devil? Twitter is working so well today. 🙂 #litchat -1:52 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| rebeccawoodhead @KateMessner no! Jealous!! #litchat -1:52 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| Mer_Blackwood @rj_anderson Agent Donald Maass told a client that I know that sf/f you pitch the reader right into the weirdness … #litchat -1:52 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| corb21 @rj_anderson because they’re aiming it in a different direction. Chosing genres is all about picking your audience. #litchat -1:52 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| rj_anderson @maggiedana *beams* Thanks! I hope she enjoys it! #litchat -1:52 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| kashicat RT @rj_anderson: @maggiedana It’s called “upper MG”, usually. [Sounds medical!] #litchat -1:52 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| LexxClarke @corb21 a) I was teasing b) I was teasing #litchat -1:53 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| maggiedana @rj_anderson We BOTH will. #litchat -1:53 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| wendykwebb Must flee. Something wicked this way comes. In-laws. Thanks all, and thanks Maggie for hosting! #litchat -1:53 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| corb21 @KateMessner the world has realized there’s money to be had aiming products at these kids. We’re very market driven…in everything #litchat -1:53 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| Mer_Blackwood @rj_anderson Whereas mainstream starts with normality and leads into it gradually. Never read TTW myself, so don’t know if applies. #litchat -1:53 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| maggiedana @rj_anderson If I send it, will you sign it? DM me. #litchat -1:53 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| TwinkleChar @rj_anderson re: Time Traveler’s Wife genre. OOOO! Good question. #litchat -1:53 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| maggiedana Upper GI? That sounds military! RT @kashicat: RT @rj_anderson: @maggiedana Its called “upper MG”, usually. [Sounds medical!] #litchat -1:54 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| KateMessner This one’s for @rebeccawoodhead – http://kmessner.livejournal.com/114101.html #litchat -1:54 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| kashicat @LexxClarke Well, of course you’re right, my good man. SF&F have their tentacles in everything else. #litchat -1:54 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| Eugenia_Kim @wendykwebb Bye Wendy! Fun seeing you here. #litchat -1:54 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| LexxClarke RT @kashicat: RT @rj_anderson: @maggiedana Its called “upper MG”, usually. [Sounds medical!] Sounds dangerous! #litchat -1:54 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| corb21 @whimsicalwalney Also Gary Paulsen (on?) There were many before their time in defining this genre. #litchat -1:54 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| TheTsarsDwarf @CDominiqueG What’s wrong with genre skipping? We all gotta take chances. Go for it! #litchat -1:54 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| maggiedana Bye! RT @wendykwebb: Must flee. Something wicked this way comes. In-laws. Thanks all, and thanks Maggie for hosting! #litchat -1:54 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| kashicat RT @CDominiqueG: @TheTsarsDwarf I hope something stops my genre skipping #litchat [No no no no no!! 🙂 ] -1:55 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| KateMessner @corb21 True – but I’d rather have the world marketing books to them than makeup and video games. #litchat -1:55 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| rebeccawoodhead @kashicat Upper Management? Kids grow up early these days #litchat -1:55 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| LexxClarke @wendykwebb by the pricking of my thumbs…. #litchat -1:55 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| CDominiqueG @Eugenia_Kim I wish I knew because, all these genres and choosing one that you fall into is difficult enough. #litchat -1:55 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| rj_anderson @kashicat LOL. “I’ve got this bad upper MG disorder… my doctor says to read two Shannon Hales and call him in the morning.” #litchat -1:55 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| Eugenia_Kim re: Time Traveler’s. I think it’s more magical realism than SF. Or plain romance. It crossed genres. #litchat -1:55 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| Mer_Blackwood I’ll follow a writer I like to a new genre unless I especially dislike the new genre. #litchat -1:55 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| LexxClarke RT @rj_anderson: @kashicat too too funny #litchat -1:56 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| kashicat @rj_anderson You’re making me scare the cats! #litchat -1:56 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| Eugenia_Kim @CDominiqueG re: choosing genres. It’s kinda like choosing when to be Korean and when to be American… #litchat -1:56 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| CDominiqueG @TheTsarsDwarf LoL, I know right. Tell the agents that! They are so picky! #litchat -1:57 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mdbenoit2 Margaret Atwood is one who transitions from genre to genre: non-fic, poetry, lit fic, SF #litchat -1:57 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mindywithrow @Mer_Blackwood Me too. If I like writer, I’ll read all h/h work – but may still prefer one genre over another. #litchat -1:57 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| whimsicalwalney @corb21 Yes. It’s fascinating to watch it grow as people realize there are many stories to be told for children of all ages. #litchat -1:57 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| LexxClarke RT @mdbenoit2: Margaret Atwood is one who transitions from genre to genre: non-fic, poetry, lit fic, SF || love her! #litchat -1:57 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| CDominiqueG @kashicat LOL, dont worry, my brain won’t allow me to choose. Fiction is fiction. the rest are just subgenres #litchat -1:58 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| CDominiqueG @Eugenia_Kim ha! Exactly, why do you have to be one or the other? #litchat -1:59 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| Eugenia_Kim Bye. Gotta run, bus is here. THANKS, Maggie, and all, for this litchat! #litchat -2:00 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mindywithrow @whimsicalwalney @corb21 Yes. And well-told children’s stories are a pleasure for anyone to read, regardless of age. #litchat -2:00 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| rj_anderson @mdbenoit2 Heh, don’t tell Atwood she writes SF! But then Rowling once said she wasn’t writing fantasy either: http://bit.ly/j4Srw #litchat -2:00 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| maggiedana Me too. RT @Mer_Blackwood: I’ll follow a writer I like to a new genre unless I especially dislike the new genre. #litchat -2:00 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| rebeccawoodhead Well, Dash the cat is allergic to spam so we’re leaving tweetchat – he’s staying with me until next litchat 🙂 Thanks @maggiedana x #litchat -2:01 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| maggiedana RT @mindywithrow: @whimsicalwalney @corb21 Well-told childrens stories are a pleasure for anyone to read, regardless of age. #litchat -2:01 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mdbenoit2 @mindywithrow I read The Secret Garden at least once a year. #litchat -2:01 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| kashicat @mdbenoit2 Does Atwood do that now bc she’s Margaret Atwood & she can, or did she do it then bc there wasn’t much Cdn lit? #litchat -2:01 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| maggiedana @Eugenia_Kim Bye! See you again soon. #litchat -2:01 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mindywithrow @mdbenoit2 And I still love The Wind in the Willows! #litchat -2:02 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mdbenoit2 @rj_anderson Apparently, Atwood’s admitted in an interview that she does write SF #litchat -2:02 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| LexxClarke RT @rj_anderson: @mdbenoit2 But then Rowling once said she wasnt writing fantasy || Exsqueeze me?!?!?! #litchat -2:02 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mdbenoit2 @kashicat She’s always written in all genres, since the beginnning. #litchat -2:02 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| whimsicalwalney @mindywithrow I couldn’t agree more. I also think there are “adult” classics that children can enjoy earlier than we think. #litchat -2:02 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| maggiedana Me, too. And Pooh. RT @mindywithrow: @mdbenoit2 And I still love The Wind in the Willows! #litchat -2:02 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| rj_anderson @LexxClarke That’s what Terry Pratchett said! #litchat -2:02 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| kashicat @mdbenoit2 Thanks. I didn’t know her early history, so I wasn’t sure. #litchat -2:03 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| whimsicalwalney @mindywithrow I have read many books lately intended for sml children that resonate a lot with me. #litchat -2:03 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| LexxClarke RT @mdbenoit2: @mindywithrow I read The Secret Garden at least once a year. || wonderful wonderful book #litchat -2:03 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mindywithrow @whimsicalwalney Agreed. I read everything when I was a kid, didn’t care what it was or who claimed it! #litchat -2:03 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| kashicat @mdbenoit2 The Secret Garden was one of my earliest “favourite books.” Haven’t read it in a while, though. #litchat -2:04 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mdbenoit2 @rj_anderson Terry Pratchett doesn’t write fantasy. He writes silliness. #litchat -2:04 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| whimsicalwalney @maggiedana “They changing guard at Buckingham Palace…” I get that stuck in my head for days… #litchat -2:04 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| corb21 @LexxClarke good to know. I kinda figured. #litchat -2:04 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| maggiedana @whimsicalwalney Me too. Love ELEPHANT AND PIGGY! #litchat -2:04 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mdbenoit2 @LexxClarke I fell in love w Secret Garden at 21. Couldn’t read English before that. #litchat -2:04 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| corb21 @KateMessner yes, I agree. #litchat -2:05 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| kashicat RT @whimsicalwalney: I also think there are “adult” classics children can enjoy earlier than we think #litchat [Yes! Something to aspire to] -2:05 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mindywithrow @whimsicalwalney I’m not just sayin this cause I write YA, but I think you have to be a really good communicator to write 4 kids… #litchat -2:05 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| corb21 @whimsicalwalney Before you know it they’ll have O/A (old adult)! #litchat -2:05 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mindywithrow @whimsicalwalney …which is why kids’ books can be so enjoyable for adults. #litchat -2:05 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| whimsicalwalney @corb21 And will we regress? Will it go back to basic themes of compassion, integrity, curiousity, etc. in O/A? #litchat -2:06 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| whimsicalwalney @mindywithrow Fascinated to learn recently that there have been revisions to some books I considered classics. Curious as to why? #litchat -2:07 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| CDominiqueG RT @mdbenoit2 @rj_anderson Terry Pratchett doesn’t write fantasy. He writes silliness. #litchat -2:07 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| corb21 @whimsicalwalney actually, we have a novel that might apply and it does! RE treating elders with compassion and integrity… hmmm #litchat -2:07 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mindywithrow @whimsicalwalney Yes. What titles? #litchat -2:08 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mdbenoit2 @whimsicalwalney Original Jules Vernes’ translations, for instance, were awful. They’re being retranslated #litchat -2:08 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| whimsicalwalney @mindywithrow Mike Mulligan & his Steam Shovel. #litchat -2:09 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mdbenoit2 Gotta go, litchatters. Thanks, Maggie, for hosting. A pleasure, as usual. Have a wonderful Labour Day Weekend! #litchat -2:10 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mindywithrow @mdbenoit2 Cool about Verne — I never got into his stuff. BTW, what is your native language? #litchat -2:10 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| Skyeblue Did you know that Tasha Tudor illustrated an earlier editon of “The Secret Garden”? #litchat -2:10 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mindywithrow @whimsicalwalney Crazy! I still have a copy of that one and buy it for everyone’s baby showers. #litchat -2:11 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mdbenoit2 @mindywithrow Mother tongue is French. I also natter in Spanish and Italian 🙂 #litchat -2:11 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| CDominiqueG @kashicat think kids R “enjoying” them already.While on child’s lit, new classics are more “advanced” than when we read them #litchat -2:11 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| whimsicalwalney @mdbenoit2 Not that I excuse it but translations often a mess. Never understand why outside of language subtleties or cheap effort. #litchat -2:11 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| LitChat @maggiedana Do you have any updates on when/if BEACHCOMBING will be pubbed in the US? #litchat -2:12 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mindywithrow @mdbenoit2 Now I’m impressed! Took Greek in college, but that’s as far as my language skills go. #litchat -2:12 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mdbenoit2 @Skyeblue I have one illustrated by Jan Burridge. Wonderful. #litchat -2:12 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| kashicat @CDominiqueG Do you think so? I thought it was the opposite: that kids’ books are generally less complex now than they used to be #litchat -2:12 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| LexxClarke RT @whimsicalwalney: @mdbenoit2 Not that I excuse it but translations often a mess. || Umberto Eco? #litchat -2:13 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| maggiedana No news. Digits crossed, etc. RT @LitChat: @maggiedana Do you have any updates on when/if BEACHCOMBING will be pubbed in the US? #litchat -2:13 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| whimsicalwalney @mindywithrow Already had a new 1 then found an old 1 & they took out the parts where Henry B Swap is REALLY mean & unethical. #litchat -2:13 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mdbenoit2 @mindywithrow I love words, and different cultures, so learning languages seem the thing to do. #litchat -2:13 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mindywithrow @whimsicalwalney Now I have to check my copy! #litchat -2:14 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| LexxClarke RT @LitChat: @maggiedana Do you have any updates on when/if BEACHCOMBING will be pubbed in the US? || and the UK?? #litchat -2:14 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mdbenoit2 @whimsicalwalney There are some truly wonderful translations. Umberto Eco’s English translator is fantastic. His French one stinks. #litchat -2:14 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mindywithrow @mdbenoit2 I’m with you there. Have list of 10 languages I *want* to learn before I die — better get moving, eh? #litchat -2:15 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| whimsicalwalney @mdbenoit2 Re: learning langs & cultures. It’s the best to be able to speak to ppl in their native lang; nuances are everything. #litchat -2:15 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| maggiedana @LexxClarke Beachcombing pub’d in UK by Macmillan, June 2009. #litchat -2:15 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| whimsicalwalney @mindywithrow Do tell what you find! I was really surprised that pages were missing in new one. #litchat -2:16 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| whimsicalwalney @mdbenoit2 Can’t think of titles off the top of my head, but I have read some English translations of Spanish texts that are good. #litchat -2:16 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mdbenoit2 @mindywithrow LOL. Yep. Start with one. Others come easier after that. #litchat -2:17 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| LexxClarke @maggiedana marvellous *shuffles off to a well know website* #litchat -2:17 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mdbenoit2 @whimsicalwalney I also like to read authors in their original languages. #litchat -2:17 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| LitChat @maggiedana Before we allow you to go (not that you will) please give the URL where we can order BEACHCOMING in the US. #litchat -2:17 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| CDominiqueG @mdbenoit2 do you also study patois as well? #litchat -2:17 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mindywithrow @maggiedana This has been gr8. Fact that you’ve done children’s & adult fic and now thinking about YA is a real encouragement. Thx! #litchat -2:18 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mdbenoit2 @whimsicalwalney Isable Allende’s Retratos en Sepia (Photographs in Sepia) is wonderfully translated #litchat -2:18 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| corb21 @whimsicalwalney it’s like how they’re making classic tv into movies… #litchat -2:18 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mindywithrow @mdbenoit2 Already have a French dictionary and a podcast subscription. Perhaps a good place to start! :o) #litchat -2:18 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mdbenoit2 @CDominiqueG No, I haven’t ventured into patois. #litchat -2:18 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| maggiedana @mindywithrow *Thinking* about YA may be as far as I get with it! #litchat -2:19 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mdbenoit2 @mindywithrow Let me know if you want to practice 🙂 #litchat -2:20 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| maggiedana <— in awe of those who speak more than 1 language. @mdbenoit2 #litchat -2:20 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mdbenoit2 Now I really, really have to go. Bye! Bye, Maggie. #litchat -2:20 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mindywithrow @maggiedana I doubt it! RT @maggiedana: @mindywithrow *Thinking* about YA may be as far as I get with it! #litchat -2:20 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| maggiedana @mdbenoit2 Bye!!!!!! #litchat -2:21 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| mdbenoit2 @maggiedana LOL. Just one word at a time. It’s simple. #litchat -2:21 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| CDominiqueG @mdbenoit2 I hope you do soon because patois is huge part of the culture of other english speaking nations #litchat. I can start you out!!! -2:21 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| whimsicalwalney @maggiedana Speaking more than one language truly opens doors in so many ways. #litchat -2:22 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| maggiedana @CDominiqueG I speak ex-patois. Does that count? #litchat -2:22 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| whimsicalwalney @corb21 Are we moving back to place in cycle where we long for a different time? How is that reflected in what’s being published? #litchat -2:23 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| CDominiqueG @kashicat lol, thats why i put “advanced”, I’m talking about subject matter. Suicide,abuse those kinds of things. #litchat -2:23 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| LexxClarke RT @maggiedana: @CDominiqueG I speak ex-patois. Does that count? || *boom boom* #litchat -2:24 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| CDominiqueG @maggiedana LOL, maybe #Litchat -2:25 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
| LitChat Before everyone drifts away, let’s give @maggiedana another round of {{{APPLAUSE}}} for stepping up to guest host today. #litchat -2:25 PM Sep 4th, 2009 |
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