Comments on: On language http://writeupouralley.com/writing/on-language Children's Book Authors and Illustrators Wed, 23 Nov 2011 20:56:52 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 By: Leigh Ann http://writeupouralley.com/writing/on-language/comment-page-1#comment-33 Leigh Ann Fri, 04 Sep 2009 03:43:30 +0000 http://writeupouralley.com/?p=1596#comment-33 Ahem, should I mention the word used in the book that won the 2007 Newbery? Ahem, should I mention the word used in the book that won the 2007 Newbery?

]]> By: kay http://writeupouralley.com/writing/on-language/comment-page-1#comment-31 kay Fri, 28 Aug 2009 15:51:37 +0000 http://writeupouralley.com/?p=1596#comment-31 You are so right, Alice! It was strength of story that made my book last - but the use of a single expletive could have hindered its sales. That "Oh, Lord!" stood out because neither the character nor his social setting called for it. Gilly swore as she breathed. My character swore only once under duress. That made it a red flag for would-be-censors. And Alice, making a supporting character in CASTLES gay was brilliant - and central - to the theme of your wonderful novel. Realistically, sensitively, and sympathetically handled, it will do far more good, in more places, than you'll ever know. I LOVE that about our books!!! You are so right, Alice! It was strength of story that made my book last – but the use of a single expletive could have hindered its sales. That “Oh, Lord!” stood out because neither the character nor his social setting called for it. Gilly swore as she breathed. My character swore only once under duress. That made it a red flag for would-be-censors.

And Alice, making a supporting character in CASTLES gay was brilliant – and central – to the theme of your wonderful novel. Realistically, sensitively, and sympathetically handled, it will do far more good, in more places, than you’ll ever know.

I LOVE that about our books!!!

]]> By: alice http://writeupouralley.com/writing/on-language/comment-page-1#comment-30 alice Thu, 27 Aug 2009 15:19:16 +0000 http://writeupouralley.com/?p=1596#comment-30 Couldn't it be, Kay, that your success came from writing a good book? THE GREAT GILLY HOPKINS is chock full of "Hell," "damn," and "God," and is still in print over 30 years later. When I wrote NO CASTLES HERE I knew that there would be some gatekeepers who wouldn't buy it because it has a positive portrayal of someone who is gay. But leaving Walter out of the book, or making him straight, would have sucked out a large portion of the story. I think it's a balancing act. We write for children. And we have to please gatekeepers, especially for the younger crowd. Couldn’t it be, Kay, that your success came from writing a good book? THE GREAT GILLY HOPKINS is chock full of “Hell,” “damn,” and “God,” and is still in print over 30 years later.

When I wrote NO CASTLES HERE I knew that there would be some gatekeepers who wouldn’t buy it because it has a positive portrayal of someone who is gay. But leaving Walter out of the book, or making him straight, would have sucked out a large portion of the story.

I think it’s a balancing act. We write for children. And we have to please gatekeepers, especially for the younger crowd.

]]> By: kay http://writeupouralley.com/writing/on-language/comment-page-1#comment-29 kay Thu, 27 Aug 2009 01:52:08 +0000 http://writeupouralley.com/?p=1596#comment-29 In 1989, writing a MG historical fiction novel for Viking, I had a fifth grade boy say "Oh, Lord!" He was stunned by the death of his best friend's mother. I argued to keep it. My editor, the legendary Deborah Brodie, asked me if that one word was worth losing readers over. "The gatekeepers will see only that and restrict kids' access," she said. I changed the word into distraught actions ...and the book, HERO OVER HERE sold solidly for fifteen years (and taken by Scholastic book club 3 times.) Another publisher just bought the subrights to bring it into print again. How many kids have read and been affected by my story? How many would have been lost had I clung to my artistic high ground? In 1989, writing a MG historical fiction novel for Viking, I had a fifth grade boy say “Oh, Lord!” He was stunned by the death of his best friend’s mother. I argued to keep it. My editor, the legendary Deborah Brodie, asked me if that one word was worth losing readers over. “The gatekeepers will see only that and restrict kids’ access,” she said.
I changed the word into distraught actions …and the book, HERO OVER HERE sold solidly for fifteen years (and taken by Scholastic book club 3 times.) Another publisher just bought the subrights to bring it into print again. How many kids have read and been affected by my story? How many would have been lost had I clung to my artistic high ground?

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