Further to my blog about Lumos – the charity chaired by J.K. Rowling – I thought I’d share more about what it is trying to do. ‘Across the globe 8 million children are living in institutions that deny them individual … Continue reading
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By: Alan Dapré,
on 12/13/2013
Blog: Alan Dapré - Children's Author (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Rowling, Beedle The Bard, children in crisis, alan dapre, lumos, blog about children in care, Charity appeal, institutionalised children, raising funds, Xmas appeal, Issues, helping others, Add a tag
By: Kelly Fineman,
on 9/16/2010
Blog: Writing and Ruminating (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: essays, green, king, concerts, anderson, rowling, gaiman, irving, Add a tag
By: Kelly Fineman,
on 8/30/2010
Blog: Writing and Ruminating (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: rowling, neville, reading, Add a tag
By: Rebecca,
on 4/23/2010
Blog: OUPblog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Links, blog, Blogs, painting, baby, A-Featured, earth, procrastination, friday, rowling, moma, sitters, zippers, addicted, Add a tag
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By: Keith Mansfield,
on 1/20/2010
Blog: JohnnyMackintosh.com (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Asimov, Rowling, Luisa Plaja, Philip K Dick, Arthur C Clark, Bookbag, Bridgend, Johnny Mackintosh reviews, Keris Stainton, Harry Potter, book reviews, reviews, Book news, Chicklish, Add a tag
By: M. Andrew Sprong ,
on 3/31/2009
Blog: The Electric Mystic of Honesdale (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Harry Potter, Children, book, Writing, Style, The Cat in the Hat, Tolkien, The Hobbit, Rowling, Cannonball Simp, Writing Experience, Add a tag
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By: Alan Dapré,
on 12/13/2013
Blog: Alan Dapré - Children's Author (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Rowling, Beedle The Bard, children in crisis, alan dapre, lumos, blog about children in care, Charity appeal, institutionalised children, raising funds, Xmas appeal, Issues, helping others, Add a tag
By: Kelly Fineman,
on 9/16/2010
Blog: Writing and Ruminating (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: essays, green, king, concerts, anderson, rowling, gaiman, irving, Add a tag
It's funny how, if you're open to thinking in slightly tangential ways, you can learn lots of writing- or author-related things in non-authorial settings. Like that time four years ago when I posted ten lessons I'd learned from watching Top Chef. This time, my lesson was derived from recent outings at rock concerts.
Last night, my friend Lisa treated me to some Cake - not the food, but the music of the band named Cake, best-known for their songs "Distance" and "Short Skirt/Long Jacket" and their funky cover of "I Will Survive." (It was Lisa's treat to celebrate my picture book deal with the good folks at tiger tales books.) We were both looking forward to the concert, especially Lisa, who has been waiting at least two years for them to return to Philly. To summarize our evening really briefly: We didn't care for the band. Don't get me wrong - their music was fine, but they mismanaged their concert time and some of the things that came out of the lead singer's mouth were really off-putting.
Now, Lisa was with M and I last Friday when we went to see The Airborne Toxic Event in concert (their biggest hit is "Sometime Around Midnight", which I can seriously listen to on replay quite a number of times in a row - such a great song structure!), and we are all still raving about how awesome it was. So I'll be drawing some comparisons here, but I promise that you don't have to know or like the music of either band in order to follow along. Although I can't help but repeat what I said in the post about Friday's concert - if you haven't yet heard The Airborne Toxic Event, you really should. And if you are on their tour route (in that post), you should see them. Now. Before they become HUGE. Because it is my belief (and Lisa's as well) that they are going to be big. Soon. But I digress.
What I learned about public appearances
1. No matter who you are, if people have turned out to see you, it's because they want to see you. In most cases, it's because they already like you (or your work), but in some cases it's because they are curious to learn more.
2. People who turn out to see you want to like you, even if they aren't sure exactly how much they like you already. The benefit of the doubt is in your favor. If you are at least okay, they will continue to like you.
A. If you are really good - you do a great job reading your work, say, or giving a presentation - they may well be converted into lifetime fans. This is what happened for M, Lisa and me at The Airborne Toxic Event Concert. Musically, they were phenomenal. When Mikel Jollett (the lead singer) spoke, he was genuine and super nice, and the rest of the band nodded along, made eye contact with the audience and seemed approachable. So much so that after the curtain call that came after the encore, band members came down into the audience to mix and mingle and take photos. (M has a photo of herself with Mikel; Noah (the bass player) came into the crowd a bit later - I think he changed first, and we talked to Daren Taylor (the drummer) in the parking lot, and M got a photo with him as well.) Lisa, M and I cannot speak highly enough of the concert AND of the band members.
b. If you are a jerk or if you phone in your performance at a speech or a reading or a meet & greet or at a signing, at least some percentage of the people who were your fans before they saw/heard/met you will decide never to buy another Cake song ever bother seeing, reading or recommending you again in the future. This is Lisa's and my experience with Cake, after John McCrea (lead singer) ruined our concert experience using a variety of tactics, some of which I'll detail below, but the final straw of which involved singling out a
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By: Kelly Fineman,
on 8/30/2010
Blog: Writing and Ruminating (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: rowling, neville, reading, Add a tag
I was thinking again today about what an avid reader I was as a kid. I'm still a pretty avid reader - I spend at least a couple hours a day reading, pretty much every single day, and I can read fast, yo. If the Harry Potter books had existed then, they'd for sure have been my favorite books. As it is, my internal 12-year old self adores them with an abiding love, putting them next to my actual favorites from that time, Tolkien's Lord of the Rings books (which were in three volumes for me, even though technically it's all one story, and my current edition is all in one volume, but hey, I digress).
Anyhow, when it came to reading at "inappropriate" times, not only did I read after bedtimes, resulting in potential fatality and actual property damage, but I also read during classes. Not in the "I didn't do my homework last night so I'm trying to get it done in class" way, although that certainly happened from time to time, but in the "I know we're supposed to be paying attention to the teacher but I'd really much rather read Jane-Emily or The Borrowers or Lord of the Rings, which I'm trying to do surreptitiously by holding the book in my lap/under the edge of the desk" sort of way.
In fact, I believe I had books "confiscated" by teachers on at least two occasions (once in elementary school and at least once in high school) for that very reason. I am positive that It's Like This, Cat by Emily Neville was confiscated from me in elementary school. Also, that Emily Neville made me cry ridiculous amounts of real tears over the demise of a fictional orange kitten, and that I will never, ever, ever get over that kitten's death, or forget that roomful of reporters, even though I have repeatedly forgotten the title of this book and its author's name and have had to look it up, including just now for this post. GAH! I AM TRAUMATIZED FOR LIFE! (I should note that this massive - and very real - psychological trauma did not prevent me from rereading the book.
Did anyone else out there get busted for reading during class? If so, do you remember what you were reading at the time?
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By: Rebecca,
on 4/23/2010
Blog: OUPblog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Links, blog, Blogs, painting, baby, A-Featured, earth, procrastination, friday, rowling, moma, sitters, zippers, addicted, Add a tag
This has been such a fun week with the launch of our new blog design that it is hard to believe Friday is already here. Nevertheless, with the weekend just around the corner I am ready to do some serious relaxing and hopefully finish the book I’m reading. Below are some links to get you just a little bit closer to the weekend. Enjoy!
Every painting in MoMA in two minutes.
The Baby-Sitters Club is back.
When should rent and when should you buy?
In honor of Earth Day, nature photos!
The best and the worst news for planet Earth.
J. K. Rowling on being a single mom.
A life in zippers.
Some cat humor. (No cats were harmed in the making of this cartoon.)
Are college students addicted to social media?
On the books Presidents read.
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By: Keith Mansfield,
on 1/20/2010
Blog: JohnnyMackintosh.com (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Asimov, Rowling, Luisa Plaja, Philip K Dick, Arthur C Clark, Bookbag, Bridgend, Johnny Mackintosh reviews, Keris Stainton, Harry Potter, book reviews, reviews, Book news, Chicklish, Add a tag
Naturally, authors never read reviews. It’s purely an accident I have a Google alert set up to tell me when anyone, anywhere writes something about Johnny Mackintosh. It would be madness to pay too much attention as there are bound to be people who don’t like a book – happily, though, this has been a sane week and people have had only lovely things to say about both Johnny Mackintosh: Star Blaze and also Johnny Mackintosh and the Spirit of London.
The Bookbag has given Star Blaze a whopping five stars and said such nice things that I’m reluctant to repeat them here. Well, go on – you twisted my arm. Their reviewer, Jason Mark Curley, liked Johnny Mackintosh and the Spirit of London except its title and made my year by saying it was “reminiscent of Rowling”, my writing idol. This one he seems to have enjoyed even more.
“it must be hard to write a sequel to a book that was so good and get it right … I enjoyed the first book so much that I didn’t want to spoil it by reading a duffer of a follow up. I really shouldn’t have worried; Star Blaze is everything that its predecessor was and a lot more besides … shades and echoes of those sci-fi novels I used to read as a kid: Asimov, Clarke, Moorcock and Dick. … great characters, action, mystery and adventure … A great read; go get it. And, more please Mr Mansfield.”
I am blushing as I type and will gladly buy anyone claiming to be Jason a beer should they approach me in a pub. Earlier in the week, the Bridgend County Council posted some user reviews of books in their libraries and the second one they showed was Johnnny Mackintosh and the Spirit of London. A young reviewer by the name of Master Dylan James Morgan wrote:
“Awesome! The book cover just makes you want to pick it up straight away because it is so colorful and looks exciting. Flying around in a spaceship disguised as the London Gherkin! WOW!!! This is the first Johnny Mackintosh Book and I hope there will be more to come.”
I hope Master Morgan discovers Johnny Mackintosh: Star Blaze soon!
The first Star Blaze review of the week was from the lovely people at Chicklish. Even though I’d love everyone to read Spirit of London first, I’m delighted Alexandra picked up that you could read the second book independently and still enjoy it as I worked very hard on that. She’s also given a great short summary:
“In Star Blaze, Johnny becomes involved in a deadly plot against the Earth’s sun. Exploding the sun into a supernova should be impossible but intergalactic enemies have found a way. Only Johnny and his sister appear to know what’s happening. Can they save the day? … You can read this novel without having to read the first in the series. Definitely a hit for sci-fi fans.”
Ch
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By: M. Andrew Sprong ,
on 3/31/2009
Blog: The Electric Mystic of Honesdale (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Harry Potter, Children, book, Writing, Style, The Cat in the Hat, Tolkien, The Hobbit, Rowling, Cannonball Simp, Writing Experience, Add a tag
When writing stories for children the writer must be careful to not write down to them. Children may be inarticulate but they are not stupid. Theodor Geisel knew this fact when he wrote “The Cat in the Hat” under the pen name Dr Seuss. It is full of sophisticated concepts, which a child can grasp but often not speak. At the same time, we must avoid throwing too many esoteric facts in their direction without providing an active backdrop. When you were working nine-to-five as an office temp, it wasn’t any fun reading through a list of facts, and that’s true for children as well. In truth, the child’s voice in your writing is not a tightrope to walk upon, but a very fat pipe. There is plenty of leeway in either direction before the bulk of your children get bored or snowed.
J. R. R. Tolkien wrote on the sophisticated end of the age group, but his works appeal to one of the widest age ranges in the fantasy genre. He pulls characters from a quasi-mythological hat without hesitation and sprinkles the stories with concrete elements the children can hang onto. Boil down “The Hobbit” to just hobbits, dwarfs, elves, and goblins and you leave out the one thing which binds the whole series together – the ring. Tolkien didn’t start off with the intention of making the ring the central element in his stories, it just happened when he discussed “the Hobbit” with his young readers and discovered what they liked the most about the book. You may have to do this with your own books. The ring rises in prominence because every kid would like a ring which can make them invisible. Think of all the mischief you could get into if you wore such an item, then think of the draw to a child’s active mind. Bullies revenged, candy acquired, peril escaped, are just some of the many uses for which such an item might be employed. When you hear youngsters talking about their favorite movie, novel, or comic, listen for the things and events which they talk about the most. Was it the Deathstar or Lord Vader, which gathers the greatest thrill? Those key elements in the story, which survive the test, future works may refer to in ways that are more sophisticated. J. K. Rowling would know all about that. The invisibility cloak Harry Potter employs follows a similar route of discovery as Tolkien’s ring with the exception of the item’s demise. Jo decides to break the concept into three items in the end so one may be lost, one may be buried, and the best of them all, retained.
The key is to the child’s voice is to know when to show and when to tell. Suspense is a key factor as well. Too much revealed in the beginning takes away from the surprise ending, but with children you have to reveal important plot elements on a regular basis as well. In “Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone” Harry is a bullied and badgered boy who lives in a terrible situation, but by the end of the first chapter enough is revealed to indicate that things might change for the better. Now if you’ve read the whole series, you would know that this in fact not the case. His life changes, some things get better but others much worse. The author does not pull any punches, and doesn’t talk down to the reader, which children and adults alike appreciate when they read it. At the same time, she doesn’t ramble off a bunch of gobbledygook. If the details are too sophisticated for your children readers, make sure to introduce them without the more esoteric aspects, but instead reveal those details throughout the story in bite-sized chunks. Dialog and circumstance should allow the child to discover things right along with the protagonist, instead of having some talking head come along and tell them everything. If Gandalf had described all of the things he knew about Bilbo’s duties in the book “The Hobbit”, the reader would have been left with very little suspense. No, Bilbo experiences these things as they come, and the reader does so vicariously as well.
If you might think picture books lack sophistication then you haven’t read “Cannonball Simp” by John Burningham. It appeals to the smallest children, yet speaks about the issues of animal abuse and neglect, and introduces unconditional love. While some editors insist on “Keeping it Simple”, many of the books in a publisher’s backlog aren’t selling because they took the assignment too far.
Anyways, do you use simple elements to construct your stories, grow suspense, and distribute clues, but don’t talk down to your audience. Kids aren’t stupid, so don’t write that way.
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