tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26791026.post8735123710576167604..comments2024-03-26T18:28:06.391-04:00Comments on Evil Editor: Face-Lift 1110Evil Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03879826770199639420noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26791026.post-28390160709355890752013-03-22T10:01:13.605-04:002013-03-22T10:01:13.605-04:00I only read TBWSP 'cause I received the ARC. B...I only read TBWSP 'cause I received the ARC. But the publisher was classifying it as YA, hence not "middle grade". The protag was nine. The premise was ridiculous. The movie rights sold.<br /><br />The Book Thief is a much, much better YA with a middle grade-aged protag. Plus, unlike TBWSP, it's a historical novel based on actual historical facts.AlaskaRavenclawnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26791026.post-83838734192695228372013-03-18T06:41:38.258-04:002013-03-18T06:41:38.258-04:00I've seen The Boy in Striped Pyjamas listed un...I've seen The Boy in Striped Pyjamas listed under "children's books" at a bookstore. I would <i>not</i> give that book to my child to read.... (Granted, my child is ten weeks old, so wouldn't understand it, let alone be traumatised by it, but still. My point stands.)<br /><br />I thought the setup did sound really interesting - until it said it was a love letter to the natural world. That made me assume it was going to be all, well, "science-y" and boring. Also, not sure how lung-eating denpars fit into the (our) natural world.<br /><br />I'd also suggest that if Nur grows up during the book, to mention that in the query. I hope she does - I can't imagine a 9yo child dealing with this situation in a way that doesn't involve bed-wetting and/or running home to Mommy/out into the wilderness to "live on her own" with the one sandwich she's brought along....Ruthhttp://phyntosia.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26791026.post-32889893916856941142013-03-16T12:38:59.838-04:002013-03-16T12:38:59.838-04:00Alaska--how did you miss "To Kill a Mockingbi...Alaska--how did you miss "To Kill a Mockingbird" or "The Lovely Bones"?<br /><br />Child protag doesn't always mean child's book, any more than female lead means romance or male Western. khazar-khumnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26791026.post-49391893489002012692013-03-16T09:47:57.415-04:002013-03-16T09:47:57.415-04:00Books w/child protags that aren't middle grade...Books w/child protags that aren't middle grade novels:<br /><br />Oliver Twist<br />Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow<br />The Boy in Striped Pajamas<br />About A Boy<br />The Book Thief<br />The Red Pony<br />Carson McCuller's stuff<br /><br />...off the top of my head. <br /><br />I think if this was a middle grade novel the querier would have mentioned in the query.<br /><br />AlaskaRavenclawnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26791026.post-37983279057035324832013-03-16T08:13:36.565-04:002013-03-16T08:13:36.565-04:00I don't think it's middle grade. The queri...I don't think it's middle grade. The querier said it's a 130k word SF novel.<br /><br />AlaskaRavenclawnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26791026.post-78629249921534165172013-03-16T04:33:39.962-04:002013-03-16T04:33:39.962-04:00Veronica...I'm guessing the theme of the novel...Veronica...I'm guessing the theme of the novel is to discredit the 'different is dangerous' assumption.<br /><br />The novel sounds like it might be interesting (although to keep the readers' interest at 130 k words, it needs to be very interesting) but the query needs more oomph to convey that. Buffy's comments are worth noting. Why can't she just let Mash stew in its own juices?<br /><br />Having a 9-year-old protag suggests it's a middle grade novel, however, the word count is waaay too long, unless your intials are JKR. <br /><br />Is it actually middle grade, or does most of the action occur once Nur has grown up? You need t specify that point.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26791026.post-6747828410064497622013-03-15T21:13:33.544-04:002013-03-15T21:13:33.544-04:00As this is young middle grade, I wonder about the ...As this is young middle grade, I wonder about the "different is dangerous" theme. <br /><br />As for the query, I'd like to know more about Nur's new life. Is she living in the wild with Mash? Are there other people around her? From whom does she learn her lessons? Does she find acceptance anywhere?<br /><br />Skip the long set-up. Start with brief backstory that gives a hint of voice [Nine y/o Nur is so disfigured her parents despair over ever finding her a husband; so they sell her for two sacks of grain to the marauding Denpars who plan to eat her lungs for Thanksgiving dinner.] sure you can do better it's just an example of jumping in quickly....<br /><br />Then tell us how she and Mash can't get along, but all they have is each other....and do it briefly.<br /><br />Then tell us what other things happen that help Nur realize she's just grand no matter what her folks thought. <br /><br />Just some thoughts. Best of luck.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18159799725109784001noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26791026.post-80711404840471877762013-03-15T20:33:00.351-04:002013-03-15T20:33:00.351-04:00Exchange I once had with the editor of my fifth no...Exchange I once had with the editor of my fifth novel:<br /><br />me: See, there's this underlying theme of...<br /><br />editor: Yeah, okay.<br /><br />Sadly, editors don't want to hear about themes nor about what gave you the idea for your novel. Neither do agents. With luck, reviewers might suss out the themes and interviewers will ask you what gave you the idea for your novel. Till then, best to keep mum on those subjects, and stick to matters of plot and character. <br /><br />AlaskaRavenclawnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26791026.post-10824034266498684602013-03-15T18:27:27.256-04:002013-03-15T18:27:27.256-04:00If Nur has grown up scarred and it's common kn...If Nur has grown up scarred and it's common knowledge she's therefore practically under a death sentence, she *already knows* being different is dangerous. She doesn't need to learn that lesson after she's sold/helped to escape.<br /><br />Which is it, anyway? Sold? Escapes? Or is she sold but escapes before the actual handover? It's not at all clear whether Mash is the denpar to which she's been sold or some other creature of unknown kind.<br /><br />Who forces her to look after Mash, anyway? What's in it for her? What's keeping her from walking away from the unpleasant creature rather than bothering to try save him at all? Why save him at all? It seems to me that if it's save him or save herself, the obvious choice is herself. You need to give us some reason why she should care.nonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00415222406280230021noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26791026.post-65516549839571133992013-03-15T18:17:59.302-04:002013-03-15T18:17:59.302-04:00Yeah, i was certain #3 was the winner!Yeah, i was certain #3 was the winner!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26791026.post-13727030086578434662013-03-15T16:28:07.470-04:002013-03-15T16:28:07.470-04:00#3: Best GTP ever.#3: Best GTP ever.Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09440250912113010049noreply@blogger.com