Printing out a novel for editing uses a lot of paper. Combine that with the kids' 2-hour-long scribbling sessions, and it makes perfect sense to use my old manuscripts as scrap paper. I mean, it's still good on one side, and though the kids can read, there's nothing OMG-terrible in BVA; it doesn't have sex scenes, per se, but the MC does think about sex in a flippant, jaded way, and there is colorful language. Still, nobody cares about the pieces of story on the other side of the page. The occasional cussword would go unnoticed.
So I thought.
I forgot my 11-year-old is a voracious reader with a vocabulary as big as mine. She wants to read all kinds of inappropriate books, as I did at her age, just because she's already read everything appropriate in the house. Last night she told me she'd been reading the backs of these scrap papers, because BVA was "awesome." She said sometimes she even gets several consecutive pages so she can read a bigger chunk at a time.
It's hard to turn down someone who's dying to read my work, and who will undoubtedly be complimentary. So after she begged me a while, I told her I would edit out the objectionable parts and let her read it. She's already bugged me about it twice more this morning.
So now I'm wondering, will this affect how and what I write? I want to write things my kids will love. The hubs doesn't read fiction anymore, so he doesn't factor in. Sex scenes embarrass me. It seems like a no-brainer to stick with Middle Grade or Young Adult. BVA is going to YA editors, I think.
Something to think about.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Well, let's see ... while you could certainly do YA without much problem, I wouldn't say you "have" to be pinned to that. Of course it's nice when your children read and adore your work, but there are times when you have to say no too, right? So, if you wrote something you felt was inappropriate for your kids (and btw, you wouldn't want that marketed to MY kids either, right? 'cause some authors don't mind YOUR kid reading their inappropriate work even if they won't let THEIR kids read it), you could still write it. Why not?
ReplyDeleteSo, you don't have to stick with it. But with very minor clean-up, I don't see why you SHOULDN'T let your young'uns read your work. It really wasn't that bad, honestly. And I haven't read a YA book in YEARS, so I have no idea what publishers deem "appropriate" language-wise for kids.
Write what you like. If they can read it, bonus; if not, let that be okay too. :)
Write what you like. If they can read it, bonus; if not, let that be okay too. :)
ReplyDeleteSays it all!
I think that's kind of cool and exciting that your child wants to read your work so much. :D
ReplyDeleteIt wouldn't surprise me if it affects what you write. To a degree. I mean, it's not like you were writing porn or anything like Madonna. So you don't really have that much to edit. It reminds me of like when actors start making kids movies when they become parents.
And if you stick with YA, so? It's a huge market, grab success where you find it! :D I don't think Nicholas Sparks resents or regrets that he's a YA writer.
I agree, I should just write what I want. But it's not like I'm moaning about not being able to write my sex scenes. It seems natural to drift to young adult. And I'm only contemplating this because I'm not writing at the moment. If I had a project in the works, I'm not sure the question would have occurred to me. I'd have just done it. It seems like all my story ideas lately are suitable for older kids.
ReplyDeleteWell, why not? Sounds like a great option to me, Sherri. Very cool that your kid is crazy about the book.
ReplyDelete