How to use this Page

Thanks for posting this - and reminding me about the Zoetrope. I MIGHT try... maybe... you?

You should play too!

I haven't had any real problems with comments on my blog veering from debate to bashing. That said, I've read some things I take offense at either in other blogs or in other blog comments...and I sit, count to ten, and ignore it.

Why ignore? Because I don't want to get into a battle, either on blog or in comments, when written communication is so limited and, basically, there are some arguments one will never win.

I also believe that responding fuels the fire; ignoring it makes it disappear.

So overall, I feel the "grown up" way to handle trolls & flames is to just ignore it; don't raise to the bait. What's solved by things that basically get into, for example, "you're an idiot for xyz" with a response of "no I'm not" "yes you are" OK, how long will that go on? And at the end of the day will it change anything? Nope; just a lot of drama. Plus, "worst case scenario" is that the writer didn't say what you thought they said and now the person responding looks like a flaming troll.

Now, an honest debate? That is of the good.

And I like to think that most kidlit bloggers can tell the difference between a real conversation and just hot air.

Now that I've said that, somewhere, a battle is about to start in comments....

I tend to avoid controversy on my site, for a few reasons (and I think this would be true of a number of bloggers and perhaps particularly kidlit bloggers:

(1) The mission of my blog is not to introduce conflict or controversy but more to simply educate and entertain. Probably results in less traffic, but so be it.

(2) If I reach my goal of publication, I may someday have kids finding my blog and I prefer that they find content that is clean, civil, lighthearted, etc.

(3) Conflict avoidance is my general MO anyway (though I have been known to speak my mind in the comments on certain political blogs that have no relation to kidlit).

I have found in general that kidlit writers are genuinely supportive and kind.

We have had random spam, but one truly virulent attack that we agreed to go the 'cut back the tinder' route with and we just deleted with no acknowledgment. I think you're right, Linda - most of us are here to share, not necessarily to create a following of a particular theory or point of view. We are all just here because we love this stuff.

Which makes for nice company.

Check out Smart Bitches latest post about this whole thing. Check out the posts they link to. http://www.smartbitchestrashybooks.com/index.php/weblog/candy_sarah_and_jane_respond_to_costumes_bloggers_and_the_600_comment_kerfu/

Oh, WOW, Liz, isn't this getting ugly!?!?

I'm shocked Nora Roberts got involved, and a little icked out that anyone felt the need to comment at all. The outfits -- were -- TAME. Seriously tame.

It interests me how bloggers are being targeted -- again -- as being these evil and awful people who will do JUST ANYTHING to make real lit'triture look bad. It is frankly astounding.

No prequel book.
No prequel movie.
JUST STOP IT, people.

Thanks. Let me know what you think of the book!

I just figured out that you'll be at SCBWI and so will I. I can come to your panel discussion, too...yippee!

Good luck with the revisions. I'm about to start mine. If you need motivation (Warning! shameless plug for my new blog here!) I wrote about why you need to finish them before the writer-hating bus rolls around. :)

Sara, it'd be really cool if you COULD come to our panel! But we'd forgive you if you went to, oh, Cecil Castelluci's, which is what's running right at the SAME TIME (boo! hiss!). Either way, we look forward to meeting you in your goth/punky/poetic coolness. You'll recognize me as I'll be the one waving Letters From Rapunzel and hoping for a signature!

Ummm...that makes them totally awesome! Wow! What a great thing to do :)

They totally need a "Decreasing WorldSuck" award.

It seems that you'd end up with an awfully lopsided shelf, using Potter books, wouldn't you? I mean, they started off reasonably, but have progressed into tomes of immense verbosity. That would seem to want to yield a shelf which gets progressively thicker from one end to the other.

Just sayin.

Ha! That did occur to me. However, it appears that the artist has used the later, heftier volumes to create the actual shelf portion, while the earlier, slimmer volumes are relegated to the status of supporting "brackets." Also, I believe he actually takes the covers off and inserts a wood core. There's interesting info somewhere on the artist's website on how he constructs these things...

I am loving your National Poetry Month selections, by the way. I need to jump on that boat...But first, tomorrow's cartoon...

Dramarama rocks, and it rocks HARD.

If you like The Keys to the Kingdom series and fantasies set in worlds which seem like ours but blend some contemporary dialogue with old-fashioned methods (you'll see what I mean when you read it), you'll like Flora Segunda.

thanks so much for sharing the pablo event, which went great earlier this evening, standing room only! for more info on the film and our projects, plesae visit http://redpoppy.net/pablo_neruda.php

we're trying to raise $14K to have some of the bay's finest filmmakers cut us a new reel of the new version of the documentary, write a new treatment and grant proposal, with which we'll get final funding to get pablo love spread all over the world. your support is greatly appreciated

paz,
mark

Mark, THANK YOU. How cool to get an invite for more films. Pablo-Love is a GOOD thing; thanks for sharing the wealth!

OK, I submitted my entry to the Disco Mermaids, but I must warn you that it's truly horrible...

I don't think you're into it for the right reasons; I think that you just want somebody to be sticking pins into Harry Potter.

Great links today, as always! (says the Praise Junkie!) I wanted to add something to what the praise article said: "Dweck discovered that those who think that innate intelligence is the key to success begin to discount the importance of effort. I am smart, the kids’ reasoning goes; I don’t need to put out effort." The really painful flip side of this idea is that then, when you put out effort but still fail, you see yourself as innately inferior. The author did talk about this a bit, later in the article, in light of kids who find the transition to junior high difficult. I think this is a really, really important issue. This article really hit home--I'm still working through issues of achievement and failure, in and out of the therapist's office. It's not just a problem with parents but how society treats exceptional children.

I'm not sure it's healthy for any child to be told they are a prodigy. You know why? Because you can't be a prodigy forever. There are no thirty-year-old prodigies (with the notable exception of fine art, but that's another issue). Who wants to be in a situation where you find yourself thinking you're long past the time when you can achieve anything notable because hey, you're no longer a prodigy? Especially if you're in a career where the playing field is leveled for various reasons--like the arts--and less experience, less "practice," actually disadvantages you, then the idea of innate ability trumping effort becomes a real obstacle to success.

I'm not saying I was anywhere near being a prodigy, but having had the experience of graduating high school at 16 and getting my BA at 20, here I am at 30 with zero major fiction publication credits to my name and all I can think any time I read something about the next rising young star is I will never have the chance to be a promising YOUNG writer. (Okay, I'm done boo-hooing! I'll save the rest of it for the therapist's office.)

The problem with over-praise is that a child not only learns to expect things to be easy for them, but because the school system is structured such that rewards are meted out on a regular basis and publicly recognized, it can be a very difficult transition to realize that life outside of school isn't like that, and even effort isn't always rewarded--BUT that doesn't mean that those efforts are pointless. This article did an excellent job of bringing up these ideas--thanks for posting the link, T.

Aside from that little digression, I hope to get to see Arion Press's new location soon! I visited their gallery on Bryant Street but it looks like they moved a handful of years ago. They have some great work in their archives, and the lead type facility is fascinating. (Just don't touch anything...)

I'm sorry, but if we do chaperone the prom, you are comin' with us!

- Jay

It is true -- the time of 'prodigy' is remarkably short... and then what are you? (There's a book in that somewhere, I'm sure...)

I guess I don't have the urge to be a 'promising young writer;' my worry is that all of the stories have been told, which is a fallacy, just as big as thinking that a.) at 30, you're no longer young, or b.) that you will never have any "major publishing works" or c.) that once you pass a certain age, "rising star" can never be attached to your name.

Maybe it's all in ignoring what other people have to say about your 'star' or whatever, and just writing your work, and letting IT speak. There is something to be said for slowing down and just being, instead of always feeling like one ought to be doing or achieving...

And Jay -- whatever would I wear?
Are you borrowing a stretch Hummer from the Gubernator?
Are you going as Mermaids?

Heh. Those poor kids would never recover.

I agree, the adult fiction HP cover is the best of the three. I agree with your "meh" assessment of the Mary GrandPre cover--although I think that the full wraparound view is much better than the cut-off front view. Overall, though, it's not as dynamic as the other covers, to me, which is too bad. I do enjoy her illustration style, and from the very beginning it lent the series a fun tone. I think my expectations of the books were different as a result--so yes, I guess I DO judge a book by its cover!!

Would you be interested in an ARC of my debut YA novel, Total Constant Order? Let me know and I'll email a copy.

Hey Crissa, thanks for the offer! We're all over it -- email away!

Ah! You got to this before I did. Good for you--I'm still lagging behind on posting this week.