Revision Tip #11

Big news: Kirkus is shutting down.

How do you think this will affect publishing and bookselling?

Hard to understand news: Some readers in Sweden are talking about WINTERGIRLS. My Swedish is not very good, but I am pretty sure they were not overly fond of the book. Can anyone do a better job translating than I did? I don’t need word-for-word, I am just looking for the overall gist of the review.

Revision Tip #11

When you wake up thinking about your characters, don’t fart around with email or television or blog entries. Get to work!

Which I am doing right now.

(Though I will come up with something more useful later today,if my brain slows down.)

7 Replies to “Revision Tip #11”

  1. Actually, Google Translate seems to indicate they liked it just fine, but started a discussion about whether these types of books about anorexia end up feeding the behavior they’re meant to combat. Still, they spoke very favorably about your writing. Try the translated version.

  2. I’m asking my Swedish friend about it for you. This is her translation of it all. She says it’s not a literal translation, but is almost exactly what it says. Apologies for the writing, it’s just copied across directly from MSN:

    “first paragraph mainly says that the reviewer find it hard to like books bout anorexia coz they r all bout how they dont eat, what they do to not eat, how much calories there is in each thing they r forced to eat etc. in other “problem books” like suicide for example its more bout the depression which makes them wanna committ suicide rather than the various ways they can do it
    2nd para: anyway i read the book. lia n cassie best buddies, united troughout the years in their fight to be come thinner n thinner n thinner.lia is 18 n has been in rehab twice n is extremely thin. cassie is found dead , coz of her anorexia. they havent been in contact for the last year but her death males lia take the last step to unhealthyleavin or in her eyes the ultimate goal, less than 500 calories a day
    the way its written is very good, a modern classic. graphical details , whats said, whats thought,all the sharp stuff, is really good.
    content: well se my above objections. even me who got no inclinations to this illness n is far above the crucial age of gettin caught in it becomes a bit obsessed n fixated. all we get is calorie counting . yes there are nice family potraits in it but its in the shadow of how many calories there is in a half bagel. n lia knows where to go online 2 get support
    i remember a notice about sum little boys havin an accident climbin into a bin container coz there was a certain material they wanted to “read” and how cleverly the notice told this so it became clear to older readerswhat it was about but so theyuoungers wouldnt be temped toding it . i think of this notice when i read this genre. why should I sit n think “oh how great, i forgot the mayo when i had my eggsandwich” but if I think so is it really good? cant u write a book bout this topic without ending up there?
    one of the catching phrases “novels bout anorexia mostly feels like a manual to reach size 0″.”

    Hope that helps you.

    Edit: Thought I should add this which my friend has just said: “n i get the feelin the review person got more of a problem with the actual genre n how it endsup bein written n the problems of the genre n of readin the genre rather than havin a problem with the actual writing”

  3. “Wintergirls” in Sweden

    I’m the author of the review of “Wintergirls” on the Swedish bookblog http://www.bokhora.se. Hi Laurie!
    You already got a pretty good translation of the review, but in short – I say that I usually avoid novels about this theme, anorexia, as it’s pretty much always a manual on how to reach size 0. However, I’m a BIG fan of your novel “Speak” (that’s the modern classic) so that’s why I wanted to read “Wintergirls”. I like the style of it a lot, but I have issues with the manual: the calories in everything, the pro-ana surfing, etc. Is it possible to write about this without ending up giving all readers bad feelings and guilt about food?
    That’s my review in a short, short version.

    Best regards / Johanna

  4. Kirkus is probably the most prestigious book review journal out there. If you ever look at book flaps, a Kirkus review is just about the first thing listed.

    With the way the publishing industry is going, I can’t say I’m surprised Kirkus is going under, but it is very sad. They do a lot of really great work.

  5. Any press is good press right?
    I have Wintergirls and Speak on my wish list for Christmas this year. All I asked for was Barnes and Noble gift cards, so I can’t wait to read them both over the break!

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