I’ve been getting some good critiques from CritiqueCircle. They are perhaps not coming in as numerously as they do to some people – and I still can’t fathom exactly what it is that leads some stories to get dramatically different numbers. The loyal few that I do get though are positive, they show areas to think about, and more importantly at this stage, point me more editorially speaking to the nit-picky bits that need to be tightened up on.
One thing I’ve discovered though, is that CritiqueCircle does seem to be a US-centric site, and as such, I am becoming aware of things that I have previously been unaware of that do not travel across nations. References to this and that, or ways of saying things that are commonplace in our world, lead to confusion over there. The ‘tameness’ in some respects too of American culture seems to be reinforced too (please correct me if I’m wrong here, my US friends…).
For one, the characters in my novel are early twenties/student age, and as such there is a certain amount of going into bars and ordering drinks. One recent comment, was a query as to the legal drinking age in Iceland (it’s actually 20) – and was phrased in such a way as to ask if it was okay for drinking in YA novels. And this of course brings up another difference in perception. ‘YA Fiction’ does seem to be predominantly a US term which has taken over here, and it seems to cover books from anything from early-mid teens up to 23 but predominantly, under 18s. From what I can make out, in America, it is very much teenage books, whilst over here it does seem to be a bit vague. So drinking even amongst students who are legall alllowed to drink in a ‘YA’ book read by early-teens does seem that in some eyes, this could be a problem. In actual fact I don’t think it will be, because there is no drinking to get drunk, and they are allowed. It’s still interesting none-the-less…
There’s quite a lot of networking goes on at CC – I think some of the people who get most crits have been members of CC for quite a while and make regular use of the forums to forge links with other members.
What amuses me is that sex/teen pregnancy seems to be an OK subject for YA novels, but drinking is considered shocking! I’ve given up caring what the Americans think, TBH – I’m writing primarily for a British audience. I’ve had good crits from US members of CC, but the assumption that everything we write should be fully comprehensible to Americans really gets on my nerves! I’d rather celebrate difference than become part of an homogeneous mass 😀
I’ve given up caring what the Americans think, TBH – I’m writing primarily for a British audience
I think I agree with you. If something really doesn’t work for a US audience, then I would hope that when my book is released in that territory then my American editor would tweak any small references that really don’t work!!
I got some good praise for ‘effortlessly’ explaining what skyr and mjölkurtex is but then was queried as to why I hadn’t explained what haddock was!! 😉
Yes, you would hope that if you book did well and sold abroad, the foreign editors would make any necessary adjustments – although to be perfectly honest I read plenty of books by American authors and, even when I don’t understand a particular word or reference, it’s easy enough to look it up and find out! You can work out roughly what most things are just from the context. I’d be interested to know how, or if, JK Rowling’s books are edited for the American market – other than changing the title of the first book!
amount of critiques
Hi,
I found you through CC, so I can comment on this. It has, as someone here suggested, a bit to do with networking. But mostly it’s about critting a lot and stumbling into the right people who return the favor. I’m at CC since August 06, and now i have a ‘core’ of about 8 to 10 regular critters. Also, bear in mind that some people don’t want to crit chapters of novels, because they don’t like the effort of critting regularly and remembering the storyline. I have a novel too, and I focus on others who are writing a novel too. They’re more likely to return the favor on a regular basis. I hope this helps.
About the drinking, I’m from Holland. I think it’s legal to drink beer and wine from age 16, booze from 18. And nobody really checks in pubs and bars etc. The US is overly political correct, though, and I wouldn’t be surprised if too much drinking in a story will make it hard to sell over there.
Cheers,
Lucan