The writer’s strike now brings us… kiddie lit
Oh, I love this. I just love it. I’ve been waiting for something good to come out of the WGA strike for some time, now. I mean, sure, there’s that whole paying writers fairly for their work thing, obviously. But I’m talking about something that’s happening right now to appease the masses. And by “appease” I mean “entertain,” and by “the masses” I mean me. Hey, it’s been a long time since there was a new episode of The Office, people. Throw me a bone.
Anyway, it turns out that there’s a small group of screen writers we know and love who are waiting out the strike by turning their talents to writing children’s books. Really!
With the strike putting the brakes on film and TV writing, a group of Hollywood scribes has found an unusual mode of creative expression: children’s books.
Writers with credits ranging from “The Simpsons” to “Shrek 2″ to “That’s So Raven” are picking up their pens to write fictional stories — only instead of sitting in meetings coming up with punch lines, they’re at home dreaming up frogs with big appetites and boys who fight with their sisters.
“It’s kind of a nice way to do something creative at a time when we’re having a hard time doing our bread-and-butter work,” said David N. Weiss, a “Shrek 2″ and “Rugrats” writer and WGA vp who recently turned in a first draft of “Carl the Frog,” about a reptile who tries to eat other frogs.
How brilliant is that??
The titles are part of Worthwhile Books, a new imprint at the telco-cum-entertainment company IDT/IDW. Although the unit was conceived and a number of the deals were signed ahead of the strike, Worthwhile is benefiting from the added time writers suddenly find they have on their hands — when they’re not picketing, of course.
The way the strike has been going, I’m expecting an entire library of titles from Worthwhile when all is said and done….
“I don’t think anyone thinks they’re going to make a lot of money on it,” Weiss said. “But creatively and emotionally, the chance to work on something that’s personal without the presence of a massive corporation is special right now.” Worthwhile does says it hopes to develop the projects into potential film and television vehicles.
I don’t know about you, but this whole story just allows me to start my week off with a smile. I can’t wait to see what Worthwhile ends up publishing, and even if it is just a small side effect of this whole WGA mess, it sounds like they may really be on to something.
January 24th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
Call me a party-pooper, but I think this whole thing is the absolute opposite of brilliant. Children’s literature is a profession, not a hobby. Writing children’s books is a vastly different proposition than writing for television, and those of us who are published children’s authors resent the attitude that dashing off a children’s book is an amusing way to fill some spare time.
Granted, some of these folks may be able to write a good book for kids. Some people can indeed write for a wide range of audiences in a number of genres and formats. It’s rare, but it’s possible. However, the way some of these potential authors are talking about children’s books is demeaning, presumptuous, and exposes their ignorance of the field — Rob Kurtz claiming there’s “a lack of really creative, funny children’s books,” for example.
January 24th, 2008 at 12:49 pm
I agree with you completely about it being a profession and not a hobby, but I still think it’s great. Either we’ll be seeing some previously unmined talent come to the forefront or the resultant titles will only cause reviewers to scoff and direct readers back to the authors who know what they’re doing. Either way, I maintain that it’s a boon to children’s literature.
(Kurtz’s comment was obnoxious, yes, but again—the buzz it generates is not a bad thing. All PR is good PR, right?)
January 24th, 2008 at 7:05 pm
I see what you’re saying, but I can’t bring myself to agree that it’ll be a boon for children’s literature.
Take the similar example of celebrity children’s books. In my opinion, the vast majority of them are crummy, but they still sell like gangbusters. Why? Because in the cavernous, overwhelming, and understaffed world of chain bookstores, the majority of adults who don’t know children’s lit tend to gravitate toward ANYTHING that looks familiar in the kids’ section — a name, a cover, a really big pile (which must mean *somebody* thinks it’s good, right?).
Bad publicity rarely leads to poor sales in these cases, nor a return to higher quality literature.
I admit, I’m being cynical and snotty. The best I can say for myself is that at least it’s cynicism and snottiness based on firsthand experience as both a bookseller and an author.
January 24th, 2008 at 8:05 pm
Fair enough.
January 25th, 2008 at 6:10 pm
I’m not even sure about “mining some previously unmined talent.” There is unmined talent being mined by children’s books publishers every day. And many of these young authors are spectacular writers who always wanted to write children’s / YA books. It is their heart’s desire, not just something to do until they can get back to what they really want to do.
They can write their supermarket books until they get back to their REAL work… but chances are it won’t be as “Worthwhile” as what’s being produced by those who dreamed of writing books for kids.