Barbro Lindgren started to write at an early age. In the 1960s she sent her debut manuscript to publishing house Rabén & Sjögren, who’s editor responded with quite a long letter. The editor in question was no other than Astrid Lindgren, who worked as a publishing editor for almost 25 years. In Barbro’s own words, she learned from this letter the most important things about writing for children. The letter was written on 20th December 1964 and is published on astridlindgren.se/en.
Dear Barbro Lindgren,
Mats is a nice little kid and easy to like. That goes for the author as well, who knows so much about children. But she doesn’t know quite as much about how to build up and maintain the interest in a manuscript. The same problem has been the failing of many other manuscripts – the author makes it too easy for herself and jumps from one episode to the next without getting the most out of any of them. All too many do it that way because it’s an easy way to write books.
But in your case, one gets the feeling that if you were to really put some effort into it, you could rework the book and deliver something with the right kind of appeal. How that is to be done, yes, I wish I could explain what I mean, so you’d believe me! I can only give you a few guidelines. First of all, not so many episodes and not so many characters that you barely get a sniff at. Each chapter ought to be more or less a free-standing novel with a solid core to it. Pretend that you have been given an assignment of writing a full and detailed account of how Mats once ran away to his grandmother, or so he thought… That would turn into the type of novel I’m talking about. The same thing with when Lill-Fia was going to be sold. Pretend that your task is to write about that – and only that – continuing until you feel the tension has been building up in the right way and that it holds you till the end. Then you will have another fine novel which becomes a chapter in the book about Mats.
I suggest you scrap the chapter called, “At the theatre” because it would only amuse grown-up people who know what theatre is. But since you are writing for children, you must refrain from using the type of humour which only adults can understand. Surround Mats with a little group of characters who make us feel we know them all, just as well as he does. Lillpelle, Limpan and a couple more would suffice. Uncle Jensen or Mr and Mrs Linder and Klas-Herman – to name just a few – leave us cold, because we are never really given a chance to get to know them.
If I were you, I would never let Mats run away to grandma and grandpa in this book. I would rather let him plod around in his home surroundings at Vanadisvägen in the company of Lillpelle and Limpan. He doesn’t have to have any remarkable experiences, but what he does experience has to be built up properly.
You wriggle out of the difficulty by suddenly transferring Mats to a different environment and you fill out the pages with dialogue – which is highly delightful and amusing sometimes, but other times seems just to be there to fill up the page, so you can move on to the next chapter. Well, these are just some ideas.
Have you noticed that we have a competition going on at the moment? Why don’t you write six, seven or eight novels – little pearls about Mats – and enter the manuscript in our competition! One more example: The baby bird. There, you take a hop, skip and a jump over something that could have become a splendidly exciting little story. Couldn’t he, together with Limpan, find the bird in Vanadislunden instead of out in the country in the company of the heartily uninspiring Klas-Herman? ….or what do you say?
I hope I haven’t robbed you of all your courage now, because that was not my intention. Perhaps I will get to see your manuscript again.
I hope so.
With kind regards
Astrid Lindgren
Astrid Lindgren
Barbro Lindgren at the age of 15. From her book Bladen brinner (Pages on fire, 1971-73, ill. Olof Landström/ Barbro Lindgren), published by publishing house Karneval.
Barbro Lindgren’s first children’s book, Mattias sommar (Mattias’ Summer), appeared in 1965. She illustrated it herself.
Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 