Why am I writing a YA novel? That's a question people ask me frequently... after "Oh, you're a writer" comes "What kind of book are you writing?" and then... "why Young Adult?"
And my answer is because there's so much more room for imagination!
I think my WIP is teetering between middle grade and YA... although mostly that's because the age of the protagonist keeps changing. I can't decide how old she should be, really... originally she was 7 or 8 and now she is 16. I felt like some of the situations she found herself in were a little too overwhelming for an 8 year-old.
Now, I know that YA can be serious and can deal with some serious issues, too. And I love, love, love that about the demographic. Teens deal with some heavy stuff. They also need YA to open their eyes to people living lives that are distinctly different from their own. I remember reading "Dicey's Song" by Cynthia Voigt when I was a kid... and loving Dicey so much... and feeling like the life she lived was so completely foreign to me.
But the ability to put my characters into a world of magic and folklore come to life is largely restricted to the MG/YA demographic. Yes there's sci-fi/fantasy for adults... but it's all so ... ADULT... and I don't know... I just feel like YA has more fun. Am I wrong?
Every author dreams of writing the next great American novel... of winning the Pulitzer or some other prestigious award... those are good things to dream of, for sure. But realistically... I just want to have fun with my characters, to enjoy their growth and progression through the story. So I guess I'll have to put off the Pulitzer Prize winning work for the NEXT NaNoWriMo. Ha!
What about YOU? Why do you write for YA/Teens/Middle Grade? Why do you choose fantasy for your WIP? I'm curious!!!
I don't write YA, I write adult psychological thrillers, but I do read them from time to time. After entering Cupid's Lit Connection's last contest, I'm realizing I'm just about the only one NOT writing YA. What is wrong with me?? My only problem with the YA I do read is that the voices always seem to sound so similar to me. Maybe I just need to read more YA.
ReplyDeleteI also don't write YA, ha. In fact, I wrote a blog post just like this one, only about why I -don't- write YA. ;) (so this post brought a smile to my face!)
ReplyDeleteAnyway, stopping by from the campaign to say hi!
Oh I know exactly what you mean about how YA just feels more fun than adult. Even, somehow, when it's dealing with dark subjects. I think that's why I'm drawn to it too.
ReplyDeleteHere's the link to the article you asked for ;)
ReplyDeletehttp://hildredbillings.blogspot.com/2011/12/why-i-dont-write-young-adult-fiction.html
great question! i'm sort of embarrassed by how much i relate to and enjoy the silliness of kids. i've worked in preschools and after school programs, and their humor just cracks me up! so in a nutshell, i'm a middle schooler in disguise, i guess ;)
ReplyDeleteI agree with you on the reasons why one writes YA. I'm particularly happy to see you draw on folklore as well because I do the same :)
ReplyDeleteI write YA because I like to escape and there is so much room for my creative hybrid brain to grow :)
YA gives me the opportunity to play around with children themes and add another dimension to it; having said that I think I will slowly venture towards New Adult.
ReplyDeleteI'm a fellow campaigner too; nice to meet you.
I write adult fantasy, but I'm a big fan of YA. My daughter keeps a stack of books she tells me I must read. As a high school teacher, I love anything that inspires kids to read.
ReplyDeleteI'm a fellow Campaigner form the YA/MG group. Your blog is very, very difficult to read due to the dark blue text on a dark background. You should try to change the font color to something light (in the setting section of your blog) or use a different theme.
ReplyDeleteSorry about any aesthetic problems, Cat! I think it could have something to do with your bandwidth or the browser you use... :( I change the layout occasionally anyhow, so check back!
ReplyDeleteI write YA because my characters are YA. But most of the story is a bit older, so by the end of the series, I'll probably say that I'm writing Crossover or New Adult. :-/
ReplyDeleteYou hit the nail on the head - there is so much opportunity for things to write about in YA. I'm from your YA group in the platform building campaign. Just wanted to say hello and hit your follower button:)
ReplyDeleteHi,just dropping in from the campaign and thought I would meet and greet!
ReplyDeleteI write YA because most of the characters I discover are in that age group. And, really, I find it such an amazing time. The cusp of life. The beginning and the end. It draws me to it.
ReplyDelete