by R.C. Lewis
As writers, we talk a lot about authenticity. Authentic voice, authentic setting, authentic characters. Particularly in young adult (YA), I spend a lot of time trying to make sure my characters resonate and feel real to teens. It doesn't mean all teens are the same, that there's some very specific teen-mold our characters should match. Just that teens should think, "Yeah, I believe a person my age could be like that."
You know what else we talk about?
Slut-shaming. Body-shaming. Rape culture. Misogyny. Hate speech. Pretty sure that's just scratching the surface.
I spend the work-week with about two hundred 14-year-olds. There are things a significant number of them say/do. Call another student retarded. Use the word "gay" as an insult or disparaging adjective. Objectify girls, judge their worth solely based on appearance. It goes on and on, and many of them do all these things without a second thought.
(At least until I give them a hard time about it, over and over and over. *ahem*)
These behaviors exist, and not in isolation. These words are in the vernacular for many (but not all!) teens.
So do we include it in the name of authenticity?
That's where it starts getting tricky, because more questions follow.
Do we only include it in cases where it's clearly shown to be a bad thing? (Either right away for incidental dialogue or by the end of the book where it's an overall theme…)
Do we lose authenticity by always having a character ready to call another out for speaking/behaving in a way we don't approve?
If we leave it out altogether, where do we draw the line? How do we keep from going so inauthentic that we actually cross into "rosy idealized way we wish people were"? (Face it—at the extreme, that lands you with no conflict and thus no plot.)
Is there a balancing point where we can show the authentic without making it "okay" and without getting didactic?
My own thoughts flit around from one side of the argument to another, creating more questions, giving no answers.
I'd love to know what others think.
R.C. Lewis teaches math to teenagers—and frequently tells them to "pick a more accurate adjective"—so whether she's a science geek or a bookworm depends on when you look. Her debut novel Stitching Snow is coming from Hyperion October 14, 2014. You can find R.C. on Twitter (@RC_Lewis) and at her website.
Showing posts with label young adult. Show all posts
Showing posts with label young adult. Show all posts
Monday, March 24, 2014
Monday, September 24, 2012
New Visions Writers Award
by J. Lea López
Here at FTWA we don't endorse or promote products, contests, services, etc. because... well, we just don't. We share resources and info that we personally find valuable, and that's generally the only reason we pass along links. However, we were recently contacted by our friends at Lee & Low Books, publishers of children's literature focusing on diversity, about a new award. Since we know they're legit and have such a great reputation in the kid lit world, we felt it was our duty to pass this info along to our readers. About
And by all means, if you enter and win, let us know!
J. Lea López is a writer with a penchant for jello and a loathing for writing bios. Find her on Twitter or her blog, Jello World. She has had some short stories published, most recently in the Spring Fevers anthology.
Here at FTWA we don't endorse or promote products, contests, services, etc. because... well, we just don't. We share resources and info that we personally find valuable, and that's generally the only reason we pass along links. However, we were recently contacted by our friends at Lee & Low Books, publishers of children's literature focusing on diversity, about a new award. Since we know they're legit and have such a great reputation in the kid lit world, we felt it was our duty to pass this info along to our readers. About
The New Visions Award, established this year, will be given for a middle grade or young adult fantasy, science fiction, or mystery novel by an author of color. The Award winner will receive a cash grant of $1,000 and our standard publication contract, including our basic advance and royalties for a first time author. The deadline this year to submit manuscripts will be October 30, 2012.The award is for unpublished, unagented manuscripts in the genres listed above. For complete eligibility requirements and submission guidelines, please visit their web page.
We strive to give authors of color the chance to have their voices heard, so we are very excited to share this amazing opportunity for aspiring YA authors to break into publishing. The New Visions Award is modeled after our New Voices Award for picture books, which was established in 2000 and has led to the publication of many respected authors including Zetta Elliott, Don Tate, and Paula Yoo.
And by all means, if you enter and win, let us know!
J. Lea López is a writer with a penchant for jello and a loathing for writing bios. Find her on Twitter or her blog, Jello World. She has had some short stories published, most recently in the Spring Fevers anthology.
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Coming of Age
by Riley Redgate
Today I turn eighteen.
Today I'm legally allowed to get lottery tickets. And spray paint. And children! I can adopt a child!
Er, perhaps I'll hold off on that for a while.
Anyway. I've long heard about this mysterious age, eighteen. Word has it that at eighteen, protagonists turn into world-weary folk no longer suitable for the YA section. At eighteen, protagonists enter the mysterious realm of New Adult. Heck, at eighteen, protagonists are practically fossilized, you know?
Regardless. Now that I am a Legal Adult, a Human of Great Weight and Importance in the Eyes of the Government, an Independent Entity ... I am qualified to say that I feel absolutely no different. I almost wish it felt stranger, you know? All this buildup, and ... nada. I expected at least some sort of sonic boom as I entered the realms of adulthood.
Oh, well.
So what is it, exactly, that'll turn me into an adult? Certainly not an arbitrary number of years past the date of birth. By my calculations, approximately eight million coming-of-age stories have been written to try and pin down the moment when the boy becomes the man; when the girl becomes the woman. I believe that almost every YA story has a coming-of-age element—and I have three theories to share about this special moment (or period of time). It's different for every personality, every story, but just as many plots are comparable, I believe many characters' transition to adulthood are similar:
YOUR MAIN CHARACTER GREW UP ...
1) When They Lost Their Innocence
In The Hunger Games, exactly when did Katniss lose her innocence—was it the first murder she saw in the Arena, or holding someone she loved in her arms as they died ... or was it the experience as a whole? In Lord of the Flies, when did one certain boy realize that the other boys had turned from young men into beasts? In my opinion, this isn't usually so much a moment as a slow transition. It may take months, or years, but when the character emerges from this transformation, he/she is wise. Before, he/she may have been smart, but now he/she is wise. He/She has knowledge of the world, of its faults, and the maturity to accept it. This is rather depressing at its heart, but hey. Now they get to give sage advice to people! You win some, you lose some.
2) When They Knew What to Do
This transition, unlike the above, is one you can pinpoint; one you can spot at the height of the climax. It's where the plot comes together and the main character realizes, I have to sacrifice myself to save my friends! Or maybe, I have to let go of my memories to move on from the past. Or perhaps, I have to take charge of this army and lead them across a sunny field while raising my sword and crying, "FOR NARNIA!" You know. That type of thing. This is a clearly marked turning point. It's where a young person, who has been led by circumstance, often guided by adults and restrained by his/her own self-doubt, bursts free of adolescent fears. This is a culminating moment, a glorious moment of surety. The moment he/she takes charge, accepts responsibility for his/her actions, and bears the weight of independence and what that entails.
3) When They Changed
Sometimes we aren't the same people at the end of a journey as we were at the beginning. (Hi there, Frodo.) Often, the most fascinating dynamic characters are those who emerge with traits that weren't evident at all at the beginning (Hi there, Harry). Whether that's a sense of bravery, heightened respect for others, or newfound humility, a wonderful way to add a feeling of maturity is to work in a different face to the character, a different type of emotion altogether. A new dimension; another facet. After all, adolescence is about exploration, the discovery of who we really are. Coming out with more self-knowledge will always be the hallmark of a good ol' learning experience.
There you have it—my three categories. Now, having talked about growing up for a while ... I'm off to build a fort out of pillows and blankets, complain about school, and eat unhealthy food. Legal adulthood? Ha! You're only as old as you feel. And I feel positively embryonic! (Ew.)
*clears throat* And on that ... evocative note ...
How old do you feel? And do you have a favorite Bildungsroman?
Riley Redgate, enthusiast of all things YA, is a bookstore-and-Starbucks-dweller from North Carolina. She blogs here and speaks with considerably more brevity here.
Today I turn eighteen.
Today I'm legally allowed to get lottery tickets. And spray paint. And children! I can adopt a child!
Er, perhaps I'll hold off on that for a while.
Anyway. I've long heard about this mysterious age, eighteen. Word has it that at eighteen, protagonists turn into world-weary folk no longer suitable for the YA section. At eighteen, protagonists enter the mysterious realm of New Adult. Heck, at eighteen, protagonists are practically fossilized, you know?
 |
| me, as of today. |
Oh, well.
So what is it, exactly, that'll turn me into an adult? Certainly not an arbitrary number of years past the date of birth. By my calculations, approximately eight million coming-of-age stories have been written to try and pin down the moment when the boy becomes the man; when the girl becomes the woman. I believe that almost every YA story has a coming-of-age element—and I have three theories to share about this special moment (or period of time). It's different for every personality, every story, but just as many plots are comparable, I believe many characters' transition to adulthood are similar:
YOUR MAIN CHARACTER GREW UP ...
1) When They Lost Their Innocence
In The Hunger Games, exactly when did Katniss lose her innocence—was it the first murder she saw in the Arena, or holding someone she loved in her arms as they died ... or was it the experience as a whole? In Lord of the Flies, when did one certain boy realize that the other boys had turned from young men into beasts? In my opinion, this isn't usually so much a moment as a slow transition. It may take months, or years, but when the character emerges from this transformation, he/she is wise. Before, he/she may have been smart, but now he/she is wise. He/She has knowledge of the world, of its faults, and the maturity to accept it. This is rather depressing at its heart, but hey. Now they get to give sage advice to people! You win some, you lose some.
2) When They Knew What to Do
This transition, unlike the above, is one you can pinpoint; one you can spot at the height of the climax. It's where the plot comes together and the main character realizes, I have to sacrifice myself to save my friends! Or maybe, I have to let go of my memories to move on from the past. Or perhaps, I have to take charge of this army and lead them across a sunny field while raising my sword and crying, "FOR NARNIA!" You know. That type of thing. This is a clearly marked turning point. It's where a young person, who has been led by circumstance, often guided by adults and restrained by his/her own self-doubt, bursts free of adolescent fears. This is a culminating moment, a glorious moment of surety. The moment he/she takes charge, accepts responsibility for his/her actions, and bears the weight of independence and what that entails.
3) When They Changed
Sometimes we aren't the same people at the end of a journey as we were at the beginning. (Hi there, Frodo.) Often, the most fascinating dynamic characters are those who emerge with traits that weren't evident at all at the beginning (Hi there, Harry). Whether that's a sense of bravery, heightened respect for others, or newfound humility, a wonderful way to add a feeling of maturity is to work in a different face to the character, a different type of emotion altogether. A new dimension; another facet. After all, adolescence is about exploration, the discovery of who we really are. Coming out with more self-knowledge will always be the hallmark of a good ol' learning experience.
There you have it—my three categories. Now, having talked about growing up for a while ... I'm off to build a fort out of pillows and blankets, complain about school, and eat unhealthy food. Legal adulthood? Ha! You're only as old as you feel. And I feel positively embryonic! (Ew.)
*clears throat* And on that ... evocative note ...
How old do you feel? And do you have a favorite Bildungsroman?
Riley Redgate, enthusiast of all things YA, is a bookstore-and-Starbucks-dweller from North Carolina. She blogs here and speaks with considerably more brevity here.
Monday, February 20, 2012
Good for the Whole Family
by R.S. Mellette
While the publishing world argues over what's Middle Grade, what's Young Adult, and what's New Adult—as witnessed by J. Lea Lopez here recently—I'm asking; whatever happened to "good for the whole family?"
Target marketing has been around long enough that most people think it's the only way it's ever been, but if you take a longer view of commercial art, you'll see that excluding the majority of your potential audience is a brand new concept. Yes, I said "excluding." If you write for, or edit for, or make acquisitions for, or shelf for, one specific age group, then you are limiting your audience. And by "brand new" I mean since the turn of the previous century.
Before radio, movies, television and the internet split audiences into tiny chunks, there were basically two markets: kids and adults. Even at the beginning of these technologies, artists had to create work that would satisfy whoever might receive the signal from the air. Going back even further, when books were expensive to print and buy, one book had to entertain the entire family.
How did they achieve what modern day marketing and acquisitions executives see as the rare and illusive "crossover"? Let's take a look.
Look at Dumas's Count of Monte Cristo and Three Musketeers series. Look at Robert Louis Stevenson's Kidnapped and Treasure Island. Look at anything by Shakespeare, Dickens, or Twain. Each of these cases, and many more, contain certain elements editors and acquisition execs, and store owners should look for:
Take a closer look at Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Today we'd call that a YA Romance, or a chick flick, but Shakespeare couldn't afford that luxury. Most of London would at some point or another come to see his plays—old, young, rich, poor, men, women, educated, uneducated, sophisticated, and unruly. He had to keep them all happy or the crowd might riot. If he didn't keep royalty happy, he might lose his head. So he starts with a prologue that says, yes, this is a romance, so ladies settle in for exactly what you're expecting. Then the men come on and proceed to tell crude jokes about how small their enemies' privates are, and Romeo talks about the woman he slept with the night before—though, you'd have to have knowledge of the carnal type yourself to know what he's talking about. Throughout the story Shakespeare switches from action to romance, from poetry to punnery. He gives each member of his audience something to look forward to.
Now let's look at the book that shall not be named. The crossover so big that it changed the way best-seller lists are calculated. The Harry Potter series.
This isn't rocket science, folks.
Something else that should be considered in marketing for the whole family. Aristotle said that Art should Entertain and Educate. By creating a single work for all ages, not only is your marketing inclusive rather than exclusive, but young minds get a peek into what might lay ahead of them in life. Those of us that are older, are reminded of what was important in our youth, and should probably be important to us again today.
So, if you own a bookstore, set up a BOOKS THE FAMILY CAN READ TOGETHER shelf and see what happens.
If you're an editor, push those YA books that you like as an adult on your acquisitions executives.
If you're in acquisitions, think about including readers, not excluding them.
If you're an agent, keep pushing, we'll get there.
If you're a writer, keep writing, we'll get there.
R.S. Mellette is an experienced screenwriter, actor, director, and novelist. You can find him at the Dances With Blogs film festival blog, and on Twitter.
While the publishing world argues over what's Middle Grade, what's Young Adult, and what's New Adult—as witnessed by J. Lea Lopez here recently—I'm asking; whatever happened to "good for the whole family?"
Target marketing has been around long enough that most people think it's the only way it's ever been, but if you take a longer view of commercial art, you'll see that excluding the majority of your potential audience is a brand new concept. Yes, I said "excluding." If you write for, or edit for, or make acquisitions for, or shelf for, one specific age group, then you are limiting your audience. And by "brand new" I mean since the turn of the previous century.
Before radio, movies, television and the internet split audiences into tiny chunks, there were basically two markets: kids and adults. Even at the beginning of these technologies, artists had to create work that would satisfy whoever might receive the signal from the air. Going back even further, when books were expensive to print and buy, one book had to entertain the entire family.
How did they achieve what modern day marketing and acquisitions executives see as the rare and illusive "crossover"? Let's take a look.
Look at Dumas's Count of Monte Cristo and Three Musketeers series. Look at Robert Louis Stevenson's Kidnapped and Treasure Island. Look at anything by Shakespeare, Dickens, or Twain. Each of these cases, and many more, contain certain elements editors and acquisition execs, and store owners should look for:
- Characters of various ages, or the entire life of a character, not just kids
- Sex is left to what anyone might witness in public
- Age groups are targeted by beats within the story, not the entire work
Take a closer look at Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Today we'd call that a YA Romance, or a chick flick, but Shakespeare couldn't afford that luxury. Most of London would at some point or another come to see his plays—old, young, rich, poor, men, women, educated, uneducated, sophisticated, and unruly. He had to keep them all happy or the crowd might riot. If he didn't keep royalty happy, he might lose his head. So he starts with a prologue that says, yes, this is a romance, so ladies settle in for exactly what you're expecting. Then the men come on and proceed to tell crude jokes about how small their enemies' privates are, and Romeo talks about the woman he slept with the night before—though, you'd have to have knowledge of the carnal type yourself to know what he's talking about. Throughout the story Shakespeare switches from action to romance, from poetry to punnery. He gives each member of his audience something to look forward to.
Now let's look at the book that shall not be named. The crossover so big that it changed the way best-seller lists are calculated. The Harry Potter series.
- Characters of various ages: CHECK
- Sex is left to what might be witnessed in public: CHECK
- Age groups are targeted by beats: CHECK
This isn't rocket science, folks.
Something else that should be considered in marketing for the whole family. Aristotle said that Art should Entertain and Educate. By creating a single work for all ages, not only is your marketing inclusive rather than exclusive, but young minds get a peek into what might lay ahead of them in life. Those of us that are older, are reminded of what was important in our youth, and should probably be important to us again today.
So, if you own a bookstore, set up a BOOKS THE FAMILY CAN READ TOGETHER shelf and see what happens.
If you're an editor, push those YA books that you like as an adult on your acquisitions executives.
If you're in acquisitions, think about including readers, not excluding them.
If you're an agent, keep pushing, we'll get there.
If you're a writer, keep writing, we'll get there.
R.S. Mellette is an experienced screenwriter, actor, director, and novelist. You can find him at the Dances With Blogs film festival blog, and on Twitter.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
In Support of New Adult Fiction
by J. Lea Lopez
Back in 2009, St. Martin's Press held a contest for a new category of fiction: New Adult. They coined the term themselves to describe fiction with protagonists slightly older than YA (age 18-26) and that would appeal to adults. There was some good response to the contest, but there were critics as well. Still are, of course. I know not all of the Write Angle crew feels NA is viable or necessary, but I think it could be a great thing. If you haven't heard of New Adult as a category, don't fret. It's not widely used or promoted just yet, but that doesn't mean it isn't worth pursuing. Hopefully I can provide some clarification and information for you to make your own decision on this emerging category.
First, let's be clear about one thing: New Adult (like YA) is not a genre. It's a category. Just as you can have YA or adult fantasy, romance, or any other genre, you would also have NA fantasy, romance, etc. With that out of the way, let's look at some other questions surrounding the NA concept.
Isn't it condescending?
I came across a blog post that asked this very question recently. In my mind, this is an easy no. Some people seem to think a New Adult categorization is somehow prescriptive, telling twenty-somethings this is what they ought to be reading, and nothing else. It's not, just as YA isn't telling teens they should be reading Sarah Dessen and not Tami Hoag. Plenty of adults enjoy reading YA, and plenty of teens enjoy adult novels. The NA category is descriptive. It allows readers and writers to identify some general characteristics of a book before they ever pick it up. Proponents of NA aren't suggesting we start carding all book buyers and only let them purchase books in their prescribed age category.
Why aren't "new adults" reading [insert list of Classics here] like I did at that age?
I've seen this argument both in YA and NA discussions of what's good or appropriate for certain age groups to read. If there's a condescending or prescriptive attitude in the discussion of NA's validity, this is it. Of course there are plenty of wonderful classic novels that encompass the spirit of what it is to be a new adult. That doesn't negate the need for more, though, does it? And it does nothing to address an audience who may want more contemporary settings, characters, and plots. Plus, I don't know about you all, but the classics (like Catcher in the Rye) were usually the subject of English class assignments and discussions, which means I wasn't going near them with a ten-foot pole when it came time for pleasure reading in high school. I've since revisited some of them now that I'm out of school.
Is it just YA: The College Years?
In talking about the New Adult category with some of the Write Angle Crew, as well as reading through blog posts and comments from other writers and agents, it seems that many people have a very narrow view of what NA is, could, or should be. The thought behind creating a New Adult category has to do with much more than just the age of the protagonist, though that is an obvious indicator. Check out this post from St. Martin's Press editorial assistant, JJ, for more on how the age of the protagonist, voice, and scope of a novel differ between YA, NA and adult fiction. She pinpoints it better than I ever could. Here are a couple of quotes that encompass the general idea:
The market isn't strong for NA because college-goers are too busy to read outside of academia.
Really? I suppose it's true for many, but I doubt for all. Maybe not even the majority. I can't say for certain. I know I didn't read as much during the school year, but during winter break I'd read a couple books, and over the summers I'd read as many books as I could find. Personally, my reading for pleasure peaked in late middle school and the first half of high school. Not so much because I didn't have time, but because I had a hard time finding things that interested me. Once I reached a certain age and maturity/reading level, I wasn't sure where to find books I could identify with. I devoured Dean Koontz and his backlist, and I love him to this day, but I was at a loss when it came to more literary stories that spoke to me. Even now, over the past few years, I haven't been reading as much as I used to because while Jodi Picoult and Nicholas Sparks are fine, I'm not always able to identify with the divorcee, or the widow, or the mother of two, and other kinds of protagonists that often populate contemporary women's fiction. My other option, then, is Chick Lit, which fulfills my need for a protagonist closer to my age, but I still find many of them unrelatable on other levels.
Literary agent Sarah LaPolla uses this argument as one of her reasons why NA isn't a viable market (yet) in a post from October 2011. She says:
There's no universal "new adult" experience.
Again from LaPolla's blog post:
Variety is really the whole point here. There's variety in both YA and adult literature, and as a supporter for a New Adult category, what I'm rallying for is even more of it. Why? Because even with all the options out there, I feel like there's still a gap, and it happens to be a gap in an area I'd very much like to read.
Is it just a matter of shelving and marketing support?
I don't know, to be honest. Would you go to a section in the book store marked "New Adult"? I might. Others may not, for whatever reason. Maybe it needs a different name (especially because in a Google search I was prematurely excited to see lots of results for new adult fiction from public library websites, only to realize they were talking about new releases in adult fiction). There's obviously the conundrum of "if there's no shelf for it in the bookstore, publishers won't acquire it, so agents won't rep it."
From the perspective of traditional publishing, I agree with Sarah LaPolla's assessment that the New Adult category will come into its own eventually, but it will take time, the same way it took time for YA to be accepted and recognized. As a reader, I don't necessarily buy into the idea that it's not currently a viable market. From my experience in retail clothing sales, I know it's possible for there to be a ready and willing set of consumers for a non-existent product. Take plus size clothing as an example. For a long time there were next to no options for plus size women to find fashionable clothing, despite the overwhelming number of consumers who would've gladly spent their money on such a product if only someone was making it. Now that the plus size clothing market is booming, it's difficult to fathom that anyone would've ever thought it wasn't a viable market.
How can consumers communicate to product/service providers (whether it's a clothing company or the publishing industry) that they want a certain product if that product doesn't currently exist? And how can retailers measure sales lost to the consumer who never even walks in the door because they already know the retailer isn't selling what they want? It has to start somewhere. Perhaps this is one area where indie authors and eBooks, mostly unrestricted by bookstore shelf labels, can help pave the way and demonstrate the market for New Adult literature. However it happens, I fully support the idea of a New Adult category. What about you?
What do you think "New Adult" as a category? Would you read it? Do you write it?
Back in 2009, St. Martin's Press held a contest for a new category of fiction: New Adult. They coined the term themselves to describe fiction with protagonists slightly older than YA (age 18-26) and that would appeal to adults. There was some good response to the contest, but there were critics as well. Still are, of course. I know not all of the Write Angle crew feels NA is viable or necessary, but I think it could be a great thing. If you haven't heard of New Adult as a category, don't fret. It's not widely used or promoted just yet, but that doesn't mean it isn't worth pursuing. Hopefully I can provide some clarification and information for you to make your own decision on this emerging category.
First, let's be clear about one thing: New Adult (like YA) is not a genre. It's a category. Just as you can have YA or adult fantasy, romance, or any other genre, you would also have NA fantasy, romance, etc. With that out of the way, let's look at some other questions surrounding the NA concept.
Isn't it condescending?
I came across a blog post that asked this very question recently. In my mind, this is an easy no. Some people seem to think a New Adult categorization is somehow prescriptive, telling twenty-somethings this is what they ought to be reading, and nothing else. It's not, just as YA isn't telling teens they should be reading Sarah Dessen and not Tami Hoag. Plenty of adults enjoy reading YA, and plenty of teens enjoy adult novels. The NA category is descriptive. It allows readers and writers to identify some general characteristics of a book before they ever pick it up. Proponents of NA aren't suggesting we start carding all book buyers and only let them purchase books in their prescribed age category.
Why aren't "new adults" reading [insert list of Classics here] like I did at that age?
I've seen this argument both in YA and NA discussions of what's good or appropriate for certain age groups to read. If there's a condescending or prescriptive attitude in the discussion of NA's validity, this is it. Of course there are plenty of wonderful classic novels that encompass the spirit of what it is to be a new adult. That doesn't negate the need for more, though, does it? And it does nothing to address an audience who may want more contemporary settings, characters, and plots. Plus, I don't know about you all, but the classics (like Catcher in the Rye) were usually the subject of English class assignments and discussions, which means I wasn't going near them with a ten-foot pole when it came time for pleasure reading in high school. I've since revisited some of them now that I'm out of school.
Is it just YA: The College Years?
In talking about the New Adult category with some of the Write Angle Crew, as well as reading through blog posts and comments from other writers and agents, it seems that many people have a very narrow view of what NA is, could, or should be. The thought behind creating a New Adult category has to do with much more than just the age of the protagonist, though that is an obvious indicator. Check out this post from St. Martin's Press editorial assistant, JJ, for more on how the age of the protagonist, voice, and scope of a novel differ between YA, NA and adult fiction. She pinpoints it better than I ever could. Here are a couple of quotes that encompass the general idea:
What makes YA compelling as a read is its immediacy; a young person cannot write of him/herself from any perspective aside from “now” and “later”. With a YA voice, the past is less present, the present looms like a storm, and the future ever just out of reach. With an adult voice, there is a sense that the future has come to pass, the past is present, and the present encompasses all that has been and all that will be.And later she states:
We, the “new adults”, have some perspective on our lives, but scope? We’re not old enough, we’re not experienced enough, we’re simply not grown-up enough. Our lives have immediacy, just as a teenager’s does, but we also possess the wisdom to understand that this immediacy cannot last for long. It’s a curious place in life [...]. The “quarter-life crisis”, if you will.So, no. NA is not simply about kids in college, though that would certainly be a portion of the material.
The market isn't strong for NA because college-goers are too busy to read outside of academia.
Really? I suppose it's true for many, but I doubt for all. Maybe not even the majority. I can't say for certain. I know I didn't read as much during the school year, but during winter break I'd read a couple books, and over the summers I'd read as many books as I could find. Personally, my reading for pleasure peaked in late middle school and the first half of high school. Not so much because I didn't have time, but because I had a hard time finding things that interested me. Once I reached a certain age and maturity/reading level, I wasn't sure where to find books I could identify with. I devoured Dean Koontz and his backlist, and I love him to this day, but I was at a loss when it came to more literary stories that spoke to me. Even now, over the past few years, I haven't been reading as much as I used to because while Jodi Picoult and Nicholas Sparks are fine, I'm not always able to identify with the divorcee, or the widow, or the mother of two, and other kinds of protagonists that often populate contemporary women's fiction. My other option, then, is Chick Lit, which fulfills my need for a protagonist closer to my age, but I still find many of them unrelatable on other levels.
Literary agent Sarah LaPolla uses this argument as one of her reasons why NA isn't a viable market (yet) in a post from October 2011. She says:
There's a reason "The College Years" of high school TV shows fail. There's just not enough people who care. The original teen audience can't relate, the adults out of college think of it as too young, and the actual target audience is too busy being in college, working, or starting families to watch TV or read for fun.Sure, we "new adults" are busy, but not too busy for entertainment. As for the TV show analogy, I think there are many other reasons why those types of shows usually tank (like the fact that it's often exactly the same stories as high school, except on a college campus) and it doesn't exactly translate to the New Adult category of literature.
There's no universal "new adult" experience.
Again from LaPolla's blog post:
It's true that not everyone goes to the same type of high school, or even goes to high school, but everyone goes through puberty. Everyone feels what it's like to not understand any of your emotions or why they are suddenly happening all at once or why hugging your parents is much more embarrassing than it was the year before.First, I think she simplifies the universal experience and emotional appeal in YA. There are home-schooled teens who don't know the "typical" high school experience. And while we all take the same types of general education courses, the last time I checked extracurricular activities weren't forced, and included a lot of variety for those who did participate. There are teens who excel in school, some who don't do well, and some who drop out and (maybe) get their GED. Of course we all went through puberty and there are certain emotions and phases many of us went through, but we all still experienced and coped with them differently. There's a rich and varied experience even within what some would see as the "universal" appeal of YA, and yet this same variation is seen as a negative when it comes to NA.
With New Adult, there is no universal experience. Within the genre, there are too many niche markets to consider, which makes it that much harder to place. Not everyone goes to college or makes the same choices when entering adulthood. Even within the group who goes to college, the experiences differ in ways that are much more polarizing than going to different high schools. No matter what kind of high school you went to, we were all forced to take the same general courses or participate in the same extracurricular activities.
Variety is really the whole point here. There's variety in both YA and adult literature, and as a supporter for a New Adult category, what I'm rallying for is even more of it. Why? Because even with all the options out there, I feel like there's still a gap, and it happens to be a gap in an area I'd very much like to read.
Is it just a matter of shelving and marketing support?
I don't know, to be honest. Would you go to a section in the book store marked "New Adult"? I might. Others may not, for whatever reason. Maybe it needs a different name (especially because in a Google search I was prematurely excited to see lots of results for new adult fiction from public library websites, only to realize they were talking about new releases in adult fiction). There's obviously the conundrum of "if there's no shelf for it in the bookstore, publishers won't acquire it, so agents won't rep it."
From the perspective of traditional publishing, I agree with Sarah LaPolla's assessment that the New Adult category will come into its own eventually, but it will take time, the same way it took time for YA to be accepted and recognized. As a reader, I don't necessarily buy into the idea that it's not currently a viable market. From my experience in retail clothing sales, I know it's possible for there to be a ready and willing set of consumers for a non-existent product. Take plus size clothing as an example. For a long time there were next to no options for plus size women to find fashionable clothing, despite the overwhelming number of consumers who would've gladly spent their money on such a product if only someone was making it. Now that the plus size clothing market is booming, it's difficult to fathom that anyone would've ever thought it wasn't a viable market.
How can consumers communicate to product/service providers (whether it's a clothing company or the publishing industry) that they want a certain product if that product doesn't currently exist? And how can retailers measure sales lost to the consumer who never even walks in the door because they already know the retailer isn't selling what they want? It has to start somewhere. Perhaps this is one area where indie authors and eBooks, mostly unrestricted by bookstore shelf labels, can help pave the way and demonstrate the market for New Adult literature. However it happens, I fully support the idea of a New Adult category. What about you?
What do you think "New Adult" as a category? Would you read it? Do you write it?
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Self-Image in The Hunger Games
by Mindy McGinnis
Yeah, you read that right.
Since publication, Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games has been the subject of more than one parental tirade against the violence depicted therein. While this post isn't focused on that topic, the one thing I do want to say is that whenever I hear an adult ranting about any book my first question is, "Have you read it?" Haven't had a "yes" answer to that one yet.
Instead, I want to focus on something The Hunger Games gives teens without being preachy, without talking down to them, and possibly without them even knowing they've learned a powerful lesson.
How tired are you of effortlessly gorgeous female teen characters? How about the rich one with the designer everything who is torn between two ultra hot guys? Or the girl from the wrong side of the tracks that's hitting an 11 on the 10 scale and the guy on the right side of the tracks who falls for her? Are you sick of perfect skin, glossy hair and full lips? 'Cause I sure as hell am.
Katniss kicks ass across the board. Sure, she can kill people in fun and imaginative ways, but the first time we see her she's using her skills to fill the fundamental need of feeding her family, alongside longtime guy friend Gayle. Her love for her little sister sends her to the stage to take Prim's place in a contest where she knows the odds are against her and her life is at stake.
And what does Katniss look like? Well ... we're really not sure. She's got dark hair, and it's usually in a braid. Due to the fact that she's from the poorest area of a poor district and has to hunt her food we can assume she's probably not terribly clean all the time and might even *gasp* smell bad occasionally.
Once a handful of professionals get a hold of her Katniss cleans up and gains attention from the world, but guess what? Ultra-hunky Gayle and super-sweet Peeta were already in love with her, before she got a dress that caught on fire and became the de facto spokeswoman for world peace.
Hmmm ... what could have possibly attracted them to her in the first place? Could it be ... her personality!?!?
One of my favorite lines from the entire series comes from a scene in Mockingjay when Katniss goes to see Peeta after he has been conditioned to despise the polished and public version of her persona, and he says, "You're not very big, are you? Or particularly pretty?" (p. 230).
Katniss even points out her physical shortcomings, in a refreshing non-self-pitying manner: "With my acid-damaged hair, sunburned skin, and ugly scars, the prep team has to make me pretty and then damage, burn, and scar me in a more attractive way." (p. 59).
Katniss has been through battles, bested her enemies, won over the world and had a guy on each arm the whole time.
And she's not "particularly pretty."
Good for her.
Yeah, you read that right.
Since publication, Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games has been the subject of more than one parental tirade against the violence depicted therein. While this post isn't focused on that topic, the one thing I do want to say is that whenever I hear an adult ranting about any book my first question is, "Have you read it?" Haven't had a "yes" answer to that one yet.
Instead, I want to focus on something The Hunger Games gives teens without being preachy, without talking down to them, and possibly without them even knowing they've learned a powerful lesson.
How tired are you of effortlessly gorgeous female teen characters? How about the rich one with the designer everything who is torn between two ultra hot guys? Or the girl from the wrong side of the tracks that's hitting an 11 on the 10 scale and the guy on the right side of the tracks who falls for her? Are you sick of perfect skin, glossy hair and full lips? 'Cause I sure as hell am.
Katniss kicks ass across the board. Sure, she can kill people in fun and imaginative ways, but the first time we see her she's using her skills to fill the fundamental need of feeding her family, alongside longtime guy friend Gayle. Her love for her little sister sends her to the stage to take Prim's place in a contest where she knows the odds are against her and her life is at stake.
And what does Katniss look like? Well ... we're really not sure. She's got dark hair, and it's usually in a braid. Due to the fact that she's from the poorest area of a poor district and has to hunt her food we can assume she's probably not terribly clean all the time and might even *gasp* smell bad occasionally.
Once a handful of professionals get a hold of her Katniss cleans up and gains attention from the world, but guess what? Ultra-hunky Gayle and super-sweet Peeta were already in love with her, before she got a dress that caught on fire and became the de facto spokeswoman for world peace.
Hmmm ... what could have possibly attracted them to her in the first place? Could it be ... her personality!?!?
One of my favorite lines from the entire series comes from a scene in Mockingjay when Katniss goes to see Peeta after he has been conditioned to despise the polished and public version of her persona, and he says, "You're not very big, are you? Or particularly pretty?" (p. 230).
Katniss even points out her physical shortcomings, in a refreshing non-self-pitying manner: "With my acid-damaged hair, sunburned skin, and ugly scars, the prep team has to make me pretty and then damage, burn, and scar me in a more attractive way." (p. 59).
Katniss has been through battles, bested her enemies, won over the world and had a guy on each arm the whole time.
And she's not "particularly pretty."
Good for her.
Monday, October 10, 2011
The Following Novel has been Rated PG-13 by ... What?
by R.C. Lewis
Every so often, a hullabaloo erupts over particular books and whether or not they're fit for public consumption ... particularly by children and teens. Both sides of the argument prepare for war, comments on web articles run into the hundreds, and Twitter hashtags go viral. None of this is surprising, but amidst the fury, there is often talk of solutions.
One idea I've seen floated here and there is a book rating system similar to the systems used for films and video games. I can see the appeal—a simple label that tells parents at a glance whether a novel may have some questionable content. But the harder I look, the less appealing it seems. The analyst in me only has one thing to say about it: LOGISTICAL NIGHTMARE.
Let's think about it. First, who's going to do this rating? To be remotely consistent, fair, and meaningful, it ought to be some single, independent organization doing all the rating according to some kind of set criteria. Who's going to be responsible for pulling that together? Getting publishers and retail outlets alike on-board?
What about volume? From the MPAA Theatrical Market Statistics, I gathered that the number of movies officially rated per year ranges from about 700 to nearly 1000. (Of those, around 400-600 get released in theaters annually.) The ESRB rates 1000-2000 video games annually.
It's a little trickier to get numbers for book releases, particularly since I want to narrow in on fiction. But it seems safe to say tens of thousands of new works of fiction are put out each year. To successfully rate, someone has to read. How fast can a rater read an entire novel thoroughly enough to rate the content?
That's before you consider the massive avalanche of independent e-publishing.
Oh, yeah. What about those indies?
The MPAA ratings, as I understand, are a voluntary thing, not actually required by law. But it's kind of ingrained in us now, so we expect it. I imagine indie films don't have to be rated, but how much reach do they have when they aren't? Maybe you have a local theater that does a lot of indie and art films, but you have to seek it out.
Those indie eBooks are on sale right next to their Big-Publisher counterparts on Amazon. So do we all (traditional and indie alike) submit our novels to be evaluated by the Mysterious Novel-Rating Board? I can imagine the backlog ... and you thought traditional publishing moved slowly now.
Okay, maybe instead we're all just responsible for self-rating our own novels. But wait, isn't the "problem" in the first place the fact that people so often disagree on what is or isn't appropriate for a certain age? There would be no chance for even the illusion of consistency. Even with set criteria and guidelines, you can't expect an author to objectively evaluate their own work.
When I let the logistics go, I wonder if there's really even that much value in ratings. There are plenty of PG-13 movies I find repulsive, and R-rated movies I find worthwhile. Content is so nuanced and varied, it's really hard to stick one of a handful of labels on it and believe it will mean something.
What's the answer for concerned parents and general readers, then?
One option is to read the book yourself first. That's time-consuming, though, and if your kid's a voracious reader, you're going to have a problem.
Better option: The internet is your friend. Check online reviews, especially critical ones—they're more likely to mention potentially offensive content, and you can decide for yourself if it's a deal-breaker or not. Get involved on sites like Goodreads where people talk about books all the time.
What if you're in a store or library and forgot your smartphone at home? Ask a bookseller or librarian. It's their job to know about books. If they don't know enough about a specific title, I bet they could help you find out with one of those online resources. (I've yet to find a bookstore or library that didn't have a few computers inside.)
What are your thoughts on the idea of book ratings? What alternatives do you think are the most viable?
Every so often, a hullabaloo erupts over particular books and whether or not they're fit for public consumption ... particularly by children and teens. Both sides of the argument prepare for war, comments on web articles run into the hundreds, and Twitter hashtags go viral. None of this is surprising, but amidst the fury, there is often talk of solutions.
One idea I've seen floated here and there is a book rating system similar to the systems used for films and video games. I can see the appeal—a simple label that tells parents at a glance whether a novel may have some questionable content. But the harder I look, the less appealing it seems. The analyst in me only has one thing to say about it: LOGISTICAL NIGHTMARE.
Let's think about it. First, who's going to do this rating? To be remotely consistent, fair, and meaningful, it ought to be some single, independent organization doing all the rating according to some kind of set criteria. Who's going to be responsible for pulling that together? Getting publishers and retail outlets alike on-board?
What about volume? From the MPAA Theatrical Market Statistics, I gathered that the number of movies officially rated per year ranges from about 700 to nearly 1000. (Of those, around 400-600 get released in theaters annually.) The ESRB rates 1000-2000 video games annually.
It's a little trickier to get numbers for book releases, particularly since I want to narrow in on fiction. But it seems safe to say tens of thousands of new works of fiction are put out each year. To successfully rate, someone has to read. How fast can a rater read an entire novel thoroughly enough to rate the content?
That's before you consider the massive avalanche of independent e-publishing.
Oh, yeah. What about those indies?
The MPAA ratings, as I understand, are a voluntary thing, not actually required by law. But it's kind of ingrained in us now, so we expect it. I imagine indie films don't have to be rated, but how much reach do they have when they aren't? Maybe you have a local theater that does a lot of indie and art films, but you have to seek it out.
Those indie eBooks are on sale right next to their Big-Publisher counterparts on Amazon. So do we all (traditional and indie alike) submit our novels to be evaluated by the Mysterious Novel-Rating Board? I can imagine the backlog ... and you thought traditional publishing moved slowly now.
Okay, maybe instead we're all just responsible for self-rating our own novels. But wait, isn't the "problem" in the first place the fact that people so often disagree on what is or isn't appropriate for a certain age? There would be no chance for even the illusion of consistency. Even with set criteria and guidelines, you can't expect an author to objectively evaluate their own work.
When I let the logistics go, I wonder if there's really even that much value in ratings. There are plenty of PG-13 movies I find repulsive, and R-rated movies I find worthwhile. Content is so nuanced and varied, it's really hard to stick one of a handful of labels on it and believe it will mean something.
What's the answer for concerned parents and general readers, then?
One option is to read the book yourself first. That's time-consuming, though, and if your kid's a voracious reader, you're going to have a problem.
Better option: The internet is your friend. Check online reviews, especially critical ones—they're more likely to mention potentially offensive content, and you can decide for yourself if it's a deal-breaker or not. Get involved on sites like Goodreads where people talk about books all the time.
What if you're in a store or library and forgot your smartphone at home? Ask a bookseller or librarian. It's their job to know about books. If they don't know enough about a specific title, I bet they could help you find out with one of those online resources. (I've yet to find a bookstore or library that didn't have a few computers inside.)
What are your thoughts on the idea of book ratings? What alternatives do you think are the most viable?
Monday, July 11, 2011
Censoring Books for Kids
by Jemi Fraser
I've been teaching MG and lower YA aged kids for a lot of years now. The first day of every school year, I tell the kids that if they don't already love to read, they will before winter break. They always prove me right.
One of the keys to encouraging kids to read is to have a lot of books available. Not just a lot of books, but a wide range of genres, levels and styles. You have to find the 'home run' book for a reluctant reader if you want to create a lifelong reader out of him or her.
In every class there are always a few kids who read way ahead of the rest. Kids who read voraciously and devour every book in sight. These kids almost always read books that are 'too old' for them. In my classroom of 10 and 11 year olds, that means they're reading books most 13 and 14 year olds read.
Is it a problem? Should we be censoring what they read? What they have access to?
For the most part I believe the answer is no. I think parents should have lots of conversations with their kids about what they read and make those choices together. At school I do the same thing. We talk a LOT about books. But to take away their freedom of choice, stifle their interest and curiosity because we're afraid of what they might read? No.
I think most adults would be surprised at what kids read when there is freedom of choice. They don't automatically head to the books that have sex and swearing and violence. In fact, most of the kids avoid these. Even when an advanced reader raves about a mature book, most of the kids totally ignore it. Kids gravitate towards books that match their emotional maturity. They don't enjoy books that are above it. If they're not ready for the book, no matter how popular it is, they just don't read it.
In my class, I've got my books sorted into buckets. The buckets are identified on the front by genre and some buckets by author. They also have labels: At Level, Below Level, Above Level. I explain this indicated reading level and that reading level and subject matter match. They choose their reading material accordingly.
I've taught hundreds of MG & YA aged kids over the years and I've NEVER had a kid read more than 2 or 3 pages of a book they're not ready for. NEVER. EVER. On the other hand, I've had dozens and dozens of kids give up reading certain books because they were 'boring'. You guessed it, those 'boring' books are the ones with the sex and swearing and violence. If they're not ready to read it, they don't.
I think we need to trust kids & teens to make choices. They're much smarter than many people give them credit for.
Emotional readiness and maturity are the #1 factors for kids in choosing books. They make great choices. Trust them.
So, what's your opinion on censoring books for kids?
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One of the keys to encouraging kids to read is to have a lot of books available. Not just a lot of books, but a wide range of genres, levels and styles. You have to find the 'home run' book for a reluctant reader if you want to create a lifelong reader out of him or her.
In every class there are always a few kids who read way ahead of the rest. Kids who read voraciously and devour every book in sight. These kids almost always read books that are 'too old' for them. In my classroom of 10 and 11 year olds, that means they're reading books most 13 and 14 year olds read.
Is it a problem? Should we be censoring what they read? What they have access to?
For the most part I believe the answer is no. I think parents should have lots of conversations with their kids about what they read and make those choices together. At school I do the same thing. We talk a LOT about books. But to take away their freedom of choice, stifle their interest and curiosity because we're afraid of what they might read? No.
I think most adults would be surprised at what kids read when there is freedom of choice. They don't automatically head to the books that have sex and swearing and violence. In fact, most of the kids avoid these. Even when an advanced reader raves about a mature book, most of the kids totally ignore it. Kids gravitate towards books that match their emotional maturity. They don't enjoy books that are above it. If they're not ready for the book, no matter how popular it is, they just don't read it.
In my class, I've got my books sorted into buckets. The buckets are identified on the front by genre and some buckets by author. They also have labels: At Level, Below Level, Above Level. I explain this indicated reading level and that reading level and subject matter match. They choose their reading material accordingly.
I've taught hundreds of MG & YA aged kids over the years and I've NEVER had a kid read more than 2 or 3 pages of a book they're not ready for. NEVER. EVER. On the other hand, I've had dozens and dozens of kids give up reading certain books because they were 'boring'. You guessed it, those 'boring' books are the ones with the sex and swearing and violence. If they're not ready to read it, they don't.
I think we need to trust kids & teens to make choices. They're much smarter than many people give them credit for.
Emotional readiness and maturity are the #1 factors for kids in choosing books. They make great choices. Trust them.
So, what's your opinion on censoring books for kids?
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Is It Dark In Here, Or Is It Just the YA?
A lot of the reaction involved people addressing the obvious—hey, there's plenty of lighter material as well. And I don't have a lot of add to that other than ... uh, yeah. Instead, I want to agree (to a point)—there IS a lot of dark stuff going on in YA these days. And you know what? Good.
I admit, when I first started my job as a YA librarian I was more than a little taken aback by what I could find in the pages of the books I was processing. Then I took a look at my patrons and began to understand. My best readers are what people would term "troubled kids." They need to escape from God knows what is going on in their lives, and part of that escape involves relating to what's going on in the pages. So they connect with that first, dark story that mirrors their own lives and (in my experience) a few things come from this.
1) They find out that reading isn't all dry Victorian classics or kiddo stories about hiding a puppy in your basement and hoping your mom doesn't find out. No—there are books about sex, drugs, & rock n' roll. There are also books about sexual abuse, addiction, and getting wasted way too often with your band. If my librarian senses ring true (and they often do) the kid who said, "I hate reading. Books suck," will come back a little shame-faced and ask, "You got any more like that one?" Yeah, baby. Sometimes that dark material is a gateway drug—to a new habit called reading.
2) They find out that whatever is going on in their life—be it abuse, addiction, depression, questioning their sexuality, or self-harm—it is NOT unspeakable. There are books about it. People talk about it. I can't tell you how often "dark" books have opened a door for kids, a door that leads to a room where they can TALK.
One of my jobs involves inventory. At the end of the year, I tally up what's on the shelves, what's checked out and what's ... "walked off." Without fail we've lost a few really popular series books here and there, and many, many titles of a darker nature.
Books like IDENTICAL by Ellen Hopkins and SUCH A PRETTY GIRL by Laura Weiss, which deal with parental sexual abuse, or SPEAK by Laurie Halse Anderson, SAFE by Susan Shaw, STOLEN by Lucy Christopher and LIVING DEAD GIRL by Elizabeth Scott, all books that center around rape victims. Gutsy authors like Brian James and Kathleen Jeffrie Johnson deal with the still-taboo subject of male rape with their titles DIRTY LIAR and TARGET, respectively.
Lauren Myracle's KISSING KATE and KEEPING YOU A SECRET by Julie Anne Peters, as well as David Levithan and John Green's WILL GRAYSON, WILL GRAYSON deal with teens who are questioning their sexuality.
HANGING ONTO MAX by Margaret Bechard, THE FIRST PART LAST by Angela Johnson, and AFTER by Amy Efaw all deal with teen pregnancy—go walk down a high school hallway and tell me those aren't necessary.
Drugs? Yeah, we've got those (or rather, by the end of the year, we usually don't) in the form of SMACK by Melvin Burgess, CRANK & GLASS by Ellen Hopkins, SHOOTING STAR by Frederick McKissack, BOOST by Cathy Mackel—the last two dealing with teen athletes looking for an edge.
SCARS by Cheryl Rainfield and CUT by Patricia McCormick address the very real problem of self-harm among teens.
BLACK BOX by Julie Schumacher and the now famous autobiography of Susanna Kaysen—GIRL, INTERRUPTED, deal with depression, and apparently kleptomania is a side-effect because I keep having to mark them "Lost" in inventory.
And that's alright. If a kid is too ashamed or embarrassed to check a book out because of the topic, it's okay. Go ahead and steal it.
I'll buy another one.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Who Reads YA?
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I've recently heard some people talking about not wanting to write YA because they think the market is too narrow. Is it?
Young Adult fiction is aimed at young adults. Obviously. But are young adults the only ones reading YA?
You might be surprised at the amount of people who are NOT young adults who are reading YA. If you visit book bloggers who review YA, you’ll see a lot of adults are reading and enjoying YA. A lot of these people are writers, but not all of them. So why are so many adults reading YA?
Our teen years are powerful. There are a lot of emotions in those years. We learn who we really are and what that truly means. We learn what makes us strong, what devastates us, what we can push ourselves to accomplish. Most of us have our first loves and our first broken hearts in these years. Many of us find our career choices and start aiming for those stars—which we know are within our reach.
Seriously, what’s not to love?
On the other end of the spectrum, there are a lot of kids who are definitely NOT YA age who are reading YA books. Is this a bad thing?
I don’t think it is. When I was in grades 5, 6 and 7, there were no YA books. I was finished with most kids’ books by that time and looking for more. So I read adult books. Most of what wasn’t appropriate for me to read went right over my head. The rest of it opened my eyes to the adult world. Which wasn't a bad thing.
These days kids who are ready to read beyond MG books have a lot more choices. When the Twilight books were at the peak of their power, every single girl & about 3/4 of the boys in my class read them. At the time, I was teaching 10- & 11-year-olds. Today I have kids in that same age group reading Hush Hush, Shiver & Linger, Pretties & Co., Vladimir Tod, Beastly, the Mortal Instruments series, The Summer I Turned Pretty, Speak & many more.
Do all of my students read these? Nope. Actually only a few. And even when those kids rave about the books, the others (who aren’t ready emotionally) aren’t interested. Kids seem to find books that fit their emotional/maturity level quite easily. They might try a page or two, they might even skim a few pages to make it seem like they’re reading it. But they won’t read it. (In another post I'll talk a bit about the censorship issue for kids.)
So, if you’re ever tempted to think the YA market isn’t as wide as some of the other markets, I hope you remember you don’t need to be a young adult to enjoy YA fiction!
Have you read a lot of YA fiction? What’s your favourite YA book?
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Sex in YA—You Know You Want It
by Mindy McGinnis
"... and you know you want me to give it to you." Biff's words to Lorraine in Back to the Future had me totally flummoxed for a looong time. What was it? How could Biff give it to her? And why was he trying to touch her panties in the front seat of the car during the dance? Why was Lorriane talking about Marty's Calvin Kleins in their meeting scene? What's the fixation with underwear?
I remained in the dark about these topics for awhile. I knew sex existed, but I didn't have the whole Tab A, Slot B mechanics of the dance figured out until er... well... later. Not so today's teens. Blame it on the media, blame it on the culture, blame on parenting, blame it on the rain. (How many '80s references can I get in here?) Let's just set blame aside and focus on the fact that it simply IS. My opinion—kids aren't having more sex, or earlier than before—it's simply no longer a taboo subject.
So, because it's not taboo, because they do know the mechanics—what do we write about it? Do we write about it?
It's up to you. I've read some really graphic sex scenes in YA. I don't find them offensive. I have a hard time believing there's anything in there that the average teen hasn't already been exposed to. However, I do monitor content in the books that I give out to junior high students—not necessarily because I think they're about to have their minds deflowered—but because their parents DO believe that, and they might have my ass in a sling. And I need my ass. I use it every day.
My own philosophy runs thus: I have always believed that less is more. Why does Jaws work? 'Cause you don't see the shark. I typically refrain from physically describing my characters because I want my readers to fill in their hot guy, their hallway bitch, themselves as the MC. So when it comes to those backseat moments, or when my MC invites a guy over to "watch a movie," (yeah right, I have yet to see the end of Ferris Bueller's Day Off), I want them to fill in slot B on their own. Something happened. Unless it's imperative to the plot, does it matter what? Do they need the description? Do they need to see that shark?
Here's a great example from Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix: (I know you're saying "What! An HP makeout scene?") Oh yeah... it's there. A meeting of Dumbledore's Army has just ended. Everyone has filed out except for Cho and Harry, who are kinda hanging out there in the Room of Requirement... and who didn't guess that thing had multiple uses? pg. 456-457:
"I really like you Harry."
He could not think. A tingling sensation was spreading throughout him, paralyzing his arms, legs and brain.
She was much too close. He could see every tear clinging to her eyelashes...
*PAGE BREAK*
He returned to the common room half an hour later to find Hermione and Ron..."
Hey! Wait a second!! Half an hour later? Gee... what were they doing? Now, obviously Rowling had a duty to her young readers to keep it clean, and to her older readers to keep it interesting. Not so for all writers, certainly. But I think it's a good example of letting the reader take it to their own level—of comfort, of familiarity, without being told what happened.
My own writing gives a little more detail than this highly gratuitous page break, but you get the idea.
One last thought—what do you want your readers to take away from your book? I haven't read Breaking Dawn, but I know that Edward and Bella break the headboard, 'cause that's all anyone wanted to talk about. Other than that—zero clue what the plot is about.
I'd love some feedback! What are your thoughts? Show the shark, or keep him underwater? :)
"... and you know you want me to give it to you." Biff's words to Lorraine in Back to the Future had me totally flummoxed for a looong time. What was it? How could Biff give it to her? And why was he trying to touch her panties in the front seat of the car during the dance? Why was Lorriane talking about Marty's Calvin Kleins in their meeting scene? What's the fixation with underwear?
I remained in the dark about these topics for awhile. I knew sex existed, but I didn't have the whole Tab A, Slot B mechanics of the dance figured out until er... well... later. Not so today's teens. Blame it on the media, blame it on the culture, blame on parenting, blame it on the rain. (How many '80s references can I get in here?) Let's just set blame aside and focus on the fact that it simply IS. My opinion—kids aren't having more sex, or earlier than before—it's simply no longer a taboo subject.
So, because it's not taboo, because they do know the mechanics—what do we write about it? Do we write about it?
It's up to you. I've read some really graphic sex scenes in YA. I don't find them offensive. I have a hard time believing there's anything in there that the average teen hasn't already been exposed to. However, I do monitor content in the books that I give out to junior high students—not necessarily because I think they're about to have their minds deflowered—but because their parents DO believe that, and they might have my ass in a sling. And I need my ass. I use it every day.
My own philosophy runs thus: I have always believed that less is more. Why does Jaws work? 'Cause you don't see the shark. I typically refrain from physically describing my characters because I want my readers to fill in their hot guy, their hallway bitch, themselves as the MC. So when it comes to those backseat moments, or when my MC invites a guy over to "watch a movie," (yeah right, I have yet to see the end of Ferris Bueller's Day Off), I want them to fill in slot B on their own. Something happened. Unless it's imperative to the plot, does it matter what? Do they need the description? Do they need to see that shark?Here's a great example from Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix: (I know you're saying "What! An HP makeout scene?") Oh yeah... it's there. A meeting of Dumbledore's Army has just ended. Everyone has filed out except for Cho and Harry, who are kinda hanging out there in the Room of Requirement... and who didn't guess that thing had multiple uses? pg. 456-457:
"I really like you Harry."
He could not think. A tingling sensation was spreading throughout him, paralyzing his arms, legs and brain.
She was much too close. He could see every tear clinging to her eyelashes...
*PAGE BREAK*
He returned to the common room half an hour later to find Hermione and Ron..."
Hey! Wait a second!! Half an hour later? Gee... what were they doing? Now, obviously Rowling had a duty to her young readers to keep it clean, and to her older readers to keep it interesting. Not so for all writers, certainly. But I think it's a good example of letting the reader take it to their own level—of comfort, of familiarity, without being told what happened.
My own writing gives a little more detail than this highly gratuitous page break, but you get the idea.
One last thought—what do you want your readers to take away from your book? I haven't read Breaking Dawn, but I know that Edward and Bella break the headboard, 'cause that's all anyone wanted to talk about. Other than that—zero clue what the plot is about.
I'd love some feedback! What are your thoughts? Show the shark, or keep him underwater? :)
Monday, May 2, 2011
Why YA? Why Now?
by Mindy McGinnis
For a while now it's seemed that YA is the market to be in. Writers whose usual stomping grounds are certainly not in that arena have been throwing their hat in the ring—Joyce Carol Oates, James Patterson and now John Grisham. Even Rick Riordan, of Percy Jackson and the Olympians fame was not originally a YA/MG author.
The market shift can easily be spotted in the changing genre coverage of agents, as well. At least twice a week I get emails in my inbox from QueryTracker, alerting me to an agent who has expanded their area of interest. More often than not, they're adding YA to the mix.
It's easy to name the catalysts—J.K. Rowling, Stephenie Meyer—but they wouldn't be household names if people weren't reading the books. There are plenty of excellent writers with original plots out there—across genres and readership-age—who haven't initiated worldwide culture shifts.
So what gives? Why did your local Barnes & Noble knock down a wall to expand the teen section?
Recently, I had my college buddies over for yet another Twizzler and Dove chocolate fest. Books came up, and everyone turned to me for recommendations, since I spend 40 a week surrounded by them. I tossed off three or four titles, pens started scribbling and I said, "Sorry guys, I just realized everything I'm telling you is YA. It's pretty much what I'm reading right now."
To my surprise, this group of above-average intelligence, thirty-something women all said, "Oh—us too, it's totally cool." Since I had a captive audience I picked their brains—why? Why are adults reading YA? I have to admit, it's kinda been killing me. And their answer echoed what I had come up with on my own:
Because we didn't have any.
Readers in my age frame had to leap across a massive gap in our early to late teens. We went from R.L. Stine to Stephen King, Sweet Valley High to Danielle Steele, Nancy Drew to Kinsey Milhone. With few exceptions (God bless you Lois Duncan, Judy Blume & Christopher Pike) there wasn't a market for edgy, intelligent YA—definitely not in the numbers we're seeing now. As a teen, I had to search out titles that interested me in my age range. As an adult, I'm saturated with YA books in the TBR pile, and the bedstand is hating life.
Teens are reading in massive numbers. I speak from firsthand experience when I say there has been a major shift in the way pleasure reading is viewed in the high school where I work. The quarterback is carrying around the same book as the mousey girl with glasses, and he's not trying to hide it underneath a copy of Men's Fitness, either.
Adults are reading those same books. There's a reason why Sweet Valley was trending on Twitter days after the release of Sweet Valley Confidential: Ten Years Later. It's 'cause women like me were happily throwing down our college degrees and rolling around in some trash-awesome. Am I vicariously attempting to recapture my youth?
Or am I trying to fill a fifteen-year-old gap?
For a while now it's seemed that YA is the market to be in. Writers whose usual stomping grounds are certainly not in that arena have been throwing their hat in the ring—Joyce Carol Oates, James Patterson and now John Grisham. Even Rick Riordan, of Percy Jackson and the Olympians fame was not originally a YA/MG author.
The market shift can easily be spotted in the changing genre coverage of agents, as well. At least twice a week I get emails in my inbox from QueryTracker, alerting me to an agent who has expanded their area of interest. More often than not, they're adding YA to the mix.
It's easy to name the catalysts—J.K. Rowling, Stephenie Meyer—but they wouldn't be household names if people weren't reading the books. There are plenty of excellent writers with original plots out there—across genres and readership-age—who haven't initiated worldwide culture shifts.
So what gives? Why did your local Barnes & Noble knock down a wall to expand the teen section?
Recently, I had my college buddies over for yet another Twizzler and Dove chocolate fest. Books came up, and everyone turned to me for recommendations, since I spend 40 a week surrounded by them. I tossed off three or four titles, pens started scribbling and I said, "Sorry guys, I just realized everything I'm telling you is YA. It's pretty much what I'm reading right now."
To my surprise, this group of above-average intelligence, thirty-something women all said, "Oh—us too, it's totally cool." Since I had a captive audience I picked their brains—why? Why are adults reading YA? I have to admit, it's kinda been killing me. And their answer echoed what I had come up with on my own:
Because we didn't have any.
Readers in my age frame had to leap across a massive gap in our early to late teens. We went from R.L. Stine to Stephen King, Sweet Valley High to Danielle Steele, Nancy Drew to Kinsey Milhone. With few exceptions (God bless you Lois Duncan, Judy Blume & Christopher Pike) there wasn't a market for edgy, intelligent YA—definitely not in the numbers we're seeing now. As a teen, I had to search out titles that interested me in my age range. As an adult, I'm saturated with YA books in the TBR pile, and the bedstand is hating life.
Teens are reading in massive numbers. I speak from firsthand experience when I say there has been a major shift in the way pleasure reading is viewed in the high school where I work. The quarterback is carrying around the same book as the mousey girl with glasses, and he's not trying to hide it underneath a copy of Men's Fitness, either.
Adults are reading those same books. There's a reason why Sweet Valley was trending on Twitter days after the release of Sweet Valley Confidential: Ten Years Later. It's 'cause women like me were happily throwing down our college degrees and rolling around in some trash-awesome. Am I vicariously attempting to recapture my youth?
Or am I trying to fill a fifteen-year-old gap?
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