So at 2 am while trying to put my son back to sleep, I started to think as I always do. This is the time I come up with my best ideas and forget them by the time I can get to a pen and paper. Besides thinking up some new things to write in WIP, I began to ponder about the genre YA. I started to ask myself --is your story too adult for "YA" and not adult enough for "Adult" --if so where does this leave me. I have discussed this with my CP and she definately agrees that my WIP is YA and from what I understand YA is 12-18 year olds, right?
I have things in my WIP I think may be too adult and if I am lucky and it gets published I have material for book two which I think is more adult but not too adult. So that leaves the area of 18 and up--I heard that this genre is up and coming but does anyone know the criteria that goes into it?
I personally think you should write what you believe in and for me I tend to love the late high school/ early college years. So is that considered YA? From what I am reading--yes-- but I wonder if I would let my daughter read some of these books when she is twelve. I am not naive and know twelve year olds know a heck of a lot more than I did when I was twelve but I am curious of what other writers think of this. I know it is up to the parents and what they want their child to be exposed to. I am not trying to put any book down --I love to read them --I just wonder where it leaves writers like me. Will this be a strike against me if there is no named genre for my novel?
What genre do you tend to write for? Do you think YA (12-18) is too broad of an age group?
On a lighter note--if you are a Twilight fan (or if you are not) I found a funny little video on-- Jennifer J. Bennett's blog--check it out.
Have a great day!
I consider myself a Jack of All Trades writer, a dabbler still. Nail me down and I'd have to say fantasy, both light and dark.
ReplyDeleteDitto: Write what you believe in.
Thanks for stopping by my blog. : ) Cheers.
I tend to think of titles in terms of upper/lower YA and upper/lower MG. It IS a broad age range, but kids mature so differently as readers than as people (if that makes any sense at all). :-)
ReplyDeleteMy genre is YA bildingsroman, but oh so many other things too!
ReplyDeleteThanks for being a stalker and commenting on my other blog, it helped me find out there was an issue in the first place.
I think there is a place for everything within the YA genre. Upper YA can have a lot of "adult" material. A lot of the edgy upper YA novels out there now push the limits of genre. I say write it how it needs to be written and worry about the rest later. :)
ReplyDeleteTis is a really great question and one worth considering it. It's occurred to me with my own books. I agree with Anissa--there's a place for pretty much everything in YA. There's also a category of Edgy YA, which is pretty much where my manuscripts fall. I think it's for the mature teenager. I say write what you need to write, and work from there.
ReplyDeleteMy editor reminded me that teenage girls often read adult books. When I think back to my teenage years, I know that I did. She asked me what I want my daughters reading when they're old enough to start picking up adult books. So, even though I write for adults, I want to keep that in mind for my books too. Would it be something I'd be comfortable letting my girls ready someday?
ReplyDeleteRebecca-Thanks for visting and your comments.
ReplyDeleteShannon-Thanks for the comment --I didn't think of it that way.
Jonathon-I'm glad I could help and thanks.
Anissa-Thanks for visiting and your support on writing what you believe in.
Carolina-I do like the edgy stuff and pushing it a little. I'm not sure how edgy my current novel is but I know the other ideas I have for some other books that are brewing in my head most likely are so it is good to know there may be a place for it. Thanks.
Jody-Thanks--This is always on my mind too--Would I be comfortable letting my daughter read this? In the end, it is up to the parent and how comfortable the parent is with their child reading that material. Thanks.