tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18101458.post3490981890708592939..comments2024-02-16T15:14:36.719-06:00Comments on Wet Noodle Posse: The Current Young Adult Market and the GHMJFredrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06881706931355203700noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18101458.post-51521107519662352552007-10-17T14:05:00.000-05:002007-10-17T14:05:00.000-05:00I'm reading more and more YA fiction because I've ...I'm reading more and more YA fiction because I've got a preteen who reads above grade level. And he's not interested in stuff that is heavily romantic, even if there's no sex.<BR/><BR/>He is interested, however, in relationships among peers, between boys his age and older male mentors, fathers and sons, older brothers and younger brothers...things like that.<BR/><BR/>These are not so easy to find. You hear all the time that girls read more than boys. Perhaps true but if and when boys go into the bookstore and find little more than a handful of contemporary stories that speak to them, is it a wonder? One YA author who gets this is Paul Volponi. I wish he were more prolific.PatriciaWhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04572087157439187319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18101458.post-5982930908651131012007-10-16T10:50:00.000-05:002007-10-16T10:50:00.000-05:00Trish - thanks for your thoughtful post!I am one o...Trish - thanks for your thoughtful post!<BR/><BR/>I am one of those people braving the GH for the first time and as a YA author, so this was great to see.<BR/><BR/>I think one of the key things for YA's that push the sex back (and Twilight is a prime example) is having a believable reason for it. Twilight's Edward keeps putting off physical relations for a very good, very understandable reason that doesn't feel falsely created.<BR/><BR/>Kids are smart. They'll challenge you at every turn and finally there are books be written for that mentality - maybe that's why so many adults are reading them as well!<BR/>-briaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18101458.post-91623144439914073202007-10-16T02:15:00.000-05:002007-10-16T02:15:00.000-05:00""and then the brilliant young girl promised the h...""and then the brilliant young girl promised the handsome boy she would see him AFTER she'd finished college and attended law school on her full scholarship." The end :"<BR/><BR/>LOL Gillian, as a mum of my own mob of tweens/teen girls, I so get where you're coming from!<BR/><BR/>Trish Mi, great post.Trish Moreyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06180440910057143918noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18101458.post-75829875449673391902007-10-15T23:41:00.000-05:002007-10-15T23:41:00.000-05:00Gillian, LOL on your mini story synopsis. :)JaneGe...Gillian, LOL on your mini story synopsis. :)<BR/><BR/>JaneGeorge, I read Smack too, and honestly, it depressed the heck out of me. So dark. Perhaps it's very true to life, but dang. Not to say it wasn't a well-written book; it was and has received a lot of critical acclaim. But while I handle some "issues" in my YA books, I hope they're a bit more uplifting.<BR/><BR/>Pris, thanks for the compliment on the post. And Caridad is really nice, so it's always fun to read a book that's good by a nice person.<BR/><BR/>doglady, thanks for referring your YA-writing friend over here. Hope it helps.Trish Milburnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08812010789617982102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18101458.post-64041772516155073092007-10-15T21:44:00.000-05:002007-10-15T21:44:00.000-05:00This really is a great post. I have got to get my ...This really is a great post. I have got to get my BFF over here to read it as she writes YA. She has a live-in guinea pig in her 17 year old son. The great thing is that she writes from his point of view and more for boys than girls. I think they call it "lad lit?" As a former school teacher ANYTHING that can get teenagers to read is a step in the right direction. I've read the Meyers series and they are really well done. I taught high school kids, but I do not think I could write from their point of view. I greatly admire those who do!dogladyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03392561174583932552noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18101458.post-89500500104912121942007-10-15T20:58:00.000-05:002007-10-15T20:58:00.000-05:00Trish, I'm so glad you mentioned Adios to My Old L...Trish, I'm so glad you mentioned Adios to My Old Life by Caridad Ferrer. I really enjoyed the book, and thought she did a great job capturing teen lingo and angst, while keeping it real.<BR/><BR/>It was great to see Caridad's book recognized with the RITA win.<BR/><BR/>Your post hit the YA market right on the head. You got right to the heart of the teen market. It's no wonder your YA sold. I can't wait to snatch it off the shelves. :-)Prisakisshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12909271289337919937noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18101458.post-57464124894438397992007-10-15T20:54:00.000-05:002007-10-15T20:54:00.000-05:00It seems like such a challenge to put your mind in...It seems like such a challenge to put your mind into a state where you write with a teen's voice, but keeping in mind adult concerns (not to mention market concerns). Interesting stuff!Esri Rosehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00912657945785764363noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18101458.post-15037484444932621652007-10-15T20:47:00.000-05:002007-10-15T20:47:00.000-05:00I hope that the YA category gets its 25 entries. I...I hope that the YA category gets its 25 entries. It seems to me that there is more interest in YA than ever before.Diane Gastonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14770373530197339170noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18101458.post-88371418567568834152007-10-15T20:13:00.000-05:002007-10-15T20:13:00.000-05:00My 16 year old son has read and enjoyed Smack, and...My 16 year old son has read and enjoyed Smack, and Doing It by Matthew Burgess. He said that since the subjects of teen sex and drugs are dealt with honestly, the books don't encourage that behavior. (Since his girlfriend gave him the second book, I was trying really hard not to freak out.)<BR/><BR/>I can remember reading The Basketball Diaries by Jim Carroll as a young person and falling under the counterculture spell. Now, that book seems stupid and misogynistic. So perhaps things have improved.Jane Georgehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03199994711829637247noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18101458.post-62903846614400375942007-10-15T20:04:00.000-05:002007-10-15T20:04:00.000-05:00Trish, I am in awe of YA authors; much like inspir...Trish, I am in awe of YA authors; much like inspirationals, another favorite of mine, they must keep in mind all these "rules", yet they manage to write the most compelling and unique stories.<BR/><BR/>I could never do it, myself. As the mom of one tween and two teen girls, my story would consist of "and then the brilliant young girl promised the handsome boy she would see him AFTER she'd finished college and attended law school on her full scholarship." The end :)Gillian Laynehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15772849187702478349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18101458.post-2949729642636189022007-10-15T16:03:00.000-05:002007-10-15T16:03:00.000-05:00Jill, you're right -- there is a lot of great YA o...Jill, you're right -- there is a lot of great YA out right now. In fact, many of the best books I've read this year are YA.<BR/><BR/>Manda, thanks for stopping by. Hope you learned a little about the wonderful world of YA today. :)Trish Milburnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08812010789617982102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18101458.post-10217155603173130072007-10-15T16:02:00.000-05:002007-10-15T16:02:00.000-05:00Thanks, Charity. I do love how much variety and re...Thanks, Charity. I do love how much variety and really quality YA is out there on store shelves now. I can't keep up with reading all the great stuff. I'm currently reading Adios to My Old Life by Caridad Ferrer, which won a RITA this year.<BR/><BR/>Theresa, age is of course a big determining factor. Most of the YA I see has protagonists that are between 14 or 15 and 18 or 19. Older and it becomes adult fiction; younger and it becomes middle grade fiction. Another thing is tone. Even if you're 50, you have to have a teen voice when writing YA. That doesn't mean it has to be full of current slang and brand name dropping like so much chick lit has had. In fact, it's better to make up your own teen-sounding lingo because actual slang goes in and out of fashion so quickly. Even though it might be decades since you were a teen yourself, you can still remember the "issues" you dealt with -- liking the popular boy that didn't like you back, peer pressure, your parents not understanding you. Those things are universal to teens, no matter what decade they grow up in. Capture those emotions. I know writers hear this suggestion all the time, but truly the best way to get the feel for the current tone of YA is to read a variety of what's popular right now.Trish Milburnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08812010789617982102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18101458.post-1142771254358698032007-10-15T15:28:00.000-05:002007-10-15T15:28:00.000-05:00Great blog! I don't write YA, but I love learning ...Great blog! I don't write YA, but I love learning about new (to me anyway!) sub-genres:)Manda Collinshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08475160122055747639noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18101458.post-76284482103308150142007-10-15T15:21:00.000-05:002007-10-15T15:21:00.000-05:00I'm really excited about the YA market - so much g...I'm really excited about the YA market - so much great writing out there!Jill Monroehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12917867670224368810noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18101458.post-4239419999135446412007-10-15T12:20:00.000-05:002007-10-15T12:20:00.000-05:00Great post, Trish. Well thought out and so inform...Great post, Trish. Well thought out and so informative. I think I'll go in search of some of the authors you mentioned and see what's out there. Thanks!<BR/><BR/>I have two questions about entering the Young Adult Category in the GH: Anything goes in the YA(paranormal, suspense, historical) as long as the characters are a certain age? What, if anything, defines a YA other than the age of the characters?Theresa Raganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15815320170046221853noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18101458.post-67659199531333349982007-10-15T11:19:00.000-05:002007-10-15T11:19:00.000-05:00What a terrific post! You've captured so well what...What a terrific post! You've captured so well what's going on in the YA genre. One thing I love about the genre is there is everything for every mood: romantic, gothic, edgy, sweet. You name it.<BR/><BR/>And there's some fantastic writing going on too. They're not calling it the "golden age of YA" for nothing.Charity Tahmasebhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14208740898666710699noreply@blogger.com