It's time once again for WRITERLY WISDOM where every Wednesday we sneak a peek into the world of writing and publication. I really love this series because I get a chance to learn from so many wonderful writers like my friend Craig Lew. You can find him on his websites (http://www.craiglew.com) and (http://www.brightpenny.com) or drop him an email at (craig.lew.writer@facebook.com). Take it away Craig...
What Exactly Is YA?
by Craig Lew
YA is not shorthand for “Yes” or an abbreviation for “Yet
Another.” YA is not “Yahoo
Answers” or the Japanese word for “Arrow.” Well, it is but that’s not what I’m talking about today.
Some say, YA or Young Adult Literature is a story of teen angst,
coming of age and first love generally written in first person, but to be
honest, I was not sure. So I asked
a bunch of much smarter than me authors, “What is YA?”
Gloria Skurzynski (Virtual War, Devastation, Afterwar, The
Clones)
“...young adult fiction is for 12 to
18-year-olds. Supposedly. But YA fiction has grown increasingly popular with
(mainly women) readers from the late teens to mid-30s. Examples: the Twilight
Saga, and my daughter Alane Ferguson’s forensic mystery series, perhaps because
in both these series the female protagonists have matured from high-school
girls into actual adults.”
Amy Allgeyer Cook (Smelvin and Goulash Boy, Iron Bodkin):
“I define YA as a book that is too
mature in theme, language or content for the average twelve year-old to
process. Disclaimer: kids vary.”
Sarah McGuire (Turbo Monkeys):
“YA is about thresholds- and
those events that define the adult a child is going to become.”
Kristin Elizabeth Clark (Freak
Boy):
“I would define YA as a genre of
fiction intended for an audience between the ages of twelve and eighteen or so
(though I think twelve is actually kind of on the young side). It’s marked by
protagonists who tend to be between those ages – and regardless of the outward
trappings of the story, whether it’s fantasy, paranormal, or contemporary,
there tends to be a thread of growth for the main character in terms of human
development. I’d say most leave off with the sense of life yet to be lived –
and if there’s no clear, happy ending we usually see the protagonist “on the
road to O.K.,” as my editor, Joy Peskin, says.”
Suzanne Morgan Williams (Bull
Rider)
"YA needs to be honest and
irreverant - to challenge the reader to see the world in new ways while
reflecting a teen reader's emotional experience.”
Terri Farley (Baby Teeth, Seven
Tears into the Sea, Phantom Stallion)
“I think the strongest YA novels
focus on that time when kids are separating from parents and peers to learn how
they can live within & without the dominant society.”
I think YA is the lumpy stuff in the lava lamp...sort of warm,
glowy and ever changing. It
mesmerizes you to no end and yet is impossible to define because it seems to
never stop changing.
Have I totally confused you? Yes? Then my work is done.
Biography: Craig Lew's storytelling career began even before he had learned to
write. As a child, he would steal his father's tape recorder and make different
voices for each character recording tales about strange planets or scary
creatures. His favorite story openings at that time were, "Once upon a
junk yard heap..." or "It was a dark and stormy night."
An
entertainment Industry consultant, Craig has worked with Dreamworks SKG, PBS,
KCET, Deluxe Labs, ITC, Nortel Networks and The New Getty Center.
Craig
recently produced the Sci Fi comedy movie, “Rock Jocks” about a group of
dysfunctional government employees responsible for shooting down asteroids that
would destroy Earth.
Official
Trailer
Founder
of Bright Penny Zapp LLC, a transmedia company, Craig wrote and illustrated the
graphic novel, “The Goths” which is enhanced with Augmented Reality - Available
at Amazon.com.
His
latest acquisition is a young Middle Grade book “Smelvin and Goulash Boy.”
Written by Amy Allgeyer Cook, Illustrated by Hazel Mitchell, edited by Lorin
Oberweger with augmented reality animations directed and produced by Craig Lew.
Personal
Anecdotes: I strive to spread good
karma. Artistically I enjoy pushing the envelop because I believe it makes more
room in the middle. I believe the keys to success are dreaming big, working
hard and being kind.
I would have classified my book as YA appropriate but reading the age group as 12-18 is somewhat disturbing. 'Young Adult' IMO would be more the 15-21 age group. Of course a lot depends on the individual but the use of prafanity is a concern. Initially I censored or substituted the profanity but the publishers advised against it and I found myself revising the manuscript back to how it was before my attempt to make it more 'age appropriate'.
ReplyDeleteThe problem is the sensitive nature of some of the subject matter. The book I feel would be of most benefit to mid-teens as that is the age of the central character and to whom the issues addressed are most likely to apply.
I really should read over what I write before hitting the 'send' button :/ 'prafanity' should obviously read 'profanity'.
DeleteHi JP! I agree that the age range of YA can be a little misleading sometimes. I think my slight confusion comes from the fact society sees YA as around the 16-25 age group pretty much like you do but as far as reading goes, the 12 to 15 year olds want to be treated more like young adults rather than children and this might be why they step up their reading to a higher level than reading something like middle grade novels?
DeleteIn my own YA fantasy novel I'm working on right now I had to lower the age of my MC because I was told at 20 she was too old to be relatable to the YA audience. Basically, if she wasn't a teenager, no matter the story matter, it was considered straight Adult instead of Young Adult. Oh well, I learn something new every day...;~)
And yes, JP, I would not consider your story YA either for publishing purposes due to subject matter, even though I COMPLETELY AGREE that it is the younger teens who would benefit the most from the reading of it!
Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!
This is great -- Craig and his cohorts are such fun, and have such helpful perspectives.
ReplyDeleteFor me, YA is 13ish to 18, with the realization that kids like to read "up" -- that is, they like to read about kids older than themselves, so 12 year olds, and potentially 11 year olds who cannot WAIT to be teens are going to be reading or wanting to read. YA tends to be edgier and more graphic than Middle Grade, and some 12 year olds are okay for that, some are not yet ready.
Hi Beth! I agree...and I think YA is probably the hardest genre to maybe identify or to write for...and yet I try...;:~)
DeleteThanks for stopping by and come back any time!
What an interesting post! I read some YA books. But I AM 11... :)
ReplyDeleteHi Erik! Imagine that...YOU are pretty to the target audience...;~)
DeleteThanks for stopping by and come back any time!
Interesting comments on Craig's post. My writer friends and I distinguish between "young" YA which is perfectly appropriate for middle schoolers and up, and "older YA" which, especially because of subject matter, might be best for high schoolers. But since bookstores don't make that distinction it's up to adult gate keepers to steer the younger kids toward good reads for them, and up to authors to get the word out as best they can about who they see as the appropriate audiences for their books.
ReplyDeleteHi Suzanne and welcome to my blog! You make a very fine point...I don't think it used to be as difficult to figure out a particular audience for one's writing in the past as it is now. Thank goodness there are people out there like Craig to help us distinguish between all of them...;~)
DeleteThanks for stopping by and come back any time!
Suzy, you're so right. The best person to decide whether a particular book is appropriate for a particular kid is the parent. That's why it's so important for us to actually READ our kid's book...and not make decisions based on the cover art or the blurb.
DeleteHi Amy and welcome to my blog! My son and I read together a lot when he was growing up and even when he started reading on his own, I was aware of the subject matter. I encouraged the classics as well as expanding reading choices to try ALL genres...now he is a well rounded reader and can appreciate great writing no matter the genre...
DeleteThanks for stopping by and come back any time!