Writing YA Novels

Writing YA novels refers to writing young adult or youth adult fiction. Here are three things to remember: the definition of young adult varies; what appeals to a 12-year-old will not necessarily appeal to an 18-year-old and when you say young adult, you mean no sex (mostly), no drugs (but not always) and only a nudge and a wink at rock and roll.

Young adult fiction comes in many different shapes and sizes.

YA novels include books like Twilight Saga, The Graveyard Book, Gossip Girl, Princess Diaries and Harry Potter. It’s a wide ranging selection that appeals to a broad audience. The Harry Potter novels run the gamut from very young to very mature as J.K. Rowling’s series matures with the readers. So if young adult novels come in so many different varieties and frankly ratings, how can a writer target the YA audience?

Consider for a moment the types of books you liked to read when you were that age. It’s a safe bet that in the YA audience, someone also likes that type of book. Whether magic, adventure, mystery or straight relationship interactions, adolescent readers are looking for your book. Ultimately, most teenagers are trying to figure out who they are, who they want to be and how they might get there. Sometimes they are looking for escape or just searching for an idea of what not to do. The books that appeal to them are the books that they can most relate to and that speak to their personal experiences, fears, aspirations and dreams.

Young adult genres include every genre that appeals to adults, from science fiction to romance, to chick lit to adventure lit, to mysteries and even real life tales. The important thing to remember is that the age range means that YA writers need to address topics carefully. Most teenagers can handle scary topics like a good friend who does drugs or the boy next door who is abused, but it needs to be kept a step away from the character they immediately identify with.

Harry, for example, in the Harry Potter series is treated badly by his aunt and uncle, but their abusive tendencies are kept one step away from the reader – just enough for the reader to identify it and to dislike them, but not enough to truly frighten them. Harry also gets to get even now and then, which helps.

YA books focus intensely on characters and emotions. Teenage years are ripe with emotions and the need to understand the deeper issues and connections in life. YA novels allow teens a safe way to experiment, explore and experience life’s possibilities.

If you’re planning a YA novel, keep in mind the following items:

• Character age – your character does not have to be the exact age as your readers, but you do need to understand how teenagers act, dress, think and feel (no matter what time period you’re writing in).
• Themes – Don’t beat your readers over the moral of the story. Young adults are fairly sophisticated and understand the implications of right versus wrong.
• Character Studies – Most YA novels focus on how the events in the novel impact the main character or characters. Never forget that the story is about that character or characters and let them experience it so that the reader can too.
• Novel Length – Most YA novels range between 40,000 and 75,000 words. Never try to write a story to a specific number of words, just write the tale you want to tell.
• Point of View – First and third person tend to be the rule of thumb in YA novels, second person can be done but is very difficult to do well.

Writing YA novels does not restrict your use of vocabulary the way writing for children does, however, use profanity and stereotypes sparingly. Typically, if you’re writing for the older teen set then you have more latitude than you do for the younger teen set. Be aware of your audience as you’re writing.

Be aware that upon manuscript acceptance by a publisher, they may recommend many changes including altering obscenities, profanity or other restricted material if they feel the book markets younger than you intended.

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