Time for another insecure post. Click the logo and it'll take you to Alex's original post about it, and give you the opportunity to sign up - although I can't believe there is anyone who doesn't at least know about this blog hop by now.
This month's insecurity was inspired by a post I read recently here. I've been thinking for a while now that I'm the only person in the world ever who's not writing YA fantasy. But now I know I'm not the only one... there's two of us!
(This was a scheduled post, I had it all written and done days ago, but I've just had my attention drawn - by someone reading an old post - to the fact that I've written something similiar to this before. I must prepare better next time!)
Anyway...
Since I discovered how much fun blog hops and challenges can be, and I've started to follow more and more people because of them, I realised that almost all of the people I follow - and a lot of the people who follow me - are YA writers. And I'm not. Not by a long shot. In fact, what I'm starting to wonder is whether people think that I am.
What I mostly write about is the psychology of my characters - how they react to things around them, how they react to the things that happen to them. Hmm, okay, that doesn't sound as exciting as I was hoping. Mostly there's a dead body - is that more exciting? Sometimes the dead body is right in front of them, sometimes it's in the past, sometimes it's in the process of becoming dead.
It's not that I don't love all the YA writers I follow - I think your blogs are fantastic, and obviously, first and foremost, you are writers, with exactly the same issues and problems with the process of writing that I have. But it does seem, a bit like the post I linked to above, that the reason YA writers are so prolific is that no one is reading anything else at the moment.
It's funny you should mention it, but I got into all this blog hopping stuff because I'd written a YA novel (currently slated for a total rewrite, top to bottom). Since that story I've written an MG novel, and my current WIP (other than the dissertation of doom) is a strictly adult piece. The problem is that I have all these people I've connected with and, well, they have this expectation of me as a YA writer, and I'm not. I write what I write, and I don't know if that's good or bad, but as I write my very adult book with obnoxious lines a college grad might find baffling, I'm left wondering: have I betrayed all these YA writers?
ReplyDeleteSo yeah, I totally know where you're coming from. Fear not, and only write the story that burns inside you.
It's interesting that you've written for such different markets. Do you have a favourite, or does the story dictate? I did wonder whether people would just tut and laugh at me over this topic.
DeleteYou're definitely not the only one who isn't writing YA. I've written one YA story, but none of the others have been. I don't know what I write, exactly :-)
ReplyDeleteLol, I'm not really sure what I write either. Fun isn't it? Although I'm never sure of the best markets to submit to because I'm not specialising in crime or ghosts or whatever.
DeleteMe, not a YA writer, I write short stories focussing on aspects of Indian women and their lives....though most of the tales would find an echo with struggling women the world over, my sci-fi gathering dust after Nano is as adult as it comes. But I think its because of the success of the HP books, Twilight, Hunger Games, Narnia and Percy Jackson series especially as movies, that a lot of vampire and magical series seem to be written for that age group of 14 to 20. Many of the classics we read as children would also fall into that genre.
ReplyDeleteAh, that's true about our childhood books. I remember reading The Little Broomstick as a child - I looked it up on Amazon the other day and the reviewers were all saying 'if you like HP you'll like this'. Kids have always loved fantasy, and if the writings good enough, adults will pick it up too.
DeleteI do have a YA I'm working on, but most of what I do (or hope to do) is actually for younger readers.
ReplyDeleteI see writing books for young readers as being much more difficult, having to keep them interested and entertained. I'm impressed!
DeleteYep, I'm not YA either. Though to be honest, I'm not entirely sure what I am. I can't even say I'm a genre writer, because while I SF/F, I also have contemporary stories. But rest assured, there are writers (and readers!) who are outside of YA.
ReplyDeleteSarah, above, said the same about not being sure where she fits, and I'm the same. Perhaps that's a whole new genre - 'dunno'?
DeleteI'm a YA writer, but I'm definitely not an exclusive YA reader. :)
ReplyDeleteHi Cassie. Thanks for commenting, and for the follow. I assume even YA don't just read that genre - I remember reading anything I could get my hands on when I was that age (probably because it wasn't a genre back then!)
DeleteI never thought that I would be a YA write, but that's the story that decided to come out. I read anything I can get my hands on though. :) I also follow all types of writer, not just YA. In fact I don't even think I have what kind of genre I'm writing on my blog.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting that your story came first. When you look at the whole genre system, it's getting harder and harder to pigeon-hole books, so many cross-over. Maybe bookshops will return to just A - Z ordering one day?
DeleteI'm not a YA writer either! But I have huge admiration for those who are because I think it must be hard to get it exactly right and touch the right spot! I feel like a 14 year-old inside but I don't seem to be able to think like one any more!
ReplyDeleteEverything moves so fast. What's cool one day is hot the next. Sick is good, or was; bad is also good, I think. Or was. Maybe the beauty of ebooks is you can go back on a weekly basis and update the vocab!
DeleteI don't write young adult! So there's more than two. And I can name several adult fantasy and mystery writers as well.
ReplyDeleteI know you don't, Alex - I've got CassaSatr ready to read once I'm done with my (hopefully) final edits!
DeleteI don't write YA or read it either. And a book with a dead body always gets my attention. Thanks for visiting and commenting on my post so I could find your blog! I love it, looking forward to more!
ReplyDeleteKarenG
Even when I aim not to have a dead body, someone always dies! Thanks for the follow.
DeleteI write both adult an YA. And there's ALWAYS a dead body in my adult science fiction novels. HA HA
ReplyDeleteWrite what you are comfortable writing. If YA isn't your thing, that's okay. Write what the character's tell you. Don't jump on the YA bandwagon - trends change.
Michelle
www.Michelle-Pickett.com
Author of Concilium, available July 2012
Concilium: The Departure, November 2012
PODs, available June 2013
I wouldn't feel confident to write YA - writing to please fickle teenagers seems like a very specialised thing to do, to me!
DeleteI really don't think that's true. I DO think YA has had a huge spike following Harry Potter, Twilight and The Hunger Games, but I for one couldn't read YA all the time. In fact, I'm not a huge YA person at all. I like Middle Grade (what I'm writing) and adult novels more. But I think it's great you're writing something different. If the YA market gets too saturated, agents and publishers are going to be looking to you to bring something different to the table. Keep at it!
ReplyDeleteLogically, I know it's not true - but logic and insecurity don't go together! The comments here have helped me put it all into perspective!
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