I thought I’d ring in 2013 with a few predictions about what to look for in the YA market in the coming year. No crystal ball here, just some guesses based on my own experience and observations. 1) Lots and lots of sci-fi, with a dash of high fantasy thrown in. Much in the way … [Read more…]
Writing the end of a novel… There’s nothing more satisfying–and more challenging–than writing the final chapter of your novel, particularly if that novel is the final one in an ongoing series. More than likely, you’ve been imagining those final scenes in your head for a long time, working your way toward them, making sure all … [Read more…]
If you’d asked me a year ago, I would have predicted that the dystopian “bubble” in YA fiction would have burst by now–but I would have been wrong. It looks like there’s still a strong market for it, though my guess is that editors and agents would say that, if you’re writing a dystopian young … [Read more…]
To follow up on last month’s post, I checked in with a wide range of middle-school- and high-school-age readers and asked them to speak directly to young adult authors. I wanted to hear what they particularly love–and hate–in the young adult novels they read. For the record, I decided to include some middle-school-aged readers because … [Read more…]
I had the pleasure of leading a class of talented teen writers this summer at the Center at Miami-Dade College. The students ranged in age from entering high school freshmen to entering seniors (so roughly 14-18)–pretty much the “target market” for young adult fiction. I *love* working with teens, and especially teens who are … [Read more…]