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…]
I recently read this article in the Atlantic Wire about race in YA literature, and I’ve decided to address the topic here since I think it’s an important–if sometimes touchy–issue. Why is it that young adult fiction does not represent the diversity that we see in the “real” world? When I look at my middle-school-age … [Read more…]
Ever since readers everywhere started the now-famous “Team Edward/Team Jacob” argument, it seems as if love triangles are everywhere in young adult fiction. I’ve seen a lot of informal recent polls about this trend, and while some readers remain firmly against love triangles, one answer I see a lot is “I like love triangles—if they’re … [Read more…]
There’s nothing more exciting than opening up a brand new document, typing ‘Chapter One’ across the top of the page, and starting fresh with a new story. New characters to meet, a new plot to hammer out–it’s challenging, and at times overwhelming, but it’s a lot of fun, too. I love getting to know … [Read more…]