Lately, I’ve been hearing lots of complaints about “cliffhangers” in young adult series–you know, where a book ends seemingly in the middle of some sort of crisis, and you have to wait for the next book for the resolution. From a marketing perspective, a cliffhanger ending can be a good thing. It leaves readers desperate for the … [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…]
Age of Young Adult Protagonists, Age in YA Fiction How old should a young adult protagonist be? Up until very recently, I worked part-time at an independent bookstore specializing in kids/young adult (YA) fiction. Occasionally, we’d get a new title in, and find ourselves stumped after reading the back cover or flap copy—was the book supposed … [Read more…]
One of the great things about writing young adult (YA) fiction right now is that, in a contracting publishing landscape, the young adult market seems like a veritable land of opportunity. In comparison to the adult romance market, where lines and imprints are constantly shrinking and folding and major publishers are closing up shop, the … [Read more…]