Tuesday, December 15, 2015

The Future of YA by Felicia Bridges ~ Guest Post & Giveaway



The Future of YA
By Felicia Bridges

I write the stories that come to me, the ones that grab me and won’t let go. I don’t do market research to determine what twist the plot should take or whether the family in my story should be more diverse or whether the next story will sell more copies if it is set in Venice vs. Venezuela. But there are times when, as authors, we need to look to the future and consider where our resources are best invested.

According to Jennifer Austin, https://jenniferaustinauthor.wordpress.com/2014/06/23/what-do-ya-readers-want/, based on a limited poll, YA readers are looking for less romance, especially love triangles, more sci fi, more diversity, and more fantasy but not sugar-coated fairytale fantasy. They want stories that reveal the darkness in the world, that aren’t afraid to confront evil or even allow evil to appear to triumph, but in the end they still want the “happily ever after.”

BookBrats also published a broader survey of what YA readers want a few years ago (http://www.bookbrats.com/ya-readership-survey-results/#.VlpUrd-rSu4).  The most important criterion according to those surveyed? Good writing. Well-developed characters. Rich, well-constructed plots. Realistic dialogue. In short, the most important ingredient for a successful novel was simply the quality of the writing.

The next critical foundation is originality. Once a story has taken the market by storm (think Twilight, The Hunger Games, Divergent), trying to emulate their proven success by copying the formula will fail miserably. Knock-offs will be compared relentlessly to the original, and seldom will they be found to exceed the one which set the standard. Readers have experienced that; now they want something new and different.

Be original. Be excellent. Write something wonderful.

Giveaway is CLOSED

Winner is Julie Stamps

Everyone who comments will be entered to win their choice of 5 of Vinspire Publishing’s young adult titles in ebook format.  Giveaway ends 12/17. 

About Felicia Bridges

Felicia Bridges began writing as an Army BRAT learning to enjoy life overseas. Her nomadic childhood created a passion for missions and travel that permeates her writing. She is a contributing author for Then Along Came an Angel: Messengers of Deliverance and God’s Provision in Tough Times, a finalist for the 2014 Selah Awards. Serving in ministry for over twenty years alongside her husband and the mother of four children, Felicia’s vision is to inspire the next generation to carry the gospel to all nations. Her blog, www.AdventuresThatInspireAction.wordpress.com, focuses on living on mission wherever life’s adventure leads.

Felicia graduated with highest honors from North Carolina State University with a B.A. in Psychology and a concentration in Human Resources Development. Her ten years’ experience as an HR Manager sharpened her understanding of people while providing some very interesting stories. Having studied public speaking in college and as a graduate of the Dale Carnegie Course, she is equally comfortable speaking to the stranger in the checkout line or an auditorium full of people.


28 comments:

  1. Thank you Felicia. I agree... write what comes and follow your characters around to see what kind of trouble they're going to get into.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Kay! It's always interesting to see where they lead us. :-)
      Felicia
      Adventures that Inspire Action

      Delete
  2. I like when authors follow their characters' dictates.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Debby! It seems to me it makes the story come alive.

      Delete
  3. Agreed. Originality, dedication, and polished product will always win over copycat imitation. Doing what speaks to you is an important part of being original because there is no one more you, than you. :-) Fun article- shared on Twitter.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. JULIE!

      You won! I'm messaging you on G+

      Valerie

      Delete
    2. Thank you! Doing a little chair dance to celebrate! :-)

      Delete
  4. Originality really is one of the main components to a successful YA novel. Great post, Felicia!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I love it when authors write so well that the characters seem like real people - I've been trying to improve my writing skills so thanks for this post!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Isn't it great when you feel like the characters are old friends? Thanks for the comment

      Delete
  6. I like YA because it is different from my everyday life. I don't really like sappiness but realistic stories. They need to be intelligent and not perfect storylines.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That is great feedback bookbunny68! I think that is really what most readers, regardless of age, enjoy. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

      Felicia

      Delete
  7. I do enjoy reading YA. I find the storylines are often so fresh & unique.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I do, too. Thanks for reading and commenting Mary!

      Delete
  8. I agree. I hate reading clichés and always look for books who have promising and one-of-a-kind plot summaries. Fell in love with your best friend? Can't live without your dream guy? MC is so helpless by him/herself? Definitely not for me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mara, you are so right! It's like watching re-runs on TV. Or like Hollywood's recent penchant for re-makes of everything instead of coming up with a story that is new and different. Thanks for reading and commenting!

      Delete
  9. Realistic dialogue is huge. I can't stand a book where the dialogue reads like an instructional manual or textbook.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LOL - good analogy! I couldn't agree more. As a writer, writing good dialogue is harder than it looks. Thanks for the comment - and the chuckle!

      Delete
  10. Interesting! I appreciate the view into writing. :) In my opinion, yes research is important, but an element of creativity and imagination is also necessary!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Catherine,
      You are right. Research is definitely critical - I research all about the setting for my books,. I check what subway routes I would take to get from one place to another, whether walking from one place to another would be uphill or downhill, what the weather would be like and what time the sun would set at the particular time of year, for example. Thorough research is critical to creating a believable story world. Even when writing science fiction or fantasy, it's important to research and think through the various aspects of your fictional world. When the original Star Wars movie opened on Tattooine where Luke Skywalker was raised, the planet had two suns - and we discover that his uncle is a "moisture farmer" responsible for harvesting precious water. The world makes sense - water is scarce as a result of the heat of two suns. Most viewers/readers wouldn't necessarily think about it, but if they had created a lush jungle, like Endor, it would have seemed out of place. What I don't use research for, and wouldn't advocate using it for, is using market research to determine important plot or character points. I believe that will come across as contrived rather than authentic. Thanks for reading and commenting!

      Delete
  11. Originality is very important. Young people have so many different interests and they are changing frequently. They are looking for fresh things to do and read.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Meredith, thanks for the comment! I agree. When I think of my favorite stories, they are ones that broke new ground, proposed a scenario I'd never considered, or introduced a character that was unique and original. Blessings!

      Delete
  12. I also like when authors aren't afraid to show the darker sides of growing up.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Great point Tanya. We live in a dark world and if our stories are to be realistic, they need to portray that. For me, there are two important facets of incorporating realistic evil into my stories. First, I never want to glorify or portray evil in a way that is glamorous or attractive. Second, I always want to end on a positive note - to show that darkness does not triumph. Especially for young people, I hope that when my readers put the book down after reading it, they feel encouraged and positive, rather than hopeless or depressed. Thanks for reading and commenting!

      Delete