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
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.
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.
ReplyDeleteThanks Kay! It's always interesting to see where they lead us. :-)
DeleteFelicia
Adventures that Inspire Action
I like when authors follow their characters' dictates.
ReplyDeleteThanks Debby! It seems to me it makes the story come alive.
DeleteAgreed. 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.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing Julie!
DeleteJULIE!
DeleteYou won! I'm messaging you on G+
Valerie
Thank you! Doing a little chair dance to celebrate! :-)
DeleteI have to agree with Kay.
ReplyDeleteThanks Nancy!
DeleteOriginality really is one of the main components to a successful YA novel. Great post, Felicia!
ReplyDeleteThanks Dawn!
DeleteI 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!
ReplyDeleteIsn't it great when you feel like the characters are old friends? Thanks for the comment
DeleteI 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.
ReplyDeleteThat is great feedback bookbunny68! I think that is really what most readers, regardless of age, enjoy. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
DeleteFelicia
I do enjoy reading YA. I find the storylines are often so fresh & unique.
ReplyDeleteI do, too. Thanks for reading and commenting Mary!
DeleteI 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.
ReplyDeleteMara, 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!
DeleteRealistic dialogue is huge. I can't stand a book where the dialogue reads like an instructional manual or textbook.
ReplyDeleteLOL - 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!
DeleteInteresting! I appreciate the view into writing. :) In my opinion, yes research is important, but an element of creativity and imagination is also necessary!
ReplyDeleteCatherine,
DeleteYou 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!
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.
ReplyDeleteMeredith, 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!
DeleteI also like when authors aren't afraid to show the darker sides of growing up.
ReplyDeleteGreat 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