Monthly Archives: October 2010

Recently, I got together with a few great young adult authors to discuss the benefits of writing young adult fiction. Below is transcript from our chat. Here are the players:

Janet Gurtler (find her new book deal announcement here!)
Shana Silver
Jennifer Hoffman
Me (Chandler)

Feel free to provide us with your thoughts and commentary!

Shana: Today we’re discussing the advantages of writing for the YA market. So first question: do you ever feel like you have to defend writing for teens?

Janet: All the time. People often ask when I will write a “real” book.

Chandler: –as if your books were currently imaginary?

Janet: Haha, but I love to hand YA books to adults and convert them.

Shana: I actually never have to defend. I think it’s because I still look and act like a teen. Though when I tell people I write YA, they are like, “Oh, that makes sense…”

Janet: You do look young. I don’t have that advantage. When I’m hanging in the YA section, people are weirded out.

Shana: I know, but I also do get offended with that “Oh, that makes sense” comment. What do they mean by that? That’s when I have to go into defense mode. Except lately, several of my adult friends have been reading YA without my having to bind and gag them and hold a book up to their eyes.

Janet: When people ask about why I write YA, I try to explain that there is so much freedom to explore topics. I love edgy realistic fiction and it’s harder to do it well in the world of adults. It’s more acceptable for teens to be going through changes be it with vampires or with real life issues

Chandler: Agreed, I think the thing is that the people who you are defending to aren’t reading YA. I mean, we’re in a bit of a teen fiction renaissance I think. Continue reading →

I found this old post lurking  in my drafts folder. I guess I never got around to finishing it, but since it’s Halloween week (and a Monday so my brain’s not working), I figured I could start us off with … Continue reading →

Recently, Agent Nathan Bransford wrote a post entitled, “Are There Really That Many People Out There Writing Books?” His answer: Yes. Let’s put it this way: In 2009, Literary Agent Kristin Nelson reported receiving over 38,000 queries requesting representation. In … Continue reading →

So I turned in the final (hopefully!) revisions for my manuscript tonight. I’ve done a lot of work on this book. Late nights, early mornings. Brainstorming sessions with the critique partner. Writing, re-writing and re-writing again. So you would think … Continue reading →