Writing and Selling the YA Novel

by K L Going

  Nowhere is this more evident than in the banning of YA books that push the boundaries of what's culturally acceptable. YA writers have always had to fight hard to write what they see as true, even if that truth is uncomfortable, and this was every bit the case when the "problem novel" reached its zenith. Unfortunately, this meant that by the 1990s many librarians and booksellers were tolling the death knell for teen literature. Add to this the fact that in the 1980s not only had the percentage of teenagers in America declined, but library funding had been cut by the Reagan administration, and it's no surprise that teen bookshelves and teen specialists were the first to disappear in many libraries across the country.

  We can thank two groups for the survival of YA books. First, the authors who consistently wrote amazing, literary novels through all of these decades, defying the negative stereotypes of books for teenagers, a nd second, the librarians, editors, and booksellers who championed these novels even when others were ready to throw in the towel. It's thanks to them that a field once thought to be on the brink of collapse has become a thriving, vital part of global literature.

  Now, many people are saying that we've arrived at a new golden age for YA literature. Over the last two decades we've seen the population of teenagers in America grow tremendously and, by some statistics, that growth won't peak until 2010. We've seen the advent of the YA paperback, which made teen books affordable to their audience and easily distributed, and we've seen the emergence of graphic novels and manga as creative and popular choices for teens. Multicultural books have moved from being nearly nonexistent to being sought after, and more and more books are being written from perspectives other than white, middle class, or wealthy teens. In 1999 the Young Adult Services Division of the American Library Association established the first Michael L. Printz awards to honor literary excellence in books written for twelve- through eighteen-year-olds, so now it's much easier for excellent teen novels to gain the recognition and attention they deserve.

  This is an exciting time to be a writer for teenagers. Authors today have fewer restrictions and more recognition than ever before, and with the prevalence of the Internet we have increasing opportunities to market our books directly to our audience. Though you may not always like what they have to say, rap and hip-hop artists have given teens an ear for rhythm and wordplay, and social networking sites like MySpace have given teen authors a fun, accessible image.

  Are there still challenges? Definitely. Did you know that the Teen Choice Awards recognize just about every form of entertainment other than books? They give out awards for TV, movies, sports, fashion, and music, but I suspect if anyone suggested they include a "Best

  Book" category the idea would never be taken seriously. Why is that? The answer to this question is something that writers for young adults should consider. How do teenagers today view books, and are we doing all we can to keep them reading?

  Hopefully the answer is yes, and the books we write today will be part of tomorrow's history—a history other writers will draw on as inspiration for the work they will do in the future.

  an easy reference tool, cutting down on the time it takes you to establish your YA reading list. So, don't stress yourself trying to read them all, but whenever you have a chance, choose a title and read it with a critical and historical eye. (I had good luck finding many of the older books on Amazon.com, at used bookstores, and through library book sales.)

  1940s: Seventeenth Summer by Maureen Daly (Dodd, Mead, 194?)

  Going on Sixteen by Betty Gavanna (Westminster Press, 1946)

  1950s: The Sea Gulls Woke Me by Mary Stolz (Harper, 1951)

  The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger (Little, Brown, 1951)

  Sorority Girl by Anne Emery (Westminster Press, 195a)

  A Separate Peace by John Knowles (Seeker & Warburg, 1959)

  1960s: The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton (Viking Press, 1967)

  The Pigman by Paul Zindel (Harper & Row, 1968)

  The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin (Walker, 1969)

  1970s: Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret byJudyBlume (Bradbury Press, 1970)

  Go Ask Alice by Anonymous (Prentice Hall, 1971)

  Dinky Hocker Shoots Smack by M.E. Kerr (Harper & Row, 197?)

  The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier (Pantheon Books, 1974)

  1980s: yln,nie on My Mind by Nancy Garden (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 198?)

  The Divorce Express by Paula Danziger (Delacorte Press, 198a)

  Running Loose by Chris Crutcher (Greenwillow Books, 1983)

  Slumber Party by Christopher Pike (Scholastic, 1985)

  Weetzie Bat by Francesca Lia Block (Harper & Row, 1989)

  1990s: Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli (Little, Brown, 1990)

  Oh My Goddess! 1-555-GODDESS by Kosuke Fujishima (Dark Horse, 1995)

  Rats Saw God by Rob Thomas (Simon & Schuster, 1996)

  Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1999)

  2000s: The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares (Delacorte Press, 2001)

  The First Part Last by Angela Johnson (Simon & Schuster, ?oo3)

  Twilight by Stephenie Meyer (Little, Brown 3005)

  The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (Alfred A. Knopf, 2,006)

  American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang (First Second, 2,006)

  So, now you know what YA novels are and how they've evolved. We've discussed motivation, and you've read widely from books spanning many decades. It's time to start writing.

  Perhaps this is the moment you've been waiting for. You're ready. You're pumped. Like an athlete who is prepared to go the distance, you've got the enthusiasm and the drive. But what you may not have yet is an idea. It's difficult to imagine yourself running up the art museum steps in the Rocky montage if you don't have the big fight scheduled. Finding the right idea is the key to beginning your YA novel.

  So where, exactly, do ideas come from? How can you find ideas that teenagers will enjoy? The answer to this question is both simple and complex.

  Ideas for your teen novel can come from anywhere. That's the simple answer. But the real question is: Where do good ideas come from? How can you tell the difference between an idea that will sizzle and one that will never heat up? Are there unique sources for ideas that will appeal to the teen marketplace?

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  Whether you loved or hated gym class in school, this version of gym will be nothing like what you were used to. In this gym class, the muscle we'll be working on is your brain. Priming your creative muscle is hard work, so let's get some blood flowing with a few mental calisthenics.

  WHERE DO IDEAS COME FROM?_

  A good workout starts out slow, so let's begin with the easy stuff. Where can you find ideas for your novel? Since you're writing for teens are you limited to MTV, movies, TV, and the mall?

  Absolutely not.

  Ideas can come from so many places they'd be impossible to count, and finding ideas for a teen novel is no different than finding ideas for an adult novel. Sure, you might want to focus more on school and less on the workplace, but remember that teens live in the exact same world that adults live in, and that world is rich with story potential.

  In fact, our world is overflowing with stories. Whether they come in the form of movies, books, TV shows, or song lyrics, there are stories swirling around us prett much all the time. Obviously we can't use them in the exact same forms that we find them, but we can allow them to inspire us.

  Many authors are inspired by music, and I include myself in that group. Listening to music makes me want to capture the same raw emotion I hear through the lyrics and melody, only in a different form. When I find myself hitting a creative wall, I put on a good CD and let my mind wander. Do you have to listen to the same music that's popular with teens? At times that might be helpful, but generally the idea is for you to be inspired, so it's more important that the music move you, rather than reflecting your target audience.

  There are also times when a director's co
mmentary on a DVD has sparked an idea for a book. Learning about the creative process other artists go through, even if they aren't in the same held, can inspire you to look at your own work from a different angle. Hearing how a screenwriter or director stepped outside of the conventional forms found in film can prompt you to step out of the creative box that might be holding you back. Again, you need not confine yourself to teen movies, but in this case, listening to how these artists connect to their teen audiences just might inspire you to connect with yours.

  I've also been inspired by other books. Reading a great book can get me so excited that suddenly my mind is overflowing with ideas. "Where once my imaginative muscles might have felt stiff and sore, after reading a great book, they're ready to work out. It's the literary equivalent of a cup of coffee or a protein bar. Great books generate enthusiasm, and enthusiasm sparks ideas. Read all kinds of books, and allow them to get you excited. Excitement works like a furnace for ideas, or at least idea receptivity. When you're excited, your mind opens to every possible form an idea might take. You look at the world around you in a new way, and this is exactly what it takes to find great stories.

  If you're looking for ideas, watch the world around you and take note of interesting people, places, or events. Read books, newspapers, and magazines. Reality can be a wonderful source for fiction. The very first YA novel I ever attempted was inspired by a true story in Newsweek about teens in a small town who started a gay/straight student alliance. The teens captured my imagination, and I wanted to know more about their lives: What had brought them to that point, and what would happen to them afterwards? I explored those possibilities as I wrote my book (using fictional characters and plot, of course). Although that novel didn't sell, it's still a story I'm proud of. It's a 250-page novel that wouldn't have existed without that one-page article.

  When you watch the world around you, keep an eye out for conflict and tension. Part of what appealed to me about that particular news story was that the teens were meeting with resistance from the school board and people in their town. This intrigued me. I wanted to know how they would handle the opposition and how the situation would get resolved. Conflict makes for great stories, and although we wish it didn't exist, it's everywhere. When you read about conflict, see it on TV, or even if you witness it firsthand, ask yourself if there's a book somewhere in there that you'd be interested in writing. Does the real-life situation make you curious, angry, sad, or joyful enough that you'd want to capture those same emotions in a novel?

  Patricia McCormick did a fabulous job of turning conflict into a powerful, emotional story with her novel Sold, which is about a girl from Nepal who is sold into prostitution. A chance meeting with a photographer working undercover brought the issue of girls in brothels to McCormick's attention. She describes on her Web site how she knew immediately that she wanted to try and tell this story from a single girl's point of view. The resulting book received a National Book Award nomination.

  What's happening in the world that's of interest to you? What do you think would interest teens? Ask yourself how a teenager might fit into a story that catches your eye. One of the unique aspects of writing for young adults is that the teenage point of view is seldom portrayed in the media when it comes to world events. We most often hear from adults, and occasionally someone might interview a small child, but generally teens are overlooked. When we take the time to explore their view of the world, the results are almost always fascinating.

  One word of caution, though: Just because you intend to write for teens doesn't mean you should ignore anything you perceive as being outside the teen perspective. When it comes to finding ideas, be open to everything. Even situations that seem adult can be explored from a young person's point of view. Do politics interest you? Maybe your character is a summer intern at the United States Capitol. Are you a huge fan of NASCAR? Perhaps your character is the child of one of the drivers. How does he feel about his parent's risky profession?

  Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi is a great example of a graphic novel that explores adult situations from the perspective of first a child, and then a teen. This story is the memoir of a woman who grew up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. Throughout the course of the book we witness acts of war and experience the hardships of political repression through Marjane's young eyes. The result is a book that brings history to life in a way that a strictly adult novel could not.

  Marjane Satrapi not only doesn't hesitate to explore adult issues from a young person's perspective, she also does something we can all do at any time. She delves into her memories. I know what you're thinking: "But I didn't grow up during the Islamic Revolution! My life is not nearly that interesting."

  Isn't it?

  Who can say what might be fascinating to someone who hasn't experienced it? And unless you're writing a memoir, you don't need to use your memories in a literal manner. Use them to spark ideas instead. Choose an event from your own teenage years and ask yourself why it stands out in your mind. Is there a strong emotion attached to it? If so, maybe that's an emotion you'd want to explore at greater

  length. Do you remember a specific situation that was dangerous, humorous, or sad? How might you update it for today's teens? Or maybe you'd rather include it in a historical fiction novel. The opportunities are endless, so take out those old journals and diaries.

  Be sure to dig out your photo albums, too. Photographs remind us of people and places we might otherwise have forgotten. They are rich in details and expression. Even when the photos aren't yours, they can still be sources of inspiration. I've always loved to stare into the eyes of strangers in photographs and wonder about their stories. What were they like? How did their lives turn out? Were they happy? Studying the clues a photo offers can spark even more ideas. Where is the person? Who else is in the picture? What are the people doing? Is there anything interesting happening in the background? Photographs are everywhere, so take time to really look at them.

  ASKING QUESTIONS

  Starting to work up a sweat yet? Be sure to take a breather. Taking time out is as important when you're searching for ideas as it is during a workout. The writing process can't be rushed. In fact, one of the best ways to generate ideas is simply to sit still and observe the world. Writers need time to explore every possible idea that occurs to them. One way to do this is through asking questions.

  Asking questions of everything you see is essential because in any given situation, the right question might unlock the perfect story. As writers, we are constantly exploring the world. We ask ourselves what it would be like to live as someone else. What would that person do, say, and think? Ask questions as you watch a teen on the subway. What would it be like to be him or her? When you see an interesting house, ask yourself who lives there. If you see a large family, take time to wonder what it might be like to be one of many children. Or if you already know the answer to that question, ask yourself what it would be like to be an only child. As you delve into this process, you'll find that each question will lead to another until eventually a particular line of questions will capture your attention so much that you don't want to abandon it. When the questions seem endless, there's a good chance you've found your story.

  Realistic questions aren't the only ones that can spark ideas. A different type of question you might use is the "What if " question. Start a question with "What if" and then fill in the blank. For example, you might ask yourself, "What if I was the child of an immigrant family?" or "What if the world entered a new ice age?" or "What if we could travel back in time?" While this technique works well for realistic situations, it's also great for generating ideas outside the familiar realm. I especially recommend it if you're searching for teen fantasy or science fiction ideas. By asking ourselves "What if" questions, we can twist reality until it becomes unrecognizable.

  If you like a particular question and its answer, be sure to follow it through until you run out of questions. For example, you might start with a question like this
: What if I lived on a planet almost exactly like this one, only in a different galaxy? Then you could add: What if my family was one of the first to colonize this planet and we did so just before a nuclear holocaust on Earth, so now we are forgotten? Continue on to: What if there were no other teenagers and I couldn't stand my parents?

  Let each question spark the next question. You might even combine questioning techniques so you can see a story from every angle. Maybe the teen who hates his family is somehow different from them, so although others in the group tolerate him, he's not taken seriously

  in this harsh environment. Ask yourself what it might be like to be different. How would he prove himself to others? What kind of a struggle might he and his family have gone through in order to make it to the planet in the first place? How did the teen feel about leaving Earth? Now that they're stranded, does he feel vindicated or foolish? How does he handle his emotions?

  By starting with a "What if" question, you can arrive at an idea that might lead you to a character. What began as a scenario has now reached the point where human emotions are involved, and those emotions will lead to actions that will define the person in your mind. Now he's no longer a teenage placeholder, he's a boy with intense struggles who must deal with extreme isolation. As you ask yourself how he does this, and why he does this, your answers will shape his character until soon, he just might become unforgettable.

  MEMORIES

  When an idea sticks in your mind, there's usually a reason. W.H. Auden said, "Some books are undeservedly forgotten; none are undeservedly remembered." The same could be said for people, places, and events. Don't be afraid to delve into your own memories or let the memoirs of others inspire you. Many writers get hung up on the idea that every facet of a story must come from their own imaginations, but every one of us draws from real life all the time. I find biographies to be excellent idea generators, and the details they reveal about a particular time and place can be helpful in creating a setting.