Yes I Read YA...And?

I intended on writing something else today, but yesterday I saw these comments on author Zoë Marriotts blog, and I had to share my views.

Because the pictures are bit small here is what was said:

Anonymous said...

This isn't really a comment on your post (but it is awesome by the way, I hope that Big Secret Project can someday see the light of day) but I have a question that I'd like to ask; I thought I'd ask you because you're one of my favourite authors and you're really nice so I thought you would be able to answer without thinking I'm being stupid or something.
I've just started college; I'm 17 years old next month. I'm taking English Literature because it's my favourite subject, but I feel like a baby because I discovered yesterday that most people in my class read 'adult' books and I'm still in the YA section. Is it stupid that I feel like crawling into a hole and dying, to never pick up a YA book again? I feel like such a baby, should I stop reading YA and move on to 'older' fiction?
Sorry, I know you're not an Agony Aunt but I didn't know who else to ask.

Zoë Marriott said...

Anonymous: This is absolutely the right place to ask this question! Talking about books and reading and writing is what we do here. I'll do a Q&A post Monday next week and post my reply then, OK? But in the meantime, please don't feel that you want to crawl into a hole and die! Most of my best friends and the smartest people that I know (including fellow writers!) spend between 50-90% of their reading time on YA novels. Including me! YOU ARE NOT ALONE!

And then I responded with:

AmieSalmonYAWriter said...

Anonymous...I do understand what you mean. When I was in a training session for xmas temp at a book shop, people seemed to look down at me for being a fan of YA/even children books in general. I do however also read 'adult' books as well; I am a fan of literature no matter what the age label.
I do think there is a big judgment against YA books, but I don't understand why. I've read so many 'teen' books that are just as beautiful, well written and full of great drama/comedy. Sometimes even more so than a book aimed for the older reader.
Don't feel pressured to read something you won't enjoy it. Be true to your own personal interests.
YA is a great place to be at the moment. I mean look at Zoë’s writing, her (or yours if you read this Zoë) books are some of the most intelligent I have read.

Now I want to add on to what I said. I do think there is a stigma against YA books, especially if you are an older reader and fan.

What is wrong with reading what you love?

As I said above, the YA books I read are so imaginative; intelligent; funny; full of great characters; stellar writing and are just simply amazing.
I mean lets take everyone’s favourite; the Harry Potter books. They are children’s books that go on to become YA as the characters grow older and the stories become darker. They have one of the most diverse audiences around, and are universally loved. No one looks down on if you've read them and adore them.
Twilight Saga is another one with a range in ages, and yes I admit I have gone off them a bit now because of the hype around them, but people love the books because they have a great core story.
I hate that people don't think you're smart just because you enjoy reading something that's aimed at teenagers. Or think just because you have a large collection of Mills & Boon books that somehow means you can't read a hard hitting historical fiction.
I don't stare down at 30-year-old guys who read comic books, because they have great stories in them. And if I could draw something like that I'd be happy to have such a devoted audience.

YA is one of the most exciting markets to be a part of at the moment; it is full of some of the most talented writers around. They create these amazing wonderful worlds that are so gripping and feel so real.
They write books that interest teens, who are largely seen in the media as 'hooded yobs' who go around vandalising and drinking and having sex.

I'm not saying just read one genre, if you want to grow and learn not only as a writer but also as a person then read as much as you can. But please don't go dissing someone for their taste. If you respect mine then I shall respect yours.

I think I got my point across there. Any thoughts?

First Time Novelists Warning

I know I am not yet published, so perhaps you may think that I do not yet posses efficient knowledge to be writing such a blog.
However, I have just completed my (current) extremely further revision of my novel, my first actually completed novel. Along the way I have suffered pain and heartache, lots of which I did not expect to. But I tell you this: I should have, and so should you.
Being an author isn't just about writing something with creativity and an original voice. There is so much more to take into consideration.
I am going to go through some of the lessons I have learnt in this ongoing journey. Although I must say that I am not perfect at this, I still have a way to go until I (please please!) See my book on a shelf with a shiny cover.

But I hope this will be of some help to anyway one reads this. And save some time taken away from finishing your masterpiece.

1. Never query too early, this was my mistake. The novel wasn't in a good enough shape, there was so much work that I needed to take the time to complete.
Make sure you are 200% confident that it is at its best before sending it out to the big wide world of querying. I know you may read this a lot, but its true.

2. You have to do your research, and not just for your fictional world you've created. You need knowledge, even if it’s just some, of the genre and market you would like to become a part of. This will help you become more aware.
However I will say don't shape your novel to fit a certain genre or marketplace, this will remove the joy from the process and won't make your book stand out. Know whom you’d like to read your book, and what you want to write about, but be unique.

3. Concerning agents, don't just query any old person who takes your fancy. Make sure you're your sending your work to the right person.
For example do the agency or agent handle your type of work? I myself have had to research what places take on YA Fantasy; some may take on one but not the other.
A good place to start your search is at Agent Query.
Also, are their doors open for submission currently? Do they have specific guidelines for submitting?
I suggest making a table (or spreadsheet if you're good at that) to keep all your information in one place.

4. From my, premature, round of queries I learnt the hard, but polite, way that my novel was too long. Way long. Some agents will just see your word count is too long and instantly dismiss your work.
I didn't really understand word count and how much of an integral part of publishing it is, especially when concerning new authors. (I know it seems naïve, but I'm new at this. I had no idea what to expect)
I say to learn more read this and this. Trust me, it's one of the most important things I learnt.

5. Get some sort of writing platform up and going, even if it’s just a twitter account with 11 followers. Be out there, it will help. Because if you do get published, these are all great advertising tools you will need, and it will help readers feel more connected to you and your work.
I read an interview recently with a great agent; she said that after reading your partial (if requested) she will Google your name just to see if you have an online presence. She said it doesn't matter if it was small, as long as you are there.

All this advice and information you can learn from the net. Look at author’s websites, their blogs or twitters. Read interviews they make, guest posts they publish. Do the same for agents and publishers.
A great website, run by brilliant friendly Stacey on twitter, I personally found a fantastic source for help is the YAFantasy Guide. Not only a good place to go if you're fan of that genre, but also amazing for other writers. It has great articles such as; painting pictures as a writer; how to get bloggers to review your books and what to avoid while writing dialogue.
Here are also some other great links to websites/articles which I found great help:

Great advice from author Josephine Angelini - of Starcrossed Series.

Author Zoe Marriott on getting published & writing diversely.

And finally, the most common piece of advice I see writers and such give, whether it be in an interview or on their blog etc, is:

Don't give up, follow your dreams.

And I agree with them whole-heartedly. As long as you believe in your story, if it has all those elements that make other books you read great, then go for it.
Perfect your book, use some of the advice above and go find more for yourself. Then just go for it.
What's the worse that could happen? People will say no? (Believe me there will be some who do) But then at least you've tried haven't you? You've put all the energy and enthusiasm you can behind it, then at the very least you can say you gave it a go.

Thanks for staying with me till the end of this, and I wish you the best of luck in your endeavours.
However the thing to remember is, keep your patience. Sometimes I struggle to find mine. So I close my eyes and dream of how I’ll feel if I succeed. It tends to help.

2011...What a year you've been...And it hasn't finished.

Recently I heard someone say; oh they said 2011 was going to be a bad year didn't they?
I want to know who this particular someone was, and if they looked into my future.
January started pretty much the way it always does, except for the fact I finished my first novel, and learnt how to write my query letter and synopsis.
Then I suddenly got very ill. It was the kind of illness that had me admitted into hospital several times before I was diagnosed with what was actually wrong with me. This was also after I had been passed around to a dozen various doctors, and been to see my GP up-tine times.
It was also the kind of illness that still affects me now. My immune system was attacked quite severely, and is still struggling to patch itself back together after being so ill. It also affected the rest of my life.
I had to suspend my university course; otherwise I was told I'd fail. I missed out on lots of social events. Hardly been to work, a part-time job that I adore.

We struggled with money, actually still are. No one tells you how hard money can be to manage. Yes they are plenty of good, better things that money can't buy: but it helps, enables you to enjoy those other wonderful things in life.

And since being ill, it seemed to me that everything that could go wrong, has.
Although I can't say the year has been all bad. I've enjoyed great times with family and friends. And they all spoilt me, treated me far better than I sometimes wonder if I deserve, on my 21st.
I was given some great advice for my novel, which lead me to writing a saga instead of a trilogy, the first two books of which I have already written. That advice, from a very considerate agent, has also resulted in me writing a better first novel.
The other thing about this year I'm so grateful to have succeeded in, is increasing my reading list. I've read so many great books, mainly in the genre I wish to base my writing career, and the list is ever growing.
So far I've read:

• City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare
• Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini
• Howls Moving Castle By Diana Wynne Jones
• The Swan Kingdom by Zoë Marriott
• Daughter of the Flames by Zoë Marriott (Currently Reading)
  
• Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce
• A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks
• Beastly by Alex Flinn
• A Kiss in Time by Alex Flinn
• Cloaked by Alex Flinn
• Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
• Linger by Maggie Stiefvater
• Lament by Maggie Stiefvater
• Ballad by Maggie Stiefvater
• Passion by Lauren Kate
• Eternal Kiss (YA Vampire Short Story Collection - MUST READ!)
  
• Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
• Eternal by Cynthia Leitich Smith
• Harry Potter Series by JK Rowling (Re read for the 100th time)

The next top ones to read are:

• Forever by Maggie Stiefvater
• The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
  
• Across the Universe by Beth Revis
• Hush Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
• Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick
• Shadows on The Moon by Zoë Marriott
• The Iron Fey Series by Julie Kagawa
• Unearthly by Cynthia Hand
• Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stone
• Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stone
• The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks
• Dear John by Nicholas Sparks
• The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong
• Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare
• Soul Screamers Series by Rachel Vincent
• Die For Me by Amy Plum

(Needless to say the list is endless, being ill and in hospital so often gives you a lot of time to read/research. Plus my friend has a great library I steal from.)

So yes, I'd say 2011 has been, overall, rather crappy. And I wish I knew when it would improve. But, I have furthered my work, written ideas and excerpts for several other planned novels. I have enjoyed some good times.
And I know I don't have it as bad as some, I know it can only go up from here, or at least I hope. And if by the end of the year, my one constant wish comes true, i'll be overjoyed.


By the way the wish, for my Mum to be happy.