YA writing style

starkers · Jul 26, 2011

I want to write a novel that focuses around a young girl;

One thing I've noticed is that YA seems to have very straight writing styles - am I right in thinking that this is a restriction?

Also, does the fact that the protagonist would be a child automatically mean that agents would not accept it pitched as anything other than a YA novel?

Becca_H · Jul 26, 2011

What do you mean by straight writing style?

A child protagonist can be an adult novel. See Stephen King and also The Lovely Bones. (I think, anyway. Someone else will correct me if I'm wrong.)

starkers · Jul 26, 2011

Becca_H said:
What do you mean by straight writing style?

Highly accessible, lacking in complexity or uncommon words.

Becca_H · Jul 26, 2011

starkers said:
Highly accessible, lacking in complexity or uncommon words.

I would say this describes most commercial fiction. You don't want to send readers to the dictionary.

I suggest you read some YA, if you haven't already, and pick up on voices. You can have intelligent teens with a strong vocabulary (Looking for Alaska, Teach Me), and others which are very teen-sounding (see books by Susane Colasanti).

The most important thing to consider is your audience. It must appeal to teens, in both voice and plot.

Smish · Jul 26, 2011

starkers said:
Highly accessible, lacking in complexity or uncommon words.

Sigh.

Just write your book. In the meantime, read more YA.

thebloodfiend · Jul 26, 2011

starkers said:
Highly accessible, lacking in complexity or uncommon words.

Well then, if you're looking to write a book that lacks complexity or uncommon words, you might want to try your hand at chapter books. Not be mean, but seriously, this topic has been done to death.

Smish · Jul 26, 2011

thebloodfiend said:
Well then, if you're looking to write a book that lacks complexity or uncommon words, you might want to try your hand at chapter books. Not be mean, but seriously, this topic has been done to death.

Sigh.

Again.

Insulting YA writers/readers isn't cool.

Insulting children's book writers/readers isn't cool, either.

starkers · Jul 26, 2011

Seriously guys, don't get offended. I am asking questions after all, showing an interest - seeking the advice of those more knowledgeable than me... I'm not criticising.

I get confused about what is 'acceptable' in a book and what isn't - and don't want to start off on the wrong foot.

Oh, and I don't read YA books. I read a lot of stuff with a wide range of genre and subjects but not enough YA to know what's common.

Becca - I take your point about most commercial fiction but I figure that since YA has a younger audience, it might be even more likely to be accessible.

Becca_H · Jul 26, 2011

starkers said:
Seriously guys, don't get offended. I am asking questions after all, showing an interest - seeking the advice of those more knowledgeable than me... I'm not criticising.

I get confused about what is 'acceptable' in a book and what isn't - and don't want to start off on the wrong foot.

Oh, and I don't read YA books. I read a lot of stuff with a wide range of genre and subjects but not enough YA to know what's common.

Becca - I take your point about most commercial fiction but I figure that since YA has a younger audience, it might be even more likely to be accessible.

YA, while being popular, is a very difficult genre to write.

If you want to get into YA, I cannot stress enough that you need to read YA and lots of it. 100 books minimum from across the genre.

piano_island · Jul 26, 2011

You should start off by reading more YA books first. I think that will answer your question and allow you to formulate your own opinion of YA.

Smish · Jul 26, 2011

starkers said:
Oh, and I don't read YA books.

Yeah. We know that. It's obvious. That's the problem.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with asking questions - that's what AW is for. However, people frequently turn up in the YA (and kidlit) section with preconceived notions about YA (that it lacks complexity and language, for example). It gets old.

If you want to write and publish YA (or kidlit. or romance. or horror. or sci-fi. or humor. or...), you need to know the market. And to know the market, you need to read lots and lots of books in that genre.

Shady Lane · Jul 26, 2011

with Smish 100%. Read them.

thebloodfiend · Jul 26, 2011

Smish said:
Sigh.

Again.

Insulting YA writers/readers isn't cool.

Insulting children's book writers/readers isn't cool, either.

I'm not insulting (or meaning to insult) children's book writers/readers. By chapter books, I mean Junie B. Jones. Not a large vocabulary or complex plot (subjective) there but that doesn't mean I don't still read them. I meant it very literally.

Like Becca H said, before you start to write in a genre, you might want to read in the genre first. That will tell you loads more than we ever could.

Ashes Oh Ashes · Jul 26, 2011

Becca_H said:
100 books minimum from across the genre.

Read, Read, Read! That's the best way to familiarize yourself with it.

For the record, there's plenty of YA books that use less known words. Check out Tunnels, by Roderick Gordon and Brian Williams.

Anyway, best of luck.

starkers · Jul 26, 2011

Smish said:
Yeah. We know that. It's obvious. That's the problem.

:rofl:

There's absolutely nothing wrong with asking questions - that's what AW is for. However, people frequently turn up in the YA (and kidlit) section with preconceived notions about YA (that it lacks complexity and language, for example). It gets old.

If you want to write and publish YA (or kidlit. or romance. or horror. or sci-fi. or humor. or...), you need to know the market. And to know the market, you need to read lots and lots of books in that genre.

Actually I don't have a preconceived idea. Often I think YA writers are one step ahead of other genres because they deliberately plan to write a book for someone other than themselves.

Smish · Jul 26, 2011

thebloodfiend said:
I'm not insulting (or meaning to insult) children's book writers/readers. By chapter books, I mean Junie B. Jones. Not a large vocabulary or complex plot (subjective) there but that doesn't mean I don't still read them. I meant it very literally.

Yeah, I get that. That makes them harder to write, not easier. Everyone thinks they can write a children's book. I call bullshit.

If that wasn't the intended tone of your first post, I apologize. If it was, PM me. There's no need to derail the thread further.

starkers · Jul 26, 2011

I've been looking a bit and I'm wondering whether my idea that I can write an adult novel with a child protagonist is wrong. For example, many books that have children in are either literary cross-overs that can break the rules more, or were written before YA took off so weren't classified so harshly.

There are very few adult novels with a child protagonist IIRC

missesdash · Jul 26, 2011

I think it really depends on the age, the story, and the POV.
I don't imagine adults would want to read a 1P POV if the MC is a five year old girl. But plenty of adults read Harry Potter or Twilight.

Becca C. · Jul 26, 2011

starkers said:
Actually I don't have a preconceived idea. Often I think YA writers are one step ahead of other genres because they deliberately plan to write a book for someone other than themselves.

Any writer that plans to publish their writing writes for someone other than themselves. And even when I wasn't pursuing publication, I wrote YA, for myself, because that's what I love.

Undercover · Jul 26, 2011

Well I didn't plan on writing a YA novel, getting an agent and now I'm in the YA genre with two more novels under wing. I didn't write for the intensions of them, I wrote them for myself, from my own antsy mind (which seems just as insecure as my teen kids). AND I wasn't reading much YA either. It just happened for me.

And I also take offense at the "lack of complexity"...WOW. I bust my arse to try to "up" and "enhance" the beauty of the langauge. My own inner teen language that's inside of me.

Maybe you are not of the right mind to write a YA novel. Not sure how old you are because that doesn't matter. What matters here is if you're at that level of mind, can you create a teen voice that will engage that audience? Yeah my writing style is pretty much my heart. I've worked hard to find my voice. So the true question is can you put yourself in today's teens? IF you can't relate, in complexity and common sense with the teen market, you'll sink fast.

eyeblink · Jul 26, 2011

missesdash said:
I don't imagine adults would want to read a 1P POV if the MC is a five year old girl.

That's an exact description of Esther Freud's Hideous Kinky. It's not written in a five-year-old's language, of course.

thebloodfiend · Jul 26, 2011

eyeblink said:
That's an exact description of Esther Freud's Hideous Kinky. It's not written in a five-year-old's language, of course.

Let's not forget Room. Though I think the kid is six.

And Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.

starkers · Jul 26, 2011

Lmc71775 said:
And I also take offense at the "lack of complexity"...WOW. I bust my arse to try to "up" and "enhance" the beauty of the langauge. My own inner teen language that's inside of me.

Don't, it wasn't meant as an insult and I haven't knowingly read any of the stuff you've written so it can't be personal. Also, what I mean by 'lack of complexity' could also be called something that is written very clearly. There are lots of examples of literary novels who could be called 'complex', whose writing styles would never be used in YA.

Maybe you are not of the right mind to write a YA novel. Not sure how old you are because that doesn't matter. What matters here is if you're at that level of mind, can you create a teen voice that will engage that audience? Yeah my writing style is pretty much my heart. I've worked hard to find my voice. So the true question is can you put yourself in today's teens? IF you can't relate, in complexity and common sense with the teen market, you'll sink fast.

Depends what you mean by 'teen voice'. Use words that teens use?

I remember someone saying that the film 'True Grit' by Coen Brother was being marketed to teens because it had a strong teen character in it. If a clearly adult film, with adult themes and complex language can get marketed to teens simply because it has a leading teenage character - I wonder whether the same attitude might lead an agent to consider a novel with a teenage lead to be YA and refuse to look at it in any other way.

Smish · Jul 26, 2011

starkers said:
Don't, it wasn't meant as an insult and I haven't knowingly read any of the stuff you've written so it can't be personal.

Depends what you mean by 'teen voice'. Use words that teens use?

No. Voice is about much more than the words that are used. It's one of those things that's difficult to define, but you'll know it when you see it. Read YA novels.

missesdash · Jul 26, 2011

starkers said:
I remember someone saying that the film 'True Grit' by Coen Brother was being marketed to teens because it had a strong teen character in it. If a clearly adult film, with adult themes and complex language can get marketed to teens simply because it has a leading teenage character - I wonder whether the same attitude might lead an agent to consider a novel with a teenage lead to be YA and refuse to look at it in any other way.

True Grit is also filled with themes relevant to young people. It's not a "clearly adult film" to me. I actually thought it seemed like a kid's movie. But you shouldn't worry about any of that. Just write the story, and they'll market it whichever way they think will work.

YA writing style

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