Tips for someone who can't stop writing YA

toldyouso · Aug 15, 2011

This is not really a question, more of a vent because I think I need to just talk about this with people who care about writing and get it.
I always seem to write young narrators or MCs, I just gravitate towards them. It isn't always YA, or at least didn’t used to be. I'm having a hard time shaking things up. Months ago, I finished my first book. It's the first in a YA series: a dystopian fantasy with some action, adventure and queer main characters. I have it out on query. I decided I needed to give myself a break before writing the sequel. So I have been writing MG for the last couple of months. I’m 13,000 or so words in and I have a tentative plan for how the rest of it will go, though I haven’t got every step worked out. I’ve gotten to the point where I need to give it a small break though, as I have the tendency to write things into the ground if I’m not careful. And as I currently don’t have a job (not yet anyway) I have too much time and not enough projects. I don’t want to kill it by being too eager.

But after nearly a year of mainly writing for young people, I think I’m getting antsy. I kind of want to get stuck into something that is inappropriate for teens and kids. Just to give my brain a jumpstart. I’m worried that if I don’t refresh my brain before I go back to the MG manuscript I could, I don’t know, wreck it? Even as I write that it does sound a little silly. I guess I have a fear of failure and have no idea how I managed to sit down and get all of it out the way I have. These last two projects are not how I used to work. I never used to click with things like this and actually finish anything as big as a novel.

So anyway, I just sat down right now to try and do something new and damn it! I have come up with a YA story that could be the beginnings of another book, if I have the time to give it. Why did I do that? I didn’t even want to write YA today, I wanted a holiday from it.
Does anyone here, who writes in a few different genres, ever want to break out and mix things up so they stay fresh? I suppose this rambling is to a purpose after all, I do need advice. How to you shake things up so you don’t get predictable and kill your momentum? Any tips for someone keen to go on a holiday from the stuff she usually writes? Hey, I have the time.

Ashes Oh Ashes · Aug 15, 2011

Honestly, when I feel like I'm beginning to run things into the ground, I take a break from writing in general. Go outside, take a hike in the hills, do some bike riding through the city. Live a little.

"In order to write about life, first you must live it!" -Ernest Hemingway

That's my advice.

fredXgeorge · Aug 15, 2011

What if you just tried writing in a different genre? Say, if you write paranormal, maybe try contemporary? Still YA but out of your normal area.

strawberryblondie · Aug 15, 2011

Sometimes I like to write short stories as a break. Changing genres could help too. I used to write only paranormal and then I started writing contemporary. It was a great refresher.

toldyouso · Aug 16, 2011

Ashes - I have a keen feeling you are very right. I think I have been avoiding this eventuality, just because I really want to be writing something. But I think maybe I need to do something else for a couple of days or however much time, clear my head. I do go on walks quite a bit, to think on things.

Fredxgeorge - yeah, I really wanted to do something completely different though, I ended up writing 500 words of contemporary YA but I don't know if I'm that into what I've written. I wish i didn't feel so meh.

strawberryblondie - I really wish I could get a short story idea! It's gotten to the point where it's been so long since I've written one that I can't manage to start one, it always ends up wanting to be extended.

I think I do need to go wander for a bit and try and get out of my own head. I shall try this and see how it goes. Thanks for the responses xx

shaldna · Aug 16, 2011

If you find that you are constantly writing YA, then maybe you SHOULD be writing YA.

romcomgirl · Aug 16, 2011

This is kind of what happened to me.

I have been working on a post-apocalyptic YA fantasy for a little over a year but after awhile, I got sick of looking at it. I felt like I lost my passion for the story and when I read it back to myself, I could actually see the boredom and disinterest in my writing.

So I started writing in a different genre in YA, something contemporary, but most importantly, I found a topic that I myself have gone through, am knowledgable about, and have experiences similar enough to keep me motivated. I'm not saying you should start something like that with the goal of having it published, because what it seems right now is that you need something to take your mind off your second book for awhile. It could be more of a writing excercise.

What I'm seeing is that you don't really want to write YA just now. Then don't! Write an adult novel, write about something you know so it gets you motivated again.

It's worked for me and maybe after a few months, I can look back at that fantasy manuscript and get motivated to edit and revise it.

Lydia Sharp · Aug 16, 2011

I like to change things up. Often. While working on my YA contemp novel (that I just recently finished) I wrote a new fantasy short story. Not YA, but the characters were young. That story has been out on sub since I finished it, and it was just enough of a break, doing something totally different, that I was able to go back to my novel feeling a bit more refreshed. Plus I could possibly have another published story because of it. That's win-win to me.

I don't see anything wrong with writing only YA, though. I used to write only adult fiction, but since I started writing YA it's all I want to write anymore. Mostly. If I do anything that's "adult" it's nothing longer than a short story. Simply changing genres is enough for me now, to keep things feeling fresh and keep my brain exercised.

juliatheswede · Aug 16, 2011

shaldna said:
If you find that you are constantly writing YA, then maybe you SHOULD be writing YA.

I agree. Besides, as hard as it is to get published, why would you want to start genre-hopping? Maybe you can start writing something that would work as cross genre?

toldyouso · Aug 16, 2011

juliatheswede said:
I agree. Besides, as hard as it is to get published, why would you want to start genre-hopping? Maybe you can start writing something that would work as cross genre?

That is a good point. I suppose I don't want to genre-hop forever. And I adore YA and would never want to leave, I just need a holiday. I just want to mix it up with a short story that wakes me up a little.
It's kind of like romcomgirl said - I'm concerned that as I am losing focus it will show up in the writing. Plus I have written adult short stories and SpecFic, just not recently because that first novel kind of swallowed my brain. I suppose I miss that variety, but I can't remember how to get back there.

I think I am going to give myself a week of no writing, or at least try to. Usually if I am forbidden anything I immediately find ways to make it work

juliatheswede · Aug 16, 2011

If I were you and really craving writing something else, a short story for adults would be a good way to go. Not as time-consuming as a novel, and sometimes more satisfying...

RexZentah · Aug 17, 2011

There's nothing wrong with writing YA. Do you confuse personal with professional writing? Do you have a journal? I have a journal that's easily 200,000+ words. Lots of stories, thoughts, aspirations, quotes, everything you would write in a journal. I just untangled the beginning of a WIP by free-form writing in my journal yesterday. It was a true breakthrough.

I usually write for younger children, I taught children for years and I have children. Writing for all ages is perfectly justified no matter what your experience. IF you have a story for a particular age group. Have at it.

Did you see this article...inspiring...http://www.inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.org/2011/are-you-reading-ya-lit-you-should-be/

Tips for someone who can't stop writing YA

toldyouso

Surly Temple

Ashes Oh Ashes

Honest, not Harsh

fredXgeorge

I heart sexy elves and wizards.

strawberryblondie

toldyouso

Surly Temple

shaldna

The cake is a lie. But still cake.

romcomgirl

Lydia Sharp

for the love of love

juliatheswede

Got the hang of it, here

toldyouso

Surly Temple

juliatheswede

Got the hang of it, here

RexZentah