Current trends in YA lit

underthecity · Mar 19, 2006

When I worked in a bookstore 1991 to 1993, young adult horror by Christopher Pike and RL Stine was the rage.

I spoke with a knowledgeable bookseller yesterday and found out that YA horror is passe and the current trend leans toward witchcraft and magic.

I haven't looked closely enough at the new releases in the YA section, but I'm wondering how the teen readers are enjoying books about witchcraft compared to the the last decade of popular horror novels.

Was this trend influenced by the success of Harry Potter, or did the YA witchcraft precede HP? How are modern YA authors responding to this change?

allen

Christine N. · Mar 19, 2006

Yep, it's a Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, The Lion the Witch and the Wardobe world now. Of course there have always been fantasy books, but I think HP et al have brought it to the forefront. These things run in cycles, like everything else. Who knows how long it will last?

Fantasy seems to be king (or queen) and I intend to ride the wave

majiklmoon · Mar 19, 2006

underthecity said:
When I worked in a bookstore 1991 to 1993, young adult horror by Christopher Pike and RL Stine was the rage.

I spoke with a knowledgeable bookseller yesterday and found out that YA horror is passe and the current trend leans toward witchcraft and magic.

I haven't looked closely enough at the new releases in the YA section, but I'm wondering how the teen readers are enjoying books about witchcraft compared to the the last decade of popular horror novels.

Was this trend influenced by the success of Harry Potter, or did the YA witchcraft precede HP? How are modern YA authors responding to this change?

allen

Well, I'm excited because that's exactly what I'm writing. I think it does have a lot to do with Harry Potter and Narnia. I think also, television programs like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Roswell have contributed to it. Roswell started from a book series and later more books were written that followed the direction the show took. Buffy and Angel both have a very successful line of books. And yes, both have horror aspects, but they are more paranormal than horror.

I think too, there are a lot of adults who are enjoying this particular genre.

Jamesaritchie · Mar 19, 2006

Trends

Magic, witchcraft, and fantasy certainly do seem to be the trends right now, but it's good to keep in mind that by the time you finish writing a novel, and by the time that novel is actually released, the new trend may be something completely different, and what you wrote might be passe.

Christine N. · Mar 19, 2006

I'm thinking it will stick around until at least the last HP book is out, which probably won't be for at least another year or two (she only just started writing it). And there are series that have been started that are popular that won't finish until after that. Plus the last two HP movies have to be made too...

I give it at least another five years.

Canada James · Mar 19, 2006

While, yes, fantasy is hot, *everyone* is doing it. It's not so much a wave as it is an ocean right now.

It really depends on how you are defining "YA". If you mean 12-14, then Horror in the "vampire/werewolf" realm is definitely on the rise. Darren Shan, Vampire Plagues, Wereling, etc., are all appealing to a growing audience that doesn't have many options.

If by "YA" you mean the 15-19 year-old crowd, then horror is also on the rise. There are a ton of books just hitting the market this Spring (and a lot from last Fall) that are appealing to a growing audience thirsty for the next big thing.

Mind you, spy thrillers like Alex Rider, Young James Bond, Traces and Cherub are also hot.

My advice: Write what you want. If your book is good, it will find it's own audience.

Canada James

Christine N. · Mar 19, 2006

YA has two sub catagories - Middle Grade (9-12) and Young Adult (13-17). This is always how I've seen them divided. Although I've seen MG also classified under children's... And there seems to be a new age group - 10-13.

Jamesaritchie · Mar 19, 2006

Christine N. said:
I'm thinking it will stick around until at least the last HP book is out, which probably won't be for at least another year or two (she only just started writing it). And there are series that have been started that are popular that won't finish until after that. Plus the last two HP movies have to be made too...

I give it at least another five years.

You may be right, but books that set trends, while harder to write, are usually much more successful than books that follow trends.

A great many writers get published by following trends, then have their careers shot down permanently when their books don't sell as well as the three or four or five writers who set the trend in the first place.

PattiTheWicked · Mar 19, 2006

Fantasy seems to be the biggest thing right now -- all the fourth grade boys are reading the Silverwing series, and boys and girls alike are devouring CS Lewis, Charlie Bone, and Margaret Peterson Haddix's furturistic series. I even had a kid check out Neil Gaiman's YA book the other day, and he says he is loving it so far.

That having been said, historical fiction is still immensely popular, such as the Dear America Books, the Royal Diaries, Avi's novels, the American Girls group, and the Magic Tree House books. Also, some old standbys still get read -- my third and fourth grade girls love the Nancy Drew books, even though those things are older than I am, the boys still enjoy the Hardy Boys, and Trixie Belden is as popular as she ever was with the YA Mystery crowd.

Canada James · Mar 19, 2006

Christine N. said:
YA has two sub categories - Middle Grade (9-12) and Young Adult (13-17). This is always how I've seen them divided. Although I've seen MG also classified under children's... And there seems to be a new age group - 10-13.

There's also the "just for older" YA group of 15-19, the "reluctant reader" group of 10-13, 14-16 and 17+, the "HILO" group of middle grades and high school ... and this is no definitive list.

All of these groups have their own "hot books", and not all of them are fantasy. In fact, the reluctant reader/hilo groups tend to abhor fantasy and prefer realism.

I'm willing to bet that whatever you enjoy writing, you'll find yourself a nice group of kids who think you're the next hot thing.

Canada James

Christine N. · Mar 19, 2006

LOL... of course you're right.

rdfamily · Mar 19, 2006

I was part of that age group that read a LOT of R.L. Stein (The Babysitter is still creepy to me LOL). But I also read plenty of fantasy books like Redwall, A Wrinkle in Time, Narnia...books that had been around for decades. This told me even then that trends are hardly exclusive...my guess is horror and mystery will be on it's way back soon. Years ago my mom tried to get me to read a book called "A Series of Unfortunate Events." I didn't feel like it. It wasn't my type of book, and I was too old for it anyhow. HA! Now look! I say write what you like now, because it'll be discovered by a generation burned out on current trends in the future.

underthecity · Mar 19, 2006

So, while fantasy/witchcraft is the big thing right now, horror could make a comeback.

The reason I brought this up was because I came up with a horror story a year ago, but thought that if I shifted focus to the son or daughter, I could write it as a young adult horror novel. But if there wasn't a current market for it, or at least a year from now, it might be a tough sell.

allen

majiklmoon · Mar 19, 2006

underthecity said:
So, while fantasy/witchcraft is the big thing right now, horror could make a comeback.

The reason I brought this up was because I came up with a horror story a year ago, but thought that if I shifted focus to the son or daughter, I could write it as a young adult horror novel. But if there wasn't a current market for it, or at least a year from now, it might be a tough sell.

allen

I think there will always be a market for it, especially given the proclivity of Hollywood of late to remake horror movies. They are keeping interest in horror alive, and I think will remain alive with books as well.

Jamesaritchie · Mar 19, 2006

underthecity said:
So, while fantasy/witchcraft is the big thing right now, horror could make a comeback.

The reason I brought this up was because I came up with a horror story a year ago, but thought that if I shifted focus to the son or daughter, I could write it as a young adult horror novel. But if there wasn't a current market for it, or at least a year from now, it might be a tough sell.

allen

No one has a clue what the market will be like a year from now, let alone two or three years from now. Even the best just guess.

The only thing certain is that there's always a market for something that's good enough.

Well, there is one other thing that's certain. The wirter who comes along and revitalizes a cold genre is the wirter who gets filthy rich. Soem of the who just follow this writer will be published, but they won't make the impact that first writer did, and they won't make the money or the fans, and only one or two will even come close.

Be good, be orginal, be entertaining, write what you love, and cold or hot genre or book type doesn't mean a thing except you have the chance to get there first with the most.

Watermonkey · Mar 19, 2006

I agree with writing what you want to write and doing it the best you can. There's always a market for something great.

Right now most of the genres in YA lit seem to have something popular in them, there are several fantasy, horror, historical, contemporary, sci fi, and romance novels that are doing well I've seen.

I would say go for your horror story. I've always been a pretty avid reader of horror although I was a much bigger Pike fan than RL Stine back when. They seemed to appeal to a little older reader imo.

Christine N. · Mar 20, 2006

Yes, girls' lit is also becoming really hot. A-list, Gossip Girls, etc... are the big thing too among girls who were likely to read Sweet Valley High ten years ago.

But then again, there's always room for a new vampire story - ie Twilight. Stephanie Meyer really got something with that one. Anne Rice for kids

I hang around on a couple of YA book forums... it's nice to talk with the kids, and I get to see what's hot.

Canada James · Mar 20, 2006

underthecity said:
The reason I brought this up was because I came up with a horror story a year ago, but thought that if I shifted focus to the son or daughter, I could write it as a young adult horror novel. But if there wasn't a current market for it, or at least a year from now, it might be a tough sell.

If it's a well-written book with a plot that grabs a publisher will buy it.

If horror is dead by the time that happens the publisher may decide to market it as something other than horror.

James

Canada James · Mar 20, 2006

EggwardTheWalrus said:
It makes me wonder what boys 12-17 are reading, if they are reading at all.

Alex Rider, Cherub, Young Bond for the "realism" boys. Darren Shan for the boys that want a good scare.

Check out "Guys Write for Guys Read" by Jon Sceiska (sp.) for what guys are reading. He has a project currently going to get boys reading again.

(Boy Books have been hot the last few years, but I wouldn't start writing a boy book now to jump on the trend.)

James

Christine N. · Mar 20, 2006

My nephew still likes "Captain Underpants" and I think Garth Nix and Christopher Paolini are hot for boys who like fantasy.

Jamesaritchie · Mar 20, 2006

EggwardTheWalrus said:
I must confess as a Harry Potter fan, by greedy hands always gravitate to anything I think might be 'real world but fantasy' in a bookstore or library, 99% of the time putting the book back with disgust because of hackneyed old plots and the same recycled settings.

One thing that seems to be popular now, apart from Fantasy is teen lit for girls, chicklet lit, is it? It makes me wonder what boys 12-17 are reading, if they are reading at all. Sure there are the sci-fi and (increasingly) anime nerds, but I do wonder what the rest of them are up to. Probably surfing the Internet and reading more factual things I daresay.

Most of the boys want the same type of fiction most of the girls want, other than chicklit. Fantasy is very popular with both, and boys eat up the Harry Potter novels. If it has a male protagonist, boys will read it.

As for sience fiction, I've heard tales from publishers than some of them would love to see SF novels for all ages, but no one is writing them.

Jaycinth · Mar 20, 2006

many years ago, when I was YA, horror stories were IT!!! The latest Alfred Hitchcock collection...and I believe King had just come out with 'Carrie'. Then we drifted into Narnia and Middle Earth, oh and that Piers Anthonu series that started with "A Spell for Chameleon"...then I was an adult, and the YA's had gone back to Nancy Drew, it seemed. Then my kids started reading 'Goosebumps', and 'Narnia' and 'LOTR', and 'RedWall' and the "Dear America" things. At least with some of it, it seems to go in a circle. Maybe if you wrote a Spanish American War ghost story ?

However, my 13.5 year old has begun taking things out of my bookshelf. HP Lovecraft. Anne Rice. Henry James. And she's been eyeing my latest "Preston/Childs" novel with lust. So be aware that the age group looks to be more mature than some of us give them credit for. If I were you, I'd write it as if the reader is 20, then tone it down just a tad.

Current trends in YA lit

underthecity

Finestkind

Christine N.

haz a shiny new book cover

majiklmoon

Jamesaritchie

Christine N.

haz a shiny new book cover

Canada James

Take off!

Christine N.

haz a shiny new book cover

Jamesaritchie

PattiTheWicked

Unleashing Hell.

Canada James

Take off!

Christine N.

haz a shiny new book cover

rdfamily

underthecity

Finestkind

majiklmoon

Jamesaritchie

Watermonkey

Christine N.

haz a shiny new book cover

Canada James

Take off!

Canada James

Take off!

Christine N.

haz a shiny new book cover

Jamesaritchie

Jaycinth

Your Cuddly Sociopathic