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Does YA have to have a teenage protagonist?

KittenEV

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I know what you're thinking. Of course Young Adult fiction would have a teenage protagonist. That just makes sense. But, is there is rule out there or some reason not to make the protagonist older? As in like early to mid twenties?


I ask because my style of writing is more YA than strictly Adult but if I make my protagonist in her teens, it would make almost no sense. So I aged her up to 21, which is still an impressionable and vulnerable age for some people.

So, is 21 too old for YA?
 

CathleenT

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Ugh. It's too bad we have to consider this stuff because I'm sure a lot of teens are happy to read characters who are slightly older. It would just be the continuation of a trend of children generally reading slightly older protagonists. Sorry I can't give a citation on that, but it's so widespread that I've read it spoken of as a children's literature guideline. Kids are more likely to want to read about characters their age or older, and they're less excited over younger protags.

So, if you're going to self-publish, I'd say early twenty-something MCs would be fine. Just make sure the cover conforms to current YA expectations.

However, all trade YA submissions links I've ever checked called for teenage protags. It may be possible to circumvent that with sheer brilliance, but I think a better policy with trade submissions is to give them what they want. :)

ETA: I haven't checked submissions very recently (in the past year), though. I'd say your best bet would be to research every YA submission you can find to get a consensus of what current guidelines are. Agent sites might have info on this as well.
 
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Curlz

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I ask because my style of writing is more YA than strictly Adult but if I make my protagonist in her teens, it would make almost no sense. So I aged her up to 21, which is still an impressionable and vulnerable age for some people.
Bridged Jones was impressionable and vulnerable but that's not a YA book, even if lots of young adults would enjoy it. YA is about teenage life. At 21 a person is expected to behave like an adult and the other adults won't tolerate teenage behaviour if they act like real people do, so at some point in the story your 21-year-old protag will have to face adult life. And then that won't be a novel about teenage life. Make sense?
 

be frank

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For me, it actually depends a bit on genre.

Fantasy seems to get a bit more leeway when it comes to age (frex, I think the MC in Maria V. Snyder's Poison Study series is early 20s*), but the oldest MC I've seen in a contemp YA is 19 (and that's still rare, IME).

eta: Just googled it. The author has apparently said the MC of Poison Study is 19 in the first book of the series, but I could've sworn it mentions her being at least 20 somewhere...
 
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fenyo

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I don't understand why the age of the protagonist in adult, YA and Mg matter.

For example, the hobbit is for all ages. if a story is good it does not matter what is the age of the protagonist.
it does not mean that every one like the hobbit, but it does mean that if this is a thing that you like it does no matter what age you are.
 
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Lakey

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I don't understand why the age of the protagonist in adult, YA and Mg matter.

For example, the hobbit is for all ages. if a story is good it does not matter what is the age of the protagonist.
it does not mean that every one like the hobbit, but it does mean that if this is a thing that you like it does no matter what age you are.

I think it’s because Young Adult is a marketing category, and as such it has to have some consistent, reliable meaning and definition. The Young Adult category does not mean “these books are for teens and no one else would get anything out of reading them.” Nor does not being in that category mean “This book is not for teens and no teen would enjoy reading it.”

Rather, the category is a shorthand for a set of parameters that help set buyer expectations about a book that is shelved in that category. One of those parameters is protagonist age; another is the sort of themes the story deals with.

If you vary those parameters, there aren’t really any meaningful defining characteristics left, and it ceases to be useful as a marketing category. But as long as there are buyers (whether teen or adult) who are driven to choose books because they have those parameter values in particular, then those definitions remain useful as a marketing category. And there’s not point in trying to market your book in that category if it doesn’t fit the parameters that people expect when they go to that category.
 

Marissa D

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For me, it actually depends a bit on genre.

Fantasy seems to get a bit more leeway when it comes to age (frex, I think the MC in Maria V. Snyder's Poison Study series is early 20s*), but the oldest MC I've seen in a contemp YA is 19 (and that's still rare, IME).

eta: Just googled it. The author has apparently said the MC of Poison Study is 19 in the first book of the series, but I could've sworn it mentions her being at least 20 somewhere...

Poison Study wasn't originally released as a YA--it was originally released as an adult fantasy w/ strong romance elements (I remember seeing it heavily advertised at the Romance Writers of America conference that year, as it was up for an award), but the crossover appeal led to its being remarketed to the YA market.
 

fenyo

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I think it’s because Young Adult is a marketing category, and as such it has to have some consistent, reliable meaning and definition. The Young Adult category does not mean “these books are for teens and no one else would get anything out of reading them.” Nor does not being in that category mean “This book is not for teens and no teen would enjoy reading it.”

Rather, the category is a shorthand for a set of parameters that help set buyer expectations about a book that is shelved in that category. One of those parameters is protagonist age; another is the sort of themes the story deals with.

If you vary those parameters, there aren’t really any meaningful defining characteristics left, and it ceases to be useful as a marketing category. But as long as there are buyers (whether teen or adult) who are driven to choose books because they have those parameter values in particular, then those definitions remain useful as a marketing category. And there’s not point in trying to market your book in that category if it doesn’t fit the parameters that people expect when they go to that category.

That is a very good explanation, thanks.
 

be frank

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Poison Study wasn't originally released as a YA--it was originally released as an adult fantasy w/ strong romance elements (I remember seeing it heavily advertised at the Romance Writers of America conference that year, as it was up for an award), but the crossover appeal led to its being remarketed to the YA market.

Huh. Interesting. Thanks for that info. I've only ever heard of it as a YA. (Though that always sat a touch uncomfortably with me, given the much older LI -- I always figured that's why the MC was herself a bit older than is usually found in YA).
 

Marian Perera

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I don't understand why the age of the protagonist in adult, YA and Mg matter.

Well, personally, I have different expectations for a YA romance than I do for an adult romance. With an adult romance, I'd expect a permanent relationship, usually with on-page sex. But when fifteen-year-olds have their first crush, it's probably not going to last for the rest of their lives. Likewise, I'd expect adult protagonists to deal with different issues in their relationship, simply because they're at different stages in their lives.

Long story short, age matters.

For example, the hobbit is for all ages.

True. But a lot of novels are not for all ages. I read The Hobbit when I was eight. I would not give A Song of Ice and Fire to eight-year-old me.
 

spork

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I ask because my style of writing is more YA than strictly Adult but if I make my protagonist in her teens, it would make almost no sense. So I aged her up to 21, which is still an impressionable and vulnerable age for some people.

So, is 21 too old for YA?

Have you looked into New Adult to see if that's a better fit for your story than YA?
 

Albedo

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*correction, 18-30 year olds, and I'm questioning whether someone who would have been able to vote in 1996 really counted as a new adult when the term was coined.*
 

KittenEV

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Thank you everyone for your advice. Though that does beg the question since my book would apparently be Adult, does that mean that the sex has to be on-page, or can it still be just implied?
 

BethS

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Thank you everyone for your advice. Though that does beg the question since my book would apparently be Adult, does that mean that the sex has to be on-page, or can it still be just implied?

It can certainly be implied. Plenty of adult fiction has no on-the-page sex or no sex at all.
 

Elle.

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Thank you everyone for your advice. Though that does beg the question since my book would apparently be Adult, does that mean that the sex has to be on-page, or can it still be just implied?

It can be whatever you need it to be for your story.
 

Marian Perera

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Thank you everyone for your advice. Though that does beg the question since my book would apparently be Adult, does that mean that the sex has to be on-page, or can it still be just implied?

It can be whatever you like. I've read fantasy, science fiction, horror, thrillers, etc. with explicit on-page sex, closed-door sex or no sex at all.

My preference in romance is for on-page sex, but there are lots of romances where the characters don't have sex at all, or it's implied. Just make sure the approach is consistent throughout - e.g. if the sexual tension is built up to a volcanic peak, it wouldn't be a good idea to close the door when the characters finally do it. Likewise, if the most the characters do for three hundred pages is exchange a chaste kiss or two, a detailed, explicit consummation scene is going to stand out, and not in a good way.
 
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Brightdreamer

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Thank you everyone for your advice. Though that does beg the question since my book would apparently be Adult, does that mean that the sex has to be on-page, or can it still be just implied?

As has been mentioned, graphic on-page sex is not a requirement of Adult fiction, any more than graphic on-page violence or constant on-page cursing.

If you're not sure what is or is not acceptable, read more in the age category. You'll find a broad range in how topics like sex are handled. Even in romance, where one might expect rampant torn clothes and graphic penetration, there are books that never go further than the odd impassioned kiss.
 

MaeZe

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Hah! You just haven't read my WIP yet. :tongue

There is a point when YA graduates from high school and sets out to change the world. Maybe it's the era I'm from but sex, drugs and stop the war were the YA/NA experience of my day. We didn't go from teens to our late 20s/early30s in one big step. I have a Wild in the Streets movie poster to prove it. :evil
 

MaeZe

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Thank you everyone for your advice. Though that does beg the question since my book would apparently be Adult, does that mean that the sex has to be on-page, or can it still be just implied?
If my example is of any use, I have implied sex with some nudity because that's what fits the story.
 
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