Finally, an all-inclusive book on young adult fiction must-do, don’t do and how-to. If you want to write a young adult novel, you need to read this book first. Coauthored by an award-winning YA author and an acquisitions editor, both experts on kids and what they like to read, this encyclopedia contains all you need to start or improve a career as a YA fiction author.
From an examination of the market, genre and its sub-genres, to mechanics and the business, everything is at your fingertips. This amazing writer’s resource is written in a relaxed and interesting style, with plenty of contemporary references and examples for clear understanding and easier application.
Excerpt
Most writing classes for Young Adult fiction and Middle Grade tell you the duty of your book’s opening is to hook your reader and to catch the interest of an agent. The truth is, that’s only one of the purposes of your opening. Too often we forget that, as Frank Herbert said in Dune, “A beginning is a very delicate time.”
When writing for young adults, you should know where you’re going, just as when you write adult fiction. Plot construction for stories with universal themes is the same in any genre. There is a plan, a plot, a diagram you can follow to create a satisfying read. Just as with painting, every artist who uses the same subject will create a different and unique work of art. So, using a basic outline to be sure you write a story that resonates to the inner psyche of readers is not a bad idea.
Some may argue that modern stories can’t demonstrate enough diversity when trying to fit the entire world into a single format such as The Hero’s Journey, but iconic success stories like Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings, the Harry Potter stories and more don’t seem to mind. They’re hardly the same stories, are they? Do they seem like boring knockoffs to you? Millions of fans and dollars later...they are still growing their fan base. Lucas even spoke of Star Wars and the incorporation of Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey and appeared in his Bill Moyer’s series.
Interview
What should readers expect when they pick up your book?
Elizabeth and I wrote a how to book, The Young Adult Writer’s Journey, so I think readers expect to learn something about writing young adult fiction. And we produced. This book contains more information about teens, their peer groups, high school cliques, what living in the twenty-first century is like if you’re a teenager. We include who’s reading YA, chapters on how to write great stories, we addressed the beginning, the sagging middle and the end of a good books, and we related it all to young adults. We even included marketing tips.
What is your favorite scene in the book?
This is nonfiction, so I’d say the chapter on different kinds of teenage characters is my favorite chapter.
Do you think that the cover plays an important part in the buying process?
It doesn’t mean much to me when I’m buying a book, but this cover got 28,000 hits on a review site. The site manager said it was the most he’d ever seen. I don’t know if it was the topic or the cover, but it is a beautiful cover.
What do you think of “trailers” for books?
Tell-Tale Publishing has created trailers for every one of my books and I love them for doing that. I think they are a wonderful marketing tool. You’re on UTube and you can use it on your website and in promotional material and on social media.
What are your ambitions for your writing career?
I’m determined to make it to the New York Times Bestseller list.
What have been your most effective ways to connect with readers?
This is a hard question. I like to attend conferences, especially for this new book because it’s for writers and conferences is where they are. I promote on a lot of social media groups, but I have no idea if this really works. I like to visit libraries and give away books. I do some book signings. I entered some big contests and the first book of The Vagrant Chronicles, Vagrant, a Science Fiction YA, won Best Book’s Science Fiction award and New Adult award. I also won an International Best Book award for Science Fiction and an Apple award. Getting the awards has brought me more notice. I’m going to try to speak at the Romance Writers of America National conference this year. As I said, it’s tough. The market right now is brutal.
Any last words?
Young Adult and New Adult fiction are very popular right now. Our book, The Young Adult Writer’s Journey, is the best book out on writing for teens and middle school kids on the market. It’s received great reviews and so far is well-received.
Thanks...
Daughter of a Colonel, Janet Schrader-Post lived the military life until she got out of high school. She lived in Hawaii and worked as a polo groom for fifteen years, then moved to Florida where she became a reporter. For ten years she covered kids in high school and middle school. Kids as athletes, kids doing amazing things no matter how hard their circumstances. It impressed her, and it awed her. “How wonderful teens are. They have spirit and courage in the face of the roughest time of their lives. High school is a war zone. Between dodging bullies, school work and after school activities, teens nowadays have a lot on their plate. I wrote stories about them and I photographed them. My goal was to see every kid in their local newspaper before they graduated.”
Janet love kids and horses, and she paints and writes. Now she lives in the swampland of Florida with too many dogs and her fifteen-year-old granddaughter. She started to write young adult fiction with the help of her son, Gabe Thompson, who teaches middle school. Together they have written a number of award-winning YA novels in both science fiction and fantasy.
A “true believer” in Joseph Campbell’s The Hero with a Thousand Faces, mythic structures, she uses that lens when considering manuscripts for Tell-Tale Publishing Group, a company she founded with some friends from her critique group a decade ago.
The book will be $0.99 during the tour
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Barnes & Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-young-adult-writers-journey-janet-schrader-post/1129903135
Giveaway
The authors will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
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