As we mentioned in our first post, in addition to author interviews we will also post discussion topics for everyone to weigh in on. Are there any hot topics that you would especially like to discuss that center on young adult literature? Topics can range from industry news, to trends, to the craft of writing as long as it relates to YA books.
What kinds of topics would you like the YA community to weigh in on?
Let's get a list going!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
6 comments:
one idea:
Exactly "who" are YA readers? Is the age range broadening?
Great blog! As an aspiring YA writer, with a WIP, I'm glad to find this site. Is there a definition of YA that would clearly distinguish it from the evolving "tween" fiction? Is it age or grade or content? I'm thinking it's a mix, but therein lies the problem. Also, what are agents/editors wanting in terms of length (that is # of pages a writer would submit)?
How about this:
When it comes to marketing, what adult fiction learn from YA authors?
This comes to mind for two reasons
1) YA authors seems more likely to embrace newer promo strategies and technology friendly methods due to having to stay on the forefront of ways to reach our readers
and 2)Whenever the topic of should there be an African American section in the bookstore raises its head I think about how YA books are all categorized together no matter the race of the author or characters. So how come this is an issue elsewhere? Is it strictly a marketing thing and if so, how are YA authors overcoming the hurdle of getting lost in the shuffle.
I want to know what YA authors and other readers think about a lot of the sexual content in YA books. I know a lot of people are totally fine with it but I also know I can't be the ONLY girl who doesn't feel entirely comfortable reading some of it. (Laura Ruby's Good Girls comes to mind.) And it's not about censorship; it's about me being selective about what I read - and NOT reading the stuff I don't feel comfortable reading.
As a general rule, I usually don't read stuff I wouldn't want my 13-yr old sister reading, even thought I'm a few years older than her.
Any opinions on this?
From questions as simple as:
What's your favorite genre?
What's your favorite classic?
What's your newest great find? (Title or author)
...to questions a bit more complex:
What genre or subject matter seems to be neglected in today's contemporary teen lit?
What genre or topic is currently TOO represented? (Too many copycat/readalike/soundalike titles)
Why do you read? Do you look for books that are similar to YOUR life or vastly different? (Relating vs. escapism)
Expanding upon the above ideas:
- Favorite Sassy Female Character and why. There are plenty of variations you can develop on favorite fill-in-the-blank character.
- How do you feel about movie novelizations? Have you ever read one? Would this topic include the adult Halo series?
- You could create hypothetical Reader's Advisory questions. This could be fun.
Post a Comment