Since I started my current WIP a little over a year ago, I can count on one hand the number of times I've actually brainstormed with my husband or someone else in my family about the book. For whatever reason, I've sort of clammed up when it came to sharing what I'm writing with people I actually *know* in person. I have my critique partners that I've never actually met. I have a few beta readers, only one of which I've met. I just couldn't bring myself to tell people near me in real life what I was writing.
I think it's partly due to the fact that I was afraid of failure. If I told all of my local friends what I was writing, and then I failed, well, that would be so embarrassing. Then, there was the fact that I'm writing a young adult novel.I suppose I thought those around me would think I'm childish if I'm writing for young adults. I'm not entirely sure what I was afraid of with that one. I mean, who truly wants to forget what those days were like when you first fell in love? I know I don't.
But here's the kicker, I've recently learned that my friends and family are extremely supportive. They've read what I'm writing and they encourage it. They ask me questions that get me thinking about the tiny little things in the novel that can really turn out to be important big things. My husband will actually brainstorm with me and help me tie pieces together in ways I hadn't even thought of. It's remarkable how relieving it is to have people know what I'm doing and to actually want to see more. It's so wonderful to know that I was wrong about what people would think about what genre I'm writing.
It seems like I'm always blogging about the lessons I'm learning while writing. I won't complain about that, though. It's these lessons that are keeping me on track. It's these silly little things that happen in my life that inspire me to keep writing in the first place.
With whatever your goals are for writing or even just life, I wish you the same support and encouragement that I've received. It's amazing the difference it can make.
Showing posts with label young adult. Show all posts
Showing posts with label young adult. Show all posts
Monday, June 20, 2011
Monday, April 4, 2011
Why YA?
Someone asked me once why so many of the books I read are young adult. I'm not sure there's one definite answer for this. I think I've always enjoyed reading YA books but I vividly remember the book that really ignited my love for them.
In ninth grade, my English teacher assigned us to read The Face on the Milk Carton by Carolyn B. Cooney. Normally, anything a teacher assigns is automatically filed into the "this book will be boring" folder, but not this time. This time, I found myself holding onto the edge of my seat and flipping through the pages quicker than ever before. The suspense, the romance, the sheer mystery of the book was incredible. Once I reached the end, I had to know: Are there more books like this? Where can I get them?
Over the following years I bought all of the books in that series and loved them all. I've read them all several times and love them as much today as I did at fourteen. My own love of writing was well established by then, even if I mostly wrote angsty poetry at the time, but there is no doubt that this one book is a part of my writing history and a part of who I am as a writer.
So many people have this misconception that young adult books are only for young readers, that they can't possibly contain a thoughtful or mature subject matter. They just don't know how wrong they are. Young adult books are not only well written but they often tackle hard hitting and challenging issues that many adults are still facing themselves. Just because the main character of a book is fifteen, sixteen or seventeen years old, doesn't mean the book itself is going to be a shallow or easy read.
So how does that saying go? You should never judge a book by it's cover? Perhaps in this situation, we could say: "You should never judge a book by it's genre."
If I'd judged Carolyn B. Cooney's book by my first impression, where would I be today? Maybe I'd still be writing and maybe I'd still be enjoying young adult books, but I do know the journey wouldn't have been nearly as fun.
In ninth grade, my English teacher assigned us to read The Face on the Milk Carton by Carolyn B. Cooney. Normally, anything a teacher assigns is automatically filed into the "this book will be boring" folder, but not this time. This time, I found myself holding onto the edge of my seat and flipping through the pages quicker than ever before. The suspense, the romance, the sheer mystery of the book was incredible. Once I reached the end, I had to know: Are there more books like this? Where can I get them?
Over the following years I bought all of the books in that series and loved them all. I've read them all several times and love them as much today as I did at fourteen. My own love of writing was well established by then, even if I mostly wrote angsty poetry at the time, but there is no doubt that this one book is a part of my writing history and a part of who I am as a writer.
So many people have this misconception that young adult books are only for young readers, that they can't possibly contain a thoughtful or mature subject matter. They just don't know how wrong they are. Young adult books are not only well written but they often tackle hard hitting and challenging issues that many adults are still facing themselves. Just because the main character of a book is fifteen, sixteen or seventeen years old, doesn't mean the book itself is going to be a shallow or easy read.
So how does that saying go? You should never judge a book by it's cover? Perhaps in this situation, we could say: "You should never judge a book by it's genre."
If I'd judged Carolyn B. Cooney's book by my first impression, where would I be today? Maybe I'd still be writing and maybe I'd still be enjoying young adult books, but I do know the journey wouldn't have been nearly as fun.
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