Writing for the Young Adult Market By Krista McGee

Krista McGee

Know your audience.
Young adult writers need to spend time with teens, get to know them. Writers can’t assume their adolescent experiences will translate into comparable experiences for 21st century teens. The reality of life as a teenager today is radically different from what it was twenty – or even ten -- years ago. Though the pressures are similar, the pace at which kids are exposed to those pressures has increased dramatically. The avenues through which those pressures come are far more varied, subtle, and dangerous. Teens today develop friendships over Facebook, Twitter, Instragram, Path…They rarely pick up a home phone and think a PC is an ancient artifact. Their computers are handheld, and much of their self-image can be found within the slim confines of their iPod Touch. The stories that will resonate with them acknowledge all that – and more. Even if the story is set in the past (or future), current realities must be considered.

Write for a specific audience.
No matter what you write, you won’t be able to appeal to all teens everywhere. Teens, like adults, have varied interests, are at different places socially, spiritually, and emotionally. Some writers in the Christian market cover pretty heavy subjects  – drugs, sex, suicide. They address those themes, not because they are seeking to push the envelope, but because their audience faces those issues at school and at home, and those writers want their readers to see those issues handled from a Christian perspective. On the other hand, the audience I write for are predominantly Christian kids who are truly seeking to live the Christ-life. I don’t discuss sex, drugs, and suicide, not because I want to avoid those topics, but because my audience wants to hear more about how to deal with apathy, how to grow in their faith, how to find their self-worth in Christ and not in the opinions of others. My books do not appeal to all audiences, but I never intended them to. I write for a specific audience, and I am overjoyed when I get emails from readers thanking me for speaking to them through my stories.

Keep it moving.
Teens today don’t like to wait. Thanks to DVRs and Youtube, there is little need to watch commercials – at least not for more than 5 seconds. They can complete research for their term papers online in one night – no scouring books after finding them with the card catalogue. Food is fast, and opinions expressed in 120 characters or less. As much as some of us want to spend several pages developing our exposition, we just can’t. Descriptions have to come between dialogue, a sentence at a time. And dialogue has to be fast, moving the plot along.  Less summary, more action. Cliffhangers at the end of each chapter. Keep the kids turning pages or you lose them – after all, they have a group chat and an Instagram daily challenge they could be doing right now.

Dora here. Do you write for the YA market?

What are some of the challenges you've faced and how did you overcome them?

About Krista McGee

When Krista McGee isn't living in fictional worlds of her own creation, she lives in Tampa and spends her days as a wife, mom, teacher, and coffee snob. 

Right Where I Belong
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Natalia’s about to discover her place in the world . . . and it’s not following in her father’s footsteps.

After watching her father jump from one marriage to the next, Natalia has completely written off love. And when her father divorces his third wife—the only one who has been a mother to her—Natalia is ready to write him off too.

Needing a change of scenery, Natalia leaves her home in Spain and relocates with her stepmother to sun-soaked Florida. But she didn’t realize just how far a new school, a new culture, and a new lifestyle would push her out of her comfort zone.

One of her biggest surprises comes from Brian, a pastor’s son with an adorable smile, who loves God with a sincerity that astounds Natalia. She doesn’t want to fall for him, but she can’t seem to avoid him long enough to get him out of her mind.

Love is the last thing Natalia wants. Even so, God has her right where she belongs.

Writing on Assignment

Knowing of Ada Brownell's newspaper experience, on this organization day, I asked her: 

"Your job as a reporter taught you how to write on assignment. How has your experience in that area enabled you to  prepare assigned stories for books and deal with deadlines? Do you find it helps you write faster?" - Sandy

Ada: Every day, reporters sit down at the city editor’s desk and tell him what is happening on their beat and the expected stories. The editor also tells reporters about news he wants them to cover. Assignments are given sometimes, too, for the weekend edition.

After he talks to the staff, the editor makes up a budget to fill up the “news hole,” – the space around advertisements reserved for news. He expects the assigned stories well before deadline.

Writing on assignment for a Christian magazines and books is similar, but sometimes restricted. For instance, I wrote curriculum on assignment and had to follow a format where each part of the lesson had a certain amount of space and followed specific guidelines.

A free lance assignment is good for a free lance writing business, but can be challenging. For instance, an editor made an assumption about the spiritual needs of a certain city, and the expected news sources were offended at the assumption -- the story angle. I had to think up another angle.

Another time, when I interviewed a female pastor for a special edition, I discovered she was getting a divorce. She was chosen by the editor, who didn’t know about the divorce. I talked to him and he decided to run the story not mentioning the marriage breakup.

My biggest assignment challenge was given by an editor who traveled to another nation to cover a ministry. He had interview notes and a stack of information about the ministry and the country. I had to write the story from that and my own research. Putting everything together was difficult, but I did it.

Most assignments, the writer gathers his own information. Ask yourself, what do I need to know? Then make a list of things to do, information sources, and people to interview. Who are the experts on this subject? Who is involved or had experience? What facts do I need to double check? Who has a great quote on this subject or where can I find information or an illustration?

You need to double check facts. For instance, in ghost writing for a pastor his key illustration was the number of mountain peaks in Colorado over 14,000 feet. He had the wrong number.

Another time, a minister made a statement about the percentage of pastors who drop out of the ministry each year. He gave a source and the info wasn’t there. I contacted research organizations and they didn’t have the number, either. Finally, I contacted my own denomination and used the numbers they provided, since the pastor was a member.

Writing on assignment is serious business. You agree to gather the needed information and write the piece by a deadline. It’s great motivation to write fast.

Much of Christian writing today is by assignment. It's one of the best ways to sell your work. Look at listing in the Market Guide and send editors your resume, along with a few ideas.

~~~

A.B. Brownell has been writing for Christian publications since age 15 and spent much of her life as a daily The Pueblo Chieftain in Colo., where she spent the last seven years as a medical writer. After moving to Springfield, MO in her retirement, she continues to free lance for Christian publications and write non-fiction and fiction books.

newspaper reporter. She has a BS degree in Mass Communications and worked most of her career at

Joe the Dreamer: The Castle and the Catapult  http://buff.ly/XeqTvH or https://www.createspace.com/3962829

Swallowed by LIFE: http://buff.ly/TLkr0a

Confessions of a Pentecostal: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0088OP460

  Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/#!/AdaBrownellWritingMinistries    
  Twitter: @adellerella

   Blog: http://inkfromanearthenvessel.blogspot.com

Do you have a background that has helped you write faster? Do you write on assignment? Can you give additional pointers for meeting deadlines?

Historical Photo Tour by S. Dionne Moore

We're doing something a little different on Seriously Write today. S. Dionne Moore shares with us how she researches her amazing historical romances and for a bonus, she shares some of her photos for her latest release. Because of size restrictions, I've embedded her photos into a slideshow. I hope you enjoy it and the notes she took during the tour. ~ Angie

One of the reasons I write historical romance is that I love conducting the research. For my May 2013 release, A Heartbeat Away, I traveled to Sharpsburg, Maryland, the setting for the bloodiest battle of the Civil War, the Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg, for you Southerners).

For what its worth, I traveled to take these pictures after I had the contract for A Heartbeat Away already in hand. This was a confirmation trip, a way to discover and confirm how the citizens of Sharpsburg were affected by this terrible battle and to double check for accuracy on some key points.

Since A Heartbeat Away is less about troop movement and the intricacies of who won/lost, hearing stories about the citizens was paramount. Specifically, I wanted to see the battlefield through the eyes of Beth, a woman with a heart to help, yanked from her tendency toward introspection to witness the pain and ferocity of wounded and dying soldiers whose needs trumped her own. I wanted to see what she would see, hear the screams and imagine the horrific smells that would engulf the town for days and weeks after the battle had ended, and obtain a visual of it all from Piper Farm (near where Gerta’s fictional home would be). I went in with a list of specific questions based on the direction I knew the story would take (one reason a synopsis is crucial!), but with an ear out for any fact that could be added to make the scenes come alive, while adding another layer to the protagonists inner conflict.

I hauled my iPad along for note-taking during the tour, and a bluetooth keyboard so that I could write on the manuscript at night. Beyond those two pieces of equipment, I had my iPhone. I asked questions and took notes on the iPhone when I was inside the museum absorbing what I could about the condition of the Confederates at that point in the war. That most of them had lice -- lived with body lice, really -- was a given and stumbling upon a “louse trap” on display was just what I needed to show the problem in a unique way. There were so many details to immerse myself in, yet I also had to draw a line. Historical fact can weigh down a book. Walking the line between too little and too much is always risky. Some readers want factual details, some do not, so I work hard to strike a balance.

Sharpsburg is a very small town, unscathed by commercial development, a true gem of history frozen in time by the town's refusal to allow commercialism to mar what they have worked so hard to preserve. I was taken on a private tour by Bob Murphy of RCM History Tours. His prices are very reasonable and he accommodated my desire to walk some of the tour. I stayed at the snug and very clean Mary Hill House, where there is a remnant of the battle right there on the parlor floor -- a bloodstain, soaked deep into the very old hardwood floors.

About the Author

S. Dionne Moore started writing in 2006. Her first book, Murder on the Ol’ Bunions, was contracted for publication by Barbour Publishing in 2008. In 2009 she moved on to writing historical romances as an outlet for her passion for history. In 2010 her second cozy mystery, Polly Dent Loses Grip, was a 2010 Carol Award finalist and she was also named a Barbour Publishing 2010 Favorite New Author. In 2011, her first historical romance, Promise of Tomorrow, was nominated a 2011 Carol Award finalist.

Born and raised in Manassas, Virginia, Moore moved to Greencastle, PA in 1993, then to Mercersburg in 2009. Moore enjoys life in the historically rich Cumberland Valley where traffic jams are a thing of the past and there are only two stoplights in the whole town.

For more information, visit her Website at www.sdionnemoore.com.
Follow her on Twitter: @sdionnemoore
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/sdionnemoore

Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/sdionnemoore

Creative Best Series: Four

Annette M. Irby

We’re building on our study of Galatians 6:4-5 in the Message Bible. Today let’s consider the third line:

Make a careful exploration of who you are

and the work you have been given

and then sink yourself into that

It’s time to lose yourself in your calling. Once you know what you’re called to do, God gives you permission to lose yourself in that calling. To become immersed. Learn everything you need to learn. Commit to being successful. Put aside things that might hinder your full pursuit.

Pruning.

God has often pruned me—led me to cut back on areas that weren’t profitable in my life. He is determined that my time be used wisely. And He knows if I am stretching my limbs to work on too many things at once I will be moderately helpful in those areas, but never truly over-the-top successful at any one of them. Those seasons are about prioritizing, even at the risk of other people’s disapproval. But when God begins pruning your activities, it’s best to learn how to humbly say no to those asking you to take on more and get back to what’s highest on His priority list for you.

So what can stop you from sinking yourself into your calling?

Doubt. “I thought I knew how to write. Judging by this chapter, I was wrong!”

Accusations. Setting up materials at a book signing with a fellow author who is bestselling and award-winning, thoughts come: “Who do you think you are?”

Fear. Not just fear of failure, but fear of success. There’s comfort in the familiarity of anonymity. What happens if we succeed? Our books become bestsellers and suddenly there is a greater demand on our time? More visibility?

Let go.

God knows your dreams. He called you. He knows what you need. In fact, the closer you’ve gotten to the Lord, the more His aspirations for your life have become your own (Psalm 37:4). Let go of your own hold and let yourself sink into His perfect plan. Let go of control and striving. To turn our analogy a bit, did you know that the best way to float on water is to let go? You go limp, letting your legs rise. If you strive to float, you’ll tighten up and sink. So, to get where you want to go, let go. Give your dreams, your calling, your writing to God. Let Him make of it what He will. Let yourself sink into His plans. Don’t panic. Just relax into God’s purposes.

Give yourself permission to sink into the calling, the work, God has given you. No more excuses. And no more guilt.

Be your creative best!

~~~~~

Jordan Ambrose is looking for passion. From her husband. And, as Randy Ambrose will tell you-she's great at pushing his buttons. The problem? He's hiding out from intense emotions, like passion. So their love life is lackluster. Well, except for those letters. 

Jordan discovered a box of love letters in her husband's home office closet. Why doesn't he act like the "R" from the letters, so clearly written to "J"? If she can drag him away from his writing desk, they can talk about it. But will Randy stop hiding and love with abandon?

This series first appeared on Seriously Write in 2009.