Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Signs I'm a YA Writer

At my first writers' conference, my teacher asked us why we wrote for the age of our audience. Many people gave interesting answers that week. My favorite was from another seasoned, published author. She usually writes about 12 to 13-year-olds and for an audience of the same age because, in a way, it's like her looking back and trying to take care of herself then. I wonder if that's why I also write about and for teens. It's definitely got something to do with it. That girl back then needed some taking care of, too. What I do know is I've been observant these past few weeks and found signs that also support why I'm a YA writer. Here are a few.

  1. My wardrobe. I've grown up in some ways, but I still own and wear my leather beret from high school, as well as my U2 Rattle and Hum t-shirt. I finally gave my "Slinky" t-shirt to my teenage daughter. Don't get me wrong; I would've kept it if it still fit.
  2. How I speak. I use "like" more than all my children combined, as well as "lame," "whatever," and even, "hey, girlfriend!" when I speak to my older daughter.
  3. I still love to be spontaneous and sometimes immature. For example, purposefully embarrassing my children. Nothing brings me more pleasure than hearing, "Ughh, Mom!" (But my kids are usually smiling when they do this. A good sign, yes?) Yesterday, my daughter dared me to bop my head around and jam like an idiot while driving with her. She did the same. We were laughing so hard, I was crying.
  4. Music. My tastes have developed a lot, but I still feel that teenager-y deep connection to music, like it defines me, or I seek to find the songs that do. I continue to play the guitar and sing the same folk ballads I did when I was around a campfire with my friends.
  5. My imagination. In high school, I devoted my time to acting on stage, becoming the characters and delving into their backstories and what made them tick. Now I do the same thing, but I create my characters on the page. I bring them to life from scratch. It's still just as exhilarating--even more so!
  6. Discovery of Self. No matter how old I get (I'm 36 now), I still feel that yearning to to know who exactly I am and why I fit or don't fit into this world and why I'm here. It keeps me constantly exploring for more.
  7. Feeling Deeply. I'm pretty sure I'm moodier and more sensitive now than I was as a teen. I cry easier, laugh harder, and feel keenly the pain of others.
I met an almost ninety-year-old woman a couple years ago. She randomly sat next to me at a large event and started chatting away about wanting to read the book I had on my lap. She confessed she loved Twilight and other popular YA books.

When I'm ninety, I want to be that woman.

If you write, what age do you usually write for and why? If you don't write, what age do you think the "inner you" is?

16 comments:

  1. I want to be like that when I'm ninety!

    I agree with you about so many of these things. One of the reasons I love spending all day with my kids is because they remind me what's real. We have so much fun together, even if they drive me nuts. Same with teenagers. They're so REAL. They are who they are, even if they don't quite know who that is yet.

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    1. I love that: "They are who they are, even if they don't quite know who that is yet." So true!

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  2. i think you just warped me back to the '90s a little, with a mix of today. my dad harps on me for saying "like" after everything. "you know in the 70s it meant 'comparison', now you kids say it all the time. i just counted 10 'likes'." hahaha...

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    1. I know, the "like" thing is like a disease, right? Like how I used "like" twice there? ;-)

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  3. Coolest 90-yr-old ever!! But we'll be even cooler. ;-) I'm not really sure why I write YA, it's just what I've always written. Maybe it's my fascination with first love and how much I love first kisses and how important every choice made truly is--how it shapes the rest of your life. BUt also, it's just dang fun!!

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    1. Yes, those "firsts" are a huge reason I write YA, too. And we're going to rock the ninety-year-old house!

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  4. What a clever post! This is something I haven't thought much about... I always thought I wrote YA because my voice is a YA voice... but that probably isn't really the reason. I like the thought of wanting to be able to speak to yourself at that age. Really cool.

    And I LOVED reading your reasons, Kathryn. You seem like the COOLEST mom! :D

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    1. Haha. My kids might beg to differ on the "coolest mom" thing. I can be a very ornery mom, too. But being silly and crazy together has gotten our family through a lot!

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  5. That ninety-year-old woman sounds incredible! I want to be carefree like that too, lol. I'm not sure why I write the age group I write. I really hated high school, so that's probably why I steer clear of that age, but I adored college, and I remember it better, as well. I think that "on the brink of adulthood" age is really what stirs me deep inside, probably because I still don't feel like an adult half the time these days, so it's not too far of a leap to write characters who don't either. :)

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    1. That totally makes sense with the books you write, Michelle, and you do a great job depicting that age.

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  6. I want to be that ninety-year-old woman, too! I'm only 20, and I write YA and MG. YA is so fresh for me that at times it's hard writing it, MG is just plain fun. Though at time, I seem much older than I am, my friends know me to be a total goof. I have younger siblings, and I like that I'm never "too cool" to joke around with time, go dancing and singing in the rain, or even sit and chat about and play video games. My imagination is so wild, I think that has a lot to do with it, plus my dad, whose in his late 40s might as well be a super wise 20yr old so that helps :)

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    1. I've never thought about a genre being "too fresh" and being difficult to write at times for that reason, but that makes a lot of sense. Sounds like you have a great family and that they keep you young. Thanks for stopping by my blog, Patrice!

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  7. What an interesting post! I think that it's important to think about who we write for and why we write for that person.

    I write books that I myself would like to read, which is fantasy with smart/sassy heroines.

    Also, I agree with the other commenters and with you. That 90 year old lady sounds awesome :)

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    1. Thanks, Lauren. And I think you and I like the same kinds of books!

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  8. I write YA because of the emotion. And the fun of it. And because I just love it!

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    1. For "the fun of it" and "because you just love it" are HUGELY important reasons to write what you do!

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