After much humming and haa-ing I’m coming more and more round to the idea that I am at heart a Young Adult writer. I know I should probably have decided this by now. I’ve been calling myself a writer now for two years and been a Dabbler for rather more than that, but there you go. Some of us are a bit slower on the uptake than others.
The thing is, I have an overactive imagination and the attention span of a flea. I love so many different types of books – romance, adventure, fantasy; teenage or adult or historical or women’s contemporary fiction – that I flit from wanting to write one type to another. But I keep coming back to two things. Firstly, romance. You’d think this would be my first love because it’s probably my favourite genre for light reading; specifically, historical romance – even more specifically, Regency romance. I’ve said a million times on here that my biggest influences were Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer. My husband certainly thinks I should write this kind of story because I love reading them so much and I know the world like the back of my hand. And I do love the times when I’m writing this style. I’ve got a novella on the go that I’m pretty happy with. And to be perfectly honest, it’s probably the easier (note I said ‘easi-ER’, I’m far from kidding myself that any book is ‘easy’ to write) book for me to write, simply because for so long I’ve lived and breathed Regency romance. I even have a half-made Regency ball-gown tucked away in the linen chest (seriously. It was for a charity ball but I ran out of time and can’t bring myself to throw it away. It’s another project I will finish ‘one day’).
But for a long time I’ve been awed by the scope of the Young Adult novels around. The authors I’m being introduced to (Gillian Philip, Nicola Morgan, Cat Clarke, Malorie Blackman, Michael Morpurgo and the list goes on and on and on) and the stories they’ve written are amazing. There’s a to-be-read list as long as my arm and there seems no limit to what you can write about. The idea of putting myself alongside those authors feels a bit pretentious and getting too big for my boots but the truth is they are just so inspiring.
I remember being a teenage reader (pre-empting any cheeky comments, it wasn’t THAT long ago) and the excitement of losing myself in a book. Some of my childhood books are still my favourite books – Narnia, pretty much anything by Edith Nesbit or Enid Blyton (St Clare’s, anyone?) The Chalet School series, A Little Princess or The Secret Garden – before I moved onto Georgette Heyer then Jane Austen. I don’t know how those books would do today if they were coming new to the market and the books I’m seeing in the Young Adult sections are completely different, but the point is that the books I was introduced to as a young reader stayed with me. I want to write one of those books. Again, not another Railway Children, but a book that some teenager might read and keep on their shelves as an old favourite when they’re thirty or fifty or seventy. Maybe the book that encourages a teenager to keep reading when they’re on the point of being distracted by something shinier and noisier.
There are three story ideas dancing around in my head, and have been for a while. The first is my Regency – not a romance, but an adventure – which I’ve had on the go for a while and am making slow but sure progress with. The others are completely contrasting and more… involved. Not particularly complicated, but they are going to take a LOT of imagination and constructing an entirely different world to the ones I’ve been used to. The thing is, they’ve all come into my head as books for teenagers. It puts a lot of pressure on – I know how critical a teenager can be and the demand is basically that I write the best book I can and then make it better. Gulp. But it also opens up immense possibilities as to where the story can go, and that’s one of the things I find so exciting about kidlit. Of course, nothing is set in stone. I will write the best books I can and I guess that will determine what type of author I am!
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On a side note, I’m considering calling it a day with the A to Z Blogging Challenge. It’s been interesting and motivating coming up with a daily post, and I’m tempted to carry on because I’ve committed to it and it would be fun to see what happens (especially at W, X, Y and Z…) but I’m not sure it’s doing me any favours. Writing a post because it’s something I do daily probably isn’t producing my best posts, and I could be using the time I’m thinking of and writing blog posts on the fiction. And due to IMMENSE tiredness and the madness that is two small children, that time is precious.
On the other hand, it is getting me in the discipline of doing some writing every day. I dunno. I’d appreciate any thoughts from anyone? If you’ve been reading the blog, I’d be really grateful for any comments on how it’s going and whether it’s worth keeping up the challenge to the end of April. And thanks for reading so far!
I would say definitely go on.
I have been writing flash fiction for all my posts so far and though it is killing me, I’m going to fight to the finish and give each piece my best.
I’ve read a few of your posts, and trust me, they are way better than some of the A-Z posts I have read which look like little to no effort or thought was put into them.
So if you can spare the time, schedule 2-3 posts one day, and then you won’t feel the pressure so bad.
My 2 cents 🙂 Hope it helps.
I’ve noticed a lot of this type of thing going on lately. People coming to conclusions about the kind of book they’re more suited to writing, that is. And it’s usually not the kind of book they thought they’d be writing.
I suppose you have to push through a lot of paths before you find one that you like. I’m finding my own way right now and may have to make an announcement of my own shortly.
As for your A- Z challenge, why not use it as your morning starter piece to get your brain going. Just throw something together in an hour with a vague connection to the letter of the day.
It’s how I write all my blog posts all the time 🙂
It took me a while to accept I might want to write YA, too. Suspense is my genre, and I kept having these teens as part of a family structure who would take over the story…
The A to Z is fairly exhausting, but i think if you get around a fair bit, people get back to you and your blog grows, too. VERY time consuming, but worth it. I’ve been visiting BACK everyone who visits me, + trying to get through about 20 names on the list (I started at 555 and have arrived at you today)
Thanks very much; excellent advice and a very encouraging comment that cheered me up 🙂
I’ve got a couple of fiction posts planned, though whether they come off is a different matter!
Good idea, though I think a couple of my links have been so tenuous you could argue I’ve been doing that already!
Your announcement sounds intriguing…
Thank you for visiting and commenting! It’s an exciting new world 🙂
I find it’s good to have a focus, but who knows where you’ll be lead in the future! Michelle Paver has been phenomenally successful with her Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series for YAs, but has recently written an adult ghost story. So I guess I’m thinking one can write for any genre one likes! I’m about to embark on something that involves a child (very much in planning stages) but who the eventual reader will be, I can’t say. I’m sure, whatever you choose to devote your considerable talents to, you’ll do a really excellent job. XX
Oh, and the A-Z thing … I didn’t even begin it, I knew it would drive me crackers! But all kudos to those who have stuck it out and produced good posts, really well done.
What a lovely comment, and such a boost to my flagging confidence! Thank you so much x
I agree with those saying your A-Z posts aren’t sounding ‘thrown together’ or tired – and scheduling a batch of them might be a helpful way to get a break. Personally, I’ve been enjoying the challenge but am also feeling the pressure a bit, timewise.
As for ‘your genre’ – it’s interesting, isn’t it? I read quite a lot of crime – most of my ‘adult’ reading is crime – but I’ve also always been certain I couldn’t write crime. I also really enjoy reading kids & YA fiction, and think I’m supposed to be a kidlit/teenlit writer. I just think you can have more fun with stories for kids.
This A to Z challenge is tough. But not every post needs to be long. That is how I am managing it. It has helped to write each day, I have found fab other writers here in the blosphere. Go A to Z! You can do it!
Oh, I’m a YA writer and proud of it!
Thanks for the advice! And thank you for commenting 🙂