One...One Day Left!
I love anticipation.
I was just talking in a forum about how I enjoy writing scenes where young couples are building up to dating. I LOVE that period in a relationship. And it's especially fun to write from the teen perspective.
Some people make noise over sex in YA. But, writing about the sex isn't nearly as fun as writing about what leads up to it. Courting is what they called it in my mom's day. Umm...not sure what they called it in my day. "Going together," perhaps?
Well tomorrow is a big day for me.
First, because the TRT contest launches.
And second...is a secret. You'll have to check back to find out.
So, what shall we count down today. It's Halloween, but I kind of exhausted my Halloween post yesterday.
So today, the lucky number one is featured as:
My Favorite Thing About Being a YA Writer
1. What's not to love about re-living those years of innocence and awakening?
There are some people who refuse to believe that a person who writes for young readers is simply in tune to their inner teen. But I am.
One young patron at the Catonsville Library asked why do I believe I'm realisitcally portraying teens. After all, I'm ancient. Well...I'm not trying to portray every teen, only the teen protags and characters in my book.
I don't worry about whether or not my slang or the clothes they're wearing are what "today's" teen are saying/wearing. Nor do I try to force my own teen experiences down the reader's throat. All a reader has to believe is that what my characters do and say are realistic for the character I've introduced.
Once, during the editorial process, my editor said she didn't think a teen would use the words "being popular is a beast." Said it felt too old.
She suggested I changed it to "being popular is a bitch."
Well, that rang true - saying something is a bitch is quite popular - but it didn't ring true for the character who said it.
I don't need to sit around the mall and teen watch. And I can't draw on my daughter's experiences because the characters in my book are about 16 now and she just turned 13. But I listen to my inner teen and it tells me if the teen I've created in my books would do or say certain things.
All I hope is that some reader(s) will read it and agree that the character rings real.
I was just talking in a forum about how I enjoy writing scenes where young couples are building up to dating. I LOVE that period in a relationship. And it's especially fun to write from the teen perspective.
Some people make noise over sex in YA. But, writing about the sex isn't nearly as fun as writing about what leads up to it. Courting is what they called it in my mom's day. Umm...not sure what they called it in my day. "Going together," perhaps?
Well tomorrow is a big day for me.
First, because the TRT contest launches.
And second...is a secret. You'll have to check back to find out.
So, what shall we count down today. It's Halloween, but I kind of exhausted my Halloween post yesterday.
So today, the lucky number one is featured as:
My Favorite Thing About Being a YA Writer
1. What's not to love about re-living those years of innocence and awakening?
There are some people who refuse to believe that a person who writes for young readers is simply in tune to their inner teen. But I am.
One young patron at the Catonsville Library asked why do I believe I'm realisitcally portraying teens. After all, I'm ancient. Well...I'm not trying to portray every teen, only the teen protags and characters in my book.
I don't worry about whether or not my slang or the clothes they're wearing are what "today's" teen are saying/wearing. Nor do I try to force my own teen experiences down the reader's throat. All a reader has to believe is that what my characters do and say are realistic for the character I've introduced.
Once, during the editorial process, my editor said she didn't think a teen would use the words "being popular is a beast." Said it felt too old.
She suggested I changed it to "being popular is a bitch."
Well, that rang true - saying something is a bitch is quite popular - but it didn't ring true for the character who said it.
I don't need to sit around the mall and teen watch. And I can't draw on my daughter's experiences because the characters in my book are about 16 now and she just turned 13. But I listen to my inner teen and it tells me if the teen I've created in my books would do or say certain things.
All I hope is that some reader(s) will read it and agree that the character rings real.
posted by Paula at 4:03 PM
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