FCEtier

My interest in the young adult genre was recently rekindled when I discovered a vintage March 1963 copy of Swiftwater by Paul Annixter. Watch for a blog from me about Swiftwater soon. In the mean time, we hope you will enjoy this guest blog by friend and fellow author, Martha Jane Orlando. Martha is the author of young adult novels and she is from Kennesaw, GA. Her first book, A Trip, a Tryst, and a Terror, is also Book One of her Glade Trilogy. (Available on Amazon in both e-book and paperback) She pens a bi-weekly devotional, Meditations of My Heart, which she invites you to visit at http://marthaorlando.blogspot.com. Once there, you can read Martha’s profile,

Guest blogger is author of young adult titles.

read her posts, and know your comments are always welcome.

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Writing for Young Adults and Tweens

Are you contemplating writing fiction for the young adult/”tween” reader? Before you get started on that best seller, here are some tips which are bound to make your venture as successful as possible.

 
Know Your Audience
I taught middle-school for fifteen years, sixth and then seventh grades to be precise. One great advantage I enjoyed during this time was observing which books my students chose to read for pleasure. I, in turn, would retrieve copies from the school library and read them for myself.
I must have read hundreds of novels during this time period. Though they differed in subject matter, setting, and tone, the most popular always had these components:
· Likeable, believable characters.
· Lots of dialogue.
· Limited, but thoughtfully crafted, descriptive passages.
· A hook/teaser in the first chapter which entices the reader to continue reading the story.
If it’s been years since you have read any young adult literature, pay a visit to your local middle school. Talk with the media specialist. Find out which authors and novels are popular with the students.
Then, read them! Get a feel for the voice and the pace. Note what these books have in common. Is it action? Mystery? Magic? Humor? Or, do they contain a little bit of each of these aspects? Then, develop your story with these characteristics in mind.

 
Know Your Competition
If you are a baby-boomer, as I am, our childhood amusements were confined to playing outside, engaging in board games, building with Lincoln logs, and watching, when parents permitted, a choice of shows on only three television stations. Reading, for most of us, was a coveted pastime. Books were the kings of the entertainment world!
Not so today . . .
The amount of distractions facing the average young adult in the 21st Century is mind-boggling. I don’t think I need to elaborate here as we know that computer-generated diversions are rife and thriving among the young. And, when our children and grandchildren hear the stories of how life was when we were growing up, they assume we dwelt in the Dark Ages.

Orlando’s first book begins a series, “The Glade Trilogy.” It has opened with glowing reviews. It deserves your attention.

How do we bridge that kind of generation gap?
Simple. Tell a great story. One unique and so exciting, it can’t help but uproot young folks from their remote controls and their instant-access wi-fi connections. A story so riveting, they will read loyally and joyfully from beginning to end.
So, ask yourself the following questions: How meaningful and relevant is my story? Is it exciting? Engaging? Memorable? What can I do to hook, line, and sinker my audience?
Answer these questions honestly, and remember: You have competition . . . Big time!
K.I.S.S. – Keep It Short, Sweetie!
Aside from the Harry Potter phenomenon, I cannot recall any of my students toting an oversized book to class. Even Harry had lost his charm with this age group by books six and seven. Lesson learned? Keep it short!
My publisher, thankfully, was all about this. When I submitted my original novel entitled, The Glade, she suggested we convert it into a trilogy. Wow! No better advice could have ever been given.
Sadly, young readers, especially those for whom books are only celebrated at school, are daunted by the length and width of a tome. As mentioned before, the all-competing venues for their attention contribute to their lassitude in tackling large-sized books. Truth be told, it’s downright intimidating and discouraging to them.
And, it’s up to us, as writers, to make amends. To reach them where they are. To love them through our stories. To build their hopes, their faith, their dreams.
To teach them that good things come in small packages, one precious and beautiful installment at a time.
And, for them to learn and wait in patience, as Paul Harvey always said, “For the rest of the story.” Allow them the space and time and invitation to be willing and eager to read more!

Know Your Vocabulary (and Theirs)
I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t in love with the written word, and I was always eager to expand my vocabulary. Such is not the case with the majority of young people today. When in class it was time to begin a new vocabulary lesson, I braced myself for the wails, moans, and gnashing of teeth which inevitably ensued. Even though I did everything I could think of to make learning vocabulary fun, from writing short stories to creating word games, I still could not engage them all.
So, how can we, as novelists, help young people to learn vocabulary and actually like doing so? By introducing challenging or unfamiliar words in context. For example, a seventh grader might not know the definition of “vulnerable”, but if you pair it with the word “weak”, he or she can glean an understanding of its meaning. While they are gleefully reading your delightful story, they are unwittingly expanding their vocabulary knowledge.
By writing carefully and thoughtfully, your words can be the sugar which helps the bitter medicine of vocabulary learning go down!
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It was an honor and a pleasure to write this guest post for Chip’s blog. I hope you have found these writing tips helpful, and I am looking forward to reading your feedback in the comments section.