YA Week continues with Shannon Delany

Aug 12, 2010 11:16

Why YA

Shannon Delany, author of the 13 to Life Series: 13 to Life (6/22/10), Secrets and Shadows (2/15/11), Bargains and Betrayals (Fall 2011)

http://ShannonDelany.com

http://13toLifeseries.com

I’m an adult. I know. Sometimes I don’t act it (like when I’m standing in line just to get into a store in the Hogsmeade Village area of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter-the twitching that happens!). But as an adult I feel very little desire to write what most adults are envisioned as reading. You know-straight, dry fiction (or Nicholas Sparks). But notice what I said: “envisioned as reading."

Let’s be honest. There are a lot of adult readers who are reliving their youths (or a better, more exciting version of their youths-mine never included werewolves, that I know of) by opening up YA novels. I think this is great. Not only is it a brand of escapism that makes us feel young again (and who doesn’t like that?) it also encourages more would be young adult authors to review their past (and the way we color it through the big, clumsy brush of memory) and to pay closer attention to teenagers.

Granted, that might be the downside if you’re a teen-more adults paying attention to you means you may get away with a little less. Ah well, as long as you still like the books they produce maybe it’s an okay tradeoff.

For me, having the personality I have (an odd one), writing YA is natural regardless of my age. See, my middle school existence was pretty much miserable thanks to the mean girls and a couple of (bless their hearts) not so bright guys.

I learned to throw a punch in 7th grade. And somewhere in those corridors part of my personality stuck and refused to be easily unwedged.

I like to think that’s part of why I made such a good middle school teacher later on. I knew how much it could all suck and I’d developed decent radar for identifying troublesome people.

So it’s only natural I like writing-and usually deal with characters-who are in the young adult category. And from an author’s viewpoint, what’s not to like?

Teens are bright, willing to question authority and stand up for their beliefs. All those reasons (socially, morally and in the interest of keeping your career on track) that we adults don’t say what’s on our mind and rock the boat? Teens don’t have those things holding them back as often.

They test the world. They push the envelope. They’re brave (okay, sometimes they cross the line right into stupid-but who hasn’t been there?) and full of passion (hormones’ll do that to you) and are trying to balance an idealistic dream of their future with the gritty realism that so often makes up their present.

Teens are an absolute dream to write and I hope to have the opportunity to keep writing teens for years to come because as old as the publishing business can make you feel, writing teens’ll make you young again!

ya week, ya, young adult, shannon delany, paranormal, 13 to life

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