Ask the Author: Why did you choose to write YA? (Part 2)

Last week, I went ham on the question and told you my life story, but I had some amazing observations to share with you from other authors that I think were too relevant not to share. I asked the authors two questions that I thought readers would appreciate

A stack of YA category books.

Why did you select the YA/NA genre? 

Sophie Fahy, author of Through Her Eyes, a YA Thriller, told me that she selected YA/NA, “Um, because I'm a sixteen in my head?” With her adorable chuckle. “I chose the YA/NA genre because when I was younger, reading these types of books with protagonists similar age to me, let me escape reality. Now, I want my books to do the same and I also want to send messages through my books that the reader somehow resonates with and to show life struggles that are tremendously overlooked.”

The author of the YA Contemporary Romance Joy’s Summer Love Playlist, Piper Bee reflected that, “YA struggles still resonate with me today. I love the potential, the uncertainty, the identity, the ambition! I find the prospect of heading into adulthood having learned something meaningful to be very satisfying.”

“I want to write stories I wish I had access to at those times in my life,” Brandann Hill-Mann, the author of the speculative fiction The Hole in the World, shared, “I write what I wish had been normalized then, and what I think more teens and younger adults need to see normalized now. Sexuality in all its forms. Different types of loving relationships. Making mistakes (and living with the consequences). Hopefully, someone will read one of my stories and feel less like the unhappy weirdo in the room, and more like the weirdo in the room who is comfortable in their own skin and not ashamed of who they are. Teens and new adults have questions, and they need to know they’re not the only ones asking them, and that they should be asking them.”

Author of the YA Contemporary When Life Gives You Lemons Instead of Lattes, Rayna York shared, “We moved a lot when I was a kid. At sixteen, there was a pivotal move that changed the course of my life. I based my first novel around it. I never published it, but have felt the most comfortable writing in that age category. My subsequent novels have been based on dreams, and since I am always a teenager in my dreams, well . . .”

Like most writers who choose a category, Ally Aldridge, author of Ocean Heart a YA Fantasy, shared that, “I have always loved reading and writing YA. I love how they are mature enough to make choices, but everything is still very new.  There are many firsts still to have, and they’re also that new independence where mistakes might be made.  It’s a fabulous transition age and works well with fantasy.”

Last, but definitely not least, Julia Scott, author of the New Adult dystopian thriller, Mirror Souls and it’s follow up The Anahata Divide, shared that “There’s a huge sense of adventure that comes with first stepping out into the world and navigating the trials and tribulations that come with being a young/new adult. I suppose that’s what draws me to writing about those characters. Adults come with so much baggage and preformed concepts, whereas earlier on in life there is a fresher perspective and a naivety that can get you in all sorts of trouble! That can make it fun to both read and write.” 

What advice would you give new authors about what they should consider if they’ve selected the YA/NA genre?

Sophie: Don’t be scared to write dark YA/NA. You see a lot of books in this genre which are all rainbows and butterflies and to be honest, unrealistic. Teenagers are resilient. They go through life troubles like the rest of us. Some have gone through the most unimaginable things.

Piper: Remember that YA doesn't have to be a certain way. It can be sweet or gritty (or both, if that's your style)! The characters do not have to be typical young adults, and they don't have to do typical things. They also can! Focus on what makes them human and what you want for them, not on what people might say about the book or whether it "fits."

Brandann: Sometimes a plot seems ‘too mature’ at first, and we forget that teens are at that bizarre cusp of child and adulthood. The demands on them are confusing and the goal posts ever changing. We expect them to make life changing decisions while not giving them room to have the experience to make them until that magical moment of 12:01 on their 18th (or whatever age) birthday when we demand they should ‘act like’ adults. Take risks. Remember that those years are a chaotic dance of dumb decisions and life choices fueled by hormones and still-developing brains. Let them be immature. Let them be unlikeable. Let them make really big mistakes so they can show that the consequences are not the end of the world. Let them have to make choices adults feel are too adult to make. 

Rayna: I have heard that 40-60% of young adult books are read by adults. Just like with animated movies, it’s okay to have an adult component in YA books. But it’s important to determine the line between YA and NA when writing so it’s age appropriate. But as the authors have mentioned above, young adults deal with tough, real life issues--ugly situations that scar. But do they want to read about it in a book or do they want to escape into something more pleasant? I wonder. Maybe a little bit of both. Regardless, any writer has to find their niche, write what they know or can relate too. 

Ally: Writing a novel is a big commitment, it’s a marathon, not a sprint.  Write whatever you enjoy writing.  Worry about what genre it is when it’s finished.  Write the novel for yourself first and have fun writing it.

Julia: Try to look back and remember how you felt as a young or new adult, and the issues that concerned you most, rather than what is already out there in the mainstream YA arena. Better yet, speak to actual young or new adults to see what they deal with in life and their biggest issues! It’s always refreshing to read YA/NA fiction that is more realistic rather than fiction that writes what they *think* YA/NA should be. 

I hope these last two blog posts have been helpful in exploring this question! As always, comment if you have thoughts, reflections or questions. Or visit us all on Instagram. I know each of these authors welcome authentic engagement!

Next week’s Question: How do you choose between writing a series or a stand alone?

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Rainy Day Collective Podcast & Purity Culture

Made a podcast! Got to talk to The Rainy Day Collective about The Stories Stars Tell and Purity Culture. Link to listen here.

Reading Wonderland Interview: Rob Rufus

Buy The Vinyl Underground here

Today’s elixir is about time travel, and I think Alice’s rabbit will appreciate it since he’s always so upset about being late. 

Our next stop on the Young Adult Reading Wonderland Journey is with the YA Historical. As a category, historical stories are near and dear to my heart because I’m enamored with history. My middle grade reading journey was steeped in a love for this kind of story. Books within the historical category are set within the framework of a time in history, and a fictionalized story is fleshed out within those constructs. Today’s book, The Vinyl Underground by Rob Rufus is a gorgeous example of the YA Historical but with a modern historical edge because it’s post World War II and set during the Vietnam War in 1968. 

Ronnie Bingham’s brother has been killed in the Vietnam War; a conflict he was drafted into only a year prior. Steeped in his own grief as well as his own fears as he approaches aging into the draft in a few months, Ronnie feels stuck and powerless. When his best friend Milo introduces him to a new student, Hana, they discover their mutual love for music isn’t the only thing they have in common, but also an abhorrence for the war. Their club the Vinyl Underground is born and becomes the safety net they all need.  In the confusion of the approaching draft, the systemic racism in their high school and community, and the difficulties of facing heavy feelings that threaten to drown him, Ronnie has to figure out what he believes and what he’s willing to do to take a stand. 

The Vinyl Underground by Rob Rufus is a brand new book released by Flux Books at the beginning of March just as the chaos of stay-at-home orders took precedence and pulled this wonderful book into its current to get lost in the mire of the log jam of other kinds of information.  I’d like to be a small voice to change that since this story deserves a much larger voice. Timely in its content despite the 1968 designation, themes of social justice, finding a way to take a stand, and using one’s voice to make change are paramount to the story. But like all YA - and one of the reasons I love this genre - the story finds a way to give us hope. Mr. Rufus, who so graciously agreed to this interview, has written one another book, a memoir called Die Young With Me, and The Vinyl Underground is his first book of fiction. 

CLW: First, I really loved The Vinyl Underground, your debut novel which dropped March 10. A big facet of this historical novel set during 1968 is the music. Would you elaborate on what inspired the choices of the songs in the story?

RR: Thank you, so glad you dug the book!  I’m a big music fan and record collector, so I was excited to center a story around the 1960’s because that’s the greatest era of music, in my opinion.  Some of the songs were used simply because they set the tone of a scene or character.  Others, like Eve of Destruction or Gates of Eden, I used to serve as a bridge between the insanity and uncertainty of the 1960s and the present.  I threw in the MC5 to symbolize how music, as well as attitudes, were growing more extreme. 

CLW: I’m an English teacher, and I’m always telling my students, “Setting matters!” So, why choose Vietnam as a backdrop versus another possible historical setting?

RR: Selfishly, I chose it because my dad is a Vietnam Vet.  He never talked to me about the war growing up, so all my life I’ve immersed myself in the culture, music, history, and literature as a way to connect with that part of his life.  During the 2016 election I saw so many parallels to the 1960s, but so little of the fight.  Young people who didn’t even go vote were posting and marching about the election after the fact.  It really broke my heart.  Boo’s sound like cheers to the people who are already living in the ivory tower.  Late reaction is inaction.  I hope readers take that message to heart even if it makes them uncomfortable.

CLW: One of my favorite characters is Hana and her unapologetic stance on issues of social justice. What made her even more dimensional is the way you juxtaposed the idea of racial injustice with the injustice of sexism. What inspired this choice?

RR: Hana was inspired by a very real person who is every bit as badass and unapologetic.  She’s an English teacher as well, and hearing about the way the political climate was affecting her minority students was very jarring.  Adults will rail on the bully pulpit without realizing the street-level impact of their thoughtless words.  I think a lot of kids were going through the same thing in 1968.  

CLW: You are also a musician (right?). What lessons from your work as a musician played into your work as an author?

RR: The most valuable thing being a musician taught me about writing is that “it sucks until it doesn’t.”  Learning an instrument, like learning to write, sucks!  It’s exhausting.  It’s just miserable work.  But if you stick with it, there will come a day when you find your rhythm.  And when you do, the whole world opens up to you.

CLW: The Vinyl Underground is your first fiction novel, but not your first book. You’ve also written a memoir called Die Young With Me. Was the process different to see these books completed?

RR: The process was way different.  Die Young With Me was the story of me getting into punk rock and spending my teenage years battling cancer.  It felt like a miracle when it got published and won awards.  The Vinyl Underground was easier to write but harder to get published.  Partly because of the subject matter, partly because many editors said kids don’t care about the 1960s.  It was disheartening, because with Vinyl Underground I set out to prove myself as a writer and not just someone who got a memoir published because they’d lived through a bunch of traumatic experiences.  But it is what it is, and that’s the nature of the business.  I’m very proud of both books and humbled than anyone takes the time to check out anything I do.

CLW: What is a fun tidbit about The Vinyl Underground that would surprise readers?

RR: I got the idea for the book when I found a love letter tucked in a used LP I randomly bought.  The letter was 40 years old between two high school sweethearts!  I thought it was such a beautiful thing to pair a message with a song. 

CLW: What is your favorite genre to read, and do you have a recommendation for readers?

RR: One of my favorite genres is pulp crime, because it doesn’t take itself too seriously.  It is offensive, funny, ridiculous, and incredibly entertaining.  I tell that to people all the time, and they roll their eyes.  But if you can accept it for what it is, you can be exposed to a lot of great writing.  James Ellroy is the living master of the genre, but he isn’t suitable for young viewers.  Insert every trigger-warning imaginable here.

CLW: What was the last book you read you found magical?

RR: The book I’m currently reading is magical as hell.  It’s called The Lost Book of Adana Moreau, by Michael Zapata.  It’s beautiful writing and a beautiful story that spans decades, borders, and dimensions.  It’s an incredibly thought provoking read.

CLW: Which specific authors or specific books - YA and otherwise - have inspired your own author’s journey?

RR: Lots of authors inspired my understanding of form, breaking the rules, and writing honestly.  But the book that inspired me to start writing was Born on the Fourth of July, by Ron Kovic.  It’s the memoir of a soldier who was shot and paralyzed, and ultimately became a leading voice of the anti-war movement.  I’d never read anything like it.  I still haven’t.  It was raw power. 

CLW: The theme is YA Fiction. What makes your top-five list in no particular order?

RR: I honestly don’t read enough of it to make any recommendations.  So maybe we should skip this one, ha-ha.

CLW: What are you working on now?

RR: My agent Shannon is currently shopping around my third book right now.  I am currently working on a television pilot, which has been interesting!

CLW: Where can readers find you?

RR: Well, I was supposed to be on tour through May but that’s been rescheduled due to the pandemic.  So, as long as I’m quarantined they can find me either inside my house listening to music or walking the streets with my dog Baby Biscuit.  Hopefully they’ll find me back on the road sooner than later!

Interested in finding out more about Rob Rufus and The Vinyl Underground? You can find him on Instagram at @rob_rufus, on Twitter @rob_rufus , and his website is www.robrufus.net

NEXT WEEK: Nancy Richardson Fischer &

The Speed of Falling Objects

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