The Young Adult Writer’s Journey
Elizabeth Fortin-Hinds and Janet Schrader-Post
Genre: Nonfiction Reference
Elizabeth Fortin-Hinds and Janet Schrader-Post
Genre: Nonfiction Reference
Publisher: Tell-Tale Publishing Group
Date of Publication: November 23, 3018
ISBN: 978-1-944056-98-8
ASIN: B07K3VZ2ZK,
Number of pages: 232
Word Count: 60,000
Tagline: An Encyclopedia for YA Writers
Book Description:
Finally, an all-inclusive book on young adult fiction must-do, don’t do and how-to. If you want to write a young adult novel, you need to read this book first. Coauthored by an award-winning YA author and an acquisitions editor, both experts on kids and what they like to read, this encyclopedia contains all you need to start or improve a career as a YA fiction author.
From an examination of the market, genre and its sub-genres, to mechanics and the business, everything is at your fingertips. This amazing writer’s resource is written in a relaxed and interesting style, with plenty of contemporary references and examples for clear understanding and easier application.
Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/QVcMaGh7cng
Praise:
"The Young Adult Writer's Journey is a 'Must Have' at your fingertip reference for anyone who writes (or wants to write) for or about kids. Engaging text with topical and thought-provoking insights leading from idea to submission . . . and beyond to populate a story with believable characters young readers can relate to."—Nancy Gideon, Award-Winning author of the By Moonlight series
“The trouble with “how to” books on creativity is that they usurp creativity. Not so with this very insightful guide for YA writing. If it doesn’t become a standard or even a classic among reference books, it will be an oversight. Janet Schrader-Post and Elizabeth Fortin-Hinds have all the marinated smarts and credentialed experience to pull this off, and they do! No dictated wisdom from on high here, no grafted creativity, THE YOUNG ADULT WRITER’S JOURNEY is accessible, motivational and a clear map that leaves plenty of room to discover for anyone wanting to explore their creative side.”-Thomas Sullivan, Pulitzer-nominated author of THE PHASES OF HARRY MOON
Excerpt:
When you talk about
world-building, many writers think you’re talking about fantasy lands like
Narnia, Westeros, Panam or Middle Earth. For most teens, school is their world.
What kind of home life they have is their world and these worlds need to be
just as complicated as Narnia. Well-developed teen worlds like Hogwarts, North
Shore High School, home of the Mean Girls, Rydell High School of Grease, and
Panem of Hunger Games are so well-developed they seem real, and you remember
them as though they were a place you visited.
world-building, many writers think you’re talking about fantasy lands like
Narnia, Westeros, Panam or Middle Earth. For most teens, school is their world.
What kind of home life they have is their world and these worlds need to be
just as complicated as Narnia. Well-developed teen worlds like Hogwarts, North
Shore High School, home of the Mean Girls, Rydell High School of Grease, and
Panem of Hunger Games are so well-developed they seem real, and you remember
them as though they were a place you visited.
To create a real world for teens
in our times, you really need to know them: what they do every day, what they
like, what motivates them, the environment in high schools and many other
details. Home life for kids is very different from twenty or even ten years
ago. It takes two incomes now to support a growing family or to succeed, so
both parents most likely work. This leaves kids as young as nine or ten at home
alone for long periods of time (or even younger, unfortunately). The enemy of
these parents is the school holiday, and it seem like there’s more than ever.
These parents have no idea what to do with their children. Many can’t afford
childcare, so the kids are home alone. It’s a thing you must think about when
writing for them.
in our times, you really need to know them: what they do every day, what they
like, what motivates them, the environment in high schools and many other
details. Home life for kids is very different from twenty or even ten years
ago. It takes two incomes now to support a growing family or to succeed, so
both parents most likely work. This leaves kids as young as nine or ten at home
alone for long periods of time (or even younger, unfortunately). The enemy of
these parents is the school holiday, and it seem like there’s more than ever.
These parents have no idea what to do with their children. Many can’t afford
childcare, so the kids are home alone. It’s a thing you must think about when
writing for them.
Children come from all levels of
society. Poor kids will view the world through different eyes than kids who
have well-off parents. Kids living with a single parent might have a different
view of the world as well as different social structures. The kids with single
parents or working parents might have to go hungry on weekends, on school
holidays and especially during the summer. It’s hard to think about, but true.
There are teenagers out there who eat breakfast and lunch at school and their
families provide dinner. Sometimes all they get is their school meals some
days. When school is out, they scavenge and fend for themselves or they don’t
eat.
society. Poor kids will view the world through different eyes than kids who
have well-off parents. Kids living with a single parent might have a different
view of the world as well as different social structures. The kids with single
parents or working parents might have to go hungry on weekends, on school
holidays and especially during the summer. It’s hard to think about, but true.
There are teenagers out there who eat breakfast and lunch at school and their
families provide dinner. Sometimes all they get is their school meals some
days. When school is out, they scavenge and fend for themselves or they don’t
eat.
About the Authors:
Elizabeth Fortin-Hinds knows kids well. She spent decades teaching teens and adults to write and improve their reading skills. As a literacy expert and certified coach, she helped both teachers from elementary to secondary and preservice graduate students learn to improve reading and writing instruction. She has taught at both the secondary and graduate level, everything from rhetoric, essays, and thesis statements, to poetry, short stories, and how to write a novel. She has learned to use both sides of her brain simultaneously, but enjoys the creative side the most, learning to play piano, draw and paint, and find time for her own writing since retiring from her “day” jobs.
A “true believer” in Joseph Campbell’s The Hero with a Thousand Faces, mythic structures, she uses that lens when considering manuscripts for Tell-Tale Publishing Group, a company she founded with some friends from her critique group a decade ago.
Daughter of a Colonel, Janet lived the military life until she got out of high school. She lived in Hawaii and worked as a polo groom for fifteen years, then moved to Florida where she became a reporter. For ten years she covered kids in high school and middle school. Kids as athletes, kids doing amazing things no matter how hard their circumstances. It impressed her, and it awed her. “How wonderful teens are. They have spirit and courage in the face of the roughest time of their lives. High school is a war zone. Between dodging bullies, school work and after school activities, teens nowadays have a lot on their plate. I wrote stories about them and I photographed them. My goal was to see every kid in their local newspaper before they graduated.”
Janet love kids and horses, and she paints and writes. Now she lives in the swampland of Florida with too many dogs and her fifteen-year-old granddaughter. She started to write young adult fiction with the help of her son, Gabe Thompson, who teaches middle school. Together they have written a number of award-winning YA novels in both science fiction and fantasy.
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Interview with Janet Schrader-Post
Do your characters seem to hijack the story or do you feel like you have the reigns of the story?
The characters always take over. Plot as tightly as you want, if you create real characters, with real personalities, they run off in all kinds of directions. This is actually what makes writing fun. You’re writing along and suddenly your characters are doing things you never imagined they would and going in a direction you never planned.
Convince us why you feel your book is a must read.
Too many authors think writing Young Adult fiction is done by dumbing down writing for adults and taking out all the sex. The Young Adult Writer’s Journey explains why this isn’t true. Writing for teens and middle-school kids is all about the characters, their suffering, their problems, their emotions. Teenagers are going through the most difficult changes in a person’s life. Becoming an adult is hard. They have so much to learn, they make crazy, funny mistakes, and they achieve so much greatness all on their own. In our book, Elizabeth and I worked hard to give any writer a path to creating a truly exceptional Young Adult book. We didn’t write a basic book on how to write. We expect most of the readers of our book to already know how to write. The Young Adult Writer’s Journey includes information YA writers can use, all in one place. I had six kids and a fifteen-year old living with me. I worked as a reporter covering high school sports and events. I know teenagers and in our book, we explain who they are and what writing for that market is all about.
Have you written any other books that are not published?
I started writing in 1995. I wrote my first book. It was about 600 pages long and had everything in it but the kitchen sink. Then I became a reporter and learned how to write. I have one good book on my computer that’s not sold.
Pen or type writer or computer?
My first book was in pen. I took a computer class and since then, write directly into a computer. You can’t do anything else when you’re a reporter. You have so many assignments, so much work, no time for pens and paper, no time to search for a muse. You write.
Anything you would like to say to your readers and fans?
Thanks for choosing our book. It’s a terrific guide. Use it to write a great Young Adult book. Readers are out there waiting for it.
Thanks so much for bringing to our attention another great book out there to read. I appreciate hearing about them since I have so many readers in my family.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for hosting us, Teresa. We appreciate all you do for readers and writers.
ReplyDeleteI loved reading your bio. I also grew up with a military lifer Dad. Being polo groomer must be amazing. I work for a family that has horses and we also grew up with them. I look forward to reading your book. (Audrey Stewart / jozywails@gmail.com)
ReplyDeleteI would love to read your book.
ReplyDelete