The Typical Teenager?

If you write for teen readers, how do you imagine them? How do they interact with their peers, their parents, other students at school? What do they like to think about, what struggles do they have, what temptations do they face?

My first novel was published in 2017, with a male protagonist who was just shy of 18 years old. The Golden Hour was written in first person so we are in James’ head as he wrestles with uncertainty about how to relate to girls, his sense of being overlooked by his parents in favour of his younger siblings, and ambivalence about his work future. James is keen on graphic art, but his parents don’t value it, so he’s trying to study computing.

One of the few spontaneous reviews the book attracted was by a male reader who declared that James was not like he was as a young man and therefore the character was not credible. Apart from issues of males reading female authors’ work and whether or not I had managed to portray a male believably, I was struck by the assumption that we can know what all male teenagers/female teenagers are like by our own experience.

My adult daughter commented on how many of her friends had been recently tested for autism and/or ADHD. They perhaps had always felt ‘different’ from their peers and decided to find a non-blaming reason for it. My own children always felt ‘different’ too, but put it down to the family having Christian values, or not having grown up with a television. How many young people feel ‘different’? Are they any more different than their peers, or are they simply different from the common narrative we perpetuate in fiction and media of the ‘typical teenager’?

My latest novel, Evernow, has several characters who are atypical according to that narrative. Emilia is a ‘good girl’ and model student; her boyfriend Doran willingly stays within the boundaries set by Emilia’s strict mother; and Doran’s brother Bailey is an emotionally intelligent 15 year old. In an early version of the novel, a friend commented that no reader would believe Emilia’s lack of sexual temptation when alone with Doran. That may have been my friend’s experience as a teenager, but Emilia represented mine. My characters face all sorts of challenges and temptations but they are not necessarily the ones of  the imaginary ‘typical teenager’.

Teenagers struggle with as wide a range of issues as anyone else. They have in common the developmental and social challenges of moving between childhood and adulthood. But how that plays out will be influenced by a wide range of family, community, educational, spiritual and personality differences. How could they all be characterised in the same ways?

There are far more obvious differences between some teenagers than the ones my characters face, but I write what I am familiar with. There are issues-based stories that deal with ethnic stereotypes, gender bias, educational and social disadvantage, disability, atypical neurology and more. These stories give us the opportunity to become aware of the inside view of externally evident difference. I would also like to see more stories that challenge the narrative of the ‘typical teenager’ among characters who are otherwise indistinguishable from their peers – because all of us are unique, more different from our peers than we feel comfortable acknowledging. Wouldn’t it be great if every reader found more than one book which made them feel like someone understood them? Wouldn’t it be wonderful if they all gained freedom to be their unique selves because of the books we write and they read?

CWD Member Interview - Hannah Currie

Most Thursdays in 2019 we will be interviewing one of the members of Christian Writers Downunder – to find out a little bit more about them and their writing/editing goals.

Today interview: Hannah Currie

Question 1: Tells us three things about who you are and where you come from. 

I’m Hannah, I’m from Brisbane (born, raised, and still here ☺) and I’m mum to three amazing kids (and wife to a pretty cool husband too!). 

Question 2: Tell us about your writing (or editing/illustrating etc).  What do you write and why?

I write Young Adult Contemporary Christian Romance novels (aka YA princess books, which is way easier to say!). 

As to why…short answer, because it’s what I love to read. Longer answer, because the YA age is such an incredible time of personal growth for people – they’re coming out from under their parents’ umbrellas and discovering who they really are and their own purpose in life. Add in the rules and expectations of royalty, a few tiaras, a bit (lot) of romance and I can’t think of anything I’d rather write more. Christian fiction – especially Robin Jones Gunn’s Christy Miller (and co) series – had a huge impact on my faith as a teen and if God could use my books to encourage and grow someone like Robin did me, I’d be absolutely stoked!

Question 3: Who has read your work? Who would you like to read it?

Currently, those who’ve read it are family, a bunch of publishing professionals and editors (including Roseanna White and Dina Sleiman at my publisher, WhiteFire), and some authors who are endorsing it. 

Who would I like to read it … everyone? ☺ Well, everyone who loves Christian romance or princess stories. The vast majority of my readers so far have been a decade or two (or three…) past the Young Adult age group, which is amazing because it thrills me that so many ages are loving it, but I’d really love for lots of young adults to fall in love with it too. 

Question 4: Tell us something about your process. What challenges do you face? What helps you the most?

Heart of a Royal (my debut novel) was actually a really different writing process to every other story I’ve written. Where usually I skip back and forth and write whichever scene is in my head at the time and take between 6-9 months (sometimes longer) to finish the first draft, with this story, I wrote it from start to finish in three months, sending a chapter a week to my teenaged sister to read like a serial story.

In general, my first drafts are very similar to the finished product because I edit a lot as I go. Once the first draft is finished, I’ll read through it a few more times, adding in more ‘atmosphere’ – description, setting, what’s going on between the words. I tend to forget them when I’m writing because I get so caught up in the dialogue! 

My biggest challenge is turning off the inner editor so I can actually get words on paper. Doing word sprints has really helped with that. I set the timer on my phone for fifteen minutes and challenge myself to see how many words I can get written in that time. 

Question 5: What is your favourite Writing Craft Book and why? 

A Novel Idea: Best Advice on Writing Inspirational Fiction in which heaps of multi-published Christian authors  - like Robin Jones Gunn and Jerry B Jenkins – share their advice on (surprise surprise) writing inspirational fiction. It was one of the first writing books I read and was so incredibly helpful in those early days, not only to read about their processes and passion for writing but to learn all about POV, Show v Tell and all those other writing terms you hear wherever you go. An amazing book and whether you’re starting out or have been on the journey for a while, one I’d highly recommend.  

Question 6: If you were to give a shout-out to a CWD author, writer, editor or illustrator – who would they be?

Penny Morrison, author of all the Hey! books that my kids absolutely giggle themselves through every time we read them. There’s something so heart-overflowing about hearing your child laugh as you read together and these books always have them – and subsequently me – in stitches. Brilliant books, gorgeous photos and totally my kids’ humour. Keeper shelf forever. Thanks Penny!

Question 7: What are your writing goals for 2019/2020? How will you achieve them?

My writing goal for 2019 has been to do the absolute best I can do with releasing my debut book, Heart of a Royal, including connecting with readers in both the US and Australia through my social media accounts and newsletter. Also, to finish Book Two of the series (oh boy, did that main character misbehave! I think I have almost an entire book (definitely a long novella) of words and scenes cut from it because she wouldn’t do what she was told). 

2020 is then all about finishing Book Three and starting the edit/release/launch process all over again for them. 

Question 8: How does your faith impact and shape your writing?

Like most Christian authors, so much of my faith and what God is teaching me comes out in my writing. In many ways, the characters’ stories are my story – of finding hope in dark places when life just seemed too much, of discovering that God will always be enough, of fighting anxiety and the pressure of expectations, of holding on to faith when God leads me through the impossible, of finding love in unexpected places and trusting that God has that in his hands too… Sure, the situations are different – I’m certainly not a princess or royal of any kind! – but the heart is the same. The journey. The challenges, hopes, doubts, prayers. 

I don’t think I could leave faith out of my writing if I tried!

Aussie author, Hannah Currie, loves God, family, people (in small numbers, let’s not go crazy here!) and writing. She and her husband live with their three adorable kids in sunny Queensland, where it really is beautiful one day and perfect the next. Except, maybe, during heatwaves. They’re not so fun. 

Exploring Genre: Dystopia

by Jeanette O'Hagan

What is dystopia?

An imagined state or society in which there is great suffering or injustice, typically one that is totalitarian or post-apocalyptic.  

Oxford Dictionaries 

It's the reverse side of the coin to utopia (a word invented by  Sir Thomas Moore in sixteenth century  in his Utopia (1516) to define a perfect harmonious society.

Utopia means 'no place' while dystopia means 'bad place or a place of pain and struggles.'

With the naive modernist belief in progress and the powers of education and science to solve all problems in the nineteenth century, science fiction often looked to a bright future that would eliminate war, hunger, pain, disease. 

But the wars and genocides and problems of the twentieth dented that belief. As did the failure of attempts at  susposed utopian societies, including those of communism - in Russia, China and other places. 

This turn from optimism to pessimism was reflected in speculative fiction. The science fiction of H G Wells spans this change with often a more pessimistic view of the future of humanity (as in The Time Machine). 

Both utopian and dystopian fiction reveal the author's ideas of what is good and bad in society. And often one person utopia is another's dystopia.

The classics

Some classic dystpoias include well known books such as:

Time Machine by H G Wells (1895)
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley (1932)
1984 by George Orwell(published (1949)
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (1953)
A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess (1962)
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood (1985)

Early dystopian novels were often secular prophecies or projections of a possible grim futures if certain trends of the time continued unabated. And while each is dated to some extent, they can still be scarily relevant to our time so many decades later - from Orwell's Big Brother in 1984 or Bradbury's wall TVs, consumerism and senseless shallow lives living for the latest thrill in Fahrenheit 451.

The suggested root causes of the dystopia may vary - form a devastating war or natural disaster, from capitalistic consumerism to a conformist communism, to twisted theological autocratic regimes, to misogyny or climatic catastrophe (or some mixture of these).

The stories are meant as a warning and to provoke change, but often have a pessimistic tone. Thus 1984 ends with complete capitulation 'He loved Big Brother' though others are more optimistic with seeds of change (the 'living books' of Fahrenheit 451).

Young Adult Dystopian books

Dystopia goes almost hand in hand with the emergence of Young Adult literature as a distinct target audience (13-19) coming to prominence in the 1990s.

Lois Lowry's The Giver series (1993), Mortal Engines by Phillip Reeve (2001), City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau (2003), Scott Westerfield's Uglies (2005) series, Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games trilogy (2008), Maze Runner series by James Dashner (2009), Veronica Roth's Divergent trilogy (2011)  -  dystopia has become a trope for YA books.

Common elements include a society which may at the start seem utopian (e.g. Brave New World, The Giver, Uglies, Divergent) or the inequities and conflicts may be more obvious (The Hunger Games). However, the apparent peace and prosperity is usually achieved by some evil or sacrifice and/or by a totalitarian control over the citizens.

Veronica Roth is a Christian  and, in the Divergent trilogy, the Abnegation faction arguably espouses many Christian virtues (though the virtues of the other factions such as honesty, knowledge, amity and courage are also valued by Christians). Yet, even these can be twisted and used in the wrong way.

The protagonists are generally part of the dystopian world and at some point, their eyes are opened, and they may seek to escape it, resist it or change it.  In some cases, there is a wider outside world (The Giver, the Divergent trilogy) or there may be a rebel group (The Hunger Games), but in each case, solutions often have mixed results and the ending may be tragic or unresolved or a mixture of good and bad outcomes.

Apocalyptic and Post-Apocalyptic fiction

Dystopia is closely related to post-apocalyptic fiction and is often set after some major catastrophe has fallen on modern society (e.g.  the Uglies, The Hunger Games etc), though not always.

Apocalyptic literature focuses the arrival of a global catastrophe like global nuclear war, alien invasion, or a major pandemic (cf The Stand by Stephen King, 1978). Post-apocalyptic literature deals with the aftermath. It can be dystopian with a focus on dysfunctional societies or it might be more chaotic (cf Mad Max movies or Waterworld) or focused on the individual. Dystopia is generally the individual or group against society, whereas post-apocalyptic is more the individual against nature or other individuals and focuses on survival rather than changing society.

Christian Dystopia 

Is there such a thing as Christian dystopia?

Some may think not. On the other hand, the Bible has strong apocalyptic themes (particularly in Daniel, the Book of Revelation, but also in the teachings of Jesus, Paul, John and Peter). And the prophetic nature of dystopia (e.g. warnings of coming disaster if individuals and societies don't change their ways) is also a strong strand in both the Old Testament and the New (cf with Amos, much of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, or Jesus' warnings for instance).

Dystopia provides a great platform for examining the benefits and failings of societies and the balance between the individual and the state, security and freedom, and the place of science, spirituality and religion. It can remind us that no society or social or political system is perfect, even our own.

Christian dsytopia generally takes a more hopeful approach, and would in some way look to God and a renewed heaven and earth, rather than a perfect societal system as one's ultimate goal.

Christian dystopia for an adult audience isn't that common. One suggestion I saw was That Hideous Strength by C.S.Lewis (1945; the third book of his sci-fi trilogy), though I think it might be closer to proto-dystopia - as the focus is on a band of people who wish to bring about their version of utopia (but what is in fact a dystopia) with the potential for terrible consequences and injustice.

Kerry Nietz's A Star Curiously Singing is a more recent example of a future dystopian world from a Christian perspective (though I tend to agree with one reviewer, that it is better to steer away from using a known (non-Christian) religion as the baddie, especially as I get tired of the common stereotype of Christian priests or theocracies cast as the cardboard cut-out villains in book after book after book).

Dystpoia has become more of a thing among Christian Young Adult novels. 

For instance:

• Nadine Brandes's Out of Time series which starts with A Time to Die.
• Anomaly by Krista McGee
• Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee's The Book of Mortals series (starts with Forbidden)

My own Under the Mountain series - while epic fantasy - has dystopian themes - with a enclosed, dystopian society in the deep caverns beneath the mountain and where solutions are not simple but there is always a glimmer of hope. 

So have you read dystopia? What do you like or dislike about it? Which authors would you recommend?

This is a cross-post between ACW & CWD,

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Jeanette spun tales in the world of Nardva from the age of eight or nine. She enjoys writing secondary world fiction, poetry, blogging and editing. Her Nardvan stories span continents, time and cultures. Many involve courtly intrigue, adventure, romance and/or shapeshifters and magic. Others, are set in Nardva’s future and include space stations, plasma rifles, bio-tech, and/or cyborgs.

She has published numerous short stories, poems, four novellas in the Under the Mountain series, her debut novel, Akrad's Children and Ruhanna's Flight and other stories.

Her latest release is Shadow Crystals, the penultimate novella in the Under the Mountain series with Caverns of the Deep due in April/May.

Jeanette has practised medicine, studied communication, history, theology and a Master of Arts (Writing). She loves reading, painting, travel, catching up for coffee with friends, pondering the meaning of life. She lives in Brisbane with her husband and children.


Find her on:

  

Facebook |Jeanette O'Hagan Writes | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

Title: CWD Member Interview – Susan J Bruce

Each Thursday we will be interviewing one of the members of Christian Writers Downunder – to find out a little bit more about them and their writing/editing goals.
Today's interview: Susan J Bruce (aka Sue Jeffrey)

Susan J Bruce with her greatest supporter - her husband Marc.

Question 1: Tells us three things about who you are and where you come from. 

I'll start with where I come from. I was born in Scotland but emigrated with my family to Australia a long, long, time ago. We arrived in Brisbane but spent some years moving up and down the Queensland coast with my dad's work, before settling in Brisbane. 

As a kid I had three loves: books, art and animals. Mum and I used to tempt stray kittens with food then catch, tame and re-home them. I was chuffed to complete my first solo kitten-catch when I was eight years old. Mum and Dad didn't believe me when I told them at six o'clock one morning that I'd caught a little silver-tabby tomcat. 'Go back to bed, dear,' was Mum's response. So I did. When I woke up again an hour later, Dad couldn't work out why there was a feral kitten in the kitchen. 

I didn't realise it at the time but I guess it was inevitable that I would study veterinary science. The thing most people don't know is that I nearly studied journalism. I often wonder what my life would have been like if I'd made that call? I think I would have enjoyed the challenge - and I might not have let my love of fiction slide like it did through my years of study and learning my science-based profession. 

But veterinary science suited me well. I moved to South Australia for my first job and discovered (after initial ultra-high levels of  stress) that I had a flair for the work. I enjoyed the interaction with the people and animals and later worked part-time in clinical roles even while I explored other fields such as church-based pastoral work and teaching part time at TAFE.  I think I'm one of those people who thrive on diversity 😁. 

The story of how I began writing is for another day but my love of words and a desire to learn the craft of storytelling led me to complete a Master of Arts in Creative Writing at Tabor in Adelaide and to complete a young adult (YA) novel as part of that process. It was a sometimes difficult, but always awesome, process and I have to give a shout out to the Tabor Humanities staff and all my fellow students. I learned so much and also that I have so much more to learn. When I finished that degree and needed some time to replenish my creative juices, my husband bought me a set of good acrylic paints. It took me more than six months to begin using them and to my surprise I discovered I could paint - you guessed it - animals 😃.

I'm still seeking publication for that YA novel (it won the unpublished manuscript section of the 2018 Caleb Prize) and have been involved in other projects along the way but a few months ago the veterinary clinic where I was working, closed. Some health issues have made it hard to find the right kind of work. That's not so great financially but my three great loves - books, art and animals remain - and now I can spend more time on all of them. 

Hey, I guess those are my three things. Funny how often we are closest to our true selves as children.

Question 2: Tell us about your writing (or editing/illustrating etc).  What do you write and why?

My desire is to write, mainly for the general market (both YA and adult), in a way that encourages and inspires the reader. I want to uplift people, bringing hope where there is no hope and laughter where there are tears. I can't do that on my own but I believe that God can, through me. As authors we have the privilege of going with readers into their most secret places. Places where the troubles of the world are pushed away and where adventures can teach us how to slay our own kinds of dragons. 

I have found it hard to define the genre of my writing but animals tend to photo-bomb my pages. My writing group once challenged me to write a story that didn't contain animals and when I read it to them they laughed because I'd failed miserably. That is probably why they asked me to be the editor for our group's short story anthology, If They Could Talk: Bible stories told by the animals (Morning Star Publishing) which was an awesome project to work on.

If They Could Talk: Bible stories told by the animals

I've tended to be a genre butterfly (you can read about that here) and enjoy writing all kinds of stories but in the last couple of months I've realised that most of my ideas for longer works involve mystery and suspense. I love beautiful prose but a good story is also important to me, preferably stories of overcoming, suspense and intrigue. My WIP is a time slip romantic thriller and I have an idea for an amateur-sleuth mystery which I think will be a lot of fun to write - so stay tuned.

Question 3: Who has read your work? Who would you like to read it?

If They Could Talk is marketed to Christians who want to see God's word from a fresh perspective. But as I've said above, I really want to write for the general/mainstream market. Maybe it's that genre-butterfly tendency but I'd like to reach both adult and young adult readers who like suspense and mystery, flavoured with romance and hope. 

Question 4: Tell us something about your process. What challenges do you face? What helps you the most?

Procrastination is my nemesis. I also have a chronic illness that makes me sore and fatigued most days so I'm not as productive as I'd like to be. I'm working on ways to combat this, like establishing a better routine and really appreciating the good things I have, like my awesome husband, who supports my crazy desire to be an author. It's easy to get depressed when life throws rotten onions your way but I'm learning the value of switching my thinking. Hey, I get to write and paint 😃. What an awesome privilege it is to be a co-creator with God.

Question 5: What is your favourite Writing Craft Book and why? 

There are so many - I can't think! As a newish writer Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird encouraged me and showed me how to persevere. More recently, Story Genius, by Lisa Cron helped me refine my ability to craft story. 

Story Genius by Lisa Cron

It's not a craft book but late last year I had the privilege of attending a Margie Lawson writing immersion on the Gold Coast. Margie is an international writing coach and her focus is on crafting awesome prose. If you can get to one of her immersions you will be inspired and empowered.

Question 6: If you were to give a shout-out to a CWD author, writer, editor or illustrator – who would they be?

That would be my friend and mentor, Rosanne Hawke. When I was in Rosanne's classes at Tabor I'd get this glow-in-God feeling as if there was nowhere I'd rather be than in that place, at that time. Rosanne always went the extra mile for all of her students. In the years since graduation Rosanne has remained a good friend and has encouraged me repeatedly not to give up.

Question 7: What are your writing goals for 2019? How will you achieve them?

To begin with I'd like to find a home for my YA novel and get my website up and working. I'd like to finish my WIP, at least in second draft form, by the middle of the year and indie publish a short story collection. I also want to begin work on the amateur-sleuth mystery that's brewing but I have another YA novel that's been buzzing around in my back-brain so we'll see which one wins.

How will I achieve this? Bird. By. Bird.

Question 8: How does your faith impact and shape your writing?

One of my favourite quotes on this topic comes from philosopher Jacques Maritain. 'If you want to make a Christian work, then be a Christian and simply try and make a beautiful work, into which your heart will pass; do not try to "make Christian".' 

This is what I strive to do as I write to encourage, not just Christians, but ordinary people, made in God's image, who don't yet know him.

Reference: J Maritain, Art and Scholasticism - Chapter VIII. Downloaded from  https://maritain.nd.edu/jmc/etext/art8.htm on 02/01/19

Susan J. Bruce, aka Sue Jeffrey, spent her childhood reading, drawing, and collecting stray animals. Now she’s grown up she does the same kinds of things. Sue has worked for many years as a veterinarian, writes stories filled with themes of overcoming, adventure and belonging, and loves to paint animals. Sue won the ‘Short’ section of the inaugural Stories of Life writing competition and recently won the 'Unpublished Manuscript' section of the 2018 Caleb prize. Sue is the editor of 'If They Could Talk: Bible Stories Told By the Animals' (Morning Star Publishing)and her stories and poems have appeared in multiple anthologies. Her e-book,'Ruthless The Killer: A Short Story'is available on Amazon.com. You can check out Sue’s animal art on Facebook.

Exploring Genre - Young Adult

by Cecily Anne Paterson

Want to start an argument? Ask someone in publishing to define ‘YA’. Don’t know anyone in publishing, but you’re still curious? Just enquire of Dr Google, who’ll spit you back more opinions about what YA is and what it means, than you’ll ever have time to get through.

I have an apparently controversial task ahead of me.

What is YA?

So what is YA? It’s the short-hand term for ‘Young Adult’ books and stories. As to who those ‘young adults’ are exactly, well, that’s anyone’s guess.

It’s safe enough to say that a YA book will feature a teenage protagonist who faces a challenge, learns and grows.

Here’s where it gets tricky: if the character is 12-14 years of age, some people will say it’s a ‘teen book’. They’d argue that a young adult is 14+, and I can understand their reasoning. A kid of 13 is dealing with different life issues than a young person of 16, and that young person is a different creature again in comparison to an 18 or 19-year old.

So within YA, perhaps we have three categories: teen, featuring characters aged 12-14, YA, with a character who is 14-17, and New Adult, following a protagonist who is aged 18-21.

What are YA books about?

Just like books for younger children deal with different issues according to age, you’ll find a huge variety of subject matter – and standards of what’s acceptable - within the YA genre. While you might not find sex, drug and alcohol use or swearing in a book at the younger end of the spectrum (they have to get past parents and librarians after all), you’ll almost certainly find some or all of it as you head up to the New Adult end.

You’ll find in current YA titles a tendency to feature characters from diverse backgrounds, religions and cultures. YA loves to tell tales of ‘outliers’, or the people who don’t fit in. Words like ‘searingly honest’, ‘an unflinching look at life’ and 'achingly funny' sell YA books. They can be brutally honest, sizzlingly harsh, and unbearably beautiful.

Years ago, YA books were often known as ‘coming of age’ stories. A young person can ‘come of age’ whenever they understand themselves or something in their world differently, whenever they cross a threshold or have a significant ‘first time’ experience, and whenever they move out and away from what has constituted safety in their life.

Because we’re dealing with young people, YA titles have all the feels, and lots of them.

My mother once read my (younger) YA title, Invisible, and said, “Well, there was plenty of teenage angst in it.”

“That’s the point,” I said.

The richness of working with a teenage protagonist is that they do have all that angst, and passion, and energy, and terror, and bliss, and wonder. Life is tough, and the first time you deal with it as a young person, you haven’t learned the wisdom older people use to discern truth from lies, shield yourself from unnecessary hurt, or set limits. The passion and intensity of young people is what makes them such wonderful characters.

Additionally, seeing the world through the eyes of a young person means that a YA writer can comment on society in unique ways. If Suzanne Collins had told the story of Katniss’ mother, The Hunger Games would have been an entirely different story. Instead, readers follow angry, idealistic Katniss into the dystopia of the Districts and its lavish Capitol, gaining with her a thirst for justice and peace, and a longing for change. 

It’s no coincidence that some of the best dystopian literature is found in the YA genre: it’s young people who have the passion and energy to make the world better.

Some Christian YA books I've enjoyed

I'd recommend Penny Jaye's Out of the Cages.
I'd also recommend Roseanne Hawke's books.
And Claire Zorn is a multi-award winning writer who is also a Christian.

Who reads YA?

Obviously you’d expect that teenagers would be keen to read books featuring characters of their own age, and you’d be right. But—and this has been a surprising development over the last 25 years— it’s not just young people. Adults are keen readers of YA and New Adult books.

In fact, adult readers make up 55 per cent of the YA audience, for which we have to thank Harry Potter. Before JK Rowling’s ascendency it might have been shameful to be seen reading a ‘kids’ book’ but a YA book in a grown-up’s hand is no longer notable.

Adults read YA because they still relate to the characters, because they still appreciate a challenge, and because a good, well-told story is still a good well-told story, no matter how old the protagonist is.

What about you? Do you read or write Young Adult or New Adult books? Which ones have you enjoyed reading or would recommend and why? 

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Cecily Paterson writes ‘brave-heart’ stories for girls aged 10-14, which puts her books at the very youngest end of the YA spectrum. Her novel, Charlie Franks is A-OK won the CALEB Prize in 2017. Find her at www.cecilypaterson.com