Tag: young adult

Book Brief: The Farewell Season

The Farewell Season
by Ann Herrick
Genre: Young Adult Coming of Age
Word count: 43,500

A story of how love endures and love heals.

Eric and Glynnie go from butting heads to grudging friendship to something more…

Eric used to think he’d live forever, but not any more. Now football season is about to start, and Eric hopes he can live life normally again after the

death of his father through his participation in the sport. He doesn’t yet realize that he is angry with his father for dying.

Eric’s refusal to truly face his grief results in unexpected feelings such as anger at his coach, increased fights with his sister, resentment of added

responsibilities in helping his mother, and disillusionment with football. He even gets into a fight with his best friend, Rolf, who never fights anyone.

Eric rails against his mother’s friendship with Paul Lindquist, his father’s business partner, and he’s suspicious of the guy in a black pickup who keeps showing up around town. He’s also ticked that even his coach seems a little too interested in his mother.

It takes a special relationship with Glynnie, a new friend, who is dealing with the divorce of her parents to see that the only way to get through his grief is by grieving.

This book is available from Amazon as well as Barnes & Noble.

Continue reading “Book Brief: The Farewell Season”

Taking the Plunge and Writing for a YA Audience

Guest Post
by Charles Ray

I’ve been writing since my teens; more years than I care to count; and, even as a teenager, what I wrote was aimed at an adult audience.

I am constantly coming across articles suggesting that writers consider targeting the YA market. My problem was, having for so long been immersed in a world of gritty reality and often harsh speech, I wasn’t sure I could make the transition and still retain what I view as my ‘unique’ voice. Continue reading “Taking the Plunge and Writing for a YA Audience”

What Makes a Good YA Novel?

Melissa Pearl with Students at St. Kents
Melissa Pearl with Students at St. Kents

In no way would I consider myself an expert on writing. However, I have been studying and practicing the craft for well over a decade and my fifth book is about to be released in November, so I do feel slightly entitled to share the knowledge I have gleaned so far.

I was asked to write this post on what makes a good young adult novel. I have come up with a few suggestions of what I think are some of the necessary elements needed in a book written specifically for this audience.

First, and foremost, like with any good novel, you need a well-constructed story filled with diverse characters the reader can relate to.

Once you have this foundation, you may then need to think about what makes a story more YA than other books. Continue reading “What Makes a Good YA Novel?”