Romance Writers Reports

December 2000

Writing Young Adult Novels: The Pleasures, Perils, and Pitfalls

Mary Kennedy

1. You won't get any respect.
I know just how Rodney Dangerfield feels, when he rolls his eyes and bleats, "I don't get no respect!" Best-selling author and journalist Pat McLaughlin asked several of us to contribute "war stories" for a recent Washington Post article. I thought hard (there were so many stories to choose from!) and told her about a party I recently attended. A guy strolled over to me and said, "I heard about you. They told me you're the trash writer who churns out romance books." I smiled, brightly, shook his hand and said, "I heard about you, too. They told me you're the jerk who insults strange women at parties." 

A close runner-up happened when I was speaking at a writer's conference. My dinner partner was an editor who had rejected me many times early in my career. I introduced myself to her, and she looked me over suspiciously, as if I were a side dish she hadn't ordered. "What have you published?" she asked coolly.  I quickly gave her an abbreviated list of my 28 books. She stared at me for a long moment and then turned back to her shrimp cocktail. "Well," she said, in a voice that could chill an icebox, "if you ever write anything good, let me know."  

People who have never read my books have felt compelled to approach me at book signing and inform me that their children never read such "drivel," and that "books like mine" are damaging the minds of American children. Wow. If I had known that I was a danger to the free world, I would have asked for a bigger advance! 

2. Keep a sense of humor--you'll need it.  

The title of the hit movie "Almost Famous" reminds me of a wonderfully funny letter I received from a west coast public television station.  The station was producing a show featuring actors and other "celebrities" reading children's books on the air. After watching the show for several weeks, I noticed that there were no writers featured on the show. Exercise gurus, B movie starlets, and fading sitcom stars were plentiful, but no writers! Since I was guest hosting a celebrity talk show myself, and had sold twenty books at that time, I thought I would be a great addition to the show. Silly me! 

I asked a film producer friend to tape me reading one of my books. I sent it to Hollywood, along with a note explaining that I had loads of television experience, and a Master's in Dramatic Art. 

A few days later, a thoughtfully worded letter came back, with the tape. "Dear Mrs. Kennedy, although you are a prolific writer, and appear to be telegenic and comfortable on camera...you are simply not famous enough to appear on our show."

Not famous enough! If only I had developed the Thighmaster...

3. This is a tough business, and it's not getting any easier 
Cheryl Zack, award-winning author of 24 YA's and 15 middle grade books, agrees that it's a highly competitive field. But she's beaten the odds again and again, and has successfully transaudient from category romance to young-adult novels, to historical romance. Ms. Zack, who has earned three Rita awards, feels that the YA market can offer great flexibility to an author.

"My experience has been that YA editors are open to many blending of genre, as long as the story works. I've done historical, problem novels, romance mystery and suspense for YA; mystery, fantasy and realistic contemporary stories for middle  grade." Ms. Zack, whose latest YA release, Shadow Self adds: "I think that writing for teens has sharpened all my writing skills."

Linda Joy Singleton, the author of twenty five books for young readers, and creator of "My Sister the Ghost" series, agrees.  "You can let your imagination soar without having to follow specific rules. If there are any rules, they would be to respect your audience and write honestly." 

4. Character is key.
My YA's seem to be character-driven, rather than plot driven.  Yes, I've written several YA mysteries, dabbled with sub-plots and dangled red herrings in front of my young readers, but my characters run the show. Eileen Hehl, the author of 15 YA's and 5 adult novels, agrees. "I learned from editors to write about characters but not caricatures; never to make any character too over the top but rather to shade him or her--as we try to do with all fiction." Along with character, Ms. Hehl stresses the importance of feelings in the YA novel. As she writes each scene, she asks herself: "what is the character feeling right here?"

5. Don't preach, don't moralize.
As a vegetarian and animal rights advocate, I make sure at least one character is wearing a Save the Whales Tee shirt and munching a veggie burger. But I can only push the envelope so far. When I get on my soap box about animal experimentation, fur
coats and fox hunts, my editors rein me in. As Eileen Hehl says, "We try not to preach or moralize in a YA book but we can't help it; we end up putting in themes we feel strongly about." Still, there are times when I am grateful for the power of the pen. When
the late Cleveland Amory, author of The Cat Who Came for Christmas, heard that I was planning on setting a scene at a well-known California zoo, he went into action. He called to alert me that handlers were abusing an elephant there, and sent me a graphic videotape. I was outraged. So outraged that I happily cut the zoo scene out of the book. As authors, we control our characters lives and activities, and I have made sure that none of my characters ever sets foot in a zoo or circus again. 

6. Don't Quit Your Day Job.
Like most writers, I've always had a day job. I currently work as a psychologist. I once read that only 400 writers in the US actually make a living from writing, and I never considered writing a sure thing. You're only "as good as your last book," and sometimes not even that good, as many of us know!  Who hasn't written several successful books for company X, and then suddenly found it impossible to sell to them again? Who
hasn't found it difficult to connect with a new editor when your very own beloved editor moves on or retires? Who hasn't written several books for a Y line and then been inexplicably "cut" from the series?  One of my fellow authors, who wishes to remain
anonymous, said, "Never forget that they--the publishers--are holding all the cards. They don't have to explain themselves, they don't have to hire you, they don't have to ever buy another book from you. And they don't have to tell you why. They'll just
stop returning your phone calls, and then you'll know. If you want loyalty, buy a cocker spaniel." 

6. Trust your instincts, and write the book you want to write. 

As screenwriter William Goodman says, "No one knows anything." When I first started writing, it never occurred to me that my instincts were just as good as my editor's or agent's.  During pitch sessions, I would frantically try to re-arrange the plot or characters to fit what they were looking for.  I remember one day in Manhattan, I was pitching a book proposal over lunch.  "It's a coming-of-age story," I began. 

"Coming-of-age? Coming-of-age! I hate coming-of-age stories!" my editor shrieked. 

"Well, actually, it's not a coming-of-age story, per se," I said, backpedalling swiftly. "Now that I think of it, the heroine is...of age. Sort of. She's practically...old." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the editor's assistant smirking into her arugala salad. "She's a ballerina."

"A ballerina!" I thought my editor was going to have a fit.  "I hate books about ballerinas!"

"Did I say ballerina?" I said, tripping over my words. "I meant to say...biologist. Yes, that's it. She's a marine biologist..."

And so it went. That particular editor never bought the marine biologist proposal--although it did give me a nice excuse to visit the Florida Keys--and I sold the ballerina book to another house. 

7. Never accept a no answer from someone who doesn't have the power to say yes. 

This is probably the best career advice anyone ever gave me. If I had let myself be discouraged by the receptionists, the secretaries, the assistants, the gatekeepers,
etc, I never would have accomplished anything. I learned that nothing is written in stone, that it never hurts to ask, and whenever possible, go to the top. It took a lot of talent and determination to come as far as you have, and remind yourself that you will not let yourself be dissuaded by nay-sayers.

8. Your young fans will make the struggle worthwhile, because their loyalty is priceless. 

Their letters are touching, heartfelt and you will treasure them. They will tell you their innermost secrets, send you pictures of their pets, and the occasional crumbled chocolate chip cookie. When you visit schools, they will beg you for autographs, hang on your every word, and proudly show you dog-eared copies of your own books. They will treat you like you're the next best thing to Pokemon. They will name their class
hamster or guinea pig after you. They will struggle to sit next to you, ask you to read to them, and shyly touch your skirt as if you were an icon. Their fingers will be sticky, but you won't care. The time you spend with them will fly by, and you will have as much fun as they do. You will think of their cheerful little faces when you are hunched in front of the computer late at night, trying to string together a sentence.

You'll be happy that you write YA's.