#InkRipples is a themed meme hosted by Mary Waibel, Katie L. Carroll, and Kai Strand. We post on the first Monday of every month. If you would like to participate compose your own post regarding the theme of the month, include any of the images displayed on this page, and link back to our three blogs. Feel free to post whenever you want during the month, but be sure to include #inkripples when you promote so readers can find you. The idea is that we toss a word or idea into the inkwell and each post is a new ripple. There is no wrong interpretation.
Yay for February! A little closer to spring! We've had the longest winter ever (or so it's felt like, and actually it's one of the coldest since they started keeping records 1896). Anyhow, I'm ready for the snow to melt already :) And this month we're talking about genres on InkRipples. You know, the classifications of books that delve more deeply than just fiction/non-fiction :)
I've spent the majority of my writing career writing in Young Adult fantasy and sci-fi. I love reading this genre. I love writing it. But...lately it hasn't been doing it as much for me. I know it's not that the books have changed. They're still fantastic! But when I want to pick up a novel, I'm a little more inclined to want an adult MC. Don't get me wrong--I'm still reading as much YA as possible, but I've added a great deal more adult fantasy and sci-fi to my TBR.
This has also reflected in my writing. The last couple of books I've written have absolutely been in the adult category. Not because they have loads of sex or something (nothing more than any of my other books), but because they have older MC's and deal with bigger issues, more adult problems. And I'm kinda okay with that. Though I am wary of delving into the adult writing community, as it feels like a new culture and world to learn and I like my kid-lit people! Still, I can't help it: I'm crossing the genre line into the adult side of the writing scene.
So, what does this mean? Well, it depends. A different market to target with my writing. Different things to think about while writing (not so much about being an accurate teen, but more an accurate adult), and gearing some aspects of my language and thinking toward a more "mature" audience (interpret that as you will ;). It's actually a little less stressful in some ways--teens are far less forgiving about slips in authenticity, whereas adults may be just as discerning, but more open to differences in experiences. We'll see how this goes!
Marketing is a whole other issue. How to target a new audience with an adult book? Well, I'm going to worry about that a bit more when it comes to it, as I don't have either of these books placed with a publisher (yet! Because it's gonna happen!). I do know it's going to take some tweaking and re-tooling, however.
If anyone had asked me a couple of years ago what I thought about genre-switching, I would have twitched and blinked and maybe broken out in hives. But now it's something I'm really enjoying. Does this mean I won't write more YA? Nope. But it does mean that I'm going to embrace what my brain decides it wants to write, and if that means an adult book, bring it on!
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| Okay, couldn't resist! This made me laugh too hard :) |
I'm an eclectic writer and reader. I think of Jane Yolen who has written everything from picture books to adult novels, historical fiction to fantasy. Why should any of us get stuck writing in on genre or for one age group?
ReplyDeleteI so relate to this post. I am moving more toward adult lit, though I will probably write more YA. I just finished a gritty contemporary romantic suspense. It was quite thrilling to write.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your big switch. I'm sure you're writing will translate very well into the adult fiction world. I haven't delved into writing fiction for adults, but I've published in all age groups for kids from babies to older teens. It's fun to mix it up!
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like a natural transition for you.
ReplyDeleteI'm excited to read your new work. Like Katie said, I think your writing will transition naturally to a new target audience. I've published new adult under a different pseudonym. And it's funny, my NA characters keep getting older and older.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds scary for me, but I'm sure you can do it.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to read more from you. :)
I can relate. I'm writing a novel for adults for my PhD, and it really is an entirely different experience. But at the same time, we're adaptable, so I think the transition will be easier than you think. Except promotion, that's difficult even in one genre. ;-)
ReplyDeleteI write in different genres, and it's tough when promoting. Yet the stories are always worth it!
ReplyDeleteSome people choose a pen name when writing for a different audience, but you don't have to do that. Your readers will follow. The good thing about writing for young readers is that they grow up. That's a bad thing, too, if you're always writing for the same age group. Between books, your readers age out of your books!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds so exciting! I love your books and I think it is awesome that you are branching out. Many fans of YA are adults, so I think the crossover to adult MCs shouldn't be too big of a switch. Kelly Hashway had a post that related to this on her blog on Wednesday if you want to check it out. Wishing you the best of luck!
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