I Wrote A Young Adult Romance Novel

I Wrote A Young Adult Romance Novel Set In A Sci-Fi World

So, about 2 years ago I felt an urge to write a book for the Young Adult (YA) audience. I don't know why, specifically. There wasn't one "EUREKA!" moment (those came after I started writing it). Not a fan of YA. Actually, I've not read a YA book in almost a decade. I think it was an amalgamation of like events, coalescing into ABBIE'S PLAYLIST FOR HARRISON. It wasn't even titled that until I added the idea of songs into the story.

I had written a book a couple of years before this one. That one was not meant for publishing. It was more for 'Can I actually write a book that is readable?' Like a test. I passed.

Inspiration For Writing my YA Novel

The events that amalgamated could have been my wife's influence, to start. She is the head of the kiddie section in a public library. If she isn't bringing home picture books or middle grade (MG) books, she's got a few YA books around. She swears she reads them for work. I think it's half that, half pleasure reading. (Forget it if you give her a book with smaller font and more word count per page. :D)

I also blame the Hunger Game movie series, didn't read the books, (slaps own hands). Ender's Game movie, didn't read that one either (slaps hands again, finger nails up). Harry Potter movies, never read the books (sits in corner facing wall, wearing dunce cap). Maybe a few other movies, TV series, and a book or two that dealt with teenager issues.

One way or another I decided to write a book about teenagers. Didn't want to write the usual, you know, high school drama, cliques, budding romance/sexual frustration, blah, blah, blah. I wanted it to be cool. I wanted it to be something I wanted to read when I was a teenager. You know, deep, fun, but not preachy.

I like sci-fi, but I like hard sci-fi (google what that means). I also like a bit of awkward romance, but it can't be Twilight-y shallow garbage. Funny is good, but I'm the last one to claim any abilities in comedy. Action is always good to keep pace.

Why My YA Novel Is "Cool"

The book had to be out of the norm. It had to take all these facets and talk in layers of the human condition. It had to contain meaning higher than teenager entertainment reading. I wanted to have the reader be entertained in one way, educated in another, and when they went back and re-read, they'd be able to peel back and see deeper into the characters - feel their situation and why they make the decisions they do. Tall order, but I knew I could do it.

Whoa! Long blog post.

To be continued...