Sex in YA Novels
There’s a lot of discussion online about sex in YA novels: too much of, not enough of, inappropriateness of, negative consequences of, condoning of, etc. etc. Among the critiques I received on the first draft of my YA novel was…
Category: YA
Friday Feast: Cinderella Story, Narrative Tension, Self-Esteem, and Bad Seeds
There are many versions of Cinderella. I’m fond of the Brothers Grimm version, which includes severed toes and heels and an army of birds who peck out eyeballs. After long hours of toil and trouble, Cinderella weeps and prays at the tree growing on…
Friday Feast: Writer Emptiness, Peer Reviews, Plus-Sized Protagonists, and Books You May Have Missed
It’s the last Friday Feast of the year! Thank you for coming along with us as we scour the internet for the tasty bits of our bookish lives and throw them at you with the gusto of the Lost Boys…
The Gifts that Keep on Giving: My “Go To” YA Books
In her Dead Darlings post of July 8, 2014 Why Adults Should Read YA, Emily Ross makes a compelling case for why YA books are not just for kids. I happen to agree. I read a lot of YA books….
Friday Feast: Writer Fears and Foibles and Frankenstein
Sometimes, this writing gig can get pretty terrifying, what with horror stories of word counts, deadlines, writer’s block, rejection, failure, etc etc etc. You know what they say: To get rid of your fears, confront them. Or you can vicariously eradicate…
Happy Indie Story, Part Six: What’s Next?
It’s the question President Jed Bartlet always asks after every crisis gets resolved on The West Wing. And it’s the question you’ll be asked in nearly every interview and conversation you’ll have while promoting your current book. Your agent will…