Chapter 8 - Pick a Genre, Any Genre

So far, the genre of both of my published works chose me more than I chose them.  The Clay Lion ended up being YA simply because of the age of the characters and the way the story needed to be told.  Among the Shrouded is probably older YA or perhaps NA because of some of the more adult issues the story addresses.  I think I’d like to do more YA, but I also like to tackle real world topics that are sometime considered controversial.  I like feeling like I’m leaving my readers a little wise than I found them, both young and old alike.

What I love most about YA is that the young are impressionable.  They’re not jaded yet.  You can reach them and make them feel important things.  And you can make them fall in love with the written word.  It’s what I set out to do.

I also love that YA is not just for the young.  It’s also for anyone who’s ever been young.  And we all have been.  We remember all those firsts and how wonderful they were, even if they didn’t feel so wonderful at the time.  It’s fun as an adult to go back to those times when life was… simpler.  Reading (and writing) YA allows us to do that.

As far as reading goes, although I'm partial to YA, I love all types of literature.  I’m a huge Dean Koontz fan.  I’ve read every book he’s ever written.  And my writing is nothing like his which is hysterical to me since you would think he would be a greater influence!  I like historic fiction.  I love Barbara Kingsolver because I feel smarter for having read her works.  I’ve read the Twilight Saga.  And of course, Harry Potter!  Loved them all.  I don’t think there is any genre I won’t read, but I’m not a big fan of tragedies.  Is anyone?  The House of Sand and Fog destroyed me.  So did The Pilot’s Wife.  Please don’t write books with horrible endings.  There’s enough of that in real life, don’t you think!?