For the longest time I have had this idea in my mind of writing a realistic fantasy YA book. With strange beasts, magical syrums, travelling between realms, and many other things like that. My only worry is that I don't know if writing in the fantasy genre would even be something that people in the YA range would want to read. I'm afraid that I won't be able to write my idea into what I want it to be, without it sounding cheesy and unrealistic. I have been teetering on the edge for a long time on whether to ditch the fantasy and go for a more realistic fiction, or stick with it. I'd like to know what other people think. Is it something even worth persuing? And I've also been indecisive in which setting to write from. I feel like the past is overdone in cheesy fantasy books, and so is the future with steampunk-ish books, but I'm also quite unsure about the present. As you can tell I pretty much can't get my poop in a group, and am senselessly wandering in circles, any opinions, thoughts, or tips at all, would help. Thanks -A horribly confused, unsure, indecisive newbie writer.
Strange beast, magical serums, traveling between realms (like platform 9 3/4?) Sounds like Harry Potter, so no, I don't think the YA readership would be interested. Knock yourself out there are plenty of YA readers who love this stuff!
everybody is unsure of their ideas, the difference between a writer and a daydreamer is that the writer takes that risk and goes full in on those ideas. doesnt mean youll be a successful writer, but a writer you will be.
Jim Butcher's The Dresden Files is my absolute favorite novel series of all time. If you want to see what urban fantasy looks like when done right, start with The Dresden Files Would you like me to go into detail about why I love it so much, or do you want to start reading it tabula rasa?
There are no original ideas. Every story has been told, over and over and over. So what? We keep telling them anyway, with new characters, new events, new twists. If you want to do fantasy, do fantasy. Write your story, THEN go back and look at it with a critical eye. Trust me - if you keep psyching yourself out, you'll never do anything. I used to write all the time, but then I started comparing myself to best-selling authors and I eventually got discouraged and gave up. How did I get around it? By telling myself that it doesn't matter. Right now, I'm not planning on getting this thing published - I'm just writing it. Maybe it'll be worth something when it's done, maybe not. But at least I'll be able to pat myself on the back and say I finished it.
Write what you want to read or write. If you write a certain set genre solely for the aim of gaining the biggest market possible, your writing itself will suffer. If you don't have passion or interest in what you write, your material will reflect this.
I'm jumping back into writing after a long absence and I've struggled with some of the same feelings. I find that it's helped me to just commit to writing everyday for X amount of time and then not worry about doing anything that's publishable. I'm doing a lot of free writing right now. That takes the pressure off and let's my ideas flow. Once that starts happening the inspiration follows. I feel at least hopeful that my ideas will materialize into something good now, though they aren't there yet. Be patient with yourself and experiment. Walk down any path you see and just go back to start if you don't like it. Don't delete anything right now! You may like it later or it may inspire you. Just write and one day it will all come together. I think if you stay committed things will work out. I love the interview with Richard Walter on YouTube. He's head faculty professor at UCLA and he's talking about screenwriting, but writing nonetheless. This is a clip of him talking about how there are no bad ideas. Check it out! And this one about how whether you're a new writer or seasoned writer, it's never easy.
I'm guessing you don't read YA very often - especially YA fantasy - which might be your primary problem? I mean, YA fantasy books - just the ones I know: Harry Potter His Dark Materials Percy Jackson Artemis Fowl Everything written by the very famous Branden Sanderson And those are just the famous ones I know of Go ahead and write your story!
First off your new so just write, relax and have fun. I worried way too much about the originality of my stories starting out, so much so, that I never finished any of them. And that's a tough habit to break, I still battle ending a story. Pick something you like and don't sweat whether or not it's been done before. At this stage all you need is enthusiasm. If you're heart is in fantasy don't write general fiction just because you think the trend is shifting that way, it won't be satisfying.
Yes definitely, I spend too much time worrying about how to make it original instead of actually writing it. Thank you for your response, and good luck with your writing!
Thank you for the response! And yes that sounds just like me at the moment.. You have some great points there. I appreciate the feedback!
I do read alot of YA actually. I love the Harry Potter series. And the Percy Jackson series is a great one too. Haven't read the other ones you have mentioned though! (But I'll look into them) And what I meant by YA is I want to write a more mature fantasy, I know that might sound ridiculous. But, for example, the Percy Jackson series, however wonderfully written, is aimed for a younger audience around 7-10 year olds. I want to write for an older audience averaging around 17-18, but I feel like at that age there may not be as many interested in fantasy. Thank you for your response! I appreciate the feedback.
I am 38 years old and still read fantasy. In fact I read a lot of YA. My son is 18 and he's into science fiction, but occasionally does fantasy. At 17-18, just target an adult audience, though not a geriatric one . . . well maybe a one. I once read a book that had a chapter titled "Geriatric Roof-Top Streaking."
Thank you for your response! You have lots of good points. Ever since I realized I really enjoyed writing, I decided I wanted to write an amazing book. But I realize now I shouldn't have set my goal so high in the first place. And those are great videos, very informational! Thanks for posting them. Good luck with your writing, and thanks again.
There certainly are people at 17-18 who love fantasy - plenty of YA series break through the supposed age bracket it was meant to be for, Potter being yet another example of this, as is His Dark Materials (first book in the trilogy is Northern Lights, made into the film Golden Compass). Anyway doesn't matter really. Write an interesting story and you will certainly find readers. For now just enjoy the process and have fun. I don't remember ever regretting a single story I have written, even if I was its only reader
First off, screw writing for a specific age group. Write your story and people who read it will read it. 2) I myself am writing an urban fantasy, and do I think there's room in the YA for it? Yes. There's plenty of YA books with realistic fantasy settings, different and like what it sounds like your suggesting. Example The Mortal Instruments/Infernal Devices. It's all about how you sell it that will make it stand out. But like others have said, a writer isn't someone who just sits and daydreams, they pick up a pen or gt their keyboard and start doing it. You book may be a hit or it may hit rock bottom but you'll never know until you try so go for it.
I went through something very similar, and it's completely normal. I think all writers, no, all artists, doubt themselves at some point. You're not alone! As for your genre and target group... don't EVER let that stop you from writing what you love. Don't write for the market, write for YOU. What you want to write. Think about Game of Thrones. It's a high fantasy series rivaling Lord of the Rings in terms of worldbuilding, and look how popular and critically acclaimed it is. People read fantasy, it's one of the most enduring literary genres (and in my opinion, the most fun to write) so definitely go for it! There's a market for every genre. Best of luck, and keep writing what you feel is right!
To put into perspective. I never thought anything could be entertaining to me like Harry Potter. Percy Jackson was similar but I enjoyed it any way. It's unique in its own way. Divergent is almost the exact copy of the Hunger Games and came out nearly the same time. People like reading both. Original does not equal better. Now what really could make it or break it is the writing itself. People do take note of cheesy phrases or long winded sentences, but well written descriptive sentences will capture the eyes of many.
I'm going to be... not quite a dissenting voice, but definitely not quite as enthusiastic in agreement as some of the others... One, there may be a market for every book, but it may not be a large market, or even a commercially viable market. So if your goal is to write a book you love and enjoy, don't worry about the market. But if your goal is to write a book you and a significant number of others love and enjoy, I think it makes sense to keep the market in mind. And a lot of the books mentioned thus far were aimed at the middle grade market, not the YA market. You seem to recognize that, but I'm not sure if you've redirected yourself in the right direction. Most 17-18 year olds aren't reading YA anymore - they're generally into adult books. So if you're aiming at that age of readers, you may be better off writing for the general fantasy market. On the other hand, if your characters are 17-18, you're solidly YA, but your readers will be... well, loads of adults read YA, but your teen readers will likely be 13-16. So keep that in mind, and also possibly remember that most YA novels are read by girls - boys tend to either read less or jump right up from MG to reading adult books. There are exceptions, of course. Anyway - none of this means you can't write and sell a YA fantasy novel. After all, the vampire craze is largely YA-fueled, and vampires are fantasy, right? And YA readers tend to be pretty open to new ideas. That said - if you can find a way to include a romance, it would probably be a good idea. (I can't bring myself to recommend a love triangle, but despite the backlash, it might still be a useful selling point). And I'm not quite sure what you mean by a "realistic fantasy". Do you mean fantasy with a contemporary setting? I think that's probably an easier sell in YA than the sword-and-sorcerer style, although I'm not sure of that. But if you mean something else, I'm not sure what to say.
Yes I think that is true for all artists. And thank you for taking your time to responde. I appreciate it, and all of your encouraging comments!
