Writing Young Adult Fiction For Dummies

by Deborah Halverson, M. T. Anderson (Foreword by)

Overview

Your hands-on, friendly guide to writing young adult fiction

With young adult book sales rising, and bestselling authors like J.K. Rowling and Stephenie Meyer exploding onto the scene, aspiring YA writers are more numerous than ever. Are you interested in writing a young adult novel, but aren't sure how to fit the style that appeals to young readers'

Writing Young Adult Fiction For Dummies gives you tricks of the trade and proven tips on all the steps to write a YA book, from developing an idea to publication.

• Unique writing exercises to help you find your own authentic teen voice
• Tips to avoid when submitting manuscripts
• How to break into the flourishing young adult market

With the help of this step-by-step guide, you'll have all the skills to write an inspiring and marketable young adult novel.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781118092903
Publisher:	Wiley
Publication date:	06/09/2011
Series:	For Dummies Books
Sold by:	JOHN WILEY & SONS
Format:	eBook
Pages:	384
Sales rank:	793,399
File size:	5 MB

About the Author

Deborah Halverson founded the writer's advice website DearEditor.com and was a veteran editor for young adult and children's fiction before picking up a pen and writing the teen novels Big Mouth and Honk If You Hate Me.

Table of Contents

Foreword xxi

Introduction 1

Part I: Getting Ready to Write Young Adult Fiction 7

Chapter 1: The Lowdown on YA Fiction 9

Chapter 2: Targeting Teen Readers 19

Chapter 3: Managing Your Muse 35

Part II: Writing Riveting Young Adult Fiction 61

Chapter 4: Writing the Almighty Hook 63

Chapter 5: Creating Teen-Friendly Characters 75

Chapter 6: Building the Perfect Plot 97

Chapter 7: Creating Teen-Driven Action 117

Chapter 8: Setting Is More than Somewhere to Be 133

Chapter 9: Crafting a Narrative Voice Teens Will Listen To . . . and Love 151

Chapter 10: Talking Like a Teen 175

Part III: Editing, Revising, and Formatting

Your Manuscript 199

Chapter 11: Editing and Revising with Confidence 201

Chapter 12: The Finishing Touches: Formatting and Finalizing 219

Part IV: Getting Published 235

Chapter 13: Strategizing and Packaging Your Submissions 237

Chapter 14: Self-Publishing: Is It for You? 269

Chapter 15: Mastering Marketing 283

Part V: The Part of Tens 311

Chapter 16: Ten Common Pitfalls in Writing YA Fiction 313

Chapter 17: Ten Facts about Book Contracts 319

Chapter 18: Ten Ways to Make the Most of a Conference 329

Index 339