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So I’ve already mentioned several times the importance of reading what you write, and why reading is not optional for writers, and why we shouldn’t shame each other for our reading choices.
But in light of a certain article shaming adults for liking YA, and in honor of the fabulous #PromoteaYAInstead and #NoShameYA, I want to share how YA books have made me a better writer. Because they have.
The Shatter Me series by Tahereh Mafi taught me that the conventional rules and styles of language can be broken, and broken beautifully. They taught me that poetry, beautiful imagery and action aren’t mutually exclusive. The Shatter Me series also remains an awesome example of how to completely nail character development over the course of a series.
The Across the Universe series by Beth Revis arguably has influenced me the most with my writing. The AtU series taught me Sci-Fi doesn’t have to be robots and super technical science-y things—it can be mixed with romance and mystery and make for some awesome reading. It taught me that dual POV is a thing I actually like, and, as it turns out, love to write. It also taught me some really neat stylistic tricks and reminded me that action, death and things blowing up is fun to read and write about.
Every Day by David Levithan taught me about the power words can have when they connect to a reader and really get them to empathize. It’s a reminder that every person (and character) has their own story. It also serves as a brilliant example of how to get your readers to connect to a character with just a couple pages.
There are so many lessons to be learned from YA, whether it’s for writers or everyday life. And if YA isn’t your thing, that’s totally okay, but know that the rest of us? We’ll continue to proudly read some really awesome books, and learn from them along the way.
These are just a few examples of lessons I’ve learned from YA, but now I want to hear from you. What have you learned from YA novels?
Twitter-sized bites:
Writer @Ava_Jae shares lessons she's learned from YA novels. Have you learned anything from YA? Join the discussion! (Click to tweet)
How YA books have made @Ava_Jae a better writer. #PromoteaYAInstead #NoShameYA (Click to tweet)
