So You Want to Write NA Contemporary Romance?

Photo credit: idea ablaze on Flickr

Note: The inevitable has happened, my friends. After 600+ posts, I've accidentally re-written a post. The original is here, and this one is slightly different (since, you know, I wrote it thinking I hadn't written it yet). Think of it as having 1.5x the resources if you want to write NA Contemporary Romance. :) 

What is it? 

College (or college-age, at least), swoony book boyfriends (and girlfriends), awesome voices, awkward moments, stepping into adulthood, there are so many components of NA Contemporary Romances.

What do they have in common? They all feature college-age protagonists, are in a modern day setting, and the plot largely revolves around a romance.

Pros/Cons of Writing NA Contemporary Romance: 

Pros: 

• Wonderful voices. Like YA, one of my favorite things about NA are the incredibly diverse and powerful voices. There’s a very distinct sound to NA and some really wonderful voices that set them apart and absolutely fit the age range of their protagonists. 


• Adorable (or heart-wrenching) romances. The tone in NA novels varies greatly, but in the end, the romances are really great. From the light, fluffy and adorable to the darker, emotionally-ridden conflicts, the romances stick with you long after the book has ended. 


• Very popular (right now). Which means there’s so much to choose from! And it’s pretty good from a marketing standpoint, because books in popular categories and genres generally have a better chance of selling well. 

Cons: 

• Stigma/common misconceptions. There are a lot of people out there who still believe (and say) that New Adult is Young Adult with sex. Or that New Adult is the same as erotica. Neither of which are true, but it is an assumption a lot of people make about the category, particularly NA Contemporary Romance. 


• Mostly digital. I mean, this is really only a con if your dream is to be traditionally published in print. NA is actually doing really well in the digital marketplace, and some NA authors have gone on to be traditionally published after their digitally published books took off (see Tammara Webber, Cora Carmack and Jennifer Armentrout, for example). But at the moment at least, NA is mostly a digital phenomena, and while it’s (painfully) slowly breaking in the traditional print sphere, it’s not quite there yet. 


• Very popular (right now). Which means it’s easy to get lost in the crowd. Being part of a popular movement definitely has it’s pros and cons. 

Recommended Reading: 


As I’ve said in every other So You Want To Write post, reading in the genre (and category) you’re writing in is mandatory. Lucky for you, there are loads of awesome books out there to enjoy and learn from.

Note: I’ve read (and enjoyed) all of these except for Unteachable, which is on my TBR list because I’ve heard great things about it.

• Easy (Contours of the Heart duology) by Tammara Webber 
• Faking It (Losing It series) by Cora Carmack 
• Make it Count (Bowler University series) by Megan Erickson
• Only the Good Die Young by K.K. Hendin
• The Sound of Us (Radio Hearts series) by Ashley Poston
• Unteachable by Leah Raeder

For more, check out Goodreads’s New Adult page (which includes more than just Contemporary Romance) and their Popular New Adult books books shelf (which are mostly, but possibly not all Contemporary Romance).

Helpful Links:

• What is ‘New Adult’? Romance Editors and Authors Tell All by Natalie Zutter for bookish.com (partially) reposted on xoxoafterdark.com.
• RT14 Panel Recap: NA: Capturing the New Adult Voice by me on Writability.
• RT14 Panel Recap: NA: What’s Next in New Adult? by me on Writability.
• New Adult: No Sex Required by me on Writability.
• Young Adult vs. New Adult: What’s the Difference? by me on Writability. 

Do you enjoy reading or writing NA Contemporary Romance? Share your experience! 

Twitter-sized bites: 

Thinking about writing NA Contemporary Romance? Writer @Ava_Jae shares some tips, recommendations and more. (Click to tweet)  

Do you write NA Contemporary Romance? Share your experience at @Ava_Jae’s So You Want to Write series. (Click to tweet) 

On Writing to Make a Difference

Photo credit: Mine!

There’s been a lot of really wonderful discussion lately on diversity, sexism, ableism and so much more that’s been absolutely incredible to see. And it’s got me thinking about writing, and more specifically, about the messages we can send with our manuscripts.

Let me start by saying I don’t go into a book setting out to send some kind of message. Most of the time, I’m not even aware of the themes in my manuscripts until I’ve edited several times or a CP has pointed one out to me and I just smile and nod like, “oh yeah, I totally did that on purpose.”

Back to the matter at hand.

I’ve been thinking about books like Easy (Tammara Webber) which feature a love interest who very clearly understands and respects boundaries and shows one of the healthiest, most respectful relationships I’ve ever seen in a book.

I’ve been thinking about books like Every Day (David Levithan) which puts you in the shoes of characters who are depressed, who are addicts, who are of varying sexual orientations and all have fascinating and equally valid perspectives and challenge you to empathize with them equally.

I’ve been thinking about books the challenge the status quo with little things—with diverse casts and strong characters and calling out harmful tropes for what they are.

And I’ve been thinking we can make a difference with our writing. And it doesn’t have to be a big message book or a story with a moral—it can be a respectful relationship, or a respectfully represented minority or a couple well-placed lines.

Because you never know how that character, scene, or line will affect a reader. Or many readers. And really, that’s all it takes to make a difference.

Have you read any books that made a difference to you?

Twitter-sized bites: 

"You never know how that character...will affect a reader...that's all it takes to make a difference." (Click to tweet)  

Have you read any books that made a difference to you? Join the discussion on @Ava_Jae's blog. (Click to tweet)

Book Review: EASY by Tammara Webber

Photo credit: Goodreads

Yes, yes, I know, so many reviews, but I regret nothing because these books are fantastic.

So if a certain YA series involving vampires is an example of how not to have a healthy relationship, Easy by Tammara Webber is a beautiful example of relationships done right. But first, the Goodreads summary:

“Rescued by a stranger. 

Haunted by a secret. 

Sometimes, love isn’t easy… 

He watched her, but never knew her. Until thanks to a chance encounter, he became her savior… 

The attraction between them was undeniable. Yet the past he’d worked so hard to overcome, and the future she’d put so much faith in, threatened to tear them apart.
Only together could they fight the pain and guilt, face the truth—and find the unexpected power of love. 

A groundbreaking novel in the New Adult genre, Easy faces one girl's struggle to regain the trust she's lost, find the inner strength to fight back against an attacker, and accept the peace she finds in the arms of a secretive boy.”

So Easy has a reputation of being the NA book that made many people love NA books, and I definitely understand why. Easy is one of the books that kicked off the category and made people pay attention, and it is totally deserving of its praise.

Like many other readers have said, I don’t usually gravitate towards Contemporary Romance novels, but Easy still caught my attention right from the beginning and kept it until the last page. It took me all of a day to read it, and I have to say, it features one of my favorite relationships ever.

Besides being super attractive, smart, artsy, badass and kind, the love interest Lucas respects boundaries. This, to me, is what made him so incredibly fantastic, because his relationship with Jacqueline is a perfect example of what a healthy, respectful relationship looks like.

Not only that, but Easy does an excellent job portraying and speaking out against rape culture—but it does it in a way that isn’t at all preachy or lecture-y.

Easy kept me flying through the chapters, smiling very often and has a wonderful message to boot. 5/5 stars for sure.

Have you read EASY?

Twitter-sized bites: 

Curious about New Adult novels? Try EASY by @TammaraWebber. (Click to tweet) 

.@Ava_Jae gives EASY by @TammaraWebber 5/5 stars. Have you read this book? (Click to tweet)