Apr 22, 20175 min read

The #VoicesofYA Tag

Happy Saturday, writer friends! I have something fun and exciting today… a tag. This is a little different, though, because I wasn’t tagged for this. In fact, no one has ever been tagged for this. Why you ask? Because I created this tag myself!

I love tags, but a lot of them are kind of random and fun. That is perfectly okay, and a nice break from the more structured nature of routine posts. However, I really wanted to do a more serious tag, with a focus on YA books and their writers. That is how this tag was born: the Voices of YA tag.

*Update*: You can now watch me give all new answers to the questions at my YouTube channel. Go here to watch!

Here’s the rules:

RULES:

Thank the person who tagged you
Link to the original creator
Answer the ten questions
Tag at LEAST two other YA writers/bloggers
Share with the hashtag #VoicesofYA

I am going to answer these myself, and then I’ll leave the ten questions at the end, along with the writers/bloggers I tag. (Spoiler alert, there are more than two!)

ABOUT THE WRITERS:

What draws you to YA?

I have answered this question in other tags, and it always boils down to the imagination. There is such a freedom of imagination in young adult literature. That is also why I love fantasy and science fiction. We are limited by this world in real life, but in literature, we are limitless. The second reason is because I am a young adult myself, so I relate to the age range. Even when I’m 100 years old, though, I will be writing YA. It is my passion.

Describe your writing process. Do you like outlines and structure, or seeing where the story takes you?

I am very structured in the beginning. I do not make a detailed outline of plot, but I do determine the skeleton of the novel, as well as a very detailed description of my main characters’ appearances and relationships. I then list out city names and other world-building details. In terms of the actual writing itself, though, I am very much a pantser. Ideas come to me as I write… things change, and the characters develop voices of their own, which is something I love!

How long have you been writing? Where are you in your journey?

I have been writing novels seriously since I was twelve, when I started what would become my first finished novel CONCEALED. I am currently writing my third manuscript and querying my second, WHAT LIES ABOVE.

What do you need to write? Coffee? Music?

I don’t really “need” anything to write. I am the kind of person who can tune out and feed off of background noise, so I will have music playing or the TV turned on. Even these things aren’t requirements, though. I can write in the car, in my room, outside… really anywhere.

If you could offer one piece of advice to another writer (OTHER THAN “don’t give up”), what would it be?

Don’t base your own writing worth off of others. You will face rejection and skepticism from others – sometimes even your own friends and family. While you should always take criticism as a way to grow, learn from it and then move on. Being unpublished doesn’t mean you aren’t a good writer. It just means you haven’t been discovered yet. Being rejected also doesn’t mean you aren’t a good writer. There are lots of reasons for agents and publishers to turn down a project, and many of them have nothing to do with skill.

ABOUT THE BOOKS:

What book still has you reeling from its plot twist? (*no spoilers please*)

Catching Fire, in many places. Mockingjay, for that. THAT. (If you don’t know what I am talking about, let me give you one hint – Peeta.) And Red Queen. Ohohoho… Red Queen. (I know I cheated and named three… I never play by the rules in tags *sorry, not sorry*)

What books are you most anticipating for this year?

King’s Cage (by Victoria Aveyard) and Caraval (by Stephanie Garber) are already released, as is Carve the Mark (by Veronica Roth). These three are my most anticipated reads of 2017 thus far. I just bought King’s Cage and Caraval, and I cannot wait to start reading them.

In your opinion, which YA book/series has the most unique premise?

The Shifter by Janice Hardy has a super unique premise – a girl can shift pain from one body to another. This, however, is an MG book, and therefore doesn’t qualify. If we are going off unique premises alone, Maze Runner is very original.

What is your all-time favorite quote from YA lit?

I could go on and on about Hunger Games and the beautiful lines from the trilogy, but I’ll only pick one, my favorite… “So when he says, ‘You love me, real or not real’, I say, ‘Real’”.

What book do you most hope will have a movie adaption?

I think that sometimes movie adaptions can ruin a book for me, so I’m hesitant to recommend any of my favorites. However, I have heard a swirl of rumors that Red Queen may get a movie adaption, and I would totally support that. It would be incredible to see all the different abilities translated onto the big screen.

Alright, those are my answers. I know that many of them come from the same YA books, but when I fall in love with a story world, I gush about it for the rest of my life (*insert Hunger Games and LOTR*). I also do not read as much as I would like, and am very behind on my monstrous TBR, which includes most of the recently released YA titles. I am working on it, though!

So now I will choose a few fellow writers and bloggers to participate in the tag. If you are not mentioned here but still want to answer the questions, you most certainly can! If you do, leave a link in the comments or on social media and tag me. I’d love to read your answers!

I tag:

Amy @ A Magical World of Words

Audrey Caylin

Kim Chance

Tessa Emily Hall @ Christ is Write

Here is the list of questions… Have fun!

ABOUT THE WRITERS:

What draws you to YA?

Describe your writing process. Do you like outlines and structure, or seeing where the story takes you?

How long have you been writing? Where are you in your journey?

What do you need to write? Coffee? Music?

If you could offer one piece of advice to another writer (OTHER THAN “don’t give up”), what would it be?