| Title | : | Writing New Adult Fiction |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1599638002 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781599638003 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 288 |
| Publication | : | First published July 24, 2014 |
Writing New Adult Fiction Reviews
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Initial reaction: When I actually have the chance to write a full review of this writing guide, It'll be a combination of a review and a soapbox because there's a lot of talking points I could use with what both Sylvia Day says in the foreword, and what Halverson discusses in the text. On the whole, this was a great writing guide and it FINALLY gives a concrete and easy to follow layout of what NA as a category (not a genre) is all about and give some fine points on writing technique and character shaping that any writer could use.
The problem I have? If more NA writers actually embraced the kind of depth of portrayal that Halverson outlines in this book, I would have no problems with New Adult overall. I really wouldn't. But that's not the case, and it's ironic that many of the bestselling authors who write in this category and are mentioned and/or cited in this work (Jamie McGuire, Molly McAdams, etc.) really don't embrace that kind of depth, technique or detail in the narratives I've seen from them.
And having been someone who's read close to 200+ books in NA, I could say there's still much more room for growth in New Adult as a whole. Hope there are more writers who will take the advice for development and growth in narration and characterization here into measure to expand it further and better.
Full review:
I had no idea this book even existed until I went looking for it. Part of how I found it as a guide for writing NA fiction was for research on a project I'm working on at present in my WIPs, the other was a part of a series of longer standing questions I've had pinging in my mind for the longest time.
New Adult is a category that I have a complicated relationship with, even with the number of titles I've read, searching for a variety to see if any really resonated with me. Some of the works I've picked up have and are a large reason why I continue to read NA to date, but very many of them haven't and I've talked about that at length in some of the individual narratives I've reacted to. I wondered if there were any formal narratives that could concretely discuss what NA literature is.
This was a writing guide specifically dedicated to giving advice on writing NA, and that's huge because it's really one of the few guides I've seen in a formal publishing (let alone Writer's Digest) talking about it at length and in a central capacity (not as an off-shoot conversation on writing genre fiction).
Sylvia Day writes the foreword to this piece, as the author of the "Crossfire" series (starts with "Bared to You") and cited as one of the pioneers of the genre. My first thought was "Huh? I thought the Crossfire series was adult erotica, not NA. I'm so freaking confused right now." Day revealed she didn't know her narratives fell under the category, but then I realized by the definition this book gives of her characters being "emerging adults," Day's narratives in the Crossfire series fall under the category of "New Adult".
So New Adults are "emerging adults" - those that are coming out of their teen years and have matured past a certain point, but are still in their measure of growing into the world to the adults they'll eventually become. The genre is showing the journeys, flaws and triumphs, of those characters as they grow in that span of time (usually from ages 18-25). It's a showcasing of big firsts, transitions into the working world, relationships, coming to terms with sexuality, acting more independently, finding identity, etc. That's the gist of the formal definition of NA that Halverson carries in the introduction and throughout this narrative.
Tammara Webber, author of "Easy", is cited in the text as saying "I'm not writing FOR a certain age group, but ABOUT a certain age group." And the collective sentiment seems to be that NA isn't writing about the teen experience or the fully matured adult experience, but this "emerging adult" that's somewhere in the measure between, with a lot of room for possibilities of showing growth and maturation over that age range. Some are proceeding to college, some are going into the working world, military, some may have various transitions in their life like getting married and having children or some other major life transitions in the measure. It's NA's aim, as per the text, to showcase those transitions and what they entail for the people who live them.
(With those broad possibilities in definition, it still baffles my mind as to why many of the NA narratives I've picked up seem to be so...marginalized. And I did have questions about what this may mean in scopes beyond contemporary, but it wasn't really addressed that much in this narrative, unfortunately.)
There were things I didn't like about this book in the portrayal of the origins of the New Adult genre. I did think that Halverson was a bit oddly defensive of New Adult in the beginning (particularly in the discussions of the media portrayals of NA as "sexed up YA fiction"). I know this was probably to dispel beliefs over what NA wasn't, though, and I liked that she progressively explained that New Adult is intended to be more encompassing and diverse than that segmentation. (Though I think it would've been wise to discuss just how that "sexed up" notation came to be, as well as some really strong cliches of the genre and how that's shaped perception.)
I also think that it was weird how - with the mention of series like Francine Pascal's Sweet Valley University (which I know was way before 2009, I know because I read that offshoot series of the Sweet Valley Twins books when I was a TEEN and ate them up like hotcakes) - that New Adult appeals and origins had roots WELL before 2009 - that the stories of these "emerging adults" - college bound or not - had peaks and lows that have reverberated through different times and markets.
That past was mentioned but not really explored, but yet there was the story of the failed launch of 2009 of the term "New Adult" and then self-publish boom of narratives from the likes of Jamie McGuire, Jessica Park, Molly McAdams and then suddenly it's a thing to behold and these people are pioneers of the genre.
That's almost as bad (read: massively incorrect) as saying E.L. James pioneered the erotica genre. *rolls eyes* Just because you have people in contemporary measures who are popular and publishing for something that's been around for ages and just so happens to fall under the term of this newly created category name doesn't necessarily mean they're a "pioneer". I don't think New Adult is truly a "new" thing - it's just a new term for something that's already well-established but has had different forms in the past. I think it's had appeals and manifestations and if someone could take the time to aptly explore it, we'd realize that the need for stories for people in this "transitional phase" of their lives were always relevant and in existence, having waves of undulating popularity. So, it's more that it has a different name and distinction now with different people leading the scope. The portrayal of this history was something I had a problem with in this narrative and that in part was what kept this from being a five star read for me, because I know it has more history than this. Way more.
But I loved the writing advice of this book - it was easy to understand, clear cut, and very useful, really for a writer of any walk or genre. Honestly - if more NA writers actually did follow some of the themes, explorations, and techniques this book decided to delve into for the category, I'd see more value especially with the range of possibilities for story exploration, details, and character depth. Halverson - to her credit - gives wonderful attention to character details, environments, the struggles of emerging adults, psychologically and emotionally relevant issues and transitions for this age group, writing technique among other things. I also liked that this narrative didn't necessarily just focus on NA contemporary romance and contemporary mentions, but also historical, paranormal, and different genre divisions within the category (though the cited examples did reveal that there could be a need for more writers in the offshoot genres beyond contemporary romance and contemps).
In sum, I liked the writing advice, the discussions of the genres, the different people who reflected on the themes and diverse details and what the aims of New Adult as a category would include, but it is somewhat steeped into the portrayal of the field's current frontrunners for popularity, without the discussions and more examples taken from those narratives directly to see what make them pop and appeal.
Some parts on the category are good, especially with reflections on the aim and what could be built upon in the category (and I appreciated Jennifer Armentrout's/J. Lynn's and Tammara Webber's citations among some NA editors and other spokespeople), but I do think there's a mismatch not only in the origins and appeal of the portrayals of "emerging adults" in literature, but also in how these aims translate to page. To Halverson's credit, she does touch on some of the cliches of NA, but I don't know if there's very much discussion on just how prevalent these cliches are, and that might've been something worth discussing in terms of reaction and debate in the measure of the category's exploration. That could help emerging writers know what to look for and what to expand upon further in addition to the advice that was given for branching out and creating whole, fuller characters.
I will likely return to this writing guide for insights and tips, and it's one I'll keep in my library.
Overall score: 3.5/5 stars -
3.5 stars
I have the urge to applaud Halverson for putting together this part guidebook part workbook on how to write New Adult. She covers everything between outlining your novel to the general mindset of a "new adult" to techniques for creating authentic voices and characters, to how to get your novel published. Many parts, such as conveying emotions and basic structure can be used for other categories and genres than just NA. It's brilliant advice for anyone, both published authors and aspiring authors. If more NA authors incorporated Halverson's advice and techniques I doubt this genre would suffer from the stigma that surrounds it.
As a "new adult" myself, I agree with many of the points Halverson does. She repeats the most prominent parts of a new adult's life such as for the first time being truly on their own away from parents viewing every step and guiding them through life. That, and the general feeling of optimism – a feeling I share in regards to my own future, but in general I am actually a rather pessimistic and cynical person – and the stress that comes when our expectations are crushed by reality. On this part I cannot agree more. New Adults are an optimistic bunch of people in search of who they are and who they want to be even if some of us have already found who we are at this age. (Speaking from experience here, not hard facts. ) Simply put: Halverson hits the nail on the head on this part.
I strongly appreciate the tips she gives on structuring the novel, how to build tension, creating characters... basically everything that has to do with the actual writing and structuring. It's obvious Halverson is a brilliant editor, and given by this book, a good author as well as teacher. The way she explains how to incorporate sensibility in the narrator voice is spot on. Truly, I wish more authors did this in their novels as this is a common issue in the NA genre.
That said, I concede that Halverson has great advice and know her stuff. But. There's always a but, isn't there? Some things I can't agree on, not even a little.
First thing, Halverson explains how to create a supporting cast of secondary characters, who they are and what part they should play in the story. She mentions lovers, friends, co-workers... the basic stuff. Then she comes to the part on "adults in positions of power".Generally the older folks are nonexistent or in the extreme periphery, like the professor who lectures but hands you off to the hot assistant teacher. Or the detective who shows up on-scene but doesn't do much but push a few buttons before he leaves ... In teen fiction, these old folks are more omnipresent even if they keep hands off, but in NA you can ban them almost completely and really should.
I'm well aware that the new adults social circle isn't filled with people that are older, but to suggest banning older people from the narrative is plain wrong. I find two issues with the concept of banning these people. First, as a new adult myself I do not have close friends that can be considered "old", but here's the thing. I know older people, and I find them an important part of my life. Not as guidance counselors or people that I go to for wisdom. These are people I know see as equals, and they interact with me as an equal as well. That means, if I know they have the knowledge I need, I go ask them, and they will not meet me as a child. They meet me as an equal.
Second, I find it problematic for the reason that the heroine/hero is a new adult. This means she/he will have to interact in a world full of older people in position of power. While doing this they must find who they are in a world that no longer treats them as children, but as equals. To be blunt: New adults must face the hard reality that they are viewed as adults. And having people of power that aren't their parents of relatives. By banning adults in position of power would take away one big part of finally being an adult. Note that I am in no way saying they need to play a big part of the narrative, just that I believe banning them is the wrong thing to do.
Moving on, we come to the matter of the two main characters (if there's a romance).Women want the man who is sincere and loving and who needs us for his inner completeness, even as he's physically yummy and able to stand up to outside threats.
There's nothing wrong here. I just find that every example takes for granted that the two main characters are of opposite genders. Then there's my personal preference that a man shouldn't need me, at least not for his "inner completeness". But, as I said, this is a personal preference. Halverson does mention that NA is a place to explore sexuality, and I wished she'd discussed this further and made examples that would take LGBT characters, too, apart from the typical hetero relationship.
However, my biggest issue is when Halverson goes on the topic of character's looks. (She does this very briefly.)When Beauty knows she's beautiful, Beauty is likely to be alled a bitch. Women are quite conscious of their own flaws, so they will relate to a female character who demonstrates that she's conscious of hers even as everyone else tells her she's hot stuff.
I've seen several reviews point out exactly this. That women who are secure in their looks and knows it aren't as well received as the ones with insecurities. Personally, I like female characters that knows they are "all that". I'm so darned tied of heroines that are insecure of their looks and need conformation from the male love interests. Also, if we continue to have female characters that are very modest about their looks, this reaction of calling women a "bitch" will remain, something I find disturbing to think of. I will say this is a problem in society in general and a bit bigger than what women call each other in fictional stories. But still. We continue on this topic though.Perhaps she can worry that the outfit she must wear will accentuate the wrong things, or you could send her into a scene on what she'd call a bad hair day and have her totally turn on Mr. Hot Stuff anyway.
Here we continue on the topic how women are judged by their clothing. Most of those that have read my reviews know why I find this problematic. But, to shorten that long rant and put it simply: slut shaming is wrong and judging a woman by the way she dress, wether she dresses sexy or conservative, is wrong.
Then we have the topic of the male character's looks.The male lover does need to look mighty fine. Perhaps he's not a model, but he's got the general features we can agree on as appealing: nice hair; a healthy, strong physique; strength and gentle touches as the situation calls for.
Notice that there's no need to have the male lead be modest about his looks. I'm not saying he isn't allowed to be confident in his looks, but I feel the need to point out the double standard here. In fact, despite what many may say, men – certainly men in this age group – can be very away of their looks, both positive and negative. These days men have some high standards they are supposed to meet just like women and, speaking form experience, this can make them insecure just like women, albeit they might not voice that insecurity as women can. This need for men to meet certain standards are raised here. The male lover is supposed to have a "strong physique", and as the previous quote said, be labeled Mr. Hot Stuff (or alike). Another point that should be addressed in NA is male leads that aren't meeting this criteria. That would be wonderful. Not all women (or men) prefer men that are excessively strong. I know, this is fiction and the hero can be very dreamy, but I believe this is part of the reason why NA is called "sexed up YA". Again, to put it simply: we need more heroes in NA that aren't considered God's gift to mankind in the looks department.
Now that I've addressed these issues, I will back up again and say that this book is great. It offers many tips that authors should take to heart. Despite my issues – sorry for long post on those, by the way – I would recommend this to pretty much anyone writing NA or hoping to write for this genre. It has great insight on how new adults think and behave as well as the struggled they face. If you're planning to write NA, read this book before you publish your work. It'll help you immensely.
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Thanks Corinne for lending this to me it is so mind-numbingly cis and straight that I can’t believe I managed to read some of each chapter!!
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Part workbook, textbook, and history book for anyone who wants to write or is writing NA fiction.
In Writing NA Fiction author Deborah Halverson portrays NA fiction as a bona fide genre not to be overlooked as “sexed up YA”. She also proves that NA is not simply an extension of YA, rather it has its own hallmarks separate from teen fiction.
Halverson lays the groundwork for understanding the genre by giving us a history lesson in the genesis of New Adult fiction. We learn that it has been around since long before Fifty Shades of Grey or Twilight, and that manuscripts were coming into publishers featuring main characters 18 to 25 for years. Editors just weren’t sure what to do with them. Many of those writers eventually turned to self-publishing when no one would pick up their books. Halverson outlines this crossover phenomenon and shows how it is an integral part of the history of NA.
This craft book shows the art and design of what goes into creating NA fiction that titillates, thrills, but is also literary. It cites the very best writers in NA, not simply ones who have sold a lot of books filled with gratuitous sex scenes. Halverson’s book legitimizes NA fiction as one to be studied in MFA writing programs and on college campuses. YA is studied, so why not NA?
Halverson helps us to understand that this genre is a necessary part of the twenty-first century literary movement by making references to studies and research about 18-25-year-olds. She also incorporates a little social psychology about the age group that reinforces why it needs and deserves its own genre.
Writing NA Fiction is also chock full of really helpful, thought-provoking exercises that, if completed, force the writer to tighten his or her work so that it reflects the NA experience. And all that being said, Halverson encourages writers to break the genre rules. She says, for example, most NA fiction isn’t going to feature married characters with children because that’s not the general experience of this age group; however, if that is what moves you as a writer, go for it, but keep it through the NA lens.
Looking for a way to make your manuscript sing and dance like a Beyoncé video? In WRITING NA FICTION, Halverson delivers and dares you to up your game. Don’t let your characters (or your readers) miss out: Buy this book and get to work! -
I skimmed some chapters as it started to feel redundant after a while and a lot of it was basic character and plot building that I'd read about in other writing books. The chapters that were more focused on aspects of New Adult felt mostly like it was pushed for the category to be about heterosexual relationships with a lot of graphic sex in them. The author might have just been noting the trends of the category as it exists today. While the author continued to reiterate that NA can be anything you want it to be, it still seemed like it's mostly romance. There were some interesting tips and information in the later chapters regarding revision and querying.
As someone writing in the NA category, I hope that it will grow beyond what this book paints the category to be. Beyond things like:
"The male lover does need to look mighty fine. Perhaps he's not a model, but he's got the general features we can agree on as appealing: nice hair; a healthy, strong physique; strength and gentle touches as the situation calls for."
"...if you've got a romance, you've probably got both genders in that relationship." -
In my recent YA binge, I haven't come across many books with protagonists over age 18. Then I stumbled upon this book about the age group that should've been termed Young Adult, but instead is New Adult (which really why not go with Emerging Adult to use the developmental psych label?). Anyway, Writing New Adult Fiction intrigued me since I tend to write characters within this age range. Like YA, NA is more of a category rather than genre (since any genre can be NA; though I don't get why the majority is romance). Like other Writers Digest books, this one covers the basics of the craft, but through an NA lens (good refreshers, and some details I didn't know of). The chapters I enjoyed focused strictly on the specifics of NA such as NA's characteristic ingredients, and writing age appropriate characters (though as with any writing guide, these are guidelines, but some of the content came across as stereotypes of those age 18-25). The last chunk of the book covers publishing (both self and traditional) as well as how to market yourself as an NA author. Overall, this was one of the better Writers Digest books I've read, and one I'd recommend for those interested in this relatively new category of fiction in between YA and adult fiction.
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This book tells you to do basically everything I hate about new adult fiction. As a New Adult reader, I promise you any basic book on writing, a trip to tumblr.com, instagram, and your local place with young adults will give you waaaaaay more info. Go to a store staffed with 18-25s and listen to the employees talk to each other. Go to a high school play and listen to the kids whispering. I promise you, if you need this book to write about that 17-30 age group, you should just stop. I don't care what the critics say, the main reason people my age are buying New Adult books is because we are hungry for character our age acting out the stories we loved in middle and high school. We are settling for the often mediocre writing in these books and skipping past these ridiculous sex scenes. Do not continue us down this path.
Actually, check out books by Rainbow Rowell or L. Penelope or Katherine McGee or Adeyemi. These are writers who excel at writing this age group. -
A great tool to use for anyone who wants to explore this rapidly growing reading level in fiction! It offers some great pointers on all the aspects it comes to creating your own book to write.
My favorite section has to be the plot development stage, as it is the biggest challenge I have when it comes to writing. The author gives some great, while broad, nudged towards finding your own ideas. I only wish they could’ve used more examples to maybe helps as a visual? I mean that throughout the whole book too!
The author let’s hub get inside of the head of the age range of 18-25 and what they’re like when it comes to audience members to read your book and your characters, I say give this book a chance! -
Everyone needs to know how important this book is. To my knowledge it is the only or one of the very few to denote New Adult as a separate theme. This is weirdly the writing I have been writing for my entire life. My friend and I had a blog we were calling new adult because it was so new! it didn't even exist. we weren't even sure we wanted to actually keep calling it new adult even. But here it is, evidence it hand; New Adult is the next big thing.
LOVE LOVE LOVE. -
In most ways this is no different from x amount of other how to write guides, as 70% of this book covers ground found in nearly any other one you'll pick up. One thing I did like about this book is its attention to dialogue, and especially writing dialogue that's topical for the age group this book deals with - the 18-25s. It's the primary thing I took away from this guide.
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Informative.
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Really good, broad overview for those who want to write within this new genre
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This is my first time reviewing a non-fiction book, but I felt I needed to give my thoughts on this book, especially with it being in a relevant genre that I generally review. I'd been reading this book the same time I was writing one, and I have to say, hands down, this is the best craft book I've ever read, especially for the New Adult genre. This isn't just your standard writing book. This focuses specifically on the New Adult genre (and subgenres), its intricate tropes and aspects that make up the genre, and how to market it. Of course, it is also a writing book, as it goes over the basics of how to plot, edit, and do all those other types of things you see in standard writing books. But the twist is how to do all those things and still stay true to the NA genre. So as I read this book, I was able to pick up on many things I was doing right or wrong in my current manuscript, and the book explained how to go about fixing or enhancing those areas. I could not think of a single thing from each of the fifteen chapters that I didn't learn. Whether you are a self-publisher, or an author looking to get traditionally published, this book covers it all. The book explains the basics of what you will need to do to format your manuscript for ebook and paperback publication, but nothing too technical. It also listed tips and techniques on how to land an agent and editor, complete with a sample query letter that describes in detail about what information should be mentioned where.
The book also provided several writing exercises and sample worksheets to fill out to help develop your story. One such worksheet was the Story Structure one from chapter 7. Reading this book while working on a manuscript helped me to do these worksheets and exercises more efficiently and also help me to see where I can strengthen areas of my story.
There are plenty of quotes in this book from renowned authors like Tammara Webber and J. Lynn, agents like Stacy Donaghy and Sara Megibow, and editors like Karen Grove and Nicole Steinhaus. And the Foreword is by Sylvia Day. There is definitely an all-star line-up of contributors in this book, and everyone has small, but highly valuable nuggets to share about their experience with the New Adult genre, and the writing/publishing industry as a whole.
I could go on and on about this book. This is indeed a 'keeper' for reference material, especially for writers who will be writing New Adult fiction long-term. I highly recommend this book for New Adult enthusiasts, and those who are curious about the genre, but don't know what it's all about. -
As far as books on writing go, I did not find this very helpful. First off, the formatting made it difficult to read; the text was small and cramped, so it was hard to absorb everything. I skimmed a lot, both because of the physical text and because it wasn’t as engaging as it could have been. I found myself just glancing through the subtitles to get the gist of things because I didn’t think the in-depth explanations added a lot.
It was clear from the beginning that “new adult” literature has a different definition, at least according to Halverson, than I had at first anticipated. I expected NA to be a slightly more mature version of YA—youthful, fun, plot-driven, just with more independent characters and “figuring out life” instead of “getting through high school” concerns. Although Halverson did mention this, it became abundantly clear to me that NA is defined by something else entirely: sex. She repeatedly mentioned that “80% of college students claim to have had sex” (or something like that), which seemed like a poor foundation for essentially claiming that NA has to have sex.
I thought Halverson’s view might be narrow until I attended a writing conference that confirmed the sex-focus of NA. The speaker talking about romance in literature said that NA is second-only to erotica on the spectrum of steamy novels. This surprised me, and--on a note that's not directly related to this book--I hope that the expectations for NA will broaden in the future to extend beyond sex-driven characters and plots. -
I really had no clue what I was getting into with this read. I do however, at some point want to write my first novel.
This book pretty much lays everything down for starting this type if genre. Because of the , 50 Shades, and other reads there is so much more self publishing going on now days but sometimes you don't get accomplished with doing that.
The author explains writing NA fictions, what it all entails on a "funny learning level, my kind of learning. The age popular group for these reads are 18-25, but being 36 I do find my self in this group by heart I guess.....
Halverson, puts everything into perspective and you will gain confidence if there is a closet writer within you.
Great easy read!!! -
I was asked to review this novel in exchange of my honest opinion by IndieSage and I loved this book. As a writer, I was thrilled when I was asked to review this novel because someday I hope to write a new adult novel, I absolutely love reading new adult novels, and this book gave me the inspiration to want to try my hand at new adult. Overall this novel was almost like a workbook for me, which I loved, but it was a little hard for me to get into at first. However, if you're a writer, and you want to try your hand at writing new adult, I strongly suggest reading this novel!
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Not really finished. Abandoned but will come back to it, if the subject requires it. LOTS of info for those truly interested in understanding and writing New Adult for emerging adults and not Young Adult for teens.
New Adult books that are billed as YA: Divergent, Hunger Games
Also 50 Shades of Grey series -
This book is a helpful guide for those interested in writing for new adults and also covers the craft of writing. It takes you into the mindset of the new adult, giving ideas on how to create characters who act their age, as well as possible storylines.
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Loved. Tons of great specific information and tips. I would say this book would be helpful to any genre writer not just NA
