Today post is courtesy of Surge Senior Editor, Laura Maisano!
“Y” is for “YA” (Young Adult) …really, in the writing community, what else is it for?
Of course, I may be biased because I’m the Senior Editor at Anaiah Press for the Surge imprint, which is all Young Adult. I live, breathe, and constantly edit (and write) moody teens. But in my opinion, YA is so much more than just books for and about angsty teenagers. These books cover coming of age stories, classic inner struggles of finding oneself and learning to function out of the shadow of your parents. They’re about turning points, testing of faith, learning about love both romantic and friendships you would die for. YA books encompass so many of the things that make the core of a story beautiful, and that’s why I love them.
Now, there is something to say about teen characters, and that’s the mistakes they make. Yeah, adults make mistakes too, but they are more likely to figure out what they did wrong or be wracked with guilt. Teens make honest mistakes because of inexperience, and that turns it into a learning opportunity. In YA books, the learning curve is steep, the stakes are high, and the crisis is usually heartfelt and gutwrenching. I like the feels, I love the angst, and YA is where I can find it the most often.
If you’ve got a genre YA book filled with the feels and a healthy dose of faith (crisis or not), send it my way. I’m always on the hunt.
Anaiah Press 