New Adult--- What in the world is it and can Christians write it?

Have you heard of the "New Adult" genre?

It's a newish genre that is being bantered around lately and stirring a wide range of opinions on the matter.

I did lots of searches this past week on the New Adult genre and came up with quite a few different definitions.

A common perception is:

"New Adult is just YA with sex scenes added in."

If that is the case, it leaves those of us who write fiction from a Christian world view in a bit of a conundrum. Can we adequately write "New Adult" fiction if the key difference is graphic sex scenes that are usually missing from our novels?

My answer: YES YES YES!!!!

OF COURSE we can.

The thing is, I don't agree with the definition of New Adult being "YA + SEX." And many authors who write "new adult" fiction agree that it is an unfair over-generalization.

New Adult is more about creating fiction that addresses the lives/issues/struggles of those who have left teenagerdom behind and entered the world of adulthood--ages 18-26ish. College, first real jobs, first true loves, and yes, even figuring out how sex plays a roll in their adult life.

I have this secret for you...shhhhh... don't tell anyone...

CHRISTIANS HAVE SEX.

(I know... you're shocked... You TOTALLY thought the whole stork thing, didn't you...)

And Christian "new" adults, especially in our current hypersexualized society, have a struggle in front of them went it comes with dealing with this issue. Ignoring sex and the desire/temptation thereof does no one any good.

Writing "New adult" fiction from a Christian worldview has the ability to SHOW not TELL... show the struggles--the failures--the consequences. There are a lot of great non-fiction books out there for Christian adults on the topic of sex, both for singles and married couples. But in story form? Not-so-much.

And as mentioned, the new adult genre is really NOT all about sex. There are a lot of things new adults have to tackle. Drugs/alcohol/integrity at a job/bullying--while these aren't narrowed only to new adults, they are big topics for that age group, and we should not be afraid to throw the realistic life issues at our characters and see how they handle them. We have fascinating concepts we can weave in there too. Things like God's GRACE and MERCY and REDEMPTION. Even forgiveness-- both of others, and learning to forgive ourselves.

Discussion: What are your thoughts on this new "genre"? Have you ready any books from a Christian perspective that would fit? Do you think it is possible to tackle tough issues that new adults are facing in fiction without crossing "CBA" lines?

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Krista is a follower of Jesus, a wife, a mother, and author of Sandwich, With a Side of Romance (which just so happens to feature a 20-year-old heroine, GO FIGURE!) She blogs about finding JOY in the journey of LIFE at http://www.kristaphillips.com. She is represented by the fab agent, Rachelle Gardner.

What's Up with YA?

The last manuscript I began writing started out as a contemporary romance, but after writing about 30,000 words, I decided it would fare better as a YA. You see, my story contains magical elements and let's face it, YA is way more open to the magical and fantastical than adult books.

The funny thing about switching from contemporary to YA is the very fact that I do not read YA. Well, I have read the Harry Potter (gasp...please don't write me emails) and Twilight (gasp...please don't write me emails) and The Hunger Games (gasp...please don't write me emails). But they are secular books, not in the Christian arena.

So, what's a girl to do? She downloads some free YA ebooks.

And promptly realizes that most YA books are written in first person.

Sigh, have I ever mentioned that I don't care for first person? One of the things I love about Christian romance is getting into the hero's head, watching him fall head over heels in love with the heroine. You don't get that in first person.

I'm told I need to write in the tense that makes sense for me and the kind of story I want to write. Well, that would be THIRD person, thank you very much! Surely young adults out there want to read from the hero's point of view like I do. It's a matter of making the story come alive in any tense you choose.

The interesting thing about YA is the wild variety of books out there for the age group. Check out the following:

Think Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

I'm thinking along the lines of Gossip Girl or Devil Wears Prada

Your romance

Fantastical

Another fantastical/spiritual

A medieval timetravel!!!! (I HAVE to get this one!)

Um, the title says it all, huh?

Your Christian vampire book.

I think one of the cool things about YA is the "anything goes" atmosphere. Such a variety. Such a wild array to choose from. The sky is the limit when thinking up story ideas for the YA crowd. Romance, ogres, magic, spiritual gifts, vampires, chick cliques...you name it! What fun you can have while writing for the Young Adult group.

Have you ever thought about writing a YA book? If so, what ideas do you have? If not, what are you writing and why? 

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This post is brought to you by

 Sherrinda Ketchersid

Sherrinda is wife to "Pastor John" and mother to three giant sons and one gorgeous daughter. A born and bred Texan, she loves books, gummy bears, thunderstorms, and writing anything that has to do with fun, faith, and forever love.

YA Fiction Tips for All Genres

There are times when the young adult sections of the bookstore or library are ever so much more enticing.

I wasn't sure what component held me bound to YA fiction until I interviewed a college freshman. 


She showed me a stack of regular fiction books waiting to be devoured then confessed to spending the last of her treasured dollars last week on a YA fiction book. She finished the YA book first

Seizing an interview moment I asked these questions:

Why do you like reading young adult fiction books?

**Quick Reads 

I can pick up a young adult book and read through it in a couple of hours. I probably can finish the book late in the same night. While I enjoy longer regular fiction stories, I don't always have the time to finish the book or read what happens next the next day, or possibly the week.

What makes a young adult book different from a regular fiction book?

**Fast Paced

The action is fast throughout the book. Thrills and spills like a roller coaster from the first page to the last. I can't help but flip the next page until I reach the end of the book. 


Regular fiction books have fast paced portions, which I like, too.

**Less Description

"Young adult fiction spend little time on description. I don't really care what the etchings on a sword looks like, get to the battle. Keep moving. Yes I want to know the setting, but within reason. Don't bore me with details." 

**Vocabulary

"The authors usually write like we speak, but every once in a while a word is thrown in that I don't know. I like that. I can figure out what the word means by the context. 


"In the regular fiction books these types of higher vocabulary words are a norm. Sometimes I want to be challenged by reading the regular fiction, but other times, I just want to chillax (chill + relax) and move through the story."

**Humor

"Young adult books are more conducive to humor. Authors will use analogies that make me laugh. 


"Regular fiction tends to have more serious tone- not that serious is bad. It just depends on what mood I'm in at the time. There are funny regular fiction stories, but that's not what I'm talking about. Humor is woven into most YA books, not in regular fiction.

Well then, at what times are you in the mood for a young adult fiction read?

**Mood

When I'm tired, I want something fast to read. If I am depressed I need humor and less effort to read through a book. If I want something nostalgic I might read something YA. Just because I choose to read a YA fiction over a regular fiction doesn't make me adorakable, it simply means I want a good, humorous, fast paced book that will take no effort to enjoy.

What does adorkable mean?  


"It's like a high school student who walks around wearing a Gryffindor scarf...adorkable."

How many adults will pick up a YA book for the same reasons? Lots.


I know many adults who've read Chronicles of Narnia, Harry Potter, The Hunger Game, Anne of Green Gables, and etc.

As a young adult Christian fiction writer, I've picked up a few tips from today's interview:

• YA word count is usually between 50,000 and 60,000 words. Now I know why.
• Pace is quick. Breaths in action are needed but are not to be noticeable.
• Minimal descriptions. Paint a vivid picture concisely.
• Season with regular snippets of humor.
• Seed the story with higher vocabulary

I know not all of you are YA writers. So tell me, how can you incorporate some of these components in your fiction genre?

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Image by: Freedigitalphotos.net

This blog post is by Mary Vee

Mary lives in Montana with her husband and loves to hear from her three college kids. She writes Christian young adult fiction (pirate tales, missionary and Bible adventure stories).

She thinks of writing as: Stepping into Someone Else's World.

To learn more about Mary, visit her blog http://www.mimaryvee.blogspot.com/