We all have our favorite genres, the ones we live for when we read and
write. We become experts in the genre, and cringe when someone disparages it
based on unfounded beliefs. Most often these are based on lack of knowledge and
believing what others say about it. I mean, how often have you heard that
literary stories are slow and boring, and are meant for academic types? But
according to Donald Maass in his book Writing
21st Century Fiction: High Impact Techniques for Exceptional
Storytelling (brilliant book, by the way), these are the powerful books that
stay on the New York Times bestseller list long after the commercial novel’s
typical two-week stint on the charts.
As you may have recently heard, New Adult (NA) books have taken the bestseller lists by storm. This has resulted in many readers and writers wondering what the “genre” is about. It has also led to a mountain of misconstrued beliefs as to what makes a NA story a NA story. Even editors and agents who once proclaimed that there is no market for the “genre” (Ha!) aren’t too sure what it is. They didn’t come up with the guidelines. It was the authors who went onto self publish their books who did that. And now the “genre” is fighting against beliefs that it’s nothing more than a YA story combined with erotica, and that the only people reading the books are middle-aged women who are too embarrassed to be caught reading a YA novel. Yes, I did see that comment on one blog. And of course, anyone who has made comments comparing NA to erotica obviously doesn’t understand what erotica is (most people don’t). It’s not about graphic sex. If you remove the sex from an erotic story, you have no story. If you can remove it and the story remains intact, you have a different genre with some steamy sex scenes.
To ensure you aren’t writing a genre while relying on your own misconstrued beliefs, read as many books in the genre as possible and be careful as to the source of information when understanding the requirements of the genre. You don’t want to be that writer who believes a NA story is really YA erotica. If you don’t truly understand the genre, you’ll miss out on what it’s really about and lose credibility with the readers who do know.
What are some of the misconstrued beliefs you’ve heard about the genre(s) you’re passionate about?
35 comments:
I wish New Adult had been around when my series came out, because they never quite fit with YA. And no, they don't have anything erotic in them.
Yeah best to get it from multiple sources and read away, to make sure it is the right genre on display.
I suspect both genres are still evolving as they struggle for differentiation with readers and publishers. What Ive loved in the NA Ive read is the focus on the experience of the first time and the new, which is common to YA as well, but with less self-absorption and more plot-driven tension. I don't know if that's just a reflection of my limited sampling, or if that's part of a trend.
Great and thoughtful post, as always, Stina!
I've heard people disparage historical fiction as "boring" or something they "can't relate to." It's sad, because people are people no matter when they lived. We ought to be able to relate to characters who live in a different time period.
I even had two people offer to reciprocate a beta read, then back out when they learned my book was historical fiction.
I hear people say Sci-fi is dumb and stupid. Yet, many of the amazing breakthrough discoveries we enjoy today were science fiction fodder of the past.
It's awesome how SP authors mostly have created this New Adult genre. And thanks for telling us exactly how it is different from YA.
I totally agree with you that you need to read in your genre. You can learn so much by reading.
My favorite genre is the espionage genre, but sadly it's the rarest to find in book form :)
Interesting article, Stina. I admittedly don't know the specific guidelines of NA, but the idea that it's just YA erotica still offends me. It seems to me that this whole important human experience of the just over 18 crowd was being ignored. Why wouldn't they have legitimate stories that aren't about sex that are begging to be heard? Ones that many, many people will identify with?
Interesting post. A few years ago, It seemed the prevailing wisdom was that college-aged kids don't read for fun, and that no other age group would be interested in work that explores the experiences of that phase of life. I always thought that was a self-fulfilling prophecy--of course no one will read work in a genre that ISN'T BEING PUBLISHED.
I think it's very exciting to see authors taking the initiative to create work and readerships where the legacy publishers pooh-poohed it.
Personally, I'm interested in learning more about NA that isn't so romance focused, but an extension of coming-of-age that deals with the real tensions of standing on your own in an era when many twenty-somethings seem stuck in adolescence well past 19. How do you break away from immaturity and become more? I'd love suggestions of books that explore questions like that.
Wow. None of the NA's I've read have been YA erotica. It's crazy that people are diminishing the genre this way.
I thought I was getting it...until I read all of the comments.
Maybe I'll google NA and study up.
Is there a typical age of the protags? I'm assuming they are college-age.
- Mac
So.......
According to wikipedia:
New-adult Fiction or post-adolescent literature is a recent category of fiction for young adults first proposed by St. Martin's Press in 2009.[
1] St. Martin’s Press editors wanted to address the coming-of-age that also happens in a young person’s twenties. They wanted to consider stories about young adults who were legally adults, but who were still finding their way in building a life and figuring out what it means to be an adult.
So what's the fuss. Seems straight forward enough.
As a reader I totally like that I don't have a favourite genre! I like my reading eclectic!
So yay for writers and forward looking publishers who want to create and find new genres! Take care
x
Great Post!
It is really sad people are saying this and it's really not true. My husband and I talked about this the other night. The time in your life when you move out on your own, away from your parents for the first time. You finally get to start making your own decisions. Get away from the demons or stigma you grew up with. Start becoming who you are. That's what I think NA is. Just like YA tends to be the first blowing embers of what comes in NA. (And I don't me sexual embers, LOL) Lots of firsts in YA. NA is more you've had all those first, what happens now. What do you decide to do with those experiences you had. Sorry, I'll stop now.
As you know, I'm a middle grade reader and writer most of the time. Interesting to me, however, is that group of books that doesn't fit in YA and really isn't MG either. The best label I've seen for it is upper MG, but it deserves its own category.
There are misconceptions about every genre and there will be as long as people who do not read try to put labels on things. (I once heard someone go off on how Stephen King was the best author and how all those people who ragged on him should, well, I'll leave it to your imagination. She then admitted that she'd never actually READ any of his books.)
I believe NA is filling a gap that needs to be filled. And if people are finding success with it then more power to them.
I've heard people complain that historical isn't relevant to them because they don't have hand-cranked cars, soda jerks, or home doctor visits anymore. Um, and that makes the story bad because...? I've also heard the complaint that historical is boring, or that stories set during very commonly-represented eras (WWII, Civil War, VIctorian England, etc.) start to sound all the same after awhile.
It goes the other way too. I've run across some bad historicals, from writers who apparently think that all a historical is is a period piece. I don't read historical to see essentially contemporary characters dressed up in costumes and talking about old moviestars and a few current events! Historical requires so much more research than that.
I would love it if you would post a list of your favorite NA books sometime. Right now my genre is solidly women's fiction, but I feel like the first few novels I wrote fit into the NA category.
I still have to find out the different between epic and regular fantasy. So many different views :(
It's usually the people that are just starting out and haven't done research that "think" they know what YA is without knowing. Now though, it's so mainstream I don't know if you see that as much. Now I guess it's NA. LOL! Nice. YA + Erotica. Oy.
YA erotica--just makes me shiver, LOL!
I love how NA is taking off!!
Funny how some have believed that the difference between YA and NA is the steamy scenes. Thanks for sharing with everyone!
Wonderful post - there can be some definite misconstructions about so many genres. I'm a fantasy author, so there are actually a lot less because 'fantasy' is such a broad term, but yeah, sometimes there are people who think all fantasy is either urban fantasy or dragon fantasy. *sigh*
Enlightening post. NA is a good thing to keep readers reading between YA and adult.
NA like YA and MG sounds more like a category rather than a genre to me. It's just because it doesn't tell you much other than the approximate age and possibly the style of writing in the book. While romance, fantasy or mystery will let you know about the story.
The main misconception in my genre? Picture books are easy to write! :)
I've read some NA that I really love, but I've also read NA that I think could be erotica. I've never read erotica, so I could be wrong. But I don't even read adult romance, because it's too "adult." However, I thought that main character age had a lot to do with the distinction in YA/NA.
When I first heard of 'NA' genre, my first thought was the Meg Cabot's Heather Wells series- books told from a 20-something college 'dorm mother's pov. But now I feel like the genre represents the people it's geared toward. New adults are over 18, and heading into the 'adult' part of their lives- can finally vote, have sex and buy cigarettes legally- move out of their homes, etc... Therefore I think of the NA genre as being a more mature, almost-adult version of YA.
Originally, I had a NA story, but was discouraged by agents lack of interest in the genre, now, I kind of look back nostalgic as I've fought and fought to fit my stories into the YA market. Perhaps I'll try my hand at one again...
Excellent topic Stina--no matter what your area of interest is.
I am a crime and policing guy, and I just was looking at a new author and her first mystery work. Her MC is an officer in one city and takes a job as a specialized investigator in another city and state. I'd want to know more about that transition because, in general, that just doesn't happen. With crime stuff, authors have to be careful with investigators--they usually have a predictable career path.
Enjoy your day.
Excellent post, Stina! Yes, NA = not high school (YA); not married w/children (adult). It's a much-needed new genre that makes sense. Now that people are delaying marriage until their 30s, "new adult" has filled that gap in storytelling.
We've had TV shows for it for years--Friends, Sex & the City, How I Met Your Mother. It's WAY past time books caught up! And thank self-publishing for making it happen.
And thank YOU for explaining erotica to me! :o) <3
love how a new genre has sprung up after all these years :)
Nutschell
www.thewritingnut.com
Misconceptions is you have to cuss...I don't cuss, I don't write it either
Throughout Uni, tutors would refer to cosy crime fiction as trashy novels, considered less than more literary pieces. My thoughts are novel's like Christie's require a huge amount of work to weave story elements. Like a mathematical equation, if you don't get it right, the end result doesn't add up. Whereas many of the literary pieces we studied did not need to qualify themselves. I've also heard these superiority attitudes towards romance writing. It baffles me. All writing is work and deserves respect.
Hi! I'm new to the blogging world--blogged before, but it's been a while and I'm just breaking back in. Is it terrible that I hadn't heard of a New Adult genre before, but I LOVE that it now exists? I had always wondered why there was a category for YA and nothing in between, so this is excellent news. I second the other commenters interested in a list of your favorite NA stories. :]
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