Writing Young Adult Fiction For Dummies

Your hands-on, friendly guide to writing young adult fiction With young adult book sales rising, and bestselling authors like J.K. Rowling and Stephenie Meyer exploding onto the scene, aspiring YA writers are more numerous than ever. Are you interested in writing a young adult novel, but aren't sure how to fit the style that appeals to young readers? Writing Young Adult Fiction For Dummies gives you tricks of the trade and proven tips on all the steps to write a YA book, from developing an idea to publication. Unique writing exercises to help you find your own authentic teen voice Tips to avoid when submitting manuscripts How to break into the flourishing young adult market With the help of this step-by-step guide, you'll have all the skills to write an inspiring and marketable young adult novel.

Foreword xxi Introduction 1 Part I: Getting Ready to Write Young Adult Fiction 7 Chapter 1: The Lowdown on YA Fiction 9 Chapter 2: Targeting Teen Readers 19 Chapter 3: Managing Your Muse 35 Part II: Writing Riveting Young Adult Fiction 61 Chapter 4: Writing the Almighty Hook 63 Chapter 5: Creating Teen-Friendly Characters 75 Chapter 6: Building the Perfect Plot 97 Chapter 7: Creating Teen-Driven Action 117 Chapter 8: Setting Is More than Somewhere to Be 133 Chapter 9: Crafting a Narrative Voice Teens Will Listen To . . . and Love 151 Chapter 10: Talking Like a Teen 175 Part III: Editing, Revising, and Formatting Your Manuscript 199 Chapter 11: Editing and Revising with Confidence 201 Chapter 12: The Finishing Touches: Formatting and Finalizing 219 Part IV: Getting Published 235 Chapter 13: Strategizing and Packaging Your Submissions 237 Chapter 14: Self-Publishing: Is It for You? 269 Chapter 15: Mastering Marketing 283 Part V: The Part of Tens 311 Chapter 16: Ten Common Pitfalls in Writing YA Fiction 313 Chapter 17: Ten Facts about Book Contracts 319 Chapter 18: Ten Ways to Make the Most of a Conference 329 Index 339