After going over my reasons for switching genres, both in my mind and on this blog, I launched back into a young adult thriller I’ve been working on for years.
Recap on genre switching
Switching genres can be fun for creative purposes but makes it hard to nail down an audience and show publishers you’re experienced in your genre. Plus, it takes time to hop around and delve into a new demographic.
Practice what I preach
Putting this knowledge into practice means putting aside the middle-grade novel I finished this year and replacing it with something that better fits my target audience.
I love YA. I grew up with it. I still read it. I love writing it.
The return to my roots
Young readers are impressionable.
The tween and teen years hold a lot of existential crisis and pondering about one’s place in the universe. Add in the fact that many adults still read YA, whether for the emotional and powerful story arcs or to feel young, and it’s a great way to entertain an audience. A great way to help people discover, or rediscover, why they love reading.
If I can bundle up my disastrous thoughts in a way that relates to people and makes them feel less alone on a school sports trip or during a long lunch break, all the better.
Old, new, established plan
So, yes, I’ve been re-writing this old project of mine.
I’ll be honest: It’s clear in my mind, but it’s not going down on paper quite the way I dreamed it would. To deal with this, I’ll just keep re-writing and re-structuring the plot until it works.
Note: this is different than chasing the all-enticing and impossible perfection.
When it’s in a good spot, I’ll be looking for BETA readers to help me make it the strongest it can be.
I’ve also been reading a lot of YA thrillers to get in the groove—highly recommend reading the books in the genre you want to write.
Whatever projects you chase in the new year, may you find success and happiness.
