Dream Jobs: Young Adult Fiction Novelist

As with my last "dream jobs" post, this dream job falls within the writing profession.  A blogger dreams of jobs for which she would do nothing but write, you say?  Shocking!

First, let me define what I mean by "young adult fiction novelist" (YA novelist, for short).  Examples of young adult fiction include:  Harry Potter, Hunger Games, Twilight, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, etc.  A YA novelist writes fiction geared toward teenagers, and though it may have a wider appeal, the writing is primarily targeting a younger audience.

I feel like this job relates to a very specific subset of writers, one which I would fall into quite nicely.  A YA novelist has to be able to write well enough to hold the reader's attention, but they probably won't be winning a Pulitzer anytime soon.  You have to be a "good" writer to succeed, but you don't have to be a "great" writer.  In fact, most "great" writers might be insulted by the idea of being a YA novelist.  And, great writers would not be very successful as YA novelists.  Teenagers don't want to read "great" literature... look at high school English classes and the popularity of things like Cliff's Notes that allow teenagers to avoid reading great literature.  Sure, as a teenager, I enjoyed reading great literature... but I was particularly nerdy.

I, however, am admittedly not a "great" writer, and I relish the idea of being a YA novelist for a few reasons.

Reason #1.  Young adults have low standards.  I mean, have you seen what is on MTV nowadays?  Jersey Shore?  Teen Mom?  Miley Cyrus?  Seriously, how good of a writer do you need to be to engage teenage minds?  For the most part, they probably couldn't care less about writing style, symbolism, or originality.  Teenagers are usually looking for one thing when they read:  entertainment.  Granted, most adults are also looking for the same thing... but they expect a higher level of quality and intelligence in their entertainment.  Teenagers will tolerate an extraordinarily high level of repetition and cliches.  You could write almost the same exact story over and over again, just changing key things like names and settings, and teenagers would love every single book.  In fact, they are usually looking for a certain formula and outcome in their novels, just as women look for a certain formula in their romance novels.  You don't want a romance novel where the heroine doesn't get the guy in the end (take note, Nicholas Sparks... there are "tearjerkers," and then there is Nights in Rodanthe.  Awful.).  In that same vein, young adults want a novel where there is a "good" side and a "bad" side... characters have to band together to overcome an obstacle... and the protagonist "wins" in the end, learning a lesson in the process.  There may or may not need to be a romance of some kind thrown in there... definitely, if it is geared toward females.  Supernatural characters also instantly up the appeal.  Lower standards = less stress.

This is what you are competing with.

Reason #2.  Teenagers are incredibly spoiled.  Really, parents spend ridiculous amounts of money on their children.  And, any money that teenagers happen to get, they spend indiscriminately.  I'm not complaining, as I was obviously a beneficiary of this trend as a teenager, but the teenage market is a goldmine.  The entertainment industry understands this and purposefully markets toward the younger generation.  If a teenager wants something, their parents buy it for them.  Why?  Teenagers are horrible, that's why!  Parents will do anything to placate angst-ridden teens.  I remember... I was one of those teens.  Generally, parents will take whatever small measures they can to avoid their teenagers' wrath.  It is also almost impossible to understand or predict why your teenage son or daughter is angry with you... so, when it is obvious that they are angry because they want "x" book, you give them "x" book.  Even if you only get 3 days of silence while your child reads said book... it is probably worth the $12 you spent on it.  Plus, at least it's a book.  Your child is reading for entertainment.  You have just succeeded as a parent!

Cha-ching!

Reason #3.  Young adult books make great movie franchises or TV shows.  It seems like every recent major multi-movie franchise has been based on YA novels.  Not to mention the slew of CW or ABC Family shows based on YA novels.  But, YA novels don't just stop at movies and television, oh no.  They can turn into multimedia extravaganzas.  Just think of the endless amount of Harry Potter merchandise in every medium imaginable.  Video games.  Toys.  Websites.  Costumes.  Food.  It even got its own theme park!  Twilight is well on its way to a similar level of multimedia success, and I anticipate that Hunger Games will follow shortly.  If you write a successful YA series, it is almost guaranteed that said success will parlay into something far broader and more lucrative.  With adults, you can make books into movies or TV shows, and they are likely to at least be moderately successful.  But, as far as additional merchandising goes, "adult" books can only reach so far.  You don't really see John Grisham video games, toys, mugs, calendars, or t-shirts...

And, I was so hoping for a Michael Crichton lunchbox!

Reason #4.  I like reading young adult books.  I admit it.  I like young adult books... maybe even more than actual adult books.  I'm not ashamed.  After all, I have already admitted that I love the show Vampire Diaries (though I have yet to succumb to the temptation to read the bazillion books the show is based on...). I'm trying to force myself to read more adult books, but they just aren't as fun!  Perhaps it is my inner child... or my immature "young at heart" attitude.  I love the escapist elements of YA fiction.  I am instantly transported back to being a teenager myself, which can sometimes be a bit dangerous, but is most times a welcomed escape from the reality of adulthood.  And, I figure, if I'm the one writing the YA fiction, I would spend even more time lost in that escape.  Whether enjoying reading YA novels translates into enjoying writing YA novels is yet to be seen... but it is a quandary that I would be happy to explore!

I tried to find a clever representation of me exploring a quandary.  Apparently, this is Quandary Peak.  As much fun as a 14,000 foot mountain looks, I would rather explore a figurative quandary.

Basically, these reasons boil down to two things:  money and enjoyment.  Isn't that what a dream job is, anyway?  A job that provides you with money and enjoyment.  And, yes, I know that only like one out of a thousand YA novelists will ever reach any level of success... and I'm sure it's much harder than I make it out to be (maybe).  But, I can dream...