The Young Adult Label Makes Me Gag

I have been told by a few people now that my story, so far at least, might not be what is termed "middle grade" but might in fact be characterized by the publishing world as "young adult". Does it matter? Well it does to me. When I was a fourth-to-eighth grader I liked books with mystery, adventure and magic, mostly age-appropriate stuff with a sprinkling of adult fiction like The Lord of the Rings and Watership Down. But I still liked middle grade books when I was in high school (and still do).

What I never liked was "young adult" or "teen fiction". I thought teens were annoying when I was a teen. Did I want to read about some skinny love interest named Devon or Chase who slouches around staring with his "sparkling green eyes"? Or a heroine named Kelsey or Skye with her  "flowing raven hair" and a love affair with her own insecurities? No I did not.

The pointless killing of characters for shock value alone, teens with drug problems and uncomfortable underage sexual encounters- ICK- for Pete's sake spare me the ABC After School Special Novel, even if it IS dolled up with supernatural creatures. Give me characters who actually love life, seek adventure, do very little whining, and care about something outside of themselves. If you want some examples, I have here a reading list from my younger days to keep you busy on a rainy autumn night...

The View from the Cherry Tree by Willo Davis Roberts
The Winter of Enchantment by Victoria Walker
The Curse of the Blue Figurine by John Bellairs
Witch's Sister by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
The Headless Cupid by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
We Dare Not Go A-Hunting by Charlotte MacLeod
The Children of Green Knowe by L.M. Boston
The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken
In the Circle of Time by Margaret J. Anderson
The Ghost Garden by Hila Feil
Captain Butcher's Body by Scott Corbett

Bad Guys

I need a way to make the bad guy threatening to my main character. I want her to be in real danger at some point. The problem? The bad guy is a murderer from the past who, if he was still alive would be around 90 years old. Should she be in danger from an angry poltergeist-like ghost, or  from a real-life 90 year old man with a secret worth killing for? How freakin' scary can an old man be? Actually, that just reminded me of the scene in Exorcist 3 where some possessed old lady scurries across the ceiling- BLECH- really disturbing. I'm probably going with an angry ghost though, lets not make the kids afraid to visit Grandpa at the old folks home.

Doldrums

Why are my characters going nowhere? Why do they just sit around and make smart-ass comments to each other? Why is romance creeping into my ghost story? Why do I have no control over my own plot right now? WHY?

Paper and Ink, Ink on Paper

I used to have nice handwriting...I mean like in junior high. Now, when I'm not near the computer, I write huge sections of my book on cheap ugly yellow pads of paper, and I can barely make out what I've written. I fear that if I don't write quickly, the thoughts will fly out of my head, and sometimes they do anyway.

I wish I had the handwriting of a 1917 social secretary- long rounded fancy cursive in flowing fountain pen on posh cream paper. I just realized I would be embarassed to show my low-class scribbles to a writer's group. I know very well no one gives a rat's ass about my handwriting, it's about the quality of the writing, blah blah, but still. It's like wearing a yellow off-the-rack purple cocktail dress on your wedding day. Everyone says to your face that it's "unique" and "edgy", but if we insert these words into my handy-dandy social translator, what they really mean is "tacky" and "laaaaaame".

I am envisioning new large soft leather notebooks and a quill pen a la John Hancock. Well not really a quill pen, more like one of those thin brown calligraphy markers from Michael's craft store, but whatever.

Writing the First Draft

I have figured out that I do my best thinking while driving.

I drive all over the state for my job, and it's not that I'm not paying attention to the road, I swear I am, but during a three hour morning stretch down Highway 99 toward Fresno, you can only entertain yourself by staring at endless bare orchards for about ten minutes. I start brainstorming during drives like that and come up with dialog and plot ideas all of the time.

That's all good, right? The bad news is that I have forgotten 80% of what I came up with this whole week. While I think the California Highway Patrol frowns upon writing while driving, I think my first draft will go a lot faster if I can manage it somehow.

At first I thought I would be brave and try to dig through plastic bins and find my hand held recorder from college. I had this professor who talked so fast that over a third of the class dropped out by the end of two weeks. I am too lazy to tackle the garage though, and apparently you can get a brand new one from Amazon for about 20 dollars that's actually voice activated- so I think I can be technically "hands free" while driving. 

I will of course have to listen to my own voice (eeeeeeewwww) but at least I won't lose anymore "brilliant" ideas. Sweet.