Writing for Young Adults

I don't know what book Michigan Writer read, but I thought that Sherry Garland's book on writing was excellent. I'm far from a beginner (numerous magazine stories, chapter books, novels published), and I still learned new things from this book. I also found it inspiring -- here's where you learn what you need to know. That's a much better inspiration than reading a book about writing, smiling and punching the air and saying "Yeah!", and still not knowing what to do next. Sherry Garland is an award-winning author. Read her book and then do what she says. She's a pro!

Garland has written a book for both the beginning YA writer and the published author--and that's not easy! Her organization, examples, and practical advice will appeal to writers on both ends of the spectrum and everyone in between. Like any good teacher, she does not "brow beat" information into you (neither does she insult your intelligence with simplistic advice). Included are tips on writing all kinds of YA literature...novels, non-fiction, poetry, etc. She also has a section with practical advice from a business standpoint. If I could only have one book on writing for young adults, it would be this one (and I've read MANY).

Author Sherry Garland takes the mystery out of writing and publishing children's books with her collection of guidelines devoted to writing for young adults. After reading many books on the topic of writing for children this is the first one I have found that deals specifically with the young adult market in detail. The author defines young adult genres and offers valuable insight for keeping your writing in tune with this quickly changing market. She gives the reader a detailed overview of how to write fiction and non-fiction that will keep this fast-paced age group interested. The business side of writing such as proposals, negotiating contracts, and dealing with agents and editiors is discussed at great length. Included is a resource list that contains children's writers associations, where to find additional reference materials and popular young adult magazine markets. This compilation saved me many valuable hours of research time before starting on my own young adult book. I would recommend this to anyone aspiring to write for young adults.