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.

Get the Knowledge Without the College! You are a writer. You dream of sharing your words with the world, and you're willing to put in the hard work to achieve success. You may have even considered earning your MFA, but for whatever reason--tuition costs, the time commitment, or other responsibilities--you've never been able to do it. Or maybe you've been looking for a self-guided approach so you don't have to go back to school. This book is for you. DIY MFA is the do-it-yourself alternative to a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing. By combining the three main components of a traditional MFA--writing, reading, and community--it teaches you how to craft compelling stories, engage your readers, and publish your work. Inside you'll learn how to: • Set customized goals for writing and learning. • Generate ideas on demand. • Outline your book from beginning to end. • Breathe life into your characters. • Master point of view, voice, dialogue, and more. • Read with a "writer's eye" to emulate the techniques of others. • Network like a pro, get the most out of writing workshops, and submit your work successfully. Writing belongs to everyone--not only those who earn a degree. With DIY MFA, you can take charge of your writing, produce high-quality work, get published, and build a writing career.

From a top young adult literary agent, the only guide on how to write for young adults With an 87 percent increase in the number of titles published in the last two years, the young adult market is one of the healthiest segments in the industry. Despite this, little has been written to help authors hone their craft to truly connect with this audience. Writing Great Books for Young Adults gives writers the advice they need to tap this incredible market. Topics covered include: Listening to the voices of youth Meeting your young protagonist Developing a writing style Constructing plots Trying on points of view Agent Regina Brooks has developed award-winning authors across the YA genre, including a Coretta Scott King winner. She attends more than 20 conferences each year, meeting with authors and teaching.

Captivate the hearts and minds of young adult readers! Writing for young adult (YA) and middle grade (MG) audiences isn't just "kid's stuff" anymore--it's kidlit! The YA and MG book markets are healthier and more robust than ever, and that means the competition is fiercer, too. In Writing Irresistible Kidlit, literary agent Mary Kole shares her expertise on writing novels for young adult and middle grade readers and teaches you how to: • Recognize the differences between middle grade and young adult audiences and how it impacts your writing. • Tailor your manuscript's tone, length, and content to your readership. • Avoid common mistakes and cliches that are prevalent in YA and MG fiction, in respect to characters, story ideas, plot structure and more. • Develop themes and ideas in your novel that will strike emotional chords. Mary Kole's candid commentary and insightful observations, as well as a collection of book excerpts and personal insights from bestselling authors and editors who specialize in the children's book market, are invaluable tools for your kidlit career. If you want the skills, techniques, and know-how you need to craft memorable stories for teens and tweens, Writing Irresistible Kidlit can give them to you.

Join the New Adult Fiction revolution! From Sylvia Day's Bared to You to Jamie McGuire's Beautiful Disaster, new adult fiction has arrived--and it's hotter than ever. But there's more to this category than its 18-to-26-year-old characters: The success of your story depends on authentically depicting the transition of your young protagonists from teenhood to adulthood. With Writing New Adult Fiction, you'll learn how to capture the spirit of freedom, self-discovery, and romance that defines the new adult experience. • Create memorable characters that act and sound like new adults. • Sculpt a distinct personality for your fiction with POV, voice, tone, and word choices. • Build a unique, captivating plot that satisfies your audience from beginning to end. • Learn tools for revising effectively and efficiently in a speed-driven market. • Weigh the options for your path to publication: traditional, indie, and hybrid. The new adult category is filled with opportunities to break in with distinct plots and original characters. Make your mark by writing a novel that's fresh, unique--and wholly new adult!

A standalone contemporary dark romance with a vampire twist, from the New York Times bestselling author of A Nordic King and Sins & Needles All Lenore Warwick wants for her 21st birthday is to hang out with her friends, finish her second year at Berkeley with flying colors, and maybe catch the eye of a hot musician playing a show at a club that she can now (legally) get into.Unfortunately, fate has other plans for her.A week before her birthday, she's kidnapped by the brooding and dangerous stranger with cold eyes and a lethal touch, who has been stalking her on San Francisco's fog-shrouded streets. Absolon Stavig isn't your average criminal though. He's a centuries-old vampire who's caught between wanting to kill Lenore and wanting to save her.You see Lenore, too, is a vampire.She just doesn't know it yet.Taken by a pair of vampire slayers when she was just an infant, Lenore was raised never knowing her true nature. All Lenore knows is that she has (normal) parents who love her, that she's exceptionally smart, and she's squeamish around blood. But once she turns twenty-one, she'll fully turn into a vampire, and Solon hopes he'll be there to guide her, opening her eyes to her deepest hunger...both sexual and otherwise.But this turning can't be kept a secret. Soon both slayers and vampires are hunting Lenore, with only Solon and his unpredictable motley crew of vampires to save her.If they don't kill her first.Black Sunshine is a dark adult standalone romance with a paranormal twist, about sex, love, secrets, and revenge, set in contemporary San Francisco. CONTENT WARNING: as a vampire romance with a sexy bite, it features blood, blood play, cutting, bondage, and scenes of dubious consent

Everyone in Muessa Junction hates Monalisa Kent. After all, she was the thickwit who blowtorched the futon factory—the town's heart, soul, and bread and butter. So what if she was just six at the time? Junctioners don't forgive and forget. And now it's the 10th anniversary of the blaze that fried Mona's supposed life. In the past 10 years, her bitter town resurrected itself through the divine intervention of the fast food industry. But there is no absolution for Mona—they still hate the sorry sight of her. And Mona doesn't like them either. At 16 she's dyed her hair blue, found her place at the local tattoo parlor, and taken to memorizing bumper sticker sayings instead of dealing with people. But disappearing is never that easy, especially with blue hair. And in her efforts to retreat, Mona has forgotten the oldest bumper sticker in the book: "No matter how deep you bury the past, it always climbs out to bite you in the butt."