Drawing the line between MG & YA.

Remember when I was fortunate enough to attend the AWP Conference in DC? Well, while I was there I attended a very interesting panel discussing the differences between MG and YA fiction.  The panelists tried to break it down very simply because the lines tend to blur between the two. Best example? Harry Potter. Technically Rowling's series is categorized under MG literature, despite its dark and mature themes, and teenage characters.  So why? Where do people draw the line?


ROMANCE.
The big numero uno.

Romance seems to be key for reeling in new readers. If you can develop a believable or swoon worthy relationship between one, two, even three characters, people go crazy and crave more. Granted, this is so long as the romance isn't haphazardly slapped into the story. (We don't like that!)

But can there be romance in MG literature? Technically, yes. But to what degree? In Harry Potter, there's nothing more than hugging and kissing. Not only is sex off limits, but it seems that making out is, too. And even a kiss can make some people wary of the MG/YA distinction.

Is it just one kiss? What kind of kiss? A peck? A first kiss?

There are variables that alter the meaning of the kiss, and they can plunge the story into either category. Of course, others think that romance should stay far away from MG literature altogether.

But what about in YA literature? These days romance is almost always the focus - but to what degree? Speak, Twenty Boy Summer, The Duff, etc. introduce mature, sexual relations. Others merely skim the surface of romance, never going beyond the memorable make-out sessions or hinting at the fact that sex occurred at some point in time. So what's the difference? The meaning behind the actions or the details of the actions?



AGE.
Numero dos.

For some people - myself included - the age of the characters matters. I relate best to people in my age group, or at least in the general range.  I'm not in high school, but I can still enjoy reading YA literature set in the 9th-12th grades. But middle school? Kids below the age of sixteen, fifteen, fourteen? Not so much. There's a distance there.

But what set of ages can be labeled purely MG or YA? Again, with Harry Potter, the journey begins at eleven years old. You think, Yeah, definitely MG because no eleven-year-old is considered a young adult. But then you follow those characters for seven years, up until they're roughly eighteen years of age.

If you set out to write a MG novel, should your character then not start out as a teenager? But how young should they be? What about for a YA novel? Is there a cut-off? What's considered too young or too old?



SETTING.
Numero tres.

Middle school or high school? Pretty self-explanatory. Where do the characters go to school? Of which do they belong? It seems the difference is that there is less likely to be rebellious or mature themes in a middle school setting. The drinking, partying and drugs are kept for the YA/high school crowd. The MG readers get bullies, dying pets and sibling rivalry instead.

In this way, the setting influences what happens within the story, which can then define it as MG or YA.

But what about college? Is it an acceptable setting for a YA novel? Most stories are set right on the cuff - the in between period of Senior year at high school and Freshman year at college.  Is setting the story in college pushing the boundary? College kids are teenagers too, you know.

Romance, Age, and Setting are the big three, confusing factors.

Can you think of any others?

What do you think about any of the three, and do you have problems distinguishing your own writing as MG or YA?

Back from AWP!

It seems so long ago that I left for AWP, when in reality it was a mere three days ago. But, I am finally back and well rested.

Unfortunately I didn't get many pictures - just a few of the hotel. Most of the panels I sat in on had me packed like a sardine. Especially the YA panels. Those were quite popular. There was some awesome insight on the divide between MG/YA/Adult. So look for another discussion post coming soon!

There was another panel that I particularly enjoyed, titled, Words Authors Love or Loathe. A panel of about six authors read passages/small essays on their loved or loathed word. It was hilarious. My two favorites hated the words very and pants.

Now that I can get back into the swing of things, I'll be attempting the following:

Another Grammar Bit - any particulars you'd like covered? Feel free to leave it in a comment.
Review for Bloodthirsty.
Review for In the Storm.
Author interview with Karen Metcalf (author of In the Storm).
Guest post by Karen Metcalf?
Discussion post.
Word Bit.

Conference time!

Well, in the early morning hours I'll be heading to the AWP conference. Which means I won't have time for posting for the next 3 days. So there'll be a bit of a posting lull here. I'll do my best to get something up on Sunday. (Hopefully a review of Bloodthirsty by Flynn Meaney?)

I'll also do my best to take pictures. No guarantees, though. I'll be working on a very tight schedule.

But I hope all of you have a fantastic weekend!

AWP anyone?

In two short weeks I'll be heading to the 2011 AWP Conference in Washington, D.C. I'm super excited. Three full days of books and reading and writing! Oh, and authors! (Carrie Jones, anyone?)

I'm a bit overwhelmed, having never previously attended a book/writing conference. There's so much I want to see and do! No idea how I'm going to find the time to fit it all in, while still remembering to eat and sleep.

Anyone else heading to the AWP Conference? And anyone that's been to a similar type of conference - how was your experience with it? Any advice/tips?