Coming of Age: Writing a Young Adult Novel

Coming of Age: Writing a Young Adult NovelThe coming of age story is a pillar of modern literature; while these stories may span many genres, their influence is most strongly felt in the Young Adult novel. The themes of transformation, self realization, and discovering one's potential appeal to an audience that spans from early teens to fully matured adults, and it's not hard to understand why; if there's one experience that all people share, it's the transition from childhood to adulthood.

The coming of age story is a pillar of modern literature; while these stories may span many genres, their influence is most strongly felt in the Young Adult novel. The themes of transformation, self-realization, and discovering one's potential appeal to an audience that spans from early teens to fully-matured adults, and it's not hard to understand why; if there's one experience that all people share, it's the transition from childhood to adulthood. Perfect for authors who are just dipping their toe into YA and authors looking to expand their understanding of the genre's craft, the Coming of Age: Writing a Young Adult Novel bundle offers a selection of Writer's Digest OnDemand webinars which celebrate and explore the YA genre. For 90% off, you can bring your coming-of-age story to life with advice and inspiration from bestselling YA authors.

Gateway Scares: Writing the YA Horror Novel (OnDemand Webinar): There are a lot of misconceptions about what young adult horror novels can and should achieve. In this OnDemand Virtual Conference session, Adam Cesare discusses structure, language, character, pace, craft, and how to tie all these elements together with themes and motifs that will speak to teens. ($79.99 value)

Writing a Trilogy for Young Adult Readers (OnDemand Webinar): In this OnDemand Webinar, Kristina Pérez guides you through the process of developing your own YA trilogy. She addresses the plotting, character development, and world-building necessary to sustaining a trilogy. Using examples from her own work and other popular YA trilogies, she demonstrates effective techniques for getting and keeping the reader invested in your series. By the end of the webinar, participants will have an understanding of the requirements of a trilogy and a roadmap for executing their own. ($79.99 value)

Navigating Young Adult Characters Through the Expectations of Family and Society (OnDemand Webinar): The experience of being young is the experience of finding your place in the world. The world of young adult protagonists is defined by the characters they encounter the most, which are usually friends or family. We will examine how these relationships can represent social pressures, ideologies, and worldviews that the character has to choose between in order to discover who they themselves are. We will also examine how in contemporary YA fiction rebellion against these forces can be a stand-in for the hero's journey leading to self-actualization and self-realization. ($79.99 value)

Writing Mysteries for the YA Market (OnDemand Webinar): In this OnDemand Webinar, writers will learn the essential elements of crafting a mystery for young adults. We'll focus on plotting, pacing, structure, character arcs, and suspense, all while keeping the teenage audience in mind. ($79.99 value)

How and Why to Add Romance to Any Story You Tell (OnDemand Webinar): Like salt, love is a phenomenal flavor enhancer. In this OnDemand webinar, explore the benefits of adding romance to your story, no matter the genre. From mystery to adventure to romance, learn how to work a romance arc or meaningful romantic scenes into your writing to further engage readers. ($79.99 value)

Kickstarting Your YA Novel (OnDemand Webinar): Have you been tinkering with a story idea, but just need a little boost to get started on the manuscript? Join young adult author Julian R. Vaca as he outlines and details the steps to starting a novel and—more importantly—finishing it! In this OnDemand webinar, you'll learn story structure, dialog best practices, and tips for creating dynamic characters, plus a myriad of industry insights. ($79.99 value)

Setting the Scene (OnDemand Webinar): This session will provide information and insight to the importance of choosing a setting for your story. We will touch on setting as it relates to your plot and characters, how setting can tie into themes, and how to create an atmosphere that matches the tone of your story. We will engage with different types of settings in varying genres of young adult literature, learn about writing a place as if it is a character itself, and the nuances of deciding on the best setting for your story to take place. ($79.99 value)

Middle Grade 101: Everything You Need to Know to Write, Sell and Succeed (OnDemand Webinar): In this OnDemand Webinar, literary agent Andrea Somberg discusses what you need to know to break into the middle-grade field. She reveals how to develop your voice and how to create protagonists, plots, and opening pages that will appeal to tweens and to agents alike. She also teaches how to identify what the market is looking for now and how to “sell” your book to agents and editors.  ($79.99 value)

Writer's Digest September/October 2022 (Digital Edition): As the nights start to get longer, the leaves start changing colors, and Halloween decorations start making their appearance, writers start turning to the darker, more haunting themes in their work. And so does Writer’s Digest in the September/October issue, themed around Sinister Stories. It covers everything from writing evil characters to writing horror microfiction to how to avoid scams that would turn one’s publishing life into a horror story. ($7.99 value)

Writer's Digest September/October 2021 (Digital Edition): Standout Storytelling is the lifeblood of most creative writing, from short stories and poetry to novels and memoirs, and it’s the theme of our September/October 2021 issue. We’ve curated a selection of features and articles to inform and inspire writers of all types on their quest to write better and share their stories. ($7.99 value)