Young Adult

THE SCORE SHEET

~ ALL SPECIFIC SECTIONS

~Some of the explanations are the same for general questions which require some expected knowledge of the sub-genre. If you require a more in-depth definition of the genre...please send an email for additional information. Additional resources are being posted this week.

~If you have an additional question regarding the Young Adult category or an entry, please send it directly to GEcoordinator@ntrwa.org.

~For your convenience we’ve included the description of the category as described on our FINAL EDITORS page.

*YOUNG ADULT* 

Novels appropriate for young adult readers. Includes young adult heroes and heroines not exceeding 18 years of age. An example is the 2017 RWA RITA winner: The Problem with Forever by Jennifer L. Armentrout

SPECIFIC TO THE YOUNG ADULT CATEGORY

Possible 20 point total to award, 5 points per question

        Does the main character face his / her problem in a believable manner?

        Does the author capture the dialogue of a young adult romance?

        Is the main character moving toward discovering who he/she is as a person?

        Are the secondary characters necessary, interesting, and believable?

Breaking Down the Questions

        Does the main character face his / her problem in a believable manner?

Young adult manuscripts encompass a wide range of subjects, tones, and styles. Contemporary to historical paranormal, first person or third person, slow and steady or action-adventure. Anything goes. The goal of any manuscript is to provide an excellent book. Please keep the writing in mind.

        Does the author capture the dialogue of a young adult romance?

Dialogue is an important part of any manuscript. Do teens curse? Yes. Do they use slang? Yes. Do you still want the story to flow? Yes. Finding the perfect balance is difficult. The most important thing about dialogue is to convey information, progress the story, and NOT interrupt the reader. If you’re jarred from the story…you might want to verify why. Is it because you can’t understand? Or was it a good shock? Only you as a reader can decide this answer. I like the Writing YA for Dummies dialogue section: “blurt it out.” As in teens often TALK first and THINK second.

        Is the main character moving toward discovering who he/she is as a person?

The main character must overcome their obstacle. “The elements of storytelling are the same for young adult fiction and adult fiction, but writers of young adult fiction must come at those elements with a wholly different mindset. After all, this category has its own rules, its own quirks, and its own very opinionated audience: teens and tweens.” ~ Writing Young Adult Fiction For Dummies by Deborah Halverson.  

        Are the secondary characters necessary, interesting, and believable?

As with any length and any sub-genre of romance, the secondary characters must have a purpose in the scene. A second character in the room is the perfect way to give the reader information without the POV character just thinking about it. Dialogue is always better (in my humble opinion). But be careful the character doesn’t begin an info-dump. If this seems the case, will this suggestion help? Example: the author may try a mental note that the secondary character is talking a lot or have the discussion with the secondary character. In other words, draw all the characters into the scene and make it necessary to forward the plot. 

If you have specific questions regarding this section, please contact GEcoordinator@ntrwa.org.

~ ~ ~

Most of the opinions on judging and interpreting the questions’ intent are my own words. I’ve been in the business over 15 years and have spoken to many authors, gathering information. A lot of the time when a question is asked, I go to authors who publish in that genre for advice. Please use your own expertise and experience, but keep our humble interpretations in mind.

~Thanks, Angi Morgan

AngiMorganAuthor.com

Contributions and edits by Fenley Grant.

Additional help tips for judging all entries are available through our judge training on the blog. Articles, tips and references are always welcome.

TO SHARE:

Additional help tips for judging all entries are available through our judge training on the blog.

Need more about what the trends in YA are? Try Romance University

Or how about Writing YA for Dummies

Or how about Publishers Weekly