WWTBAM Bored

and they love the manuscript!

and they think it's fresh and original!

and

Spoiler

completely in the wrong genre!

They want me to modify it slightly to make it a Young Adult (YA) novel. The told me I have a great YA voice and the storyline holds up well.

But the characters are too old. And, they don't swear, kill each other or have sex. That makes it a hard sell in the grown up section.

So, I'm going to take it down a notch and make the main characters younger women (HS age) but keep the historical aspect intact (it takes place over the course of three hundred years).

The agents were very enthusiastic and want to help me along the way. I have the opportunity to run ideas past them if needed. They would like a new/improved synopsis as soon as I can come up with one.

This is wonderful news, of course.

They want it. They really want it.

I'm going to deliver.

Thanks for the vibage. It works.

I am thrilled for you!

This is wonderful news.

HOw very exciting.

Updates are required!!

I'd say the agents are right on that.

Great news!

I love it!

I can't wait to read it!

Except, I can wait! Until it's published!

YAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

I am certain this will be an excellent book, Mr. Vandal, but I do hope you gave some parts to dogs. Dogs are very good at solving mysteries because we can see pictures on the insides of our eyelids. Good dog scenes will make it excellent-plus.

/:P\

Vandal wrote:and they love the manuscript!

and they think it's fresh and original!

and

Spoiler

completely in the wrong genre!

They want me to modify it slightly to make it a Young Adult (YA) novel. The told me I have a great YA voice and the storyline holds up well.

But the characters are too old. And, they don't swear, kill each other or have sex. That makes it a hard sell in the grown up section.

So, I'm going to take it down a notch and make the main characters younger women (HS age) but keep the historical aspect intact (it takes place over the course of three hundred years).

The agents were very enthusiastic and want to help me along the way. I have the opportunity to run ideas past them if needed. They would like a new/improved synopsis as soon as I can come up with one.

This is wonderful news, of course.

They want it. They really want it.

I'm going to deliver.

Thanks for the vibage. It works.

My daughter Maddie just devours Young Adult novels. I think that sometimes teenagers have more opportunites to read than adults.

Congrats.

But the characters are too old. And, they don't swear, kill each other or have sex.

Cancel my order. There probably weren't any pictures in it anyway.

Vandal wrote:But the characters are too old.

Even fictional MAWGs are personae not grata.

Very cool, and very interesting about the genre change. That's why you get an agent, I guess. They know the styles out there and can arrange and negotiate accordingly.

Good luck! Although I'm not a young adult, except perhaps mentally, I will be sure to get a copy after the birth.

MarleysGh0st wrote:

Vandal wrote:But the characters are too old.

Even fictional MAWGs are personae not grata.

Who knew _TPTB_ was a literary agent in his spare time....

lb13

That is all.......................

Wonderful news, Vandal! Congratulations, and happy reworking!

t.

I am with PSM on this. Thanks to Harry Potter, we have a large group of YA readers. And they love books in a series.

My kids read every night.

We will puchase a copy as soon as it is published.

Signed by the author of course!

This is GREAT news, Vandal! When's the book signing tour, and when will you be in the mid-Atlantic area??

YA is a great market. Go to it.

christie1111 wrote:I am with PSM on this. Thanks to Harry Potter, we have a large group of YA readers. And they love books in a series.

My kids read every night.

We will puchase a copy as soon as it is published.

Signed by the author of course!

Ditto from me.

I've been noticing that there is a lot more Young Adult Historical fiction.
Libba Bray has some books that take place in the 1800's that are really popular. There is also a lot of Vampire fiction, with the Stephanie Meyer books Twilight, New Mood and Eclipse being the most popular.

This is cool.

I could see how your style would be great for YA.

Hooray.

Most excellent, Mr.VandalSir.


MOST excellent.

That is great news!

Wow! That is great news, Vandal and a response from them I find very interesting.....

not to open a can of worms, but I am curious since coming from a creative field originally, I found it difficult at times to separate the creative product from myself since it sprang from me and visibly looked like me/sounded like me, etc.....and I had to work to get my mind around the fact that any criticism/rejection was not a personal critique of me (esp in auditions cause sometimes it was that I was too tall or my voice was too deep, etc). The mantra became "they wanted a table but I am a chair."

So, that being said, are you inspired to make the changes? Was any part of you offended? Are you apprehensive at all? How much time did they give you? Am I being too nosy? You can choose not to reply and I will forgive you and root for you with gusto anyway.

5LD wrote:Wow! That is great news, Vandal and a response from them I find very interesting.....

not to open a can of worms, but I am curious since coming from a creative field originally, I found it difficult at times to separate the creative product from myself since it sprang from me and visibly looked like me/sounded like me, etc.....and I had to work to get my mind around the fact that any criticism/rejection was not a personal critique of me (esp in auditions cause sometimes it was that I was too tall or my voice was too deep, etc). The mantra became "they wanted a table but I am a chair."

So, that being said, are you inspired to make the changes?

Absolutely. If a top-notch agency tells you that your novel is "well-written" and "unique" and they are extremely interested in it if you make some changes, then you damn well better be inspired.

Was any part of you offended?

No. The agents prefaced everything so well and, let's face it, they know the market better than I do. When the YA agent gave me the first "what if" plot change, I had no trouble picturing what she was saying. YA writing is not a step down by any stretch. It's just different. When she read my story, she heard a YA voice with characters slightly too old for the voice. She kept reading because she had never read a plot quite like it. I don't like to swear, I don't go for violence, and I couldn't write a sex scene to save my life. Those are great YA attributes. They want me to write to my strengths.

Also, I was running out of time with this manuscript. Rejection hasn't and doesn't bother me. I have a stack of rejection letters and a huge email folder full of "Dear Author" messages.

I'm all for some good and positive guidance after

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320

rejections.

It only takes one.

Are you apprehensive at all?

Hardly. I've already ripped open and changed the first six chapters and I've looked into how the new timeline works with younger historians (from age 30 to 16 or so). I'll figure it out.

I am stoked.

How much time did they give you?

They would like to see a new synopsis within the next few weeks. They want to help and are willing to suggest ideas if I ask. My personal (perhaps ambitious) goal is to deliver a YA version of The Memory Box some time this summer.

Am I being too nosy?

Not at all. If you want to get a writer talking, ask him about his writing. I don't mind. Please don't address the post "Dear Author" for reasons already given.

You can choose not to reply and I will forgive you and root for you with gusto anyway.

See above.

Root away. I appreciate your gusto.

DEAR AUTHOR...