Writing and Selling the YA Novel (19 page)

Repeating information.
Many beginning writers lack confidence that they're getting their point across so they repeat information many times throughout the text. Maybe it's a scene in which a character rehashes what happened earlier in the novel, or perhaps it's the narrator reminding us of what we already know. Either way, make sure information isn't repeated unnecessarily. Trust your reader to have gotten it the first time. Teens are a sharp, intelligent audience.

Too many adjectives.
This is a variation on the same theme. One form that not trusting your reader can take is cluttering the text with too many adjectives. We don't think that one descriptive word will do the trick, so we throw in a synonym. Or maybe we don't trust our readers to imagine the scene exactly as it is in our heads, so we keep describing and describing and describing. But the reality is, readers are never going to see something in the exact same way we see it, so we need to choose the best, most important words to get our point across. Then we need to let go and allow the reader's imagination to take control of the story.

Overuse of names in dialogue.
This is a pet peeve of mine, and I almost hate to mention it because once you notice it, you can't
stop
noticing it. Pay close attention to how often you use someone's name in the course of a real-life conversation. Then watch how often people in books use each other's names. You'll find that characters call other characters by their names constantly, often referring to them by name several times in the course of the same conversation. Now look at an early draft of your manuscript. If you're like most people, you'll find this same discrepancy. Unfortunately, this tendency can grate on the nerves and ruins the realism and rhythm of dialogue.

Lack of verbs.
When you read through your text, pay special attention to sentence fragments. Not only are they grammatically incorrect, but sentence fragments tend to leave out verbs. Verbs are how we convey action, and as you know, action is the foundation of both plot and characterization. Sometimes sentence fragments can be used for great effect, but beware of using them too often, leaving your manuscript verb-depleted.

Poor spelling.
Have you ever received an e-mail that was so full of spelling errors and abbreviations you could barely read it? While spelling does not need to be perfect when you submit your work, it does need to be passable. Remember to use spell-check. While other people in your life may or may not notice spelling errors, it's an editor's job to notice. One or two spelling errors aren't cause for rejection, but multiple errors on each page might be enough to tip the scales in favor of someone else's manuscript.

FINDING FABULOUS FIRST READERS
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So now you've cleaned up your text and you're ready to submit it to editors, right? You've completed a first draft, put the manuscript away,

and rewritten it in order to strengthen your plot. You've tested your original story hypothesis until you're sure no one can argue with your results. Can I really tell you to do more before sending out your work? Unfortunately, I must.

There's one last very important step in the scientific method that should be mirrored in the writing process.
Replication of results.
When a scientist does an experiment and comes up with a conclusion, the result is not considered valid unless it can be replicated. The same can be said for getting published. Although you might think your manuscript is ready to be on a bookstore shelf, it won't ever get published unless someone else agrees. At the most basic level, at least one other person—an editor—needs to agree with your opinion of your work. More realistically, the entire editorial board at a publishing house must agree, and then hopefully, readers will also agree. Without this outside verification, your work will not fit into the boundaries of traditional publishing.

Making the editors and agents you're submitting to your first readers is a foolish way to find out if you can replicate your results. Why not test your book with other readers first? That way, should these readers suggest changes you agree with, or should you hear the same feedback over and over again, you can consider making alterations before submitting your work for publication.

But how do you find the right readers? Should you give your novel to teens or adults? Should you pay someone to critique your work? How many people should you ask? These are important questions. By now you've worked long and hard on your book, so you want to give it a fair shot. You want honest, informed, critical feedback. This might rule out your mom. (Unless, of course, your mom happens to be a librarian who's well versed in teen novels, like mine!)

What you want to avoid is giving your book to someone who would never in a million years pick it up off a bookshelf. You also want to avoid giving it to someone who will tell you only what you want to hear. Or worse yet, someone who cant articulate her thoughts. There's noth-ing more disappointing than waiting weeks to get a reader's response and then hearing, "I liked it." Of course you're glad he liked it, but this offers you nothing in terms of constructive criticism.

You want to find readers who read YA books, who you think will be able to articulate their reactions clearly, and who you can stand to hear brutally
honest
feedback from. Teachers and librarians make excellent readers. Teenagers can be fabulous readers if you choose teens who love to read and are good at expressing themselves. Other writers make wonderful readers, too; that's why so many authors join writers' groups. Writers know exactly what to watch out for because they're going through the same process with their own work.

Successful writers' groups come in many forms. They can involve any number of people and can meet in person or communicate via e-mail or snail mail. The only thing that's essential to finding the right writers' group is that you can give and receive meaningful feedback with the other writers involved. To find a writers' group in your area, check with the Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI) if you're a member, visit your local library or bookstore, post a query on an online forum, or attend a writers conference or workshop and ask people you meet there. If you have no luck finding an established group to join, don't be afraid to start your own! There might be someone else, just like you, hoping to connect with other writers, and if you post a sign or place an ad you might be surprised at the response.

Remember, even if you find the very best readers possible, writing is still a subjective activity. Be sure to weigh the thoughts and

opinions of multiple readers before making drastic changes. Hearing from as many readers as possible, and being aware of each reader's strengths and weaknesses, will allow you to put the feedback you receive into perspective.

Don't be afraid to ask your readers questions as well. Instead of passively accepting that they felt a certain way, try to find our
why
they felt that way. Sometimes, it's not the cited problem that needs to be changed but something else that is an
underlying
problem. You might even consider using the editing lists found in this chapter as guidelines to asking your readers key questions. They might not offer certain information on their own, but with a little help they might be able to tell you exactly where your book's pacing slowed or your plot seemed unbelievable.

OTHER SOURCES OF EDITING HELP
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Finding the right readers is a lot harder than it seems. Trust me. I've learned the hard way. The first reader I ever gave one of my novels to (it was a fantasy novel) was an English professor who started out his feedback by saying, "I've always hated fantasy. One of my best

friends wrote a fantasy novel and I've never been able to bring myself to read it."

One of the first readers of
Fat Kid Rules the World
suggested that my novel would be better off if the main character lost weight and became the prom king—something totally antithetical to the theme of the book. Yet another early reader unexpectedly joined the Army, taking the only printed copy of my book with him. I never heard from him again.

There are times when finding a professional might be your best approach. Finding a professional reader does not mean sending your manuscript to an agent or editor who charges reading fees. Those people are very unprofessional. Agents and editors make their money off the sale of your book, either through commission when they sell it to a publishing house or through their salary and bonuses if they're the ones publishing it. If they're charging reading fees, they're probably not on the up-and-up.

So how do you find a professional? For most people this means attending a conference or workshop, or taking a class. Classes are available not only through universities, but online as well. You'll find that taking a class is one of the best ways to improve your skills, energize your writing, and meet other people who love to do the same thing you love to do. Many writers' groups form as extensions of class settings. Workshops and conferences are also great ways to meet people and learn about your craft. A lot of conferences offer professional critiques on a limited number of pages as part of your registration fee. Professional organizations like SCBWI not only host their own conferences but can keep you abreast of activities happening in your area.

Another source of professional help might be finding a book doctor. I'll be completely honest here; even though I offer a manuscript critique service, I wouldn't recommend this for everyone. Make sure

you're really ready to hear detailed feedback if you decide to submit your manuscript. There are times when I suspect someone might have been hoping for a completely glowing response from me, but that's not why you pay someone to read your work. There are plenty of friends and family who can offer that.

If you decide to use a book doctor, make sure you've done everything you know how to do before you submit your work. Not because you need to impress that person, but because you want to get your money's worth! Why pay someone to tell you something you could have figured out on your own? What you're looking for from a professional manuscript critique is insight that can't be gained without that person's professional expertise. I also advise you to get a recommendation whenever possible.

One source of recommendations is SGBWI's
Freelance Editors & Manuscript Doctors
list that's available to SCBWI members. Another source is online chat rooms where writers discuss who they've worked with and whether they were happy with the services they received. You'll find ads for freelance editors in the back of most writing magazines, but I'd definitely advise you to ask around before blindly following an advertisement. If you do choose to call someone you don't know, ask her if she has references you might call or e-mail, and make sure she's open to reading teen fiction

FINAL ADVICE
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No matter how you approach the editing process, making your book as strong as it can be is your ultimate goal. Why? Because teens are critical, discerning readers and they deserve our very best. Just as scientists set rigorous standards so they can add knowledge to the

world, writers set rigorous standards so we can add literature to the world. We want our books to edify, entertain, and illuminate the teens who read them. Editing is our chance to take our raw words and refine them into gold.