Otherplace is my first Young Adult novel, making me appreciate the "requirements" of the genre. (To clarify, there are no real rules, merely patterns and trends that have emerged over time.) Writing for a younger audience calls for a slight
shift in vocabulary, pace, and tone.
I find people are more accepting of impetuousness in a Young
Adult novel. A life choice made by a 16-year-old character is perceived differently
to a life choice made a 36-year-old character. Descriptiveness is also kept to a
minimum, as if the words in a YA book have been whittled to a sharp point.
What I think of as "realization" is another key factor. The lead characters often realize their place in the world (or how to go about finding it), their emotional strength, ways to handle relationships/personal connections, and the ability to say no (or yes). Sometimes they discover a sense of purpose, and begin to work out a way to forge their own path.
What I think of as "realization" is another key factor. The lead characters often realize their place in the world (or how to go about finding it), their emotional strength, ways to handle relationships/personal connections, and the ability to say no (or yes). Sometimes they discover a sense of purpose, and begin to work out a way to forge their own path.
Otherplace includes adventures that would have appealed to
me at 15 or 16. The story is also a traditional linear narrative (no unreliable narrator
this time), and a coming of age tale with consecutive internal/external
journeys.
My favorite books were always really imaginative fare, probably why Otherplace leans toward slipstream more than anything else, melding elements of
the fantastical with the futuristic. What can I say? My imagination isn’t big
on following rules.
Here is the promotional text, and the novel is currently available
on Amazon Kindle as an ebook (highly affordable, hint, hint). To purchase click here
The One says all Placeless must Fade.
Citizens of Otherplace who don’t know where they
belong have three choices: hide, run, or Fade from existence.
With Place Police sweeping the Dome,
Hellen and her brother Hop are forced to take refuge at Desperachen Manor. Over
time they realize one thing is worse than being Placeless: being prey.
From the seemingly magical life of a Module at the
Castle to the rebel caves on the border, it turns out Placeless have secret
allies and mortal enemies everywhere.
What is the purpose of Symon’s talisman? Why does
Prince Charming have so many faces? How did Death become trapped inside a
person? And is there any truth to the seer’s prediction?
Will Hellen really save them all?
No comments:
Post a Comment