Interview: Katie McGarry and Jennifer L. Armentrout on writing YA

As a reader, I'm always looking for the next great book, whether it be Young Adult (YA) or New Adult (NA), paranormal or contemporary romance, the labels don't matter much to me as long as I connect with the story, or get lost in it, or be affected by it at some level. But to many, genres and categories matter, and I wanted to delve into the topic today, specifically as it pertains to the YA category.

As this space expands and evolves, we're seeing more novels straddle the line between YA and NA, and I wanted to take the time to explore the nature of these crossovers and see what that notion really means. I was thrilled to be able to talk to two highly esteemed, bestselling authors, Katie McGarry and Jennifer L. Armentrout to get the scoop on the many faces of YA. Both have new releases today: Katie's Breaking the Rules is part of her Pushing the Limits series, and Jennifer's Wicked is book one in a new series with the same name.

Vilma: The term Young Adult identifies novels suitable for young readers. But we also see terms such as mature YA and crossover YA. Can you tell me how you define these terms? Are they subcategories, and if so, is there a reason for it?

Katie: When I set out to write the first book in the Pushing the Limits series, I wasn't thinking about categories or genres. I was set on writing the story the characters (Echo & Noah) had told me to write. I was also determined to write a story that I would have loved and the story I needed when I was a teen struggling with the idea that hope existed in the darkest of circumstances.

Do I consider the Pushing the Limits series mature YA? Yes. Because mature YA in my mind is material that deals with heavier issues and circumstances that some teens do face. My writing is very raw and emotional. It deals with tough subject matter: sex, homelessness, drugs, alcohol, parents with addiction issues, mental illness. The list can continue.

I believe that there should be a book for every person. Some people enjoy books that are light in subject matter. There's nothing wrong with that. In fact, I love reading some of these myself, but I do believe that we need to offer books that deal with heavier topics as well for those teens who need to know that they aren't alone in their battles.

Jennifer: I really haven't seen them classified as that yet. What I've seen tossed around is "upper YA" terminology, which signifies that the book does have more mature content, etc. So those books are probably closer to New Adult and upper YA may be closer to middle grade. Some refer to those books as "clean YA," and I really loathe that term. Using the word "clean" for one group of books is suggesting the other books are "dirty."

Vilma: Both of you write YA with varying levels of sexiness. Do you think the level of steam, or even specifically whether the characters in your novels have sex or not, is a defining characteristic for whether a book is considered YA or not?

Katie: To me, the defining characteristic of YA is the emotional journey and maturity level of the characters. It's not about whether there's sex in the book or not. For instance, in my novel Take Me On, West and Haley share some of the steamiest kisses I've written, but they don't have sex and they don't go nearly as far as some of my other characters. In my novel Dare You To, Beth and Ryan do have sex, but I consider it just as much of a YA novel as Take Me On, because having sex is a part of their emotional exploration of who they are as they grapple with the prospect of becoming adults.

Echo and Noah deal with similar explorations in Pushing the Limits and later on in Breaking the Rules as they continue to explore their emotional and physical relationship.

Young Adult fiction, to me, captures the feeling of moving from being a teen to the beginning stages of becoming an adult.

Jennifer: No. Having sex or not having sex, in detail or fade to black, in a book should never be a determining factor if you're trying to figure out if the book is YA or not. Having sex in a YA book should not even become the most important angle of the book, overshadowing the storyline, plot and characters. The funny thing is, in my opinion, a teen picks up a YA book with sex in it, the sex part is not even what they end up focusing on. It's just a part of the overall story.

Vilma: In what ways do you approach a YA book differently than you would an NA or adult novel? Or do you approach it differently at all?

Katie: So far, I've only published YA, but I do play with different genres on my occasional downtime. I do really think about my wording when I write kissing or sex scenes in a YA novel. I try to paint a picture for my readers without being extremely specific about what's happening. I emphasize the emotions of the moment over the physical.

Of course, the main character of an NA or adult novel is going to view the world differently than a YA character. They have more experiences under their belt to help create their world view, whereas more often than not, a Young Adult character is going through his or her first real defining moments.

Jennifer: For me, the only thing I approach differently would be the amount of detail I might give a certain scene, but other than that, I don't approach them differently. A lot of teens are reading New Adult and a lot of adults are reading Young adult.

Vilma: Are there any elements that are typical or must-haves in crossover novels? What makes a crossover novel … a crossover?

Katie: The subject matter and the emotions. In Breaking the Rules, Noah faces the guilt of saving his brothers from a house fire, but not being able to rescue his parents, and Echo has to figure out if she can forgive her mother for an incident that left her physically and emotionally scarred. On top of this, Echo and Noah are in love and are trying to discover if their love is strong enough to last in the real world right out of high school.

These two characters are 18, so they still have a lot of fears and hopes that most teenagers have, but their problems and emotions are universal. To me, this is what makes a crossover novel a crossover.

Jennifer: I think the book has to appeal to a wide reading age range. Other than that, I think it's kind of like the secret sauce used in Big Macs. We're not sure exactly what's in it, but it tastes good. Same as having a crossover book. We're not sure of what makes it connect with so many readers, but it does.

Vilma: Why do you think so many adults read YA?

Katie: Wasn't the wonder, power and joy of first love absolutely amazing? This is a powerful draw to read YA. I love being swept up in all the emotions of first love and kisses and first times.

I also think that we are drawn to that terrifying moment of teetering on the edge of becoming an adult. There's so much wonder at 16, 17 and 18, but there's also a lot of fear. Who am I going to be? What am I going to do with my life? As someone who completely changed career paths in my early 30s and became a published writer, I still ask those same questions.

I believe there is something comforting and relatable at any age in reading about characters who are experiencing so much change so quickly.

Jennifer: Because YA is just as intense, meaningful, emotional and as intelligent as any adult book.

Vilma: What would you like to see in YA in the future? In New Adult? For example, are there specific subject matters, characters, messages, sub-genres you'd like to see explored?

Katie: I would love to see more books like Trish Doller's Something Like Normal and Joy Hensley's Rites of Passage. I absolutely love books with teens who are interested in joining the military and/or are already part of the military.

Jennifer: I would like to see more diversity among characters and genres and I think that is something we're beginning to see.

Vilma: Tell me about your latest project! What can we get excited about?!!!

Katie: Can you hear me squealing with excitement? Breaking the Rules releases today! And I have a brand new series that will be released on May 26. The first book of the Thunder Road series will be Nowhere But Here.

These novels will follow teens who are raised in the thrilling world of motorcycle clubs.

Jennifer:Wicked is my newest project and comes out today. It's my first New Adult paranormal romance. I like to call it contemporary paranormal, because it's rooted in the real world and sometimes you actually forget there's a paranormal element.

Vilma: Let's end this with some recommendations from you both! What are some of your favorite YA novels … be it romance, paranormal, fantasy, etc.?

Katie: I absolutely love Jennifer Armentrout's Dark Elements series, Gena Showalter's White Rabbit Chronicles, Miranda Kenneally's Breathe, Annie, Breathe and Huntley Fitzpatrick's What I Thought Was True.

Jennifer: Obviously, I love Katie McGarry's books! For YA, I'm a huge fan of Jana Oliver, Wendy Higgins, Rachel Vincent, Sarah Maas to name a few. For NA and adult, love Cora Carmack, Jay Crownover, Christina Lauren, JR Ward, Laura Adrian, Larissa Ione and so on.

Vilma: Thanks so much Jen and Katie!

Find out more about Jennifer and Katie at their websites, www.jenniferarmentrout.com and www.katielmcgarry.com.

Vilma Gonzalez is a blogger, reader, marketer, wife and mom. She has an insatiable appetite for happily ever afters and a deep love of the written word. You can find more about her and read full book reviews at Vilma's Book Blog.