Why do adults write and read YA Fantasy?

When people find out I’m a published author there’s no mistaking the surprised (especially if they know me) and dare I say impressed look on their faces.  It’s a powerful form of feedback that I freely admit warms my soul.  Fear not, like Frosty in the Greenhouse, the fleeting excitement rapidly melts from their faces with my answer to their next question.  What genre do you write?  Seemingly faster than the sound travels from my lips to their ears, the words ‘Young Adult Fantasy’ register in their brains.  Their smiles vanish and the sparkles in their eyes fade.  For some reason when a middle-aged man (at least I hope I’m still in the middle) tells someone he writes Young Adult Fantasy it’s all the listener can do to suppress a chuckle.

Many try to hide their contempt by rapidly breaking eye-contact.  A few feign a sneeze or if we’re outside they swat at a non-existent biting insect.  The more socially skilled suppress their scorn by quickly asking a follow-up question.  The most common follows along improbable lines of praise or support.  ‘Oh so you’re going to be the next (insert your favorite fabulously successful/wealthy YA fantasy author here)?’  Sensing their discomfort I offer a witty and humble rejoinder denying any delusions of ascending into the writing pantheons.  Something along the lines of, I think it’s important to write what you like to read, type of thing.  As smart as this sounds when I hear myself say it, the combination creates a stereotypical mid-life crisis picture.  I’m cast in an unflattering Peter Pan-esque role.  I like green, but tights really aren’t for me.  I can almost hear them thinking.  Why can’t you just go out and buy a sports car like everyone else?

Real Writers

To be fair, it’s not the derision of my manhood or the questioning of my intellect that annoys me.  I’m very comfortable with both – no doubt some of you think overly so.  It’s the assertion explicit or otherwise, that writing for children is fine for some people.  Teachers, grandmothers, and famous actors looking to build their brand is okay, but not for ‘real’ authors.  ‘Real’ authors who write fiction for children must address social issues like race, sexism, the environment, or some other injustice.

Alternatively, if you’re not serious, then you need to be in it for the money, which means titillating romance, over the top action, or whatever else the pop culture of the day demands.  I obviously don’t fit into one of the approved young adult writer groups and my stories aren’t really about social issues.  Although Misaligned does have quite a few Hobbit references and the Warders features action, neither story contains explicit romance, violence, language, or overt pop connections.  So if I’m not one of the socially acceptable author types and I’m not writing stories to advance social justice, fit into pop culture, or make millions, why do I write and for that matter read YA?

I read and write YA for the same reason that I enjoy G or PG rated movies, great stories.  I watch PG-13 and R films, and sometimes the qualities that draw those ratings (foul language, violence, sex, etc.) are needed for the story, but many times they’re gratuitous.  My goal as an author is to write books that challenge my readers to think and stretch their imaginations. I treat my stories as a puzzle.  I try to make it more interesting by incorporating science, history, and a little math into the mix. There’s no reason the reader’s finished puzzle has to match mine. It’s actually quite a compliment if it doesn’t, because it means I’ve succeeded. They’ve taken something I wrote and made it into their own creation. To me that’s the power and the magic of writing YA fantasy.

As always, thanks for reading,

Armen