EDITORIALTEAM
WendyH.Jones-EditorinChief-isalsoourExecutiveCommissioningandFeaturesEditor.Sheisthe multi-award-winning,best-sellingauthorofadult crimethrillersandcozymysteries,children’spicturebooksandnon-fictionbooksforwriters.Inaddition,sheisawritingcoach,partnerin Auscot Publishing and Retreats andhoststheWritingandMarketingShowpodcast.
SheenaMacleodisourDeputytotheEditorinChief. Sheoverseestheday-to-dayproductionanddesign. Sheis authorofthehistoricalfictionnovels,ReignoftheMarionettesandTearsofStrathnaver,andco-authorofthenonfictionbookSo,YouSayICan’tVote!FrancesConnelly.
PaulineTaitisoursubmissionsmanager.Sheisanaward -winning&bestsellingchildren’sauthor,romantic suspensenovelist,andwriting&publishingmentor tochildren’sauthors.SheisthevoicebehindReluctantReaders,aweeklynewsletterforparentand carersofchildrenwhofindreadingachallenge.
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Susan McVeyisourContentEditor.Susanwrites dystopianfictionandfantasynarratives,tailoredfor theyoungadultandteenageaudience.ShepublishesunderMartiM.McNair.Herworksinclude Island of Ruin (RuinorRedemptionBook1).
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Featured Interview With VictoriaGemmell
WritingfortheYAMarket
Friendships in YA Narratives
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WithsalesofYAbooksgrowingexponentially,especiallywithasignificantincreaseinprintbooksales,therehas neverbeenabettertimetoconsiderwritingfor theYAmarket.
Thismonth’sissuehaseverythingyouneedto getyoustarted.FromanexaminationofYAliteraturetowritingdystopian,fromwritingfriendshipoverromancefortheYAmarkettotheuse ofslang,everythingyouneedishere.NotwritingYA?Manyofthesetechniquesworkforany authororwemayinspireyoutostarttrying.
Ofcourse,allourregularfeaturesarethere,includingthelibraryofthemonth(whichwillsurpriseyou),bookshopofthemonth(whichthe
teamarekeentovisitandarebusyorganisinga trip),andofcourse,thearticlefromSophieour OfficeDog,whoimagineswhatwouldhappenif dogsruledtheworld.Quitefrankly,Ibelieveit wouldbeamuchbetterplace.
Asalways,IhopeyouenjoythisissueanditinspiresyoutotrywritingfortheYAmarket.
Wendy H. Jones Editor in Chief
Wendy H. Jones Author, Publisher, Writing Coach
FeaturedAuthor
Interviewed
byWendyH.Jones
Featured Author, YA fiction writer Victoria Gemmell, interviewed by Editor in Chief, Wendy H. Jones
VictoriaGemmelllivesinRenfrewshire, Scotland,andloveswritingedgymystery thrillers.Oftenherbooksareinspiredby headlinesinthenews,butalwaysturnintofictionalstorieswhenherimaginationrunswild.
Promise Me exploresthewayinwhichsensationalistnewscoverage,bothintraditionaland socialmedia,cantwistperceptionsofanindividuals’guilt,(inthiscaseateenageboy),beforetheircaseevenreachesthecourtroom.
Victoria’sdebutYoungAdultmystery Follow Me waspublishedbyStridentPublishingLtd.
Whilststudyinganundergraduatedegreein CommunicationandMassMedia,VictoriadevelopedafascinationwithpopcultureandAndy Warhol,whichhasinfluencedalotoftheideas in Follow Me.Herlatestbook, Young Blood,isa crossoverYAthriller.
Welcome,Vikkiandthankyoufortakingthe timetojoinushereatWriters’Narrative.
Thanks for having me!
WhatdrewyoutowritingYAfiction?
Whentheideaformydebutnovel Follow Me
firststartedtotakeshape,Iknewitwouldonly workifateenagerwasthemainprotagonist,so itwastheideathatfirstledmetowriteforthis audience.ForallthreeofmyYAbooksIrealisedI actuallyloveplacingteenagersatthecentreofa mystery,orproblem,andhavethemtrytofind answersthatadultsmighthavefailedtodiscoverduetonotcaringordiggingdeepenoughfor thetruth. WhenIwriteYAfictionIamalsodriven byadesiretogiveyoungpeopleavoiceandto seethemovercomesomekindofinjustice.
I’veworkedwithteenagersfornearlynineteen yearsnow,inmydayjobasaCareersAdviser, anditgivesmeaninsightintochallengesteenagersface,andwhattheyfeelpassionateabout. Itremindsmethattheemotionsweallstruggled withasteenagers,andwhatwecaredabout, hasn’tchangedmuch…butthere’scertainly differentchallengesnowevidentinmodernsociety.
Lisa Turley is from West Virginia. She is on numerous ARC street teams and reads in multiple genres. She is passionate about helping authors get the wordoutabouttheirbooks.
VictoriaGemmell
Howdoyoubalancecomplexthemeswhile keepingthestoryrelatableforaYAaudience?
Idon’tshyawayfromexploringsensitivethemes wheremycharactersaredealingwithloss,grief, separationofparents,incarceration,potential suicide,kidnapping,familymemberswithdementia…Teenagersareconfrontedwithvery adultsituationsonadailybasis,oftenwithno onetotalktoabouthowtheyarefeeling,soI thinkit’simportanttoreflectabitofreality.I hopebyexploringthesethemesinsensitiveand supportivewayswithinmyfiction,younger readerswillbeabletofeelasensethattheyare notalone,andifreadershaveneverencounteredanyofthesituations,perhapsitwillgive themempathyforfriendswhohave.
WhenIthinkbacktomyowndaysinschoolI wishI’dhadmoreawarenessofwhatitmeant whentwoboysinmyclasswerelivinginanearbyresidentialhouse.Iwasalwaysabitconfused astowhosehousetheywerelivingin,andwhy theynevermentionedtheirparents.(Young Blood hasteensinthecaresystem).
Iliketowritecharacterswhofeelabitlikeoutcasts,butthroughfriendshipsfindasenseof belongingandstrength.Ithinkanyone;teenageroradult,couldhopefullyrelatetoalotofthe themeswithinmybooks.Morethananything though,Ihopemyplotsandcharactersareexcitingenough,thatreadersgetsweptupinthe mysteryandsuspense.
WhatdoyouthinkmakesastrongYAprotagonist?
Goodquestion.FormeastrongYAprotagonistis acharacterwhoisn’tperfect;they’reatanage wheretheyshouldbeallowedtomakemistakes,andhavetheiremotionsleadtheirdecisions.Ialsoloveaprotagonistwhoisn’tscared tostandupforwhattheyfeelpassionateabout. Thisiswhatdrivesmycharacterstogettothe bottomofthemysteriesinmystories.
Howdoyouapproachwritingauthenticdialogueforteencharacters?
AsImentionedbeforeItalktoteenagersallthe timeinmydayjobsoIhopethatkeepsmeclose tohowtheyinteract.Igetsomefunnytextsand emails-someabbreviationstheyusecanbe baffling,soIthinkit’simportanttofindthebalancebetweenhavingcharacterssoundauthenticenoughbutnotgodowntheroadoftryingto fillyourbookfullof‘trendytalk’thatwillprobablysoundtoodatedonceyourbookhasbeen outacoupleofyears.
Whattrendsdoyouseeshapingthefutureof YAliterature?
Honestly,Ihavenoidea! Graphicnovelsareapparentlypopularinschoollibraries.Ithink there’spotentialtobemorecreativewithdifferentformats,toencouragenewreaders.I’ve lovedsomeYAbookswritteninverse.Withthe popularityofaudiofiction,thatkindofformat wouldbegreattolistento,aswellasread.
HowdoyoutacklediversityandrepresentationinyourYAstories?
Inrelationtocharacters,Itrytowritecharacters thatfeelauthentictothestoryandplotIamtryingtocreate.I’mcautiousaboutstickinglabels onmycharacterswhenatthatagethey’restill comingtotermswithwhotheyare,andeven theydon’talwaysknowhowtheywanttobe represented.Forexample,there’sascenein Follow Me whereamalecharacterconfidesinmy mainprotagonist,sayingboysarebullyinghim forwearingeye-liner.It’sclearhedoesn’trelate toalotoftheotherboys,butheprobably doesn’tknowhimselfwhyhefeelslikethat.But bytalkingtoKat,hefeelsreassuredthatit’sok tosometimesfeellikeyoudon’tbelong.Ithink that’stheimportantthing,thatsomethingin
yourstoriesmakesyoungpeoplefeelsomekind ofreassuranceandvalidation.
Doingschooleventsmademerealisehowfew YAbooksactuallygivetheScottishschoolsystemrepresentation.Schoollibrariansmentionedthistomeonvisits,thankingmeformentioningHighersandNationals,andforusing wordsthatthekidsrecognisedas‘theirs’andit reallymademethink.
EvenalthoughIfictionalisealloftheScottish townsandvillagesinmybooks,I’vehadyoung peopleandteacherssay‘thatreallysoundslike ourhometown’andtheyrecognisedthatsense ofisolationandboredomin Follow Me thatsome ruralScottishtownscanevoke.I’vehadteenage boystellmethey’velovedmybooks,sothatreassuresmeI’mwritingthecharactersinaway thathopefullydoesn’tfeelit’sjustagirl’sstory (whichIthinkalotofYAfictioncanveertowards),evenwhenfemalesaremymainprotagonists.
Whataresomemisconceptionspeoplehave aboutwritingforYAaudiences?
PerhapsifpeoplehaveneverreadYoungAdult fictionthey’renotawareofhowcomplexthe plotscanbe?SomeofthemostthoughtprovokingfictionI’vereadhasbeenYA.SoI guessinalotofwaysthere’snotmuchdifferencebetweenwritingYAandadultfiction;you justneedtoensureyourcharacterssoundand thinklikeateenager!
Howdoyoukeepupwiththeinterestsand expectationsofYAreaders?
You’rereallymakingmethinkhere…I’mnot sureIdo,haha!UltimatelyIwritestoriesIfind excitingandIhopeYAreadersthinksotoo.I thinkit’snosurprisethataYAaudienceismade upofallages,soitcanbehardtopinpointwho youractual‘reader’is.
WhathasbeenyourmostrewardingexperienceasaYAauthor?
Knowingteenagershaveenjoyedmybooksand thatsomethinginthestoryhasresonatedwith them.Momentsthatstickoutformewaswhena librarianbroughtateenageboyovertotalkto meatabigeventandhetoldme Follow Me was thebestbookhe’deverread.IhadasimilarexperiencewhenaMummessagedmethroughmy authorpagetosayhersonwasgoingtobeata communityeventIwasspeakingat,andwanted asignedcopyofmybook.
Iwasinvitedtodoatalkatoneschooltoparentsandpupils,talkingaboutwhatreading meanttome.AfewweekslaterapupilmessagedmeonsocialmediatosayIhadencouragedhertoreadagain,andevenstarttowrite. It’sthesemomentsthatmakeallofthehoursof doubtandhardworkthatgointowritinganovel morethanworthwhile.Ilovethepartofmywriting‘job’thatinvolvesdeliveringworkshopsin schools,toencourageyoungpeopletoexplore theirowncreativity.
WhatadvicewouldyougiveaspiringYAauthors?
ReadcontemporaryYAfiction,talktoteenagers, anddon’tbescaredtotacklebigthemes.
Thankyouonceagain,Vikki.Wewishyouall thebestinyourwritingcareer.
Authorwebsite: https://victoriagemmell.com/
Linkstobooksandsocialmedia: https://linktr.ee/victoriagemmellauthor
YoungBlood:AYoungAdultCrossoverThrillerbyVictoriaGemmell
Reviewedby WendyH.Jones
ISBN-10 : 173981102X
ISBN-13 : 978-1739811020
Publisher: RustedMoonPress(May2024)
Blurb
Heldcaptiveinagothichouse,kidnappedteenagersfromthecare systemareexploitedbyawealthyringofpowerfulindividualsfor their‘pureplasma’bloodtransfusions.Tocureillnessandchase thedreamofeternalyouth,nopriceistoohigh.
Whenfifteen-year-oldHopegoesmissingfromschooloneday,her friendAnastartstounraveldarksecretsthatcouldleadtoherrescue.
ButthenAnareceivesanofferthatcouldmeancuringhermumof earlyon-setdementialeavingherwithanimpossiblechoice:
WouldyoubetrayyourfriendstosaveyourMum?
Review
IlikeaYAbookandamafanofGemmel’sworkbutIwasnotexpectingthis.Inagoodwayofcourse. Thisbookmanagestobebothchillingandabsorbing,nomeanfeattoachieve.Itmaybeaclichétosay Ihadchillsgoingdownmyspine,butthishappenedfromthefirstpage.Itmademefeeluncomfortable duringmanyparts,butthisisnotacriticism,itisatestamenttothequalityofthewriting.Thecharactersarewellformed,andIfoundmyselfinvolvedintheirstoryandrootingforthemateverystage.ItrulyfeltforAnaandthechoicesshehadtomakeonasearchtocurehermum’sdementia.Thisisatrue gothicmasterpiece,andIamsureitwouldbelovedbymanyYoungAdultslookingforatrulygripping read.
Wendy H. Jones is the multi-award-winning, best-selling author of adult crime thrillers and cozy mysteries, children’s picture books and non-fiction books for writers. In addition, she is a writing coach, partner in Auscot Publishing and Retreats and hosts the Writing and Marketing Show podcast.
WritingUndercover:BalancingSuspenseandPsychologicalDepth
Biba Pearce shares some insights into the challenges and methods of writing undercover fiction that resonates on both a suspenseful and psychological level.
Creatingacompellingundercoverplotin crimefictionrequiresacarefulbalanceof suspense,psychologicaldepth,andthe high-stakestensionofdeception.Inmynovel Cold Legacy,IexploredthisbalancethroughAvrilDahl,anFBIagentturnedSwedishPoliceinvestigator.Asacomplexcharacterwithadark familyhistory,Avril’sjourneyisbothaprofessionalinvestigationandapersonalquestfor identity,qualitiesthatdrivesuspenseassheinfiltratesaneco-activistgroup.Inhereffortto uncoverwhethertheywereinvolvedinthemurderofahigh-profileCEO,Avril’sallegiances,motives,andsenseofselfbecomedeeplyentangled.
Here,I’llshareinsightsintothechallengesand methodsofwritingundercoverfictionthatresonatesonbothasuspensefulandpsychological level,illustratingwhy Cold Legacy offersreaders aunique,immersiveexperience.
‘Creating a compelling undercover plot in crime fiction requires a careful balance of suspense, psychological depth, and the highstakes tension of deception.’
BuildingAuthenticSuspenseinanUndercoverPlot
Oneofthegreatestchallengesincraftinganundercoverstoryismaintainingauthenticsuspensewithouttippingtheplot’shandtooearly.
Foranundercoveragent,everyencountercarries theriskofexposure,andeveryconversationis fraughtwiththepotentialforafatalslip-up.In Cold Legacy,AvrilnavigatesaStockholm-based eco-activistgroupthatiswell-awarethey’reunderpolicescrutinyandsuspiciousofoutsiders.To keephercoverintact,shemustlearnthegroup’s hierarchy,earntheirtrust,andanticipatetheir moves,allwhileprobingforcluesaboutthemurderoftheCEO.
‘One of the greatest challenges in crafting an undercover story is maintaining authentic suspense without tipping the plot’s hand too early.’
Thiscat-and-mousedynamicraisesthestakesof everyinteraction,forcingAvrilintoincreasingly precariouspositions.Witheachstep,Ilayeredin suspensebyheighteningtheconsequencesofdiscovery.Asinglemisstepcouldmeannotonlythe lossofAvril’smissionbutalsothelossofherlife. Thisedge-of-the-seatdangergivesreadersafront -rowseattoherinternalbattlesandkeepsthem investedinhersuccessandsurvival.
BibaPearce
ThePsychologicalComplexityofGoingUndercover
In Cold Legacy,Avril’stimeundercoverisas muchapsychologicaljourneyasitisacrimeinvestigation.Asshebecomespartofthisactivist network,sheisdrawntocertainmembersand beginstofeelconflictedabouttheirmotivesand herown.Avril’sempathy,orlackthereof,becomesanessentialpartofthestory.Havinginheritedherfather’sdarkside,shestruggleswith fearsofbeingunabletotrulyconnectwithothers,orworse,ofbeinga“cold”observercapable ofmanipulationwithoutremorse. Thisunderlyingself-doubtshapesheractions andblurshermotivesassheinteractswiththe group.Shebeginstosympathizewiththeirenvironmentalgoals,butiswaryoftheirmethods, especiallyassomememberspushformoreradicalmeasures.Herfearofbecominglikeherfatheraddsalayerofpsychologicalsuspenseto thenarrative,makingherundercoverworknot justanexternalconflictbutaninternalone. Forreaders,thisaddsarichlayerofintrigue.Avril’sdecisionsbecomeunpredictable,andher personalmotivessometimesovershadowher professionalobligations.Thisdualitynotonly raisesthesuspenseoftheplotbutalsoprovides aglimpseintoherinnerlife,makingheramore relatableyetmorallycomplexcharacter.
BalancingLoyaltyandBetrayalinRelationships
Perhapsoneofthemostdifficultaspectsofwriting Cold Legacy wasexploringhowAvril’sundercoverroleforcesherintorelationshipsshemay havetobetray.Anundercoverinvestigatormust formalliancesandearntrusttoaccomplishtheir mission,butthiscanleadtoethicalconflicts whentheystarttogenuinelycarefortheirtargets.Avril’sinvolvementwithcertainmembers oftheactivistgroupcreatesanemotionaltensionthatcomplicateshermission.Whileshe knowsshemusteventuallybringthemdown,
shefeelsanunexpectedconnectiontotheir goals,apartofherevenquestionsthemoralityof herassignment.
Toconveythistension,IfocusedonAvril’sinteractionsandthemomentsofself-doubtthatfollow.Shegrappleswithwhethershe’smanipulatingpeoplesolelyforinformationorbeginningto seevalueintheirideals.Herabilitytocompartmentalizeheremotions,andtheoccasionalinabilitytodoso,providessuspenseasreaders wonderifhersympathieswillcompromiseher missionorleadhertounexpectedalliances.
‘It’s not just about catching the killer, it’s about the struggle within, and what being undercover reveals about who we really are.’
In Cold Legacy,thelinebetweenloyaltyandbetrayalisneverclear-cut,andAvril’sroleblurs witheveryencounter.Forfansofcrimefiction andScandi-noir,thisbalancebetweensuspense andpsychologicalcomplexityoffersafreshtake onthegenre.Ifyou’redrawntostorieswherethe protagonist’smindisastreacherousastheinvestigation,Ibelieve Cold Legacy willresonate.It’s notjustaboutcatchingthekiller,it’saboutthe strugglewithin,andwhatbeingundercoverrevealsaboutwhowereallyare.
Cold Legacy releases on 13th of May 2025.
Biba Pearce is the author of the bestselling DCI Rob Miller and Kenzie Gilmore books. She lives in Surrey with her family, and when she isn’t writing, can be found rambling through the countryside or walking along the river Thames.
BookReleases
RecentReleases
TITLE: Cold Legacy (Avril Dahl Book 2) by L.T Ryan and Biba Pearce
ASIN:B0DM6Y3P9R
Publisher: LiquidMindMedia(May2025)
Blurb
AKillerLurksinStockholm’sShadows AndSoDoesanFBIAgentwith NothingLefttoLose FBIAgentAvrilDahlthoughtshecouldleaveherpastbehind.Butwhena prominentCEOismurderedinStockholm,herfragilepeaceisshattered. Knownforherrelentlesspursuitofjustice,Avrilisrecruitedtoinfiltrate aneco-activistgroupsuspectedofturningtoviolence andagrees,hopingtofindanewpurposeintheshadows.
Drawnintothegroup’sworldofradicalactivism,Avrilistornbetweenherdutyandadarkfascinationwith theircause.Thelinebetweenallyandenemyblurs,andasthebodycountrises,sodothestakes.Withloyaltiesshiftingaroundher,Avrilrealizesthatuncoveringthetruthmightnotjustendhercareer itcould destroyeverythingshe’scometocareabout.InColdLegacy,readersjourneyintoScandinavia’shidden underworldinasuspense-filledexplorationofloyalty,deception,andthefinelinebetweenjusticeand revenge.
TITLE: Brad and Judy’s Hot Summer Break in Key West, Fl byBradfordSmith
ASIN: B0F6V4NY2S
Publisher:IndependentlyPublished(April2025)
Blurb
Alongtheway,theymeetcolorfullocals,uncoverforgottenstories,and findthemselvessweptintothevibrantislandculture.Aghosttour,atropicalstorm,anafternoonwithsix-toedcats,andasunsetsailbringthem closerthaneverbefore.Butwhenamisunderstandingshakestheirconnection,thecouplemustdecidewhethertheirsummerromanceisjusta passingtide orsomethingdeeper.
Heartfelt,humorous,andrichinislanddetail,BradandJudy'sHOTSummerBreakinKeyWest,FLisa clean,youngadultromanticcomedythatcapturesthemagicoftravel,thecharmoflocallegends,and thepoweroffirstlove.Perfectforfansofrom-coms,summeradventures,roadtrips,andcoming-of-age stories,thisbookdeliverssunshine,sincerity,andsweetmomentsoneverypage.
Setinrealplaceswithrealhistory,thisnovelisalsoalovelettertooneofAmerica’smosticonicdestinations.Whetheryou’vebeentoKeyWestordreamofgoing,thisstorywillwhiskyouawayonasundrenchedjourneyyouwon’twanttoend.
LittleFreeLibraries
byWendyH.Jones
Thismonthweareactuallycoveringlibrariesratherthanlibrary;anetworkofLittle FreeLibrariestobeprecise.TheLittle FreeLibraryorganisationisanon-profitrun fromMinnesotaintheUSA.Theirvisionisto haveaLFLineveryneighbourhoodandfree booksforallwhowantthem.Theirbeliefisthat everyonewhowantsbooksshouldhaveaccess tothem.
TheyencouragepeoplewithindifferentneighbourhoodstobuildLittleFreeLibraries,and theycanapplytohavetheseregisteredwitha
numbersotheycanbeseenonmaps.Theywill alsoprovidefreelibrarykitstodisadvantaged areasandwillprovidebooksforthem.
Theyalsohaveacommitmenttoproviding bookssuitablefordifferentethnicbackgrounds andthosefromLGBTQ+backgrounds,demonstratingtheircommitmenttoequity,inclusivity andequality.
HavingusedthemwhenIwastravellinginthe USA,Imorethansupportthisinitiative.Itakemy hatofftothem.So,it’sworthdownloadingthe appandfindingoutofthereisaLFLnearyou.
Wendy H. Jones is the multi-award-winning, best-selling author of adult crime thrillers and cozy mysteries, children’s picture books and non-fiction books for writers. In addition, she is a writing coach, partner in Auscot Publishing and Retreats and hosts the Writing and Marketing Show podcast.
YACharacters:ToUseSlangorNotToUseSlang
YA and fantasy author Carrie Weston discusses the use of slang when writing YA fiction and how this can help make characters more relatable.
Slangisapartofeveryadolescent’slifeas theygrowupandasaYAwriteranycharactersofthisagemustcentrearoundthe samespeechpatternsastheyusetoday.Whetheryou’rereadingthisarticlenoworyearsinthe futureourteenagershavealanguagealloftheir own.
Asteenagers,childrenwanttoexpressthemselves,they’restuckinatimewarpbetween childrenandadults.Thisisafrustratingtime that,ifasked,theywillsaynooneunderstands. Theascensionintohormonescausesfrustration andhasaprofoundeffectevenonvocabulary, assuchteenagerswanttoconveytheirfeelings throughthedeliveryoftheirwords.Youwon’t findateenagersaying,“Idon’tfeelwell”or“I didnotlikethatfilm.”Teenagerstodayandin thefuture,asinthepast,willuseshortened snappierwordsthatdelivertheiremotionsat thattime.Forinstance.“Iain’tfeelin’dabest o’kay.”Or“Thatfilmwasextra!”Seehowthe emotionispouredinwiththeexpressivewords likebestandextra.
Thefactthatmostslangisshortened,isbecauseofateenager’simpendingsenseoftime. Thepressureweputonthem,thehurriedbus ridestoschool,tardinessforclassesorlunch,all thismakesthembelieveproperspeechistoo difficulttofitintosuchbriefinteractions.Teenagersshortenwordsorphrasesdeliveringtwice asmuchinformationaswewouldnormallytend to.Thesecondreasonforthisistheprofound
excitementofsuddenfreedoms.Whenchildren hithighschool,theysuddenlyhavemorecontroloftheirlives.They’reinaconstantstateof heightenedemotionsduetotheirhormones andareoftenexcitedtoapointoftrippingover thespeedoftheirownwords,ordesperateto conveytheiremotionstotheirfriends.
‘The fact that most slang is shortened, is because of a teenager’s impending sense of time.’
Thenthereistheeffectmobilephoneshaveon ourlanguage,whereasateenagerwouldsend, OMGtheyalsonowspeakintextslang.Forinstance-OMGHPissoslay–OhmyGodHarry Potterisamazing.Theywouldspeakthistext slangtofriendsalmostlikeateenagecodeallowingsecretstobepassedaroundwithout theirparentsorteachersunderstanding.
Psychologistssuggestthatteenagersareinfluencedbytheenvironmentandpoliticstheyare introducedtoatthisage.Assuch,theyplaywith words,cuttingandcreatingslangtoexpress theirthoughtsandtheemotionstheyfeelno
CarrieWeston
adultcancomprehend.Studieshavealsoshown thatteenagerstodayrecyclepastwordsandgive themnewmeaningslikedope,oncemeaning drugsnowalsomeanscool.Atoolisnotjusta hammerorspanner,itisalsoafoolishperson.
AswritersofYoungAdultbooks,wemustbridge thegapbetweenteenagersandadults,creating relatabledialoguethatkeepsitinthenowfor teenagersaswellasbeingcomprehensiblefor adults.It’salmostlikebridgingthegapofunderstandingtoallowourcharacterstoresonateon anevenlevelwithanyonewhopicksupthe book.Buttoalsoconveythesecrecyofslangso thatateenager’sprivatejokesareunderstood.
That’showwemakeourYAcharactersrelatable today,byimmersingtheminthealmostsubcultureofteenagerstoday.
As writers of Young Adult books, we must bridge the gap between teenagers and adults, creating relatable dialogue.
Ihopethishasbeenhelpfulandinformative.
Carrie Weston fantasy, multi genre author of novels made to entwine the scenes and teleport you into their pages. From YA books to adult she does it all. Mum of one teenager and 3 fur babies she lives in the countryside with her family, dead opposite a graveyard.
RapportOverRomance:TheQuietPowerofFriendshipinYA Narratives
E.S David discusses why the most impactful YA fantasy stories often center on strong, nuanced friendships and looks at examples from the YA literature.
Ithaslongbeenastapleofliteraturetounite twocharactersinthefaceofoverwhelming odds,watchingthemovercomeeverybarrier tofallinlove.Thenotionthat “loveconquersall” hasbeenrevisitedacrosscountlessnarratives, fromclassicliteraturetomodernstreamingdramas,sooftenthateventhewell-worn “Chosen One”storylinecanfeelfresherbycomparison. That’snottosayromancedoesn’thaveitsplace, it’sanarrativetoolwithundeniablepowerwhen usedpurposefully.Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet stillresonatestodaybecauseitcaptures therecklessbeautyandtragedyofyounglove caughtinthecrossfireoffeudinglegacies.
IntherealmofYoungAdult(YA)literature,and fantasy,specifically,Ibelieveplatonicrelationshipsoffersomethingfarmorecompelling,relatable,andenduringforthegenre’scoreaudience. Friendshipscanreflectpersonalgrowth,identity -building,andresilienceinwaysromanticsubplotsoftenfailtoachieve,especiallywhen they’reinsertedmoreforexpectationthannecessity.
Let’slookbeyondfictionatthesociallandscape shapingtoday’sreaders.
Inourmodernworld,datinghasneverbeen moreaccessible.Theabundanceofdatingapps andplatformstheoreticallyallowsforgreater connection,yetrecentstudies(liketheOfcom
E.SDavid
Nation2024Report)showthatpeople,particularlyyoungeradults,aregrowingtiredofromance,atleastinitsdigitalform.Fatiguefrom swipingcultureandthetransactionalnatureof moderndatinghascreatedakindofemotional burnout.So,whenitcomestoreadingasaform ofescape,whyshouldYAaudiences,especially thoseattheupperendoftheagebracket (16–19),wanttoimmersethemselvesinyetanother whirlwindromance?Particularlyonethat’s shoehornedintoafantasyplot,wheredragons anddestinyshouldperhapstakeprecedence.
Thatsaid,it’simportanttoconsidertheyounger endoftheYAspectrumtoo.Forreadersaged12 to14,romanticrelationshipsmaynotyetbe centraltotheirlivesorpsychologicaldevelopment.What is importantatthatage?Friendship. Loyalty.Identity.Forthem,therelationships thatshapetheirworldarelikelyplatonicorfamilial.ThisiswhythemostimpactfulYAfantasy storiesoftencentreonstrong,nuancedfriendships.
Takesomeofthemosticonicgenre-definingexamples:SamandFrodoin The Lord of the Rings,
Harry,Ron,andHermionein Harry Potter,or LukeandHanin Star Wars.Thesefriendships thrivenotbecausethey’resimple,butbecause they’recomplex,tested,andconstantlyevolving.Platonicbondsallowforconflictbornof personalvalues,moralchoices,ordiverging goals,notjustjealousyormiscommunication. Thereisadepthtofriendship-basedtension that’softenmorephilosophicalthanromantic conflict,whichcanleantowardemotionalmisalignmentorbetrayal
Inmyowndebutnovel, The Trials of Aqouril,I centrethestoryaroundthefriendshipbetween EricaandMegan,abondtestedprofoundly whenEricaisthrustintoastrangenewworld. Theirconflictisn’taboutbetrayalinlovebut aboutchangingcircumstances,shiftingloyalties,andtheemotionaltollofbeingforcedto growindifferentdirections.Thesearethe kindsofstrugglesyoungreadersaregrappling withthemselvesastheybegintodefinewho theyareinrelationtoothers.
Oneofthemostunderratedexplorationsof friendship-basedconflictinmediacomesfrom DreamWorks’ The Prince of Egypt.Mosesand Ramesesbeginthestoryasbrothersinallbut blood carefreeandbondedbyloveandloyalty.ThisfriendshipbeginstofracturewhenMosesdiscoversthetruthofhispeople’ssuffering andRamesesclingstohistraditionandinheritedpoweraswellasleaningintohisownpersonalinsecuritiesrelatingtohisstrength.The resultingconflictismorepowerfulthanmany romanticbreakupsbecauseitreflectsadeeper ideologicalclash,onethatcarriesspiritual,cultural,andgenerationalweight.It’snotabout losingaffection,it’saboutbecomingdifferent people.
Ultimately,friendshipsinYAfantasyoffera broaderemotionalwavelength.Theyallow spaceformultiplerelationshipstogrowinparallel,mentorships,rivalries,familialdynamics, withoutbeingovershadowedbythenarrative
gravitythatromancetendstodemand.Romanticrelationships,bytheirnature,oftencentre thestoryaroundthemselves.Friendships,by contrast,integratemoreseamlesslyintothe broaderarcsofadventure,transformation,and self-discovery.
Aswriters,westrivetomaketherelationships betweenourcharactersengaging,complexand aboveall,relatable.Thesedynamicscanhelp informanddriveournarratives,providingstorieswithanaturalflowandrhythmwhenledby theever-changingdynamicsbetweenourcharacters.Ifthereisonetakeawaymessage,it’s this:understandwhenandhowtousetheserelationshipsintomakingourcharacterscompellingandeasytoempathisewith.Dothatsuccessfullyandyou’vewonhalfthebattle.
Romance,whenusedwithintentionandrestraint,canbeincrediblymoving.This,however, doesnotmeanitneedstobethedefaultoption. Noteveryonewillfallinloveasateenager,but almosteveryonewillforgealife-shapingfriendship.Inatimewheremanyyoungreadersare disillusionedwiththepressuretopairoff,stories thatcelebrateplatonicloyalty,emotionalhonesty,andsharedgrowthoffersomethingfarmore valuable,andtimeless.
E.S David, from Lanarkshire, Scotland, has a passion for creative writing particularly stories that explore magical realms, sweeping landscapes, and complex characters navigating moral ambiguity. Drawing on these inspirations, he began writing, and The Trials of Aqouril is his debut novel, due to be released in November 2025.
TheyBothDieAtTheEndbyAdamSilvera
Reviewedby MartiM.McNair
Review
ISBN-13:9780062457790
Publisher: HarperTeen(September2017)
Blurb
On September 5th, a little after midnight, Death-Cast calls Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio to give them some bad news: they’re going to die today. Mateo and Rufus are total strangers, but, for different reasons, they’re both looking to make a new friend on their End Day. The good news: there’s an app for that. It’s called Last Friend, and through it, Rufus and Mateo are about to meet up for one last great adventure - to live a lifetime in a single day.
Setinanalternativeversionofpresent-dayNewYorkCity, They Both Die at the End tellsthestoryoftwo teenagers,MateoTorrezandRufusEmeterio,whoeachreceiveacallfromDeath-Cast-amysteriousserviceadvisingpeoplethey’regoingtodiewithinthenext24hours.
Completestrangersatfirst,MateoandRufusconnectthroughanappcalledLastFriend,createdtohelp peoplefindcompanionshipontheirfinalday.Whatunfoldsisapoignantanddeeplymovingjourney,as theysetouttolivealifetimeinjustoneday.
AdamSilveraweavesastorythat’sdevastatingasmuchasitisuplifting.Mateoisshyandcautious,while Rufusisboldandfulloflife.Thecontrastbetweenthemmakestheirgrowingbondallthemorepowerful. Throughtheirtimetogether,thenovelexploresbigthemeslikefriendship,love,lossandtheuniversal desiretomaketimecount–nomatterhowlongorshortitmightbe.
Thebookhasbeenpraisedforitshonestyandoriginality.Forme,itwasunforgettable,livinguptothe emotionalweightcarriedbyitstitle. They Both Die at the End isabeautifulreminderofhowprecious eachmomenttrulyis.
Marti M. McNair resides in Ayrshire, nestled within the enchanting realm of Burns country. Her passion lies in the creation of dystopian fiction and fantasy narratives, tailored for the young adult and teenage audience.
Get Started In Writing Young Adult Fiction: How to write inspiring fiction
for young readers by
JulietMushens
ReviewedbyWendyH.Jones
Review
ISBN-10: 1473607078
ISBN-13: 978-1473607071
Publisher:TeachYourself(June2015)
Thisisanauthoritativeandengagingintroductiontowritingyoungadultfictionforthecompletebeginner.Itwill helpyouunderstandhowthegenreworks,thebigdo'sand don’ts-aswellasgivingyoutheinspirationandmotivation youactuallyneedtowrite.
Writtenbyaleadingliteraryagentwhoknowswhatittakes tomakeitinthismarket,thisbookwillgiveyoutheadvice andtipsyouneedtostandout.Anessentialbookforanyonehopingtoemulatethesuccessandaddictivequalities thatcharacterizebookslike The Hunger Games, Twilight, Divergent and The Fault in Our Stars.
ThepublisherdescribesthisbookasauthoritativeandengagingandIwouldhavetosaytheyarecorrect.Itisobvioustheauthorhasafirm,andbroad,understandingofwritingYoungAdultfictionand shebringsthisexpertiseandunderstandingtobearinthisbook.Itgivesexamplesfromliteratureand aswellastheexposition,whichbringswhatisrequiredbrilliantlytolife,therearealsodifferenttypes ofexercises.Thesnapshotsandanalysisofexamplesfrombooksareextremelyuseful.
Thebooktakesyouthrougheverythingfromideatopublicationinclearandlogicalsteps.Nothingis leftout.IfyouhaveeverthoughtaboutwritingabookforYoungAdults,thenruntothebookshopand getthisbook;youwon’tregretit.
Wendy H. Jones is the multi-award-winning, best-selling author of adult crime thrillers and cozy mysteries, children’s picture books and non-fiction books for writers. In addition, she is a writing coach, partner in Auscot Publishing and Retreats and hosts the Writing and Marketing Show podcast.
FiveTopWritingTips
Allison Symes shares five top writing tips she continues to find useful and explains why all writers can benefit from them.
Youpickupmanytipsasawriter.Here,I sharewhatIconsidertobemytopfive tips,allofwhichIstillactivelyuse.
1. Don’tworrythefirstdraftwillberough, you’renotalonehere.
Thiswasagamechangerforme.ThemomentI realisednobodywritesaperfectfirstdraftwas themomentIstoppedfearingtheblankpage.I justgotonandwrote.SincethatmomentI’ve beenfarmoreproductiveintermsofquantities ofwrittenworkwhichhasledmetosubmitting moreandhavingmoreacceptances.Themore youwrite,thebetteryoudogetbutyoumust startsomewhereandeveryonestartswithafirst draft.
Havingthisattitudeisalsotheantidotetothe dreadedImposterSyndrome,whichhitsmost writersatsomepoint.Themomentyouwrite, you are awriter.Everywriterinhistoryandin thefuturewillwriterubbishfirstdrafts.Shakespearedid,Dickensdid,soyouandIwillbeno differenthere.Butgoodnews,folks.Nobody otherthanyoueverhastoseethatfirstdraft. Thatthoughthasoftencheeredme!Talkingof which…
2. Writefirst,editlater.
Thishasbeenanothergamechanger.WhenI startedwritingseriously,Iworriedaboutgetting thefirstsentencespotonandthenIwould moveontothenextandsoon.Whathappened?
Iboxedmyselfin.WhenIpickedthistipup,and itlinkscloselytothetoppoint,Irealisedthereis nosuchthingastheperfectsentence.Youcan onlywritetothebestofyourabilityatthetime youarewriting.
Butunlessyougetsomethingwritten,therewill benothingtoedit,nothingtopolishandimprove.Also,howcanyoueditthestoryorarticle properlyuntilyou have gotthewholething downbecauseonlythencanyouseewhatitis youhavetoworkwith.
3. Restapieceofworkandtheneditit.
Ifyou’venotdonethis,tryit.Ifoundafterasuitablebreakfromastoryoranarticle,whenI camebacktoit,Ifounditeasiertospottheerrors.Therearealwayssometospot.Youneeda breakawayfrombeingcreativeinwritingthe piecetohavingacoolheadtoanalyseitproperlytoimproveit.Onlytimeawayhelpsyoudevelopthatcoolheadand,withit,theabilitytobe objectiveenough.
Lisa Turley is from West Virginia. She is on numerous ARC street teams and reads in multiple genres. She is passionate about helping authors get the wordoutabouttheirbooks.
Mindyou,IhavefoundwhileIamrestinga piece,Iamgettingonwithdraftingsomething else.
Allison Symes
4. Readworkoutloud,especiallydialogue, characterthoughtsetc.
Whatlooksgoodwrittendowndoesn’talways readwell.I’vefoundinreadingworkoutloud,I willstumbleonpiecesofdialogueetc.IfIdo that,areaderislikelytodosotoosooutcomes theeditingpen.
Ioftenuse Zoom torecordwork.Aftersettingup ameetingwithmyselfandpressingrecord,once I’vefinishedreading,Iendthemeetingand Zoom automaticallyconvertsthefileforyou.It convertstoanmp3(audio)fileandanmp4 (video)one.
ButI’vefoundplayingbackarecordinghelpsme takeinthepieceasareaderwould.Icanliterally hearclunkydialogueandcorrectitbeforesubmittingit.IcansometimesrealiseI’veleftapiece ofcrucialinformationout(especiallyfornonfictionwork).SoIseedoingthisasausefuleditingtoolandhighlyrecommendit.
5. Havefunwithyourwriting-andnetwork.
Creativewritingiswonderful.It’salsohardwork (andshouldbe,anythingcreativetakestimeand work)butitisimportanttohavefunwithwhat youaredoing.
Ilovecreatingcharactersandsituations,andI alsolovetheediting.I’moverjoyedwhenIreceiveacceptances.Idon’tenjoyrejectionsornot hearingbackfromcompetitionsandmarkets whicheverywriterexperiences.Butithelpsto knowallwritersgothroughthisanditisnormal toexperienceupsanddownsonyourwriting journey.
Rememberwhatledyoutowrite.Inmycase,itis thesimplejoyoflovingstoriesandwantingto havemyownoutthere.Ilovethethoughtofgivingsomethingbacktotheworldofstorieswhen ithasgivensomuchtome.
I’vealsofoundmyappreciationofreadinghas
grownnowI’mawriterbecauseIappreciatethe unseenhardworkandcraftsmanshipwhich goesintoproducingthesmallestflashfiction tale,yetalonethehugefantasynovelsetc.
Asfornetworking,Ilostmyfearofthatwhenit dawnedonmetoaskwhatitisabout.Simply,it istalkingaboutsomethingyoulovedoing (writing)toasympatheticaudiencewhohave thatsamelove(otherwriters).Intalkingwith otherwritersatevents(onlineandinperson) I’velearnedsomuchwhichhashelpedmeI wouldneverhaveknownhadInotnetworked.
It’slovelywhenyoureachthepointwhereyou canshareusefulinformation.Thewritingcommunity,withthankfullyrareexceptions,aresupportiveanditisajoytobepartofit.Itaddsto thepleasureofwritingknowingIampartofthat community.
Networkinghasintroducedmetothe Society of Authors, warnedmeofwritingscams,andpointedmeinthedirectionofusefulwebsites,coursesandmuchmore.Nothingtodislikethere!
Conclusion
Ihopeyoufindtheaboveuseful.Theycontinue toencourageme.It’susefultorecalleventhe toughesteditingstagesaregettingyourwork closertobeing“outthere”.Now,asaneditor too,IknowI’mbiasedthere,butitistruetosay youcan’teditablankpage.Sohavefunand write!
Allison Symes is a flash fiction/short story writer, blogger and editor based in Hampshire. She runs writing workshops, judges competitions, and writes weekly for writers for Chandler’s Ford Today. She has two flash fiction collections published (Chapeltown Books) with a third in the pipeline.
ExploringFreeVerse
Lis McDermott explores the unique challenges inherent in using free verse, a poetic form that doesn’t rely on any particular structure.
SofarinmypoetryarticlesI’venotwritten anyfreeverse.
WhenIstartedwritingpoetryagaininmy60s, that’smostlyhowIwrote,butthenIstartedto trydifferentformsandfoundthatIlovethe challengeofusingrhymeanddifferentpoetic formats.
However,freeversehasitsownuniquechallenges. Thedefinitionoffreeverseispoetry thatdoesn’trhymeorhavearegularrhythm.
Thismeansyoucanhaveasmanylinesasyou likeandthoselinescanbeofanylength–from onesinglewordtomuchlonger.Thedownside ofthismeansyoucanendupwritinglinesand linesthatwaffleon.
‘Free verse has its own unique challenges.’
Eventhoughafreeversepoemdoesn’trelyon anyoftheparticularformsorstructures,itcan stillconveypowerfulfeelingsandideas.
WaltWhitmanisconsideredtheAmericanfather offreeverse.Hismostfamouspoemis‘Songof Myself’,whichyoucanreadonthePoetryFoundationwebsite.
Anotherexampleoffreeverseis‘TheRed Wheelbarrow’byWilliamCarlosWilliams.Interestinglythough,eachofhisfourverseshasthe samenumberofwords.
LisMcDermott
IfFreeVersedoesn’thavethenormalrulesofpoetry,whatremains?
Thepoemshavetheirowninternallogic,which maybecreatedbyavarietyofliterarydevices suchaswordchoice,sound,emotion,imagery, alliterationetc.
DecidingtowriteFreeVerse,mynextproblem was-whattowriteabout? Ifoundaprompt; ‘HandsHolding’whichmotivatedme.
Alongwhileago,whenIworkedasaphotographer,Iwasaskedtophotographthehandsof peopleinahospice.Theydidn’twanttobeable toidentifypeoplebutdidwanttoshowtheirexpression,whichiswhathandsdo.
ThenIthoughtabouthowweuseourhandsin everydaylife,andhowweinteractwitheachotherholdinghands,touchinghands.Thatinturn mademeconsiderhowwechangeasweage, whichagaintookmedownratherasadrouteof howourmemoriesandidentitiescandisappear.
Myfirstversion:
Myhandreachesout,
Veiny,lined,decoratedbyliverspots.
Oncestrong,nowfrail
Searchingformemories.
Heisheremostdays
Holdingmythinhand
Inhis,strongandfirm. Theylookfamiliar…
Caringhandsholdme
Pullmetosafetywhen Mystepsfalterinuncertainty. Thesehandswarmmysoul.
Todaywedanced
Yourememberedeverysinglestep
Thenthemusicstopped youaskedmynameandwalkedaway.
Readingthisthrough,IrealisedthatIwas changingpointofviewthroughoutthepoem, whichdidn’tsitwellwhenreadingitinitsentirety,soIchangedthisforthesecondversion.
Subscriber
Mysecondversion:
Herhandreachesout, Veiny,lined,decoratedbyliverspots. Oncestrong,nowfrailthey searchforrecognition Iamheremostdays caressingherthinhandinmine; Prayingthatmyownfeelfamiliar.
WithcareIholdher Guidinghersafelywhen occasionallyherstepsfalterinuncertainty. Hertouchlikeagentlebreezestillwarmsmy soul.
Todaywedancedtoourfavouritesong. Sherememberedeverysinglestep. Whenthemusicstopped sheaskedmynameandwalkedaway.
Lis McDermott is a multi-genre author, poet and writing mentor. Visit Lis’ website: https://lismcdermottauthor.co.uk
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NevermissanissueofWriters Narrative
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ItMightNotWorkforEveryone,ButitDidForMe
Raven McCallen shares how she started out as a YA fiction writer and how this led to a published book series.
IstartedwritingYAstoriesforafriend’s daughter.I’llcallherRachaftermyheroine.It wasn’tsomethingI’dthoughtofdoing.Even thoughI’dlovedmakingupstoriesfromayoung age,andsomeofthemwereaboutteenagers,I hadn’tenvisagedwritinganyofthosedown,let alonelettinganyoneelsereadthem.
HoweveritwasRach’sbirthday.Shewanteda bookaboutyoungteenswhocouldshiftinto Leopards.Hermumcouldn’tfindone.Askedme ifIknewofany.
Ididn’t.SoIsaidI’dwriteone.
ThenIneededsomemoreinformation.
WhatelsewouldRachliketoreadinthebook? Whatwouldn’tshe?Wherewouldshelikeittobe set?
Asanalmostfourteenyearoldshetoldmethe sortofthingsshe’denjoyseeinginthebook.
TeenswhoshiftedintoLeopardswasofcourse themaintheme.Shewantedmetosaywhyand howinthebook.
Goodhadtotriumphoverbad.Themaincharactershadtodiscovermoreaboutthemselvesand inherwords,fightevilbutnottooviolently,and haveahappyending.WhereverIsetit andshe wanteditina‘realplace’(herwords) she hopedthatifanyonewhoeverreadthebook wenttothatarea,therewouldbeplacesand buildingstheycouldwonderabout.Wasitxory fromthebook?Didsomethinginthebookhappenonthatpath,thatbuildingorrock?
Shedidn’twantany‘sloppystuff’,butthought thetwomaincharactersshouldbeawareofeach other.Inherwords,thinktheotheronewasabit ofallright,buttooyoungtodomuchaboutit.
RavenMcCallen
Shewantedalotofsecondarycharacters,andI neededtosaywhytheywerethere.Andasshe said,maybethatmeantmorebookstofollow.
Quitealottosiftthroughthere.Butitwasgood toknowwhatshewantedtoread.Becausemaybeifshedid,othersmightaswell.
IfoundRachagreatsoundingboard.Notjust becausethebookwasintendedforher,butalso becauseonceshe’dgivenmesomeideassheleft ituptome.Shewantedasurpriseoncethestory wasfinished.
Withallthattothinkabout,Idecideditneeded tobesetsomewhereIknowandcouldeasilyset abookaboutteenageLeopardshifters.SoI chosewhereIlivedatthetime.
TheTrossachs.OntheedgeoftheQueenElizabethNationalPark.Neartoariver,forests,lochs andhills.Wherepeoplecouldshiftfromhumans intoLeopardsinprivate,andhavethefreedom torunastheiranimalselves.
ThenIhadtoworkoutwhyithappened.Wasit justindividualsorwasitaspecificgroup.And why.
SoIcreatedagroup,aclan,anddescribedhow theycouldshift,andwhy.Decidedwhowanted thingstogowrongandwhy.
ButofcourseIhadtohaveareasonforthestory. WhichmeantIneededmyheroinetodiscover thingsshe’dneverknownabout.
Thattomemeantshedidn’tknowshecould shift.Butwhydidn’tshe?
OhdidIhavefunthere.Shehadtobenewtothe area.Meettheherowhosensedshewas‘oneof them’andletthemworkoutthewhysand wherefores.Describetheirschool,hersoontobe friends,introducethebaddie,andlettheirstory unfold.
Diditwork?
Wellaccordingtomyfriend’sdaughter,thepublisherwhotookapuntonit,andthepeoplewho purchasedthebook,itdid.
Andledtoseveralmorebooksintheseries.
Sadlythepublishercloseddownandsothevery lastbook,whereyoudiscoveredhowthebaddie endedup,whichwassetseveralyearslater,was neverpublished.
Wasitallworthit?
Ohyes.
Evenifitonlystartedasabirthdaypresentfor thedaughterofafriend,itspirallednicely.Ihad greatfunwritingthestories,plottingandplanningandwonderingwhathappenedtothemall.
MaybeIneedtoimprovemytechyskillsandselfpublishthemnowthattheyarenolongerunder contract?Atleastthen,anyonewhowasinterested,coulddiscoverwhathappenedtothemall, includingme.
WriteinTime
S.E.Hinton
S.E.Hinton,SusanElioseHinton,isoneof theyoungestYoungAdult(YA)writerstobe published.ShewroteherdebutYAnovel The Outsiders, setinOklahoma, attheageof fifteen,andthiswaspublishedin1967when shewassixteen.
Shewasbornin1948inaworking-class neighbourhoodinTulsa,Oklahoma.SheattendedWillRoger’sHighSchoolwhereshe witnessedthesocialdivisionsandgangrivalrythatinspiredherfirstnovel.
The Outsiders becameabest-sellingnovel, (selling over14millioncopiesworldwide, andwiththousandsofcopiesstillsellingannually).Herrealisticportrayalsofyoung adulthoodstruggleshelpedshapethemodernYAgenre.
Severalofhernovelshavebeenadaptedinto film,including The Outsiders.Sheisincluded amongstthegreatwomenwritersofour time.
S.E.Hilton,adeeplyprivateperson,livesin Tulsa,Oklahoma.
OtherYANovelsinclude:
That Was Then, This is Now (1971)
Rumble Fish (1975)
Tex (1979)
Taming The Star Runner (1988)
After over thirty adult years in Scotland, Raven now lives on the East Coast of Yorkshire. Having located a lot of books in Scotland, she's now researching her new home area, and discovering some interesting facts about Yorkshire smuggling.
Her writing varies from Regency to the present day, from YA to growing old disgracefully.
OtherWorks
S.EHintonhasalsopublishedchildren’spictureandchapterbooksaswellasadultfictionnovels.
MonthlyWritingPrompts
Wendy H. Jones and Tami C. Brown set this month’s writing prompts. Inspired by a theme of Young Adult literature they provide a range of prompts. Why not give them a try?
Words:
OnthatdayIwished,forjustonemoment,tobe ateenageragain.
It’sallhormones,sweat,schooldancesandway toomuchperfume.
Cars,music,friends
Music:
Teenage Dream ByKatyPerry
Summer Nights byJohnTravoltaandOliviaNewtonJohn
Saturday Night byWhigfield
Images:
ThebestadviceIcangivetoyoungerparentsis tocherisheverymoment,asyourbabieswill growfasterthanyouexpect.Ialwaysenjoyed thedifferentstagesofmychildren'slivesand soughtoutadventuresthatmatchedtheirages. I'mdoingthesamewithourgranddaughter.
WritingPrompts
(Photographic images by Tami C. Brown)
Takethetimetoshareyourhobbiesandinterests whilealsoengagingwiththeirsastheygrow.Plan "adventuredays"thatincorporatetheseactivities.Trustme,youwon'tgetthistimeback.Look forfun,freeevents,asyouneverknowwhichexperiencemightprofoundlyimpacttheirjourneyin life. 1 Nora attended an author event with me and Wendy H. Jones read "Bertie the Buffalo.
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WendyH.Jones
TamiC.Brown
2 Sharetheloveof animalsandhowtoprotectthem
3 Sharegoingtolocalcarnivalsorhistoricalevents
Editor in chief, Wendy H. Jones is the multi-award -winning, best-selling author of adult crime thrillers and cozy mysteries, children’s picture books and non-fiction books for writers. In addition she is a writing coach, partner in Auscot Publishing and Retreats and hosts the Writing and Marketing Show podcast.
Tami C. Brown loves to have her camera ready to snap beauty wherever she goes. Her family and friends, affectionately known as the Queenies, are well prepared for random stops along the journey to have a photo op. She’s grateful for all photography opportunities and the adventures that come along with it.
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IfDogsRuledTheWorld
Sophie, ably assisted by Tessa and Peter Thomas, explains how much better everything might be if dogs ruled the world.
Ireadthenewspaperheadline.Theworldhas gonetothedogs.Watchingthetelevisionno onecandenythatthehumanshavemadea realdog’sdinnerofthewholething.Asarule,I donotallowmywritingtostrayintomattersof greatsignificance.ButthistopicissoimportantI cannotgointothatgentlenightwithoutawoof. Imustbarkagainstthedyingofthelight.There isonlyonesensiblesolutiontoalltheproblems humanityisfacing.Allowdogstotakeover.
Howmuchbettereverythingwouldbeifdogs ruledtheworld!Ourveryfirstactwouldbeto declarepeacewithalllivingcreatures.Eventhe cats.Beingnaturallybig-hearted,wewillbegenerouslypreparedtoshareourhumanswithfelines.Thiswouldcostusnothing,sincecatsare sounfriendlyandalooftherewouldneverbe anycompetitionforcuddlesandtheyaresouncooperativetheyareincapableofplayinggames orearningtreatsforgoodbehaviour.Wewould evenextendourmunificencetothesquirrels, althoughpeaceisatwo-waything. Aslongas theystayuptheirtreeswewouldhavenooccasiontochasethem.
Somanyoftheworld’sproblemsaredownto money.Dogswouldreplaceallhumanmoney withourownhardcurrency–bones.Forsmall changeeverybodywouldusedogbiscuitsand treats.Ourcentralbankwouldbethedinosaur departmentoftheNaturalHistoryMuseum.This isnotanewidea,ofcourse.Lawyershavebeen
doingworkprobonoforyears.Thetreasury wouldprotecteverybodyfromfraudbymarking allgenuinecurrency“bonofido”.
Onerootcauseofsomanymisunderstandingsin theworldisallthedifferentlanguages.Everybodywillthankuswhendogsdeclaretheone universaltonguetobebarking.Humanswill needtolearntowoofastheirfirstlanguage.Our belovededitorisalreadytotallyonboardwith this."Givethatdogabone,”shecommented. “Alltheseideasarebarking."
Wewouldofcourseshareourhomesandour sofaswithourhumansjustasbefore.Butwith dogsincharge,work-lifebalancewouldshift dramaticallyinfavourofmuchmoreplay.In time,humansmightevenlearnfromustotake thingslessseriouslyandjustenjoylife.People wastesomuchtimeonpointlesssports.FootballandcricketwouldbereplacedbyFetchtournamentsandAgilitycompetitions,andof course,synchronisedsnoozing,withmarks
SophieandTessa
awardedforartisticimpression,technicaldifficultyandlackofsnoring.Youmightsaythat thesechangeswillneverhappen.Buthavefaith. Anythingispawsible.
Whiledogsaregenerallyeasy-going,onething wewillnottolerateisspeciesism.Expressions whichmakeanyderogatoryreferencetocanines willimmediatelybebanned.Neveragainwillanybodybeallowedtosay“lazyasadog”or“sick asadog”andtorrentialdownpourswillbedescribedas“rainingcatsandwombats”.“Dogeared”willbeagreatcompliment.Thetitle dogsbodywillbeappliedtothemostexalted employeeratherthanthemostmenial,andpeoplewillaspiretobeinthatmostenviableofpositions,thedoghouse.Suggesting“youcan’t teachanolddognewtricks”willbegroundsfor slanderandanypupilusingthemaliciousexcuse “thedogatemyhomework”willfaceexpulsion.
MyapprenticeTessaismakinggreatprogress followinginmypawprintsasawriter.Ishowed herthedraftofthisarticleandherpawsomeobservationsdemonstratedwisdombeyondher years.“Idon’tunderstandallthis,”shesaid. “Morethantenthousandyearsagowolvesconvincedhumanstoletthemmoveintotheirhabitations,onthepretextofprotectingthemand helpingthemwithhunting.Asthatuniquerelationshipbetweenanimalsandhumansdeveloped,wolvesbecamecompanionsratherthan competitors.Thebodiesandfacesofdogsgraduallyevolvedsowebecametheirresistible,lovableandcuddlyfour-leggedfriendswearetoday. Wehavetrainedthemtoplaythegamesweenjoyandtofeedussnacksondemand. Whileourhumansracearoundalldayworking hardtoearnourkibbles,allwedogsneedtodo issnooze,wagourtails,blinkourpuppy-dog eyesandbeadorable.Mostpeopledon’trealise it,butwedogsalreadydoruletheworld.”Iam mosthappytoconcedethat,ofcourse,Tessais right.
Rev Peter Thomas has published three non-fiction books and is delighted now to assist Sophie in her creative writing projects. Originally a teacher and author in the fields of chemistry and computing, Peter retired in 2023 after 36 years as a Minister of local Baptist Churches. He continues to add to his blog and videos of more than a thousand sermons and reflections found at www.pbthomas.com.
SubscriberNews
Tonominateyourlocallibrary orbookshoptobefeaturedinfutureissues emailwritersnarrative@gmail.com subjectheadedfortheattentionoftheEditor inChief.
PeterThomasandSophie
YALiterature:What’stheStory?
Sheena Macleod looks at how YA books have evolved from the 1960’s to the present day.
Asabookcategory,YAisarelativenewbie. Whileliteraturefeaturingyoungadultprotagonistshasbeenaroundforhundreds ofyears,thetermdatesfromthe1960’s.Since thattime,YAhasevolvedintowhatwenow knowasYoungAdultliterature.Authorswriting inthe1960sand70’sinparticular,shapedYAby addressingthemesthatresonatedwithyoung readers,suchasrelationships,identity,friendships,mentalhealthandsocialjustice.
Thismonth’s‘WriteinTime’featurestheYAauthorS.E.Hinton,whoseworkhelpedshapethe modernYAmarket.Her1967novelThe Outsiders, writtenwhenshewas15yearsold,wasinspiredbyherexperienceofgangrivalryandsocialdivisionswhileinhighschoolinTulsa,Oklahoma.Herbookbecameaclassic,multi-million bestsellerthatisstillpopulartoday.
TheYAmarketisaimedatreaderswhoareno longeryoungchildrenbutarenotyetquite adults(12 protagonists,writtenforteenagers,addressing issuesandexperiencestheycanrelateto.
Oneoftheearliestexamplesiscreditedto MaureenDalyinherbook Seventeenth Summer, publishedin 1942.Writtenspecificallyforteenagers,thisbookintroducedthemessuchas angstandunderagedrinking.Beforethistime, youngadultswerestillconsideredaschildren ratherthanadistinctdemographicgroup.
The Outsiders by S.E.HintonPenguinModern Classics(2007edition)
Seventeenth Summer byMaureenDaly(2010edition)
SheenaMacleod
YAliteraturecoversmostofthethemesfoundin adultliterature,butiswrittenfromaYAperspective.
In1974,RobertCormier’snovel The Chocolate War introduceddarker,morecomplexthemes andsocialissuessuchasrebellionandconformity,peerpressure,moralcourageandthepotentialforeviltothrivewhengoodmenstandby anddonothing.
YAliteratureoftenfeaturesfast-pacedplotsaddressingseriousissuesandconcerns.LoisDuncan’sbook, I Know What You Did Last Summer, helpedpopularisetheYAthriller.Afilmadaptationwasreleasedin1997.
Bythe1980’spublishersandbooksellersstarted torecognisetheYAmarketasaseparatecategorydistinctfromadultandchildren'sbooks.Most librariesandbookshopsnowhavededicated shelvesforYAbooks.
Youngadultfictioncontinuedtoexpand throughoutthe1990’stothepresentday,and nowincludesfantasy,mystery,romancegenres withsubcategoriessuchascyberpunkandtechno-thrillers.
Intheearly2000s,dystopianyoungadultnovels emergedwithpublicationssuchas The Hunger Games Trilogy bySuzanneCollins.
YAbridgesthegapbetween young and adult readersandisarapidlydevelopingandpopular category.Somebookswrittenforadultsmayalsoappealtoyoungadultreaders.Amarkethas recentlyopenedfor20–29year-oldreaders (NewAdult–NA).
TheNAliteraturecontainsmorematurecontent thanYAbooks,butisalsowrittenasrealitybasedfiction.Thefocushereisonissuesrelevant totheNAagegroup,suchas:leavinghome,developingadultrolesandrelationshipsandmakingcareerchoices.TheNAmarketisrelatively newandisstilldeveloping,withsomeYAfiction nowstraddlingtheYAandNAmarkets.Themulti -millionsellingseries A Court of Thorns and Roses bySarahJ.Mass,writtenbeforetheNAclassificationcameintocommonuse,isnowclassifiedas NA.
YAfictionisnowoneofthebestsellingbookcategoriesaround,andit’snotjustyoungadults whoreadit.ManyadultsloveYAfictiontoo.I knowIdo.
Resource:
A Brief History of Young adult literature https:// edition.cnn.com/2013/10/15/living/young-adultfiction-evolution -accessed12thMay2025
SheenaMacleodistheauthorofthehistoricalfiction novels,ReignoftheMarionettesandTearsofStrathnaver, andco-authorofthenon-fictionbookSo,YouSayICan’t Vote!FrancesConnelly.Sheisalsoapublishedshortstory writer,includingCozyMysteries.
The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier. Puffin Teenage Books 2001 edition
I Know What You Did Last Summer by Lois Duncan 1973
WriteLikeaTeen(EvenIfYouAren’tOne)
Editor in Chief Wendy H. Jones discusses why the writing style in YA books needs to be authentic to young adults, especially in dialogue.
WhenIaddedwritingforteenstomy writingportfolio,thelearningcurve waslesscurveandmoreMountEverest.It’sjustlikewritingforadultsbutatalower readinglevel,isn’tit?Er,no.HowwrongcouldI be.InowlovewritingforYoungAdults,butback then,my,wasIgreen.
Let’sunpackwhatIhavealreadymentioned–writingstyle.Oftenwriters,whoarenotusedto spendingtimewithteens,orhavealimitedview ofhowteensspeakorthink,willoftenpitcha writingstyle–especiallyindialogue–whichis toopolished.Thewritingstyleneedstoreflect theworldoftheyoungadultsthemselveswhich isoftenchaoticandcasual.Thisdoesnotmean thetopicsyoucoveredarenotdeep–farfromit. Booksforyoungadultsoftencoverprofound issueswithemotionaltropeswhichmirrorthe real-lifedramaswhichteenagersface.Shying awayfromtheseisamistakeasitisoftenaway tohelpteenagersnavigatetheseissues.TheYA writershouldbetappingintotheemotionalintensity,identitysearching,idealismandangstof theteenageyears.
DialogueisanotherareathewriternewtowritingfortheYAmarketneedstomaster.It’sabalancebetweenauthenticityandusingslang whichisoutdatedorquicklybecomesoutdated. Thisisatoughonebecausethewordstheyuse changesoquickly.Listeningtomyniecesor friends’kidscanoftenbealessoninanewlanguage.Tofindouthowtheytalkallyouneedto doislistentothem.Youcandothisbyattendingplacestheyfrequent,withoutbeingsleazyof course.Publictransportwhenschoolsarestartingorfinishingareaperfectplacetostart.One
mistakethenewYAwriteroftenmakesisthe dumbingdownofnotonlylanguagebutthecontentofwhattheircharactersaretalkingabout. Youngadultsareoftendeeplyconcernedabout worldissuesandknowmorethananyadultrealises.Itisalsoimportanttoensurethevoicesof thosefromdifferentculturesandbackgrounds arerepresented.Usingstereotypicalcharacters killsauthenticity.Weliveinamulti-racialsociety andthisshouldbereflectedinthenarrative.
Oneofthewaysyoucangetasolidgraspofthe YAmarketandwhatappealsistoreadthetop sellingYAliterature,acrossarangeofgenres. Yes,youmaywanttowriteYAmysteriesbuthavingagroundinginallthegenresensuresyouwill gainarealunderstandingofwhatappeals.Also, sendingyourworktoYABetaReadersisoneof thebestwaystoseeifyourbookisauthentic andislikelytobeenjoyedbyyourtargetaudience.Thereisnothinglikegettingitstraight fromthehorse’smouth.
Wendy H. Jones is the multi-award-winning, bestselling author of adult crime thrillers and cozy mysteries, children’s picture books and non-fiction books for writers. In addition, she is a writing coach, partner in Auscot Publishing and Retreats and hosts the Writing and Marketing Show podcast.
RecentReleases
Title: Scarlett and the Kiss Thief byIvySmoak
ASIN: B0DN25J2YX(Kindleedition)
Publisher: LoftTrollInk(May2025)
Blurb
I’veneverbeenkissed.
BecauseIsavedmyfirstkissformybestfriend,AxelStevens.Andhegavehis awaytosomeoneelselikeitmeantnothing.Iwashopingthatreinventing myselfoverthesummerwouldmakehimfinallyseeme.ButI’mjustasinvisibleasever.Doomedtoneverbeingkissed.
UntilamaskedstrangerpullsmeintoadarkclosetandstealsthekissI’dbeensavingsolongforsomeoneelse.Insteadofpushinghimoffofme,Ipullhimcloser.I’veneverfeltsodesiredinmylife.Butthen hewalksawaywithouteventellingmehisname.Andthenhestartstextingme,promisingtostealallmy firsts.IsmykissthiefAxel?IsitsomeoneelseIknow?Orisitacompletestranger?TheonlyhintIhaveis thathe’samemberofthefootballteam.ButI’mgoingtodowhateverittakestounmaskmykissthief.
(The beginning of this book was previously released as a novella, Scarlett and the Kiss Thief. This is now a full length novel. )
Title: The Wildest Dreams Bookshop byGraciePage
ISBN-10 : 0008762791
ISBN-13 : 978-0008762797
Publisher:HarperFire(May2025)
Blurb
Sometimesreallifeissweeterthanfiction…
Seventeen-year-oldAnnaisnothavingagoodsummer.She’sprettysure she’sflunkedherexamsandtomakemattersworse,herboyfriend,Max, hasunceremoniouslydumpedher.Sowhenherauntinviteshertostayat herbookshopbytheseaforthesummer,shereluctantlytakesherupon theoffer.
Atleastshecanhideoutthere,maybegethermessofalifebackontrack.Butshewasn'tcountingonthe infuriatingbutdistractinglyhotlocalsurferwhokeepscrossingherpath,orthecelebritylaunchsheunwittinglyagreestohostatthebookshop.
Onething'sforsure,thissummerisgoingtobeanythingbutboring.
WhyDystopianStoriesMatterinYALiterature
Marti M. McNair shares her experience of writing dystopian YA and discusses why Young Adult voice and choices matter.
Writingforyoungadultshasalwaysfelt likebothacallingandaconversation. Teenagersareatapivotalpointinlifecaughtbetweenchildhoodandadulthood,askingbigquestions,seekingtruth,andtryingto findtheirplaceintheworld.That’swhyI’m drawn,timeandagain,totellingstoriesforthem -especiallydystopianfiction.
“Dystopia”doesn’texactlysoundcheerful.Bleak futures,crumblinggovernments,surveillance, scarcity,rebellion-it’snotlightreading.Butfor me,dystopianstoriesaren’taboutdespair. They’reabouthopeandresilience.Andmore thananything,they’reaboutwhathappens whenyoungpeoplearepushedtotheirlimits, butstillchoosetostandup,speakout,andfight forsomethingbetter.
There’ssomethingpowerfulaboutplacing youngcharactersinabrokenworldandwatchingthemrise.Maybethesystemsarecorrupt, theenvironment’sfailed,orperhapsfreedom’s adistantmemory-butthatdoesn’tstopa brave,stubbornteenagerfromquestioningeverything.Andthatspeaksdirectlytothespiritof youngadultreaders.They’realreadydoingthat everyday-challengingwhatthey’vebeentold, noticingthecracks,andwonderingifthings couldbedifferent.
I’mnottryingtopredictthefuturewhenIsit downtowrite.WhatIreallywanttodoisreflect whatyoungpeoplealreadyfeel-asensethat
toimagine-andquestion-whathappenswhen thingsgotoofar,whensocietyforgetsitsvalues, andwhenfearoutweighsfreedom.
Thecharactersmattermost.Idon’twritesuperheroes.Iwriteordinaryyoungpeople,often frightenedorunsure,whoareforcedtomake impossiblechoices.Theydon’talwaysgetit right.Buttheylearn.Theygrow.Theyfight-not becausethey’refearless,butbecausetheycare. Andthat,Ithink,iswhatmakesyoungadultdystopianfictioncompelling.Itshowsreadersthat couragedoesn’tmeanbeingfearless-itmeans actinganyway.
Lisa Turley is from West Virginia. She is on numerous ARC street teams and reads in multiple genres. She is passionate about helping authors get the wordoutabouttheirbooks.
WritingforYAmeansbeinghonest.Itmeansrespectingtheirintelligenceandnottalkingdown tothem.Thestoriesneedpace,heart,andauthenticity.Dialogueshouldsoundreal.Emotions shouldhithard.AndevenwhentheworldI’m
buildingisfallingapart,Ialwaystrytoleavea flickeroflight.Becauseyoungpeopledeserve that.Wealldo.
Soyes,Iwritedystopianstories-butatheart, they’reaboutyoungpeoplefindingstrengthin uncertaintimes.Mycharactersfacebrokensystems-difficultchoices,justlikerealyoung adultsnavigatingacomplexworld.Iwriteabout hope,aboutspeakingup,andaboutdiscovering yourvoicewheneverythingaroundyousaysto stayquiet.Becauseyoungpeoplefacethese challengeseveryday.Throughstory,Iwantto
remindthemthattheirvoiceandchoicesmatter, andtheyareneveralone.Ican’tthinkofanythingmorehuman-ormoreimportant-than that.
MartiM.McNairresidesinAyrshire,nestled withintheenchantingrealmofBurnscountry. Herpassionliesinthecreationofdystopian fictionandfantasynarratives,tailoredforthe youngadultandteenageaudience.
TheSecretBookshelf
byWendyH.Jones
Forthismonth’sbookshopweareofftoCarrickfergusinNorthernIreland.I’mexcitedaboutthis month’schoiceasTheSecretBookshelfisactuallyfoundinaSecretGarden.Now,howcoolis that?
Theydescribethemselvesasquirkyandsaytheyhaveawideselectionofchildren’sbooks,althougha quickglanceattheirwebsitedemonstratestheyalsostockawiderangeofadultbooks.
Theyarealsochampionsofindependentbookstoresandauthors.IlovethesoundofthisandIcanseea visittoCarrickfergusinmyfuture.
Wendy H. Jones is the multi-award-winning, best-selling author of adult crime thrillers and cozy mysteries, children’s picture books and nonfiction books for writers. In addition, she is a writing coach, partner in Auscot Publishing and Retreats and hosts the Writing and Marketing Show podcast.
RecentRelease:YoungAdultNon-fiction
TITLE: You Got This! 101 Life Skills for Teens byAmeliaMurphy
ASIN:B0D5QN3K8L
Publisher: Independentlypublished(May2024)
Blurb
Beingateenageristough.Navigatingthepathtoadulthood,findingtheirplace,balancingresponsibilities,andcravingindependence–it’salottohandle.
Butguesswhat?
YOUGOTTHIS!
Introducing"You Got This! 101 Life Skills for Teens" –packedwithpracticaladviceandtipsforteenagers toconquereverychallenge.
Featuresinthisbook:
• HOWTOBETHEBESTYOUCANBE!
• BASICKITCHENSKILLS.
• MONEYANDBUDGETING.
• SOCIALSKILLS.
• PROBLEMSOLVINGANDDECISIONMAKING.
• COPINGWITHEMOTIONS.
• ANDMUCHMORE!
Thisbookisavaluableresourceforteenagers,providingthemwiththetoolsandknowledgetheyneed tonavigatethecomplexitiesofadolescenceandprepareforadulthood.Bymasteringtheseskills,teens cangainconfidence,becomemoreindependent,andfacetheirchallengeshead-on.With"You Got This!,"everyteencanfeelempoweredandreadytotakeontheworld.
SUBMISSIONGUIDELINES
Writers’NarrativeeMagazine
We are interested in submissions on any aspect of writing and publishing and will accept simultaneous submissions.AllinterviewsmustbepitchedtotheEditorinChieffirstbeforedoingtheinterview.
We accept varying lengths of submissions depending on the topic - 500, 1000, 1,500. Book reviews can be shorter but should include a substantial review in addition to the book blurb. Only submit previously unpublishedwork(eitheronlineorinprint).
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Please use Hart’s Rules: The Oxford Style Guide. Light editing will be undertaken. If major editing is required, the article will be returned with general advice on what is required to bring it up to publication standard.
All submissions are to be in Times New Roman or Times, size 12 font, single spaced, with no formatting. Allformattingwillbecarriedoutbytheeditorialteam.
Theonlyimageswhichshouldbesubmittedwithyour articlesareyourauthorphotograph andbookcoversifdoingabookreview.Includeabriefbioandauthorphotographalongwithyourfirstsubmission.
Pleasestatethemonthforwhichyouaresubmittingyourarticle.However,thismaybechangedifitisfelt itbettersuitsadifferentissue.
Writers’Narrativeispublishedmonthly.Submissioncutoffdates:
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To nominate your local library or bookshop to be featured in future issues and for any queries including advertisingwithusemailwritersnarrative@gmail.comsubjectheadedfortheattentionofEditorinChief
Whilethereisamonthlythemeandfocus,thiswillnotbetheonlytopicforthemagazine.General articlescanalsobesubmittedforpublication.
Themesfor2025
Month
January/ February Non-Fiction
March HistoricalFictionandNon-Fiction
Theme
April ScienceFictionandFantasy(It’sNationalScienceFictionMonth)
May Worldbuilding
June WritingfortheYAMarket
July WritingHabits
August CoverDesign
September Publishing
October ShortFormFiction
November NarrativeNon-Fiction
December DiversityinWritingandPublishing
CominginJuly2025
Theme—WritingHabits
FeaturedAuthor
Articles
BookReviews
Newreleases
Andmore….
July2025
