Would You Like Some Pepper With Your Blood?

Yesterday afternoon an enormous lightbulb flickered on over my head and I spent the majority of the day in writing bliss. Small details have woven themselves into what I already have written and, at long last, I believe I completely understand how to make Vlad's tale exciting, addictive and a must-read. (This, of course, may just be a flash of arrogance, but I swear I saw my muse messing with the lightswitch.) It's thrilling to see an idea fully formed. Now if I can just get it from my head to the page...

By the way, something I learned over my month away from writing is that YA authors like pepper.

Allow me to expand on that.

(Just give it a few more seconds of you scratching your head...)

YA authors like pepper. Meaning that they enjoy peppering little details, little clues throughout the majority of the book. And then, just when you can't stand it anymore, they shove you into a fast paced, answers-revealed, final three or four chapters. It's a great formula and has been proven time and time again.

There's something unique about YA that really speaks to its readers; it's many genres all rolled into a teen story. Mystery, suspense, romance, even horror--YA fic seems to have it all. The key to writing it well is to remember that your audience is comprised of people. Not "kids", not "teens", not "children"...people. Sure, they're young, but they still know a good, believable story from a bad one. Give credit where it's due.

And don't question the muse. If he says more blood...grab a hacksaw.