YA LGBT Books discussion

I've had a YA plot bunny eating away at my brain for months now. Anyone else writing or planning to write a YA M/M book?

I'd definitely like to. No solid plans as of yet, but you never know when the plot bunny will strike!

I want to write a YA M/M story about this little guy...



A little paranormal YA anyone?

I wanted to post this pic in the other M/M group for someone to write about, but kept it for myself.

Summer wrote: "I want to write a YA M/M story about this little guy...A little paranormal YA anyone?"

Have you read Andrea Speed's Infected books? She writes adult m/m cat shapeshifters.

Summer wrote: "I wanted to post this pic in the other M/M group for someone to write about, but kept it for myself.

"

That's an awesome picture. You should cross post it in the "boyfriends" thread I just started.

ETA: Never mind :)

Kerry, I love that series! I love kitty shifters. A lion was flirting with my muse earlier today. I have to finish the piece I am working on now.

Just did Lori!

M.J. wrote: "And I plan to do something in the YA market eventually too. I just have a ton of other things lined up to write first."

I know what you mean. I have more plot bunnies than time. But the YA plot keeps bubbling up, begging for attention :)

plan to do some paranormal series for M/M YA. Haven't had plots in my head yet. :)

Hi guys... My first book Love is in the title, has several planned follow ups to be released one a quarter (The next one is September) all around the 8,000 words mark. I also have three YA novels, planned to be released November, March and May respectively. Although I may well bring some of that forward...I am still testing the YA waters...

RJ wrote: "Hi guys... My first book Love is in the title, has several planned follow ups to be released one a quarter (The next one is September) all around the 8,000 words mark. I also have three YA novels, ..."

Off to add your book to my TBR list :)

Kerry wrote: "RJ wrote: "Hi guys... My first book Love is in the title, has several planned follow ups to be released one a quarter (The next one is September) all around the 8,000 words mark. I also have three ..."

oohh, let me know what you think... x

You wouldn't believe how many stories I have running around my heard... several of them are effectively YA. I think you've stumbled across a couple of my plot bunnies already, Kerry... ; P

You aren't kidding. I was bitten by another YA plot bunny last night!

Do I say OH NO or YAY to that? *evil grin*

Sasha wrote: "Do I say OH NO or YAY to that? *evil grin*"

I'd go for YAY to that :)

You two encouraging me is not helping my writing schedule ;)

Multi-tasking ;) :D yeah plot bunnies can be evil sometime hehe

*points at the others*

Not me Thorny! I am far from naughty. Good girl right here.

Umm after last nights chat, you are the naughty one TR!

When I start my YA piece, I am going to need your POV on a few things please Mr Thorny.

Okay, I need some feedback. Hope you guys can help. :)

I'm planning to write some YA M/M stories, but I'm not sure what kind of stuff is in demand. Realism or fantastic? High school/family drama or adventure? Historical or contemporary? I just want to make sure I'm not going to write something that the audience is going to find lame or overdone.

I wonder if any of the actual young adults on this thread would be interested in beta-reading acceptable material with YA characters? Those who plan to write might find that an invaluable resource (I know I would.) I just wrote an it-gets-better type short that's not a romance but begs for someone to cast a look over it and say "nah, no way he would say that" before I find a spot to post it for free.

Ibis3 wrote: "Okay, I need some feedback. Hope you guys can help. :)

I'm planning to write some YA M/M stories, but I'm not sure what kind of stuff is in demand. Realism or fantastic? High school/family drama o..."

Oh, man, there's always room for everything. :) Coming-out stories might be overdone, but they're necessary, so you'll need to be pretty creative in giving it a new spin.

Historical fiction, from my experience writing and publishing them, is not a good seller, but people do read it. The interest right now is in fantasy and contemporary - paranormals included, romance not required.

I say write books that you'd like to read. There's always someone out there who'll share the same tastes as you.

Hayden wrote: "Historical fiction, from my experience writing and publishing them, is not a good seller, but people do read it. The interest right now is in fantasy and contemporary - paranormals included, romance not required.

I say write books that you'd like to read. There's always someone out there who'll share the same tastes as you. "

Thanks for the response. I like to read all kinds of books (and what I'm pulled to write is just as eclectic), so I'm not the greatest barometer. Given this kind of general direction, I'm sure I'll be able to find my way to doing something interesting to more than just myself. :)

Ibis3 wrote: "I like to read all kinds of books (and what I'm pulled to write is just as eclectic), so I'm not the greatest barometer."

I treasure the following Toni Morrison quote: "If there's a book you want to read but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it."

I always fall back to that whenever I feel like market trends are drowning my voice.

Hi everyone I'm currently writing a YA M/M book and I was hoping to get some feedback. I would really appreicate that:)
http://www.goodreads.com/story/show/2...

I have been planning on writing a YA M/M novel series, be it online or elsewhere. I don't know what to write about yet, though.

Posted that YA "It gets better" story (7,000 words) on my self-promotion thread here. Feel free to have a look at it if you are interested. The title is Intervention and it is more about brothers than about romance.

I have to say that Kaje's story is quite worth the read.. in my opinion.

Glad you liked it. Of course now Seth and David are after me to tell the rest of their story. That's what happens when you let characters into your head. I'm swamped with editing werewolves and two WIP's, but short stories are fast, so the boys may con me into posting another installment sometime.

Featherweight Press (MLR's YA imprint) just hired on a new editor and I have it from a reliable source that they're looking for more YA manuscripts... ;)

Ralph wrote: "Featherweight Press (MLR's YA imprint) just hired on a new editor and I have it from a reliable source that they're looking for more YA manuscripts... ;)"

I hadn't even realized they do YA (and I publish with them). If this becomes a novel and not just a series of shorts, I'll have to check them out.

Kaje wrote: "I hadn't even realized they do YA (and I publish with them). If this becomes a novel and not just a series of shorts, I'll have to check them out."

They just opened their YA house not long ago. They'll take shorts as well as novel length pieces. =)

http://featherweightpublishing.com/su...

Ralph wrote: "Kaje wrote: "I hadn't even realized they do YA (and I publish with them). If this becomes a novel and not just a series of shorts, I'll have to check them out."

They just opened their YA house not..."

Thank you, I'll check it out.

I've seen discussion elsewhere about writing YA under a different pen name, so younger readers are not drawn to your adult R-rated stuff. What do you all think?

I've been building up my world, have the main characters and some of the supporting cast almost fully formed. The romantic climax and the cliffhanger ending are pretty much complete scenes. Now I just have the intro* and middle of the plot left to percolate.

* I have an intro in my head but it has nowhere to go, so I think I'll have to ditch it.

Kaje wrote: "I've seen discussion elsewhere about writing YA under a different pen name, so younger readers are not drawn to your adult R-rated stuff. What do you all think? "

I think I'm going to use one pen name for all of my romantic stories adult & YA, but I'm not positive.

Ralph wrote: "Featherweight Press (MLR's YA imprint) just hired on a new editor and I have it from a reliable source that they're looking for more YA manuscripts... ;)"

Featherweight is great to work with, and so is that new editor :) I have two novels contracted with them, one of which I think might be out before the end of the year, though that depends on line edits and proofing. (I'm practicing wishful thinking here. LOL) That one isn't GLBT, but it does have a gay character, though he hasn't come out yet as of this story. I'll be writing that character's story next, and it will be a romance both to satisfy my daughter's friend who asked me to write a romance about two boys, and so my editor won't have to spend hours detoxing on LOLCats after reading my manuscript.

My other novel that's under contract with Featherweight has a gay main character, and there is some romance in it. The book isn't *about* his being gay, though. He just is, and he finds a boyfriend during the story.

Kaje, some of my adult stuff goes well beyond R-rated, so I do use a pen name for that. "Jo Ramsey" is close to my real name; for my adult romances I have a pen name that's completely unrelated. People who know me under that pen name mostly also know that I'm Jo; I don't hide the fact that I write YA from romance readers. LOL. But I do keep the romance pen name out of discussions where I'm representing myself as Jo for the most part, because I don't want teens stumbling onto the adult stuff, and because I don't want to risk losing possible school visits because the school finds out I also write X-rated stuff.

My daughters and a few of my 16-year-old's friends know my romance pen name, but since I know them all well (even the friends call me Mom, mostly), I'm able to tell them I'll thwap them if I ever find out they've read my romance stuff before they turn 18.

Yeah, that's kind of what I'm thinking of too. But the logistics need a little thought. Ah, well, the YA novel is only in my head so far; the short is up as a freebie only on my website. If I ever put it somewhere downloadable like Smashwords I'll have to think hard about pen name issues then (although even tougher since it's already on the website with my NC-17 titles.) Maybe I'll just let that one be website only. (Although the novel is the same characters...)

Jo wrote: "Ralph wrote: "Featherweight Press (MLR's YA imprint) just hired on a new editor and I have it from a reliable source that they're looking for more YA manuscripts... ;)"

Featherweight is great to w..."

Cluing In will be out this year if it kills me!

No! If it kills you, they'll have to find me another new editor! :P LOL

My daughter and her friends will be happy to hear that, though...

I'm doing the outline for a YA M/M book featuring characters of color. It's sad that multicultural gay teens are just so underserved in the YA genre. I decided that my novel(la) is going to be less issue oriented though. My main character Creek just wants to be a nerd who hangs out with Ren-Faire people and has a huge crush on one of the jousting knights.

Sounds great - I love Ren-Faire folk; such an interesting and mixed bunch of people.

We are that, LOL. People would be surprised at the various walks of life Faire folk are from.

Hey Vixenne, It's great to hear someone say that they are planning a YA story that isn't 'issue' focused. Whilst it's very hard to 'leave' issues out of a YA m/m story (and I do understand how difficult it is) Sometimes it's just nice to read a story that is on normal life. (Does that even make sense? a story for the stories sake and not the issues invoked!)
*hugs*
b

I don't think it's hard, but I think some authors feel that issues have to be part of a story to make it authentic. I think that kind of ignores the diversity of gay life, which isn't always so cut and dried and depressing. Like all of us, gay men have funny and strange things happen in their lives and their relationships that would make for interesting reading. That's what I'm hoping to show.

Vixenne wrote: "I don't think it's hard, but I think some authors feel that issues have to be part of a story to make it authentic. I think that kind of ignores the diversity of gay life, which isn't always so cu..."

I hear ya. Sometimes issues can't be avoided, but I'm totally all for purely escapist stuff. If there's one great way of normalizing gay kids, it's through fiction that treats them as more than just their sexual orientation.

Psst. If you're thinking about writing speculative fiction with gay teens, we can hang out together. :D I think I'm the only one who writes that sort of book in this group.

I've been promising myself a couple of your books for ages Hayden... I think it's time my credit card met your words.. hehehe

Byron wrote: "I've been promising myself a couple of your books for ages Hayden... I think it's time my credit card met your words.. hehehe"

LOL, thanks, Byron! I've been checking out the ever-growing list of books we have listed for this group, and I give myself a headache deciding which to get next. My poor credit card can only take so many at a time. XD

Vixenne, your YA book sounds good!

One of my contracted YA books is about issues, and it has a gay main character, but Chris's sexuality isn't one of the issues. Chris's mother abandons the family for the man she's been having an affair with, and Chris learns that his new boyfriend has untreated bipolar disorder. The story is about how he and his father learn to cope with their lives--and with Chris's autistic younger sister--without his mother around, and how Chris handles the results of his boyfriend's illness.

I'd like to. Feeling a little out of my depth, but I want to give it a try soon! :)