What would are your favorite aspects of NA?

[Heather]

Sort of a spin off from the NA/YA what's the difference thread...
November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) and this is my fourth year taking part in it. The last two years the books I wrote I actually published (Future Letters Nine Days) and the first one I'll be rewriting with my husband.
My first two published books are in that in-between YA/NA area so this year I'd like to try NA, definite NA, no questions that it's NA.
So my question - What are your favorite things about NA? What types of stories make you want to read them? What type of characters? Are they in college? Just out? Out for a couple years? Do you need a alpha bad boy falling for the innocent girl or vice versa? Tons and tons of grapic sex? Little bit of sex? Somewhere in the middle?
What draws you to a NA book?
Any help would be really appreciated. I'm in the very beginning stages of mapping this so it's totally open! :-)

[Amy]

I actually love to read both young adult and new adult books. The things that I like about New Adult books is that content is more mature. I like that they deal with harder/difficult issues.

[Jennifer]

I think you should write what feels natural to you and what you're passionate about :) I feel like a lot of people are writing stories just to fit into the popular NA themes right now, and that leaves some stories falling flat.

[Sainabou]

The alpha boy falling for the innocent girl has been milked so much that it's not exciting anymore
What if the girl was the bad one or the guy was nerd or something lol that would be interesting

[Heather]

Jennifer wrote: "I think you should write what feels natural to you and what you're passionate about :) I feel like a lot of people are writing stories just to fit into the popular NA themes right now, and that lea..."
I understand that. :-) And I'm trying to stick to what I'm passionate about - but at the same time I don't really like being in the middle all the time between YA and NA. I'm trying to learn and do better with each story and reviews help with that. I've heard a lot about being in the middle and it's no problem, but I've also had hard core YA fans be annoyed at anything NA and NA fans being annoyed that it's too YA. Does that make sense?
And I agree about the bad boy thing. I'm getting tired of it too. I don't actually think I could write a believable bad boy as the main character.

[Sainabou]

Heather you can write anything and it would be phenomenal :)

[Heather]

M1ssb3rry wrote: "Heather you can write anything and it would be phenomenal :)"

Thank you. You're so sweet.

[Danielle]

What I like best about NA is that their is so much potential for such a new genre. I think the genre is still evolving and encompasses such a broad range of subject matter. I've always appreciated "coming of age" stories. Where the character or characters experience some sort of milestone or marker that signifies a passage or transcendence into something new. I like the reinvention, but I'm also a sucker for the sadness and sensation of loss once that can be experienced. Examples could be the first time a teenager might not view Disney Land as magical, or someone experiencing sadness for loosing their virginity or innocence.Perhaps it's a student trying to get by on their own for the first time in a big city. I like the struggle, the sadness, and then the rewards and happiness for having overcome the tragic way life can be sometimes.

[Emily]

I can relate to NA more because they are usually around my age, going through things I have and feeling things I feel. When I was a teenager, YA made more sense and the characters didn't seem as immature. However, I enjoy both, but NA slightly more. A big thing to me is the sex. I don't need raunch but I like more than giggles and handholding. A few steamy scenes are always nice!

[Emily]

Actually, I would like to expand on my comment.

I'm open to different personalities as far as characters go, but it's really important to me that I like the main character and/or the character telling the story. I like them to be realistically flawed, and work hard to make the right decisions. I like a smart character who tries to do what's right even if they fall short sometimes. Somebody who uses their brain but does make mistakes. I don't need them to be perfect, just likable. I have quite too many books because I thought the character was too weak, too much of an asshole / bitch, or spends all their time making dumb decisions.

Love triangles don't bother me because it's realistic to me. What's not realistic is *everybody* falling for the same character. That's always been ridiculous to me. Somebody being overly popular is fine, but everybody crushing on the same person?

NA relates to the twenties, no? So any age in there is what I look forward to, or around 18-19. College is fine, depends on the story.

I like that the stories are more mature and the issues are deeper. Books that talk about paying bills or going to work instead of underage drinking and being grounded.. So to say.

I read mysteries and supernatural books the most, so obviously I look forward to relationships within the story. I do like options when it comes to relationships which is probably why I'm not against love triangles.

Then of course, I already mentioned sex in my other comment.

I'm on my phone do I apologize for any autocorrect problems if there are any. I'm writing this without proofreading.

[Heather]

Thank you everyone for you thoughts and likes. It's helped a lot. I had an idea I've been playing with and I think once I get the story line mapped out it'll work nicely as a NA Paranormal. Plus, I think the one I'll be working on with my husband will also count as NA with the mature issues, starting life as and adult, but there won't be any hot and heavy descriptive sex - mainly because it wouldn't work for the story.
Please keep your ideas and thoughts coming. They're very helpful - especially since this is such a new genre.

[Carol]

Hi Heather, I'm having the same thoughts about my new story. At first I thought it was YA but it's definitely NA. The sex isn't too hot yet altho I'd like to sex it up - but I'm scared of my kids reading it! I'm actually wondering about posting the first few chapters here and inviting comments. The story's set in Hong Kong in the mid-1990s and the protagonists are a 16-year-old Canadian girl and a 23-year-old maid from the Phillipines. Would anyone be prepared to read and give me their honest opinion?

[Danielle]

Carol wrote: "Hi Heather, I'm having the same thoughts about my new story. At first I thought it was YA but it's definitely NA. The sex isn't too hot yet altho I'd like to sex it up - but I'm scared of my kids r..."

I love that idea!Especially, the more provocative scenes. I find it interesting to give and get feedback on sex scenes in NA. I think your chapters might create some buzz in the group!

[Danielle]

Heather wrote: "Thank you everyone for you thoughts and likes. It's helped a lot. I had an idea I've been playing with and I think once I get the story line mapped out it'll work nicely as a NA Paranormal. Plus..."

Your post inspired a few thoughts that are currently bouncing around in my brain. I think the descriptive sex scenes can be fun and playful at times, and great for those who enjoy creative writing, but sometimes the hottest scenes are the ones that build up(climax) that make it so fiery and hot. I think if the writing is good, the actual sex isn't really necessary. I like provocative writing that teases. Sometimes it's the moments that leave a reader to infer, that can make the story all the more powerful.

[Carol]

You're right - if the writing is great you don't even need the sex scenes. In my book the sex scenes are necessary, I think, because they show how a character becomes more comfortable with her sexuality when she falls in love. I like NA because it gives a writer more scope and depth with adult themes than YA does.

[[deleted user]]

Hi - as an author of NA, I love the chance to get inside the heads of young characters who are just starting out on their adult lives. Although the world has moved on since I was that age, the problems people face are largely the same - career vs love; making your own way in the world, experimenting - and often not really knowing what you want from life or how to get it. But the world is a much smaller place now, and the competition is tougher - choices even more complicated! My daughter is the same age as my characters and I love mining her experience and insight (when she'll share.) I have lots of hot sex in my novels (NOT from her experience although she does provide third party anecdotes) because I've always written hot books - I used to write for Little Black Dress if anyone remembers it. I also adore writing hot Alpha males - at 26, Alexander is my youngest hero but I don't let that bother me. I couldn't write YA...

[[deleted user]]

PS I write as Pippa Croft - The Oxford Blue series pubbed by Penguin - wholly fictional of course but some inspiration from my time at Oxford and my daughter's at Ox and Cam.

[Carol]

I love that NA falls between the two worlds of YA and adult. The genre allows writers and readers to explore everything in more depth than with YA, but with much of the drama and heightened emotion of youth.

[[deleted user]]

Mine are *definitely* not YA and lots of older readers are reliving the drama and heightened emotion through them...Carol, I think this is happening with a lot of NA novels.

[Carol]

Yeah, I hope NA is coming into its own (although I have only written YA so far...)