Tag Archives: YA novels

The Difference Between YA and MG Novels

Posted on

Recently, Robin and I had a conversation about how there seems to be a lot of confusion surrounding the differences between YA novels and MG novels. Most people know the basics, such as MG books are shorter than YA books, and MG protagonists are younger, under 14 as opposed to YA protagonists who are 15-18 […]


The Influence of Books on YAs

Posted on

Have you heard of The Unslut Project? It began with Emily Linden sharing her middle school diaries online in a Tumblr page. It’s now a memoir and a documentary. Unslut is the all-too-common story of a preteen girl who was slut shamed and bullied. Lindin shared her story to reassure other girls suffering from sexual bullying that they’re not alone […]


Accidental Outdated Slang in YA

Posted on

When it comes to writing for teenagers, the general rule regarding language is this: Don’t use slang in your YA novel. I abide by this rule, yet it’s come to my attention that I may be using slang accidentally! WTF? Read the post on WriteOnSisters.com to find out what happened.


What We’re Reading: YA Thrillers

Posted on

This month at writeonsisters.com Caryn and I review YA thrillers! This is one of my favourite genres, and I’m stoked to recommend one of the best books I read this year: Heather’s Pick: HOW TO LEAD A LIFE OF CRIME by Kirsten Miller Lately I’ve been fascinated with the psychopaths in our midst, those people who are […]


What We’re Reading at WOS: June Edition

Posted on

Over at Writeonsisters.com on the last Saturday of every month, Robin, Caryn and I blog about what YA books we’re reading. This month’s theme is romance. Caryn picked THE FAULT IN OUR STARS, I chose THE SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS, and Robin read THE SELECTION. Click here to read the full post. Now, romance is not my genre. […]


Who Do You Write For?

Posted on

This weekend I spoke on a panel at TAAFI (Toronto Animation Arts Festival International) about Writing for Animation, and it got me thinking about who writers write for. For example, as a screenwriter I write for the people who hire me (story editors, producers, broadcasters) and through them there’s a lot of focus on writing for the […]


Writers & Ageism: Does It Exist?

Posted on

This week was my birthday. To me, it was a small milestone – crossing the line into the latter half of my thirties. It wasn’t met with much cheer. By this age I had expected to be a successful writer, or at least be living above the poverty line. Life as a starving artist is cool in […]


X-Rated: Should YA Books Have a Rating System?

Posted on

Earlier this month I wrote a post called “Dropping the F-Bomb in YA Lit” and cited a study done by Brigham Young University that counted the number of swear words in bestselling YA novels. The results? There is cursing in most YA books. This sparked outrage from some and a nod to reality from others. But this […]


7 YA Books that Inspire Me to Write Better

Posted on

Great books inspire great writing. Without further ado, the books that push me to be my creative best… SPEAK by Laurie Halse Anderson… This is the first YA book I ever bought. I read it yeeeeeears ago, when I was about 22. Though I can’t remember the details, I do remember the issue and feeling like […]