Writing both Young Adult and New Adult can prove to be a challenge for some, but Cady Vance makes it look like a breeze. Cady is the author of six novels, all of which fall into one of the two popular categories. Today, Cady is here to talk about New Adult, magic and writing. Hi, Cady. Tell me about yourself. Hi, Summer. Thanks for having me! I'm a YA and NA author, and I'm also a PhD student in Library Studies. My research actually focuses on children's & YA literature and writers, so you can see it's a huge passion of mine! To pursue my degree, I moved over to Wales, and it's been an incredible, life-changing experience so far. What kind of books do you write? What drew you to those kinds of stories? I love writing paranormal, fantasy and science fiction, so anything with a speculative element to it. This may sound like a cliche answer, but it's all because of Harry Potter. When I was a kid, I read a lot of mysteries and sweet romances, but once I cracked open the cover of the first Harry Potter book, I never looked back. It's what got me to write YA, and it's what turned me on to reading science fiction and fantasy. I think I love seeing the world as a more fantastical place than it really is. We don't get to experience interstellar space flight or powerful magic, so I love delving into impossible things through the written word. How do you feel about the crazy surge of New Adult in publishing? Do you see it as a long-term category? At first, I didn't think NA had legs, but the category has really grown over the past few years. I think it's been so successful because there was a big gap in the market. I personally love reading about that age group, people in college experiencing the world with a newfound freedom. It seems plenty of others love reading it, too, and I can see it sticking around, especially in the indie market. Do you prefer to write NA or YA? Or do you love both as equally? I've written more YA than I have NA, but that's only because NA is newer category. I enjoy writing them equally because I approach them from a similar mindset. I enjoy having the freedom to tackle some more mature scenes in the NAs, but the voice and the tone of those books still have the same style as my YA titles. I'm young at heart. If I were to ever try writing a protagonist older than twenty-one, I think I'd struggle!
Tell me about Never Sleep and Bone Dry.
Bone Dry is a YA paranormal about a teenage shaman (and comic book nerd) named Holly, who cons her classmates into thinking they're being haunted. The year before, a mysterious, dangerous shaman stuck her mom's mind halfway between the real world and the spirit world, so Holly's had to figure out a way to act as the breadwinner of the family. Things get even more complicated when real spirits start showing up in town, leaving behind a trail of bodies. And it's up to Holly to stop them. There's lot of magic, danger, and of course, some romance with a cute boy who runs a web comic.
Never Sleep goes in a slightly different direction. It's a YA light science fiction novel about a girl named Thora who has severe insomnia. She hasn't slept in 127 days. Determined to find a cure, she embarks on a midnight quest through underground New York City to find the Insomniac Cafe, a rumored safe haven for people with Thora's disease. But of course, it isn't as easy as that. There are dangerous people out hunting Thora for reasons she doesn't understand, and a mysterious British boy keeps popping up in random places leaving cryptic clues. The whole book takes place in a little over twenty-four hours, so it's a pretty fast-paced read. What is your favorite part of writing? My favorite part of writing is the revision stage. Taking the skeleton of a first draft and turning it into a polished product. The sentences begin to sparkle, and the characters really get fleshed out. It's when the book starts to feel like a book. When I'm first drafting, I can't sit still for more than about fifteen minutes at a time, but when I revise, I can spend an entire day without realizing any time has passed at all. Tell my readers about your Advance Reader Squad. My Advance Reader Squad is an awesome group of readers who get free early copies of my upcoming e-books. They're volunteers who agree to read and give an honest review on Amazon or Goodreads, which is crucial to a successful book launch. Right now, I'm still building the squad, so if anyone is interested in signing up, there's more information on my website: https://cadyvance.wordpress.com/advance-reader-squad/. Advice to aspiring YA and NA writers? The top three most important pieces of advice I can give are: 1. Read as much as you can get your hands on. 2. Write as much as your hands can manage. 3. Never give up.
Thanks so much for having me, Summer!
About Cady Vance
Hi, I’m Cady Vance. I write YA and NA books. Some of them are about girls with crazy-long insomnia. Some of them are about con artists and shamans. And some of them are about evil magical gangs in NYC.
I’m also a PhD student. That combined with being an author means I’m always at my desk. Except when I’m running, which I love to do.
I also love binge-watching cheesy sci-fi shows, re-reading Harry Potter, and pretending I’m a superhero. One day, I want to see the universe.
(From Cady Vance's Official Website)
Presented by Writing Belle 2015
