Fiction featuring protagonists aged 14-18 and centering the emotional intensity of adolescence, read by teens and adults alike.
Young adult fiction features teenage protagonists and engages with themes central to adolescence: identity, first love, rebellion, belonging, and the discovery of how the world actually works. YA isn't a genre (it spans fantasy, sci-fi, contemporary, horror, and more) but an age category, defined by its protagonist's age and the emotional register of the narrative. It's also one of the most commercially powerful categories in publishing, with a readership that's roughly half adult.
YA is a massive market with its own conventions, reader expectations, and publishing ecosystem. If you're writing for teens, understanding YA's norms (first-person narration, emotional intensity, certain content boundaries) is essential. If you're not, studying YA's pacing and emotional directness will still improve your writing. It's a category that doesn't tolerate filler.
Dystopian YA that proved the category could drive blockbuster commercial and cultural impact.
Contemporary YA tackling police violence and racial justice through a teenager's lived experience.
Fantasy heist with a YA ensemble cast, demonstrating that YA fantasy can be as complex as adult.
YA readers are sharp, genre-literate, and intolerant of condescension. Write with the same craft you'd bring to adult fiction.
YA features teenagers dealing with teen issues. Middle grade features younger protagonists and avoids certain content. They're different audiences.
Write a scene from a teenager's perspective that captures the emotional intensity specific to that age: everything matters more, feels permanent, and can't be explained to adults. Ground it in a specific, small moment (a text message, a look across a classroom, a lie told to a parent) that carries enormous weight.