Nathan Bransford - The Forums

Quill wrote:I'm pretty sure the teen guys' fantasy is beer.

What if it's beer served by edgy mermaids?

My YA readings are fairly concentrated on fantasy and sci-fi/dystopian, but I think that there might be more steampunk, which could be cool. Also, at some point the market might turn to be more dude-centric.

Maybe not.

Quill wrote:I'm pretty sure the teen guys' fantasy is beer.

They can buy beer. Last I checked, the local strip club wasn't offering any fish-headed strippers...

Teens can buy beer Down Under? Not in Arizona or most other U.S. states.

Well, beer and fish-headed women, why can't a book aimed at guys have both? Double our chances of success.

Oh yeah!!

And the legal drinking age here is 18 but somehow those sneaky teens manage to start getting drunk around 15/16.

I think politics is the next thing to come, especially light hearted approaches that inform. We have the beginning of presidential politic sneaking around already.

Quill wrote:Dystopian mermaids fleeing the Gulf oil mess and running into pirates.

BWAH HA HA HA!!!! OMG, HA HA HA!!!!

Quill wrote:Interesting blog post today from Kristin Nelson, literary agent:

I have to say it’s getting a little gruesome in our query letters and sample pages. We’ve received an inordinate amount of queries where the poor main character has to be killed off before the novel can begin.

I think Kristin's right on the money there. Even just looking at the 'Nominate Your First Page...' thread in the Town Hall forum highlights this; the amount of excerpts beginning "The day I died was..." or "I was standing over my sister's/best friend's/friendly neighbourhood hobo's coffin..." is unbelievable!

I think people find death mystifying. It worked in the Luxe (after I got over the "I thought that was her funeral... oh... wait... yep I see what's going on now") but other than that, it's not really something that appeals to me. I only bought the Luxe (and subsequent books) for the covers.

Quill wrote:I'm pretty sure the teen guys' fantasy is beer.

You've obviously not seen Weird Science!! :)

steve wrote:Here's hoping genre for young adults is dead; sex and alienation needs a comeback!

I know I'm resurrecting this thread from the dead, but I just caught up with my old bookmarks and actually laughed out loud at this quote. Steve, it looks like you don't read much of the new YA these days! Sex (of the non-graphic variety) and alienation are all the rage.

Jessica Peter wrote:

steve wrote:Here's hoping genre for young adults is dead; sex and alienation needs a comeback!

I know I'm resurrecting this thread from the dead, but I just caught up with my old bookmarks and actually laughed out loud at this quote. Steve, it looks like you don't read much of the new YA these days! Sex (of the non-graphic variety) and alienation are all the rage.

Glad to hear about alienation, but what is "non-graphic sex"?

That sounds like one of those oxymorons, like Jumbo Shrimp, or one of those things that just plain doesn't exist, like a Kind Nazi.

I read whatever new YA my librarian tells me is worth reading. Sadly, the pickings are slim.

steve wrote:

Jessica Peter wrote:

steve wrote:Here's hoping genre for young adults is dead; sex and alienation needs a comeback!

I know I'm resurrecting this thread from the dead, but I just caught up with my old bookmarks and actually laughed out loud at this quote. Steve, it looks like you don't read much of the new YA these days! Sex (of the non-graphic variety) and alienation are all the rage.

Glad to hear about alienation, but what is "non-graphic sex"?

That sounds like one of those oxymorons, like Jumbo Shrimp, or one of those things that just plain doesn't exist, like a Kind Nazi.

I read whatever new YA my librarian tells me is worth reading. Sadly, the pickings are slim.

Haha, it entirely does sound like one of those oxymorons! I'd say the new non-graphic YA version of sex is, if not just implied or behind-the-scenes, then with less description of the actual... er.. actions of sex, and none of the naughtier terms for the "parts".

steve wrote:Glad to hear about alienation, but what is "non-graphic sex"?

"And then I took him, and it made me feel more alive than when I was truly alive. My body was warm and I touched his hair..." yada yada...

It means...you KNOW what they're doing, but you're detailing it with flowery prose and love bits and snuggly-cuddliness. It's all romance and love and kisses and touches, but nothing GRAPHIC. Oh, it's great, I feel this and I feel that, and oh...it was bliss.

So you KNOW what is happening, but it's like a movie where people are arching beneath the sheets. Yeah.

How 'bout a kid possessed by a god who travels to different worlds (and BLOWS THEM UP) and ends up personally bending spacetime? :D

Fenris wrote:How 'bout a kid possessed by a god who travels to different worlds (and BLOWS THEM UP) and ends up personally bending spacetime? :D

That sounds pretty interesting actually.