Reasons to write YA

The end of the year is a good time to look back before looking forward.  So here is my list of reasons I’m glad to be a young adult writer.

• I read lots and lots of awesome YA books.
• I hang out on Twitter with lots and lots of awesome YA writers/authors.
• I learn about new awesome books before they are even published.
• I relive some awful, embarrassing, or wonderful, empowering moments of my life.
• I suffer teen-like angst about my writing abilities.
• I relive all the self-doubt I thought I had conquered more years ago than I plan to let on in this public forum.
• I have made awesome friends through writing, including (but not limited to) my critique partners.
• I have conversations about my favorite topic (books!) with my teenaged niece and nephew.
• I am the family YA book expert.
• I compile lists of books for my 7-year-old son to read now or in the future.
• I attend conferences with other writers and agents, editors, book publicists, etc. to learn more about childrens’ publishing, which has the added benefit of giving this Mama a very short break from being a Mama.
• I read any time of day and call it research.
• The manager of the café in our library knows me.
• I read my friends manuscripts and get to help them make them better.

Feel free to add your own reasons in the comments.

Yay YA!