Being a YA book blogger, I’ve come in contact with a lot of people who are inspired to write YA literature. Some of them are published authors or soon-to-be published authors. Others are aspiring writers who get excited about the teenage experience in more ways than you can even imagine. Whatever stage they (or you) are at in the YA writing game, they are all inspired to get into the heads of all sorts of teens who are experiencing some major life events for the first time.
From my own experience, I can say with certainty that sometimes a particular novel can inspire a reader to do many things. After I finished reading Natalie Standiford‘s Confessions Of The Sullivan Sisters for instance, I was inspired to write a confession of my own in the midst of my review. True, my confession wasn’t directed at Almighty (the Sullivan sisters’ grandmother if you believe it), but to my readers. Still the muse (if there really is one) was definitely at work on that review.
While inspired book reviews are nice, an online encounter that I had earlier this week has led me to ponder something a little different than I normally would on this site:
- How does YA lit inspire you?
Why would I ask such a question? Well, I “met” Blayne Beacham on Twitter, and at her request agreed to recommend a bunch of YA novels about young teen girls for a creative project that she’s planning on completing over the course of 2011. No – she isn’t writing a novel, so the recommendations aren’t to inspire her writing. Rather, this professional photographer of architecture and interior design was so inspired by Lauren Oliver‘s debut novel Before I Fall that she’s decided to challenge herself to read 52 more YA books this year and take a photograph inspired by each of the novels she selects, including the aforementioned novel by Oliver, for a photo series of 53 images entitled Before I Fall after the book that inspired her photo project.
I, for one, think this is a great way for Beacham to channel the thoughts and feelings that some amazing YA novels brings up into something all together amazing, and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with for some of the teen novels that I recommended to her in particular. Most importantly for myself and my readers, this photographer’s inspiration has inspired this very post.
If you have a moment, please check out Beacham’s site and offer her some additional YA reading suggestions. I’m sure that she’ll appreciate your help…though it may make selecting only 52 more books a little difficult. Once you’ve done that please take the time to describe how YA literature inspires you in the comment box below – who knows your inspiration may very well get my own muse working again!
Want to tell your YA lit inspiration story? Check out the About YA Book Shelf page to contact me with your proposal!
Melissa Montovani is the founder of YABookShelf.com, where she has been writing content about YA authors and books since 2010. She has over five years of online marketing experience, active followers on Twitter and Facebook and writes freelance reviews for Canadian Children's Book News. She has an M.A. in English Literature and lives and works in Toronto, Canada.
