YA novel w/ 18 yr old MC?

Wryen · Apr 7, 2010

I'm writing a novel that, when I first came up with the idea, I thought would be an adult novel. As I've been writing it, though, I realized that it is more of a YA novel. Here's the thing: the main characters are 18 years old.

I know that the "rules" say that the main characters should not be over 17, but how important is that number, really? I mean, I've sort of come up with a way to make the characters 17 if it was really that important. Still, it would be basically the same story. So...

What I'm asking is: if my story feels like a YA novel but has 18 year old characters, would I be better off: a.) changing the ages to 17, b.) keeping it the same and still calling it YA, or c.) keeping it the same and calling it adult?

Maybe I should also mention that the story is taking place during the summer after high school graduation, where the main characters are living on their own. It's sort of a romance tangled in a thriller.

I'd really appreciate any help, so thanks in advance. Also, this may be my first post but I've been lurking these forums for about a year, so... Hi, I'm Chris. :hi:

PoppysInARow · Apr 7, 2010

Remember: YA isn't just about the ages of the characters. It's about voice. Also, I've heard the cut off for characters is eighteen, not seventeen. So you might be able to squeak past it.

If you've got a YA voice going on, don't force it to be adult. Simone Elkeles' Perfect Chemistry had eighteen year old protagonists. I'm sure there are others out there as well.

If your characters feel YA, agents won't care if they're eighteen.

Also, welcome to the cooler.

inkspatters · Apr 7, 2010

There are other YA books written about the summer-after-high-school experience, so I think it counts as YA even with eighteen-year-old protags. The best example I can think of now is Maureen McCarthy's Rose by Any Other Name, but I know there are others by the same author and ones that are just slipping my mind now.

Shady Lane · Apr 7, 2010

18 and summer after graduation is fine. think BOY GIRL BOY by Ron Koertge or most of the SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS books.

Tuuli · Apr 7, 2010

Lisa McMann's Wake series is another one. Janie turns 18 in the second book of the trilogy. Remember, a lot of students are 18 when they are in high school. Sure some of us graduated when we were 17, but many don't. It's all about when their birthday is.

suki · Apr 7, 2010

Last year's Vast Fields of Ordinary. If they are organically 18, leave it. If the voice and story are YA and effective, any decent agent or editor who does think they should be 17 will it. But it's not going to be such a big deal if everything else is working.

wandergirl · Apr 7, 2010

There are tons of YA books with 18-year-old protagonists. Just finished Perfect Chemistry, and both protagonists are 18 all through their senior year (I have a feeling this was meant to excuse the sexmaking...). An Abundance of Katherines by John Green features 18-year-olds in their summer after high school. So does my second book, which is with my agent. Age-wise, you're fine, as everyone has said.

ETA: aaaand jinx on Perfect Chemistry! must read all comments before commenting

Shady Lane · Apr 7, 2010

suki said:
Last year's Vast Fields of Ordinary. If they are organically 18, leave it. If the voice and story are YA and effective, any decent agent or editor who does think they should be 17 will it. But it's not going to be such a big deal if everything else is working.

forgot all about this one, and it does a great job of capturing that post-high school pre-college nostalgia and anxiety.

also, SOMEDAY THIS PAIN WILL BE USEFUL TO YOU.

eyeblink · Apr 8, 2010

Bog Child by Siobhan Dowd has an 18-year-old MC.

shaldna · Apr 8, 2010

Wryen said:
I know that the "rules" say that the main characters should not be over 17,

Rules? What rules? Who wrote these rules and why didn't anyone tell me?

In my YA series two of my characters are 17, one is 22 and the other two are in their mid twenties.

It's still a YA in feel and so far no one has commented on the slightly older ages.

Wryen · Apr 8, 2010

I want to thank everyone for their responses, it was a big help. I thought I was pretty clearly writing YA, but the age was scaring me. I thought there was like an unwritten rule that characters couldn't be over 17, but clearly that's not the case. So thank you guys for explaining this to me. Now I've got to finish writing the first draft. Of course, I'm using the word finish loosely because I'm not even quite half way done yet.

katiemac · Apr 8, 2010

You may be interested in the New Adult genre that's just recently cropped up. It was "invented" by St. Martin's Press. They are specifically looking to fill that gap between YA and adult novels.

ceenindee · Apr 8, 2010

The protagonist of Scott Westerfeld's Peeps is 19, if you're looking for anymore examples. Good luck.

elissa · Apr 8, 2010

my characters in TDBB are 18, summer after graduation. I submitted it to SMP for the New Adult contest, and they liked it quite a bit but in the end said it was too YA, so there you go!

Blind Writer · Apr 9, 2010

One of my books takes place the summer after senior year with an 18 yo protag. I don't think its an issue - at least, my agent hasn't said anything about it being a proglem.. Also THIS LULLABY by Sarah Dessen is that way.

InsanitySquares · Apr 9, 2010

My protag in my novel is 21, summer after finishing uni. Not sure yet whether the book's going to turn out YA or adult yet, it depends. What I'm saying is, finish the first draft before you decide, and don't make decisions on the genre too early.

mickeyDs4 · Apr 9, 2010

Blind Writer said:
One of my books takes place the summer after senior year with an 18 yo protag. I don't think its an issue - at least, my agent hasn't said anything about it being a proglem.. Also THIS LULLABY by Sarah Dessen is that way.

So is her new one Along for the Ride. I don't think the age matters that much because it's more about who it's for. The book that shall remain nameless written "allegedly" by that one actress her characters are all 19-20.

Tuuli · Apr 9, 2010

wandergirl said:
There are tons of YA books with 18-year-old protagonists. Just finished Perfect Chemistry, and both protagonists are 18 all through their senior year (I have a feeling this was meant to excuse the sexmaking...).

I can't believe I forgot this one!!!

K.L Hallam · Jul 14, 2014

Thanks for bringing up this question, Wryen. I just aged up my 17 yo, though it's just summer and she had a birthday in May. She's finishing music school There's a bit of May-December relationship, and at this point in my draft I'm not sure how far that'll go. It's also 1935. I expect it'll be YA. She's trying to figure out her messy life.

MynaOphelia · Jul 14, 2014

I'm pretty sure the two main hallmarks of YA are character voice and a coming-of-age story--even if it's part of a bigger plot, like scifi or thriller or fantasy.

Many YA books have been written about the summer after high school experience though, and most guides have put the age cutoff at 18, so your book is probably able to be YA.

SpiteLokidottir · Jul 18, 2014

18 should be fine. Mine is YA, and the MC is 17. I think it's more than age that determines whether a book is YA or not.

Liosse de Velishaf · Jul 18, 2014

There's no rule that characters can't be older than 17. In fact, there are a few that even hit 19. Leave it where it is and write it.

Maxinquaye · Jul 18, 2014

Wryen said:
I know that the "rules" say that the main characters should not be over 17, but how important is that number, really? I mean, I've sort of come up with a way to make the characters 17 if it was really that important. Still, it would be basically the same story. So...

Nearly all characters have been between 14-19. One was in her fifties.

People keep telling me I write YA, but I deliberately resist the label because (like someone said above) YA is more defined by how it is written than by the age of the character.

Since I want to be as free as possible, I say I write adult books which just happens to have teenage characters. I also resist the label a bit because even young adults are adults, right? They’re just young.

Blinkk · Jul 18, 2014

Just dropping by to say hello to Wryen. I recently posted in the YA forum with a very similar question. I got lots of great responses. If you've got time, check out this thread.

MichelleTranWrites · Jul 31, 2014

I agree with everyone. There's not really a cut-off age per say, just more of an audience guidline.

YA novel w/ 18 yr old MC?

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