Hone your manuscript and dial in every swashbuckling set-piece with your new writing coach, AutoCrit. Built for storytellers from the ground up, the platform brings you virtual mentorship influenced by some of the world’s best young adult writers.
Our tailored analysis reviews over 20 areas of your manuscript and offers catered recommendations to improve your novel. From dialogue to cliches and everything in between, AutoCrit is your protector and sidekick throughout the revision process.
AutoCrit studies millions of published novels, connects with top editors and agents, and works with authors just like you to understand the ingredients of the world’s best young adult (YA) novels. The power of this research is wrapped into every recommendation the platform provides.
Just a few of the 30+ interactive reports you can explore inside the AutoCrit platform.
Madeleine
L’Engle
Suzanne
Collins
Rick
Riordan
J.K.
Rowling
Focus your editing in each category with a target number of words to remove.
Know exactly what words to focus on first. No other system comes close to providing this level of detail!
Save time by clicking on a word or phrase in the Analysis Sidebar to jump your cursor right to the next instance.
Share your text (with or without highlights) with a beta reader or editor with the click of a button!
Instant Feedback Available 24 / 7 / 365 No matter the time or how rough your draft, AutoCrit is always at your side. Access the platform from any internet-enabled device, wherever, whenever.
Follow along with simple, step-by-step recommendations and craft writing that matches the quality of the best young adult books.
The YA writing style is typically fast-paced and engaging, with a focus on accessibility and emotional intensity. It often features first-person or close third-person narration to immerse readers in the protagonist’s inner world.
Here are some common hallmarks of YA fiction:
It’s important to remember that YA fiction isn’t a genre; it’s simply fiction that’s written for young readers. However, readers of all ages enjoy YA fiction and may be in your audience.
The only way to get experience in these areas is by writing and editing.
Just start writing. No one needs to see your early projects, so don’t stress about making them perfect; they’re for you to get a feel for the flow and start finding your voice. Consider experimenting with flash fiction (under 500 words) and short stories first before working up to novellas and long-form fiction writing.
Set writing goals and keep them reasonable. For example, set a word count goal of 1,000 words per day. To make this easy, AutoCrit offers daily and weekly word count goal tracking.
You can’t edit a blank page, so try writing sprints to get out of your head and get some words down. Set a timer for a specific amount of time and start writing. Pretend your backspace key doesn’t exist. Try a 15-minute writing sprint – you’ll be amazed how quickly it goes by and how much you fill up the page.
Once you have something to edit, young adult book writing and editing software like AutoCrit will help you self-edit successfully.
AutoCrit will check for repeated words, grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, excess adverbs, and many of the other pitfalls of the English language that a professional editor would address. In fact, many book editors use AutoCrit, and many writers will use AutoCrit to polish their draft before sending it to an editor.
To gain editing experience editing other people’s work, offer to proofread or provide developmental edits for another new writer in exchange for them editing yours. This can be someone you know in real life or a member of an online community, such as a writer’s group on social media.
No matter your writing style or experience level, AutoCrit can help you cut down on the time and stress of writing and self-editing your story and help you produce a quality manuscript that achieves your creative vision.
In addition to the software, AutoCrit offers live clubs and events that will help you excel in the book writing process.
For writers of any style or genre, it’s essential to read voraciously and broadly.
If you want to write YA fiction, start by reading bestselling and award-winning authors in that category to understand different techniques and story structures. No matter which corner of YA you want to write in, branch out with your reading.
Mystery, fantasy, horror, romance, and science fiction genres can help you discover what you like and give you the tools to tell better stories. If your story is set in another time period, reading biographies of contemporary figures can help in your research.
Here are some writing tips to help you get started in YA fiction:
Remember, YA fiction is about more than age – it’s about exploring the transition between childhood and adulthood.
On your writing journey, you will develop your style, voice, and learn how to put a new spin on the YA tropes you love – or subvert them completely.
Children’s books, middle grade books, and young adult fiction differ in themes, complexity, and length:
For comparison, adult fiction generally falls in the range of 70,000 to 100,000 words.
These target word counts are less firm for self-published or digital-only YA books, but you could use them as a guideline to help ensure your book meets the expectations of your audience.
There are many genres and subgenres of young adult fiction. Here are 10 of the most popular:
Whether you’re writing a thrilling tale about teens facing a totalitarian regime or a fun Bildungsroman about goth Martians at summer camp, young adult book writing and editing software like AutoCrit can help you write your best and keep your audience turning the pages.
This can vary based on many factors, such as the author’s experience, the complexity of the story, and writing habits. Some authors can spend a decade or more on one book, but others can finish a first draft in a matter of weeks.
However, a young adult fiction book generally takes six months to a year to write, compared to one to two years for adult fiction.
YA fiction generally takes less time to write due to its faster pacing and emotional arcs, which might streamline the process for some writers. Adult fiction often has deeper themes and requires more research and world-building.
For both, the writing time depends largely on the writer’s speed, commitment, and revision process. AutoCrit can help you speed up the self-editing process and get your work in progress ready for publication faster.
Many YA writers choose to join the thriving world of self-published authors, while others go the indie author route or seek traditional publication.
To get a young adult fiction book published traditionally, start by completing and polishing your manuscript.
Next, research literary agents who represent YA fiction. You can find these in Google, and many have a strong presence on social media. Prepare a strong query letter, including a brief synopsis and your book’s hook.
Submit to agents who accept YA submissions, following their guidelines. If an agent offers representation, they will pitch your book to publishers.
Be prepared for revisions based on agent or editor feedback. Networking at writing conferences and workshops (in-person and virtual) can also help you make connections. Patience is key, as the process can take time, but persistence and perseverance are essential for success.
Many authors use novel writing software and writing apps. For example, a simple word processor will allow you to write and edit online or offline, drag and drop text, and use a variety of features. Word processing software generally comes with autosave functionality, spell check, and customizable templates and formatting options.
Two of the most popular for general use are Microsoft Word and Google Docs. MS Word is a classic option but has limitations. Google Docs is web-based but allows offline use. Its collaborative functionality can be a plus when working with an editor or co-author. Some authors use Evernote for taking notes on the go.
Other book writing software and tools are designed specifically for writers, including tools to help improve readability, identify passive voice, and eliminate excess adverbs. For example, AutoCrit will track the adverbs you’ve used and advise you on whether to remove some based on current standards.
AutoCrit offers a low learning curve and allows you to import a finished draft with no size limit, so there’s no worry about running out of space. In fact, you can write your entire book in AutoCrit and self-edit as you go.
However, it’s important to maintain momentum in the creative writing process – there will be plenty of time to address AutoCrit’s recommendations once your first draft is complete.
Our Free Forever and AutoCrit Pro plans are designed for writers with varying needs and budgets.
The free version will give you many of the tools you’ll need to improve the quality of your draft before self-publishing on Amazon or another retailer. These include digital noteboards and cards that you can use for character profiles to take notes for planning and research, editing tools that analyze word choice, adverb usage, and readability, and more – with no word limits.
For additional tools and resources to make your writing sessions more productive, check out AutoCrit Pro, with monthly and annual billing schedules.
This tier offers additional features, such as a summary report with an AutoCrit score and editing recommendations, more than 30 interactive editing tools and reports analyzing pacing, dialog, and strong writing, discounts on courses, events, and author services, and access to the private member community, the AI-driven Inspiration Studio, and more.
AutoCrit is online, web-based software, offering authors of fiction and nonfiction books flexible, mobile, distraction-free writing and editing practically anywhere. However, while the website is optimized for smartphones, including Windows, Apple iOS, and Android devices, for the best editing experience we recommend using the software on any laptop or desktop computer, including Windows, Mac, Linux, and others.