If I’m writing a story geared toward a female YA audience, should I have a male or female protagonist?
(I ask because I have a story idea that would fit perfectly in Vella’s new anthology…except that the MC is a college-age guy. *slaps forehead* Would that still work for a 16-25 year old female audience?)
Hey Ava. Sorry for the slow reply! I missed this over the holidays…and apparently everyone else did too 🙂
Generally speaking, we tend to relate most strongly to characters who are like ourselves. All other things being equal, for young adult audiences your best choice is a character of the reader’s same gender who is 2-3 years older than they are.
However, that’s not a hard rule. A great story is a great story. You can definitely write a story about a main character of the opposite gender of your target reader. As a male reader, I would much rather read an amazing story with a female protagonist than a mediocre story with a male lead.
If you have a great story idea, don’t even hesitate to write and submit it for Vella’s anthology! No head slapping required! 🙂
For me as a young woman, I equally enjoy reading male and female povs. I do relate more easily to a female pov, but I think most women are curious to know what men are thinking, and would enjoy reading a male pov also.
