I just wanted to know whether or not the whole YA genre was centre around the modern troubles of the modern teenagers and such. Can it be about anything for young readers, or just the teenager social issues.
Like the book that i've got going has some Sci-Fi elements, but it's focuses around Teens and the story is intended for younger audience so would that be YA or nah?
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50,225 / 50,000
Nov 16, 2008 - 03 55
No - does NOT have to be just about teen social issues. Eg. Harry Potter - yes he has best friend and girl troubles but the big deal in the books is his battle with Voldemort.
That's just ONE example.
My writing, I get annoyed with myself because I get stuck on the whole social relationships etc and don't delve deeper into the other stuff that teens are concerned about. I'm gonna have a plot driven book one of these days, just at the moment they're all character based.
To me, a book is classified YA if it is told through a YA character. However if it deals with adult content - like that movie, Thirteen? NOT a YA movie, even though the main characters are 13.
Did that make sense? I'm tired.
Sairz
9,935 / 50,000
Nov 16, 2008 - 04 20
Thanks for helping. It did make sense, so it's all good.
I've gone through the same thing with the whole no plot, character only stories. Gets a little frustrating trying to think of a unique story to go with characters , since almost everything has been done.
Thanks again
50,269 / 50,000
Nov 16, 2008 - 11 10
In my opinion, YA really MUST be about more than the "typical" teen social issues. Beyond just coming of age, what kind of universe are the characters coming into? What kind of universe do they want to shape as humans alive on the planet (or wherever they live)? I think as authors it is essential to be socially responsible as far as creating characters with brains and complexity beyond a drugs, sex, & rock 'n roll which are also elemental parts of existence.
One of the reasons I think Catcher in the Rye endures is because of the deeper issues Holden grapples with, in the particular setting (NYC) which comes alive in great detail. So that readers can understand some of his alienation from the society/ world.
Janet Fitch's White Oleander, Lit Fic / young adult, shows a teen grappling with tons of pressures beyond her own identity as a "teen girl."
Not sure if this makes sense. . . . ?
52,996 / 50,000
Nov 16, 2008 - 18 14
My YA novel is for the older bunch...I wouldn't recommend it for anyone younger than 15, to tell you the truth. So no, your YA novel doesn't have to cater specifically to teens.
56,924 / 50,000
Nov 18, 2008 - 11 36
No, it doesn't. The only reason I call my novel a YA novel is because it started out when they were teens and I'm a teenager. I read books with this age group all the time and I'm drawn to the title.
My book is about the supernatural and sure, they do have issues like death and the fear of things but it definitely isn't centered around their social issues. A good amount of my novels are YA and I have several sci-fi, fantasy, and action novels. So no, it doesn't have to be based around that.
50,421 / 50,000
Nov 20, 2008 - 16 08
What you're writing sounds YA. It doesn't have to be just teen social issues/high school drama, that sort of thing. I'm writing YA Fantasy. My mine character is fourteen and it is geared towards ages 12-16, but that's about all that it has to do with youth. For right now, my MC is the only person his age that is even remotely a main character in the book. Over the course of the series, there will be more people his age added, but they're going to be globe trotting, not trying to fit into the social strata.
59,398 / 50,000
Nov 23, 2008 - 12 25
It does not. I think the idea that you have to put "issues" into the story is an adult-based idea. Half the time, teens don't even care. We like to read things about experience, sure. Doesn't everyone? But cut us a break once in a while. We like reading about ourselves, and not ALL of us have horrible lives. Not ALL of us cut ourselves, drink beer, and play strip poker. Not ALL of our parents overdose and beat us. Not ALL of us battle anorexia and bipolar disorder.
I'm willing to read the next big YA a story about a girl who copes with her dead goldfish.
84,280 / 50,000
Dec 1, 2008 - 18 29
No, not all the time. Think those fantasy novels such as Narnia, LOTR (Lord of the Rings), His Dark Materials series, Harry Potter, etc. Not to mention those old mystery series such as Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, etc. Even if they may be written back in the days they're still popular until now. (I mean, look at all the movies Hollywood has made out of these books...)
Though I placed my novel under the mystery & suspense genre my target audience are teenagers since my characters are all teens. When it comes to mentioning teen issues I just derive them from my past experiences as a teenager (I'm in my early 30s but I can still vividly remember my teen years well) rather than deriving it from TV shows/Hollywood/etc. with so many problems because I don't know well enough about them w/o actually experiencing them myself.
Just keep in mind though that no character is perfect (otherwise the story would just be boring). They all have a flaw or two on the side, but not to the extent of where they go hang out at night to do drugs and get all 'emo' because their parents are being "unfair" to them. I've seen too much of that already.
50,347 / 50,000
Dec 25, 2008 - 19 25
In my opinion, if you don't want it to be about teen social issues, then the teen needs to be dealing with something supernatural, such as in scifi or fantasy or whatnot. Because if you're writing a story about a realistic teen's life, then it is ABOUT the social issues, and can be nothing else. The way to get it out of the social issues is to introduce a topic that doesn't come from the mundane world we live in.
To answer your question directly, no, YA doesn't have to be about teen social issues. Stroll about the YA shelves at a bookstore sometime. Teen fantasy and scifi is on the rise.