Pregnancy

To avoid an uprising of angry parents...I think that there should be at least some consequences for your pregnant girl's actions, even if things turn out okay in the end.

That's my input.

Perhaps you could show both sides. Different people experience things differently depending on the obstacles they face. If your main character gets pregnant and becomes friends with another girl who is pregnant (like at the doctor's office or something), their interactions could reveal two very different experiences. If your main character experiences the difficulties that most girls face, perhaps the friend has an experience closer to yours where everything works out. You could explore issues of family dynamics, support systems, prejudices, social class and resources, etc.

My two cents.

Good luck.

I like the idea of having a little of both. Where some of it works out in some areas and othes where it doesn't.

I had my daughter at 14 long and very bad story. The father is not involved what so ever. Yet I had a supportive family that let me make my own choice as to weather I kept the child or not (I did). I recently found out my childhood friend is now pregnant at 17. She was dating a guy and found out she was pregnant. When she told the father he told her she had to have an abortion or he would have nothing to do with her. She refused yet her parents and friends are supportive and happy for her.

So in most cases teen pregnancies/unwanted pregnancies don't work out 100% though there are a few cases that's just my opinion.

Good luck with it.
RC

I think it might be interesting to have a story where everyone is "happy" (or have at least come to terms with the pregnancy and are doing their best to be supportive). However, there would obviously have to be other conflicts or it would be a very boring novel. It seems like too many books about teen pregnancy have similar plots/conflicts, so something that was more interesting would be new and different.

I'm actually working on a book right now that includes teen pregnancy but does not revolve around it. It's actually my MC's older sister who gets knocked up, not my MC. But one of the recurring themes is that everyone keeps telling their problems to my MC and she becomes over-burdened. My plan for her sister is that at first things look like they're goig to be ok, because she gets engaged to the dad and her family is fairly supportive. However, she gets left at the altar on her wedding, leaving her confused and uncertain. So I think any sort of twist like that would work.

Hi there.

Me, personally, I would rather see the struggles that she would go through - and, in the end, have her be stronger and more resilient in the end. I'm not a "happy Hollywood ending" kind of person, so I personally wouldn't want to see everything working out perfectly. But it depends on your character, of course. It could mean NOT being with the father of her child, but holding him accountable for the child (monetarily, emotionally, socially, whatever). Or living with her parents who disapprove, but support her. It could mean losing her friends, but gaining new ones who are supportive and loving (and maybe in the same situation as she is). It could be struggling with the decision to keep her baby.

My two cents' worth.

Happy writing ~

CN

Remember, every good novel has to have conflict. No conflict and it's boring. Yes, it worked out for you, but it probably wasn't exactly easy at the time. Find a conflict, it doesn't have to be how her parents shunned her, etc., but find a fresh aspect. Oh, and don't forget the character or characters should show growth and not just around the tummy.

Watch out you don't get too "Juno" on us.

Even if things go happily, there's not a pregnancy in the world where things go easily, and double for teens, I would think.

(Okay, I did have one friend who had an obnoxiously easy pregnancy, while I was simultaneously puking my guts out with my own pregnancy, but I figure she was an exception. LOL.)

There's school, social life, health issues, money issues (baby items, prenatal care, insurance!!!!, etc etc). No matter how old you are, someone is going to think you shouldn't have that baby. Others will be ecstatic for you. The extremes would be even more extreme for a teen, I'd think.

Me personally ... if I was to read about a teen pregnancy, I'd prefer the happier route. Everyone learns a lesson about being careful, the parents learn to be supportive, the teens learn how to be good parents and juggle life. Given that teen pregnancy seems to happen a lot, it would be good to show decent 'survival role models' or something. Not gloss over the complications at all ... show how tough parenting is! ... but show your characters learning how to meet the challenge.

But then, that's how I like to read just about all stories ... not necessarily happy-perky, but happy in the sense that the characters learn to cope, and then I as a reader learn something about coping too.

Well, well, well.
What ever route you're going to take, do not preach!
That's about the only thing I wouldn't want to read, hah, for the rest it depends on the audience you are aiming for.
Do you want to write something more happy-go-lucky chick-lit style or something depressive Kafkaesque that will make pregnant teenagers jump out of their windows by the dozen and let future lit students crawl through your book searching for the hidden meaning of that typo on the hundreth page. :p
Personally I would prefer to read something more "Juno", btw.

However, when my brother got his back then GF pregnant it was anything but easy shipping for anybody, she wanted to have that child and had the support of her mother, my father demanded that she have an abortion (I still today ask myself what made him think that he would have any say in that?) and my brother cowardly refused to stand on his hind legs (well, you do need a spine to walk upright). Me and my sister ended up having to listen to the whole sermon about sex and responsibility.
I know that his GF had a daughter, but I can't tell what became of them, my brother broke up with her and never saw his daughter far as I can tell.
So yeah, things do not usually work out all smooth.

However, I hate to read books that go all Kafka on us and paint the world in the most bleak colours imaginable, a story (and especially YA lit) should always provide a token of hope. So please, do not have the whole world fall apart over her pregnancy.

As for having to have consequences, well, she's pregnant that is a consequence already and one that usually forces you to rethink your life and the plans you made for it.