Topic Discussion: How Much is TOO MUCH (or too little) SeX in YA?

[seaheidi]

I'm sure we all remember those certain "scenes" in novels we read (or sneaked) as teens. The dog-eared corners of certain pages in controversial books like Forever and Flowers in the Attic, but now we're writing for that same audience and it's a new kind of era. It's a time in literary history that, on one hand, promotes and encourages "edgy" YA

Comments

[jonnyskov]

Okay, I'm probably not the sort of person who one should ask about these things, but I'm a little confused about what Cyn was saying about not being able to find naughty books. Didn't your library carry Anais Nin and Henry Miller? Or how about any of Anne Rice's pseudonyms? Heck, even Piers Anthony had some rather heavy stuff. Maybe it takes a dorky book-loving teenage boy driven utterly insane with hormones to commit the time and energy to do the investigative sleuthing required to uncover such gems...

That said, I'm still trying to figure out that balance. Right now, I'm leaning toward sensuality, then fade out of scene before anything gets too dirty. But that's just what works for this story. I totally reserve the write to push that particular button more in a different story, as long as it serves the story.

In the book I've already sold, it's fairly low key on that kind of stuff. Pluse, it's teenage boy, and I'm pretty sure I know what they can handle. However, in the book I'm working on now, the main character is a teenage demoness. So it's really hard to walk that line. Especially being a man writing a female character. I am constantly grilling my wife, my 10 year old niece, and sometimes even my poor long-suffering agent on what they feel is authentic.

And let's not even get into the violence in this post...I'm really walking on the razors edge with that one...

But, heck. In the end, as long as I don't surpass Holly Black, right?

Right?

[seaheidi]

well, when it's your turn you can ask about violence in YA--i'm sure we'd all have comments about that too. ('course being a serious wimpress I don't normally partake in the horror/violence genre at all--the scariest/most violent book i've read is TWILIGHT/NEW MOON--read=not scary.

Twilight

[jonnyskov]

Sounds good! Where do I sign up for my turn? I like to have things on my calender. Give me the illusion that my life is under control.

re: TWILIGHT. Um, yeah. I read that. I must say, when I pick up a book about vampires and werewolves, I am hoping for a bit more...I dunno, vampire and werewolf stuff...so not my bag. Still, certainly one of the few to actually bring something new to that somewhat overwritten subject. And clearly, she was doing _something_ right.

Re: Twilight

[jonnyskov]

ah, I see! I was bamboozled!