I am going to be completely contrary today. I will no doubt piss off a lot of people – if you find you’re one of them, I apologise, but it needs to be said.
The first manuscript I wrote was YA fiction. The next three were a midgrade fantasy trilogy - which I have yet to complete because I was immediately distracted by yet another idea for YA fiction.
I love YA fiction. I love it because when I was a young adult there was none of it about and I always wished there was. I love it because the voices are so strong and so true. I love it because it deals with real issues, in multiple forms and genres, and because it is vivid and powerful, and more often than not, it is amongst some of the most well written fiction around. (More and more adults are reading YA fiction because of its quality.)
I’m currently working on two YA manuscripts. I read loads of YA fiction. I lead a YA critique group. My whole life, for the last several years, has been about YA fiction.
But here’s the thing. For the past little while I’ve noticed I’m reading less and less YA fiction. Instead I find I’m grubbing around on my shelves for midgrade fantasy. And it suddenly struck me last night that I am rapidly coming to loathe YA fiction.
When I sat down and thought about this startling development, I realized it is because so much of the YA fiction I read these days is gritty, it's edgy, it’s dark – and even if a story ends hopefully and even if it is beautifully written (and most are) there is just so much STUFF going on in the novels that they are enough to make me want to claw my eyes out!
It’s true; I am sick to death of YA fiction I’ve been reading. I’m sick and tired of the angst. I don’t want dark, traumatic and sombre stuff. I loathe and detest the dystopia. The world is a shitty enough place as it is, there’s enough angst and trauma out there. I don’t want to drag it into my leisure time. I want to read stories that are hopeful, happy, and maybe, God forbid, even just a little bit funny.
That’s not deny that young adults don’t go through a lot of stuff, it’s not to deny that the world is not, on far too many occasions, a desperate place. But where does it leave us, I wonder, if we only focus on the trauma, the angst, the trouble, the deeply complex and often destructive emotions and all the things that can go so badly wrong. As much as we need to reflect the darker side of life, it is equally, if not more imperative to focus on the happy things, the fun things, all the exhiliarating, wonderful things that being a young adult is also about. We need to find a balance. We need to find the balance in how individual books are written (grit needs to be balanced with lighter moments), and we need to find balance in what is published.
And it is not to say that lighter books are not out there, they are, or, they certainly were until the edgy, dystopian, dark fiction shoved them into the shadows.
So there, I’ve said it. Enough with the dark and the gritty and the troubled, I’m off to find me some love, some light, some laughter.
Any recommendations for recently published, light, hopeful, happy YA fiction will be greatly appreciated.
26 comments:
I'm with you, and the same can be said for much of new theatre. Where's the humour? What's the point ? Sorry no recommendations for you, just applause.
Actually, I don't think you'll piss of many people, Nicky. It's a good point, and I know many who feel similarly.
A good point well made. But maybe the problem is not what already exists in YA but that the range of reading material aimed at the YA audience is not wide enough?
After a few lighthearted YA books you may find yourself craving a bit of grit - a varied diet is healthy after all.
(Not just saying this because my writing tends towards the gritty end of the spectrum or because sometimes I like a dystopian read.)
Great post - and I agree with you too. I like a bit of grit, but it must be balanced with sparkly bits too! I think the key is balance - not in the sense of doom and gloom with a token ray of light at the end, but balance throughout. As it is in most people's lives. I know when I'm writing I do dwell on the dark side sometimes, but this is always counterbalanced by light in subsequent chapters. Think "equinox"! And yes, we do need humour too. Perhaps that's the most relevant issue of all, if as writers we're hoping to pass any message on to young adults - life's funny, and most situations, however dire, have some humour in them. And you'll get through life a lot easier if you have the ability to find this humour.
Thanks, Sue! I know we reflect the times and our own life experiences in all artistic work, but sometimes we do just need the balance.
Well, then I'm relieved to know I'm not alone, Lucy!
Amanda, don't get me wrong, a lot of what I write leans to gritty, but I do think we need to see, as you say, more balance, in what is out there, and right now I'm just overwhelmed by the "dark" stuff. So, your point is very well made!
Brilliant comment, Kit, you sum it up really well! And I think you're right - it is about balance throughout, not just a ray of light at the end of something otherwise quite grim, and yes, yes, how often do we look back on a situation and laugh at ourselves.
Alright, who are you and what have you done with Nicky Schmidt?
I am who I am who I am, Kathryn Evans - and I won't tell what I've done with Nicky...
I definitely find that after too long a diet of Nordic Noir and gritty YA I'm looking for something lighter. This is where the much maligned Chick Lit comes in. Read the Shopaholic series!
Whoohoo! Time it was said - enough with the horror already! Maybe I'm just saying that because my new WIP is going to be an adventure story, with some funny bits (I hope) rather than being dystopian or angst-ridden, but I have noticed that even the best stories try to cram in too much - and too much dark stuff. So let's hear it for the light side and those youngsters who read to escape.
I think I'm with you on this one, although I have read some fine dystopian YA lately. YA isn't something I write and, on the whole, it's not really what I read. I love the adventure (and, as you say, the humour) you often get with middle grade fiction. I find the whole issues thing that is sometimes at the fore of YA fiction, really quite tiresome. And, although the teen laps it up (which is, of course, the whole point), I don't go for the troubled/romantic thing either. Having said all this though, for me a good book is about the characters. A good YA character just makes the book sing (Dark Parties, Daughter of Smoke & Bone) and makes the book a joy to read - grim plotline or not.
The trouble is - I'm drawn to the darker side of life - the dramatic tension, the pitfalls, the things we come up against. Those are the kinds of novels I read at whoever they are pitched for. And this is what I am drawn to write. I don't feel I have chosen edgy Y.A fiction - I feel it chose me. But having said that, there are some marvellous humorous writers out there - such as Morris Gleitzman - who deal with all the issues through humour. And my own writing also uses humour because I tend to crack jokes all the time - as those who know me will attest. I don't follow trends. I write and I read. I can't speak for what drives other writers of course.
I always try and balance the grit and angst with humour and hope. My books deal with dark stuff, but hopefully they are funny too. And my latest book (Lia's Guide to Winning the Lottery) is a rom com hiding serious stuff about the economy, sex, values and debt, under the jokes. So basically I agree with you - what I would say though is that very often funny YA is dismissed as chick lit and not reviewed or put up for awards. (Luckily for me, this was not the case for Lia's Guide)
Great post, Nicky, As always, straight from the hip.
I agree about balance, and have been known to turn to fantasy myself (got stuck into Julia Golding's recently). And I was thinking about Lia's Guide to Winning the Lottery as I was reading your post - as it offered a humorous take, with romance and mystery, and a bit of grit in the mix too.
I really appreciate authors who can mix it up, like Sherman Alexie or Jack Gantos who tackle difficult themes with humor. And I LOVE some of the recent darker books, like the Patrick Ness trilogy or A Monster Calls. If the writing is deep, rich and takes you on a meaningful journey, I'm happy to be in dark places.
I think the main thing is variety, and being sure that publishers are providing a mixed diet. The question is - are they?
Mary and Carmel, I think this is the thing, we've been fed a diet of the dark and gritty for too long and in the process we've lost the balance. Ultimately, I think, that's what it's all about, regaining balance, both within individual books, and in what is being published.
Sue, I absolutely agree, there is some very fine YA dystopia out there - but enough already!
Miri, I totally get what you say, I too tend to be drawn to the darker YA stuff, but I find I just can't sustain it - I can't sustain reading or writing it. As with everything in life, we need balance. I think the reason I've returned to midgrade fantasy, fun and adventure is because I'm just not finding that lightness in YA anymore.
Keren, you're right, your books do balance beautifully, you're able to keep a lightness of touch and a show of humour. Even in When I Was Joe, which covered some pretty tough ground, I didn't feel overwhelmed in the way I do with some YA. I think you're lucky to be able to find and maintain that balance - and still go on to win awards. I think we should all come to you for lessons! :-)
You snuck in there, Laura! First off, thanks!
And I agree, it's the authors who can mix it up, who, I think, really deserve praise - as mixing it up is not always an easy thing to do. It requires a pretty deft touch.
I think your final question is the really pertinent one - are we getting enough of a mix and a good balance in terms of what is presently being published? Would I have written this post if we were...?
I do also wonder if this is more of a UK thing?
Anyone want to take that up for debate?
This is a really interesting debate. The book I remember making me weep with laughter sometimes was Frank Cottrell Boyce's Framed.
Dystopia doesn't have to be grim and despressing. Have you read Bumped by Megan McCafferty? Sharp, funny, relevant and shocking. Loved it.
Tamsyn Murray's Afterlife books are great - very funny but serious stuff too.
Sorry coming late to this as its been a long day at work but I loved this post Nicky and I agree with you. I find the world is so full of depressing stuff I have to confess I don't want to read about it, but I thought I was in the minority. Ham and Jam has a bit of grit but more adventure....I hope
Juliet, weeping with laughter sounds very good!
Keren, no I've not read Bumped - I'll look out for it - thanks. But I have read Tamsyn's books - and they are very good. I just think it's a bit sad that books that manage to tackle important subjects but with a lighter touch don't seem to get the mention they deserve.
I suppose, Ness, that we think we're in the minority because "out there" everything being promoted, and the deals being done, are all about "grit and edge and dystopia" - but there is such a thing as overkill and as I said in the blog post, it really is all about balance - both in the actual writing and in what is published.
I talked to Small Bint about what she likes to read the other day. She's just finished Tabitha Suzuma's Forbidden, is reading The Great Gatsby (A level set text) and then will read Celia Rees's This is not Forgiveness. 'I like to read cheerful stuff, too,' she said. So I asked her what cheerful stuff she read and it was adult rom coms. I've never seen her buy such a thing and asked her she got them - the college library. Takes them out inthe morning, reads them in the day, returns them in the afternoon. (Might explain the lack psychology and biology being done...)
So the gritty books she treats as serious and I know about. The cheery books she treats rather like junk food and doesn't comment on.
She's with Aristotle on the cathartic element of literature that deals with dark issues. The rom coms are just entertainment, an alternative to YouTube. No value judgment intended there.
Interesting that the dark stuff she reads tends to be carefully targeted (YA) whereas the rom coms don't need to be, presumably because the issues are the same whether you are 17 or 34.
Remember that YA is not targeted at us - it's intended for teens. Along with that, any individual teen is reading YA fiction for only a few years, perhaps 3-4 at most, before moving on. They don't stay in that zone long enough to see a 5 or 10 year trend and get sick of it.
Well made points, Stroppy, on all counts, but I think what it does also show is that need for balance. As you say, Small Bint reads the serious stuff, but she also reads the light stuff (target age irrespective). I think my point really is about there being books out there to cover it all - not just the dark, but the lighter stuff as well - and maybe stuff which is not just all light, but book which deal with darker realities but with a lighter, more witty and deft touch. I remember as a teen reading lots of heavy stuff (Dostoyevsky, Tolstoy, Nabokov, Kafka) but I also needed and enjoyed much lighter stuff. It always comes back the balance. And I think my point really is that I don't believe we're seeing the balance in YA fiction at the moment, or, certainly not enough of it.
I absolutely agree with this. There is far too much darkness in young people's lives as it is without dragging them down in their free-time - when they're reading it should be escapism!
I remember when I was a teenager before anyone had ever heard of YA. In those days life was stressful enough already, I moved from fantasy like the Wind in the Willows, straight to swashbuckling Nelsonian sea fights (Alexander Kent, C.S Forester etc), and boy did I love them. Adventures on the high seas, unbeatable. There wasn't any room for dark dystopian YA. Why would I want morbid trauma on the pages of a book, I wanted escapism, I wanted to be entertained and inspired, I wanted heroes.
That's my problem with the YA genre now. It seems to be encouraging a generation of manic depressives, I worry about that! There's a brutality about the YA genre which I find really distasteful, I can't think of any parent who would say "oh you should read this YA book, it really inspired me when I was your age". In the 'old' days if we wanted angst we'd listen to Joy Division. Music is a better release for these things I think!
But then what do I know, I'm only a picture-book-fantasy-lover.
I have begun to feel that it is selling young people short to give them so much gloom and nastiness. Actually, a lot of being young is having fun and being hopeful and happy. There's a strong commercial interest in encouraging teens to be rebellious, angry etc. It sells.
I too have become absolutely sick of it. Which is not to say there aren't some great books out there, and some interesting ones. They shouldn't all be happy clappy. But like you I have become very, very, very bored with it.
Still, honesty also forces me to admit that I am probably bored because I have had years of it. And kids haven't.
I still think it's selling them short, though.
How are you Nicky? I have been very out of touch lately - working on a ***secret**** project and doing quite a bit of travel writing.
Laura, I'm inclined to think we really just need a better balance between escapism and stuff that deals with the tougher side of life. I think people learn from reading, as much as they find it a form of escape.
I do wonder, John, whether this isn't a more UK publishing trend because I see on the US lists that there's a pretty fair mix of everything, from chicklit to adventure stories, romance, humour - and dystopian. The balance just seems a bit better and I do wonder, if that's the case, what drives the UK prevalence of dystopia.
I think the point both you and Anne make, Jenny is very valid - we're reading and writing this stuff over many years, the window of time for YA is pretty small - though, that said, there are many who are reading YA from their later teens into adulthood.
But I do agree, the balance should be much better.
And, your secret project sounds really interesting! :-) Wishing you all the best with it!
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