Following on my post about the abundance of dystopia in so much of YA fiction, I’ve been pondering exactly what it is about YA fiction that captures not only the imagination of its intended audience and those who write it, but also the imagination of the increasing number of adults reading YA fiction.
If I jump back a moment, I’m struck how, from my mid-forties, it suddenly became so important to find friends from my later teen years. Friends lost along the way and whom I hadn’t necessarily thought about in 20 or 30 years but who had suddenly started invading my subconscious.
While I was wondering about it out loud, Lovely Husband observed that our young adult years are such an important time. And he is right. At that age we are no longer children and we are not yet adults. It’s a time of life which gives us a unique freedom. It is vivid, vibrant, full passion and zeal. It’s the time of life when we are exploring so much on our own, but also in the company of our friends. We think about the “meaning of life”, we indulge in wild parties, we push boundaries, we discover our independence, we savour the intense flavours of love, are swamped by heartbreak, we find ourselves, we lose ourselves and we find ourselves again. We join protest marches, we try to save the world, and in doing so we save ourselves. The good and the bad, the highs and the lows are all caught up in an intense whirlwind of living and feeling – of Being - in the most utterly vivid, sometimes painful and, frequently, guileless self-absorbed way.
There is just so much that happens as a young adult and as we transition from childhood to adulthood. Despite the intensity of emotion and living, it is one of the most carefree times of our lives. We are not hampered by the responsibilities of adulthood, and we are no longer hamstrung by the well-intentioned restraints of our parents. It is also the first time we are given to a wide range of freedom of expression which is taken seriously not only by our peers but the adults around us. It’s a time when we create so many of our own stories and are part of so many of the stories of those around us. It is hugely fertile ground.
And as Young Adult authors dig deep into their own pasts, their own emotions and memories, and connect them to the present to create stories that touch the intended YA audience, it is no small wonder that other adults are increasingly turning to YA fiction. Those years represent some of the best, the most vibrant and intense years of our lives – why on earth would we not want to recapture them in some way? Particularly so if words on a page wring poignant reminders, stir deep wells of memory, evoke gleeful laughter (and possibly waves of embarrassment!), and are as beautifully written and richly evocative as so much YA fiction is.
I know I lamented YA fiction last month – but really, what I lament is the industry focus on dystopia and the lack of balance of what is available on the shelves. In my heart I still love YA and always will - simply because of the wide range of richness it evokes and embraces.
12 comments:
Phew that's a relief Nicky. I think that the great thing about Y.A. writing is it gives you the freedom to write about anything you wish. There will always be trends driven by the market - and yes, that does mean some good writers will be overlooked - but still - its a great field to be working in and I am very glad I am here at the moment.
I think you're absolutely right Nicky, but I also wonder is it because as teenagers we are a (relatively) blank page? Does YA also allow the adult reader to temporarilly delete the parts of their lives that have happened post-teen?
I hadn't considered this, Nicky, but you're right. There is so much depth of emotion that one feels as a young adult and good YA books, ones that resonate, explore those depths. Perhaps reading YA as an adult gives us the freedom to experience those highs and lows that we tend to dampen down as we grow older.
Fabulous post Nicky and I think you are so right there is a need for a balance. I think YAF is important on so many levels.
That's a good point, Miriam, YA fiction does give you the freedom to write through a broad range.
Bekki, if by blank page you mean, open to many things, then perhaps yes - I think the whole business of the YA years is about experience - at every level.
But no, I don't think YA is about temporarily deleting parts of life post-teen - I think it's really far more about recapturing a vivid time of life.
Sue, I think you've hit the nail on the head - it is about a freedom to re-experience, to recapture those highs and lows that I think, as we move into adult life, we just forget because there is so much else going on. As we get older and have, post marriage, babies, child-rearing, more time to reflect and recall. I think too, there's very likely something about recapturing "teenhood" involved - wanting to be young and unhampered by responsiblities again, as well as recalling our youth and more carefree times - because let's face it, as angst-ridden and intense as our YA years are, the stuff that follows is tougher in a very different way.
Oops, you snuck in there, Ness! Thanks!
I have to say my young adult time is not one I would ever want to repeat. But the emotions are strong and indelible. Rock on, YA!
I do keep asking myself why I am still writing YA. I officially entered the third age just before Christmas. But I have no real urge to stop. Part of it must be to do with the fact that I taught yas for 23 years.I also think it has to do with thta part of us that never quite grows up and is still looking for the answers.
Dystopia will be common: the world that was safe and ordered has changed for the ya. They now see their own world with its shades of grey and that can be quite scary. But yes, there should be balance.
I so agree with your post. I've written many YA novels and never had any trouble finding my 'inner teen'. For me, my teens, were five years of intense experience (most of it awful) mixed with the notion that I was on the cusp of some big adventure, adulthood. Whatever disappointments came next does not retract from that sense of anticipation that I had then. Brilliant post.
I'm late to the party, but I think you've hit the nail on the head here. I think this is also why so many adults want to WRITE YA fiction. Though I think different people can attach to different points in childhood - some are more "stuck" in earlier years. I relate completely to this post, as the teen years are intense and indelible (in their highs and their lows). Which is probably why I love to read, and when I can manage it, write YA fiction. You've stated this all beautifully.
The teenage years are a time of immense change, and it's this aspect that I find exciting - I think this links into the aspect of freedom that you cite, the idea of making life up as you go along. There is a great power in not knowing that something has been done before - a state that us jaded adults can never again recapture.
Interesting take on the subject Nicky. Thanks for your insights.
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