[Image ID: Five teens of varying race and gender expression sit on wooden risers in front of floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. They stare straight at the camera with serious expressions on their faces.]
In 1967, S. E. Hinton, author of the groundbreaking YA novel The Outsiders wrote:
“Teenagers today want to read about teenagers today. The world is changing, yet the authors of books for teen-agers are still 15 years behind the times. In the fiction they write, romance is still the most popular theme with a horse and the girl who loved it coming in a close second. Nowhere is the drive-in social jungle mentioned. In short, where is the reality?”
Although Hinton’s words were decades ago, her sentiment remains one of the most vital messages for any writer of YA to keep in mind. As an editor, a common pitfall I see in many YA manuscripts is a writer who doesn’t give their readers—or their teenage protagonist—enough credit. Teenagers are often far more aware, worldly, and capable than most adults assume. Skilled YA authors see teenagers as the competent and complex people that they are and reflect the lived experiences of young people in their writing.
More than ever before, modern YA has shed its boundaries on what topics can be included, and bookstore and library shelves frequently feature work that touches on subjects once considered taboo for YA, such as sexuality, assault, and substance use. This is true not only for contemporary stories—historical YA fiction increasingly delves into the grittier issues of the time and shows a less varnished view of the past.
Of course, not all YA books must be risqué or feature hot-button topics. But YA writers do need to understand the issues and experiences that are relevant to teenagers, avoid “writing down,” and not be afraid to push the envelope.
Andrea Karin Nelson is the Founder & Executive Editor at Allegory Editing. In addition to her developmental editing work with published novelists, playwrights, and essayists, Andrea brings a unique set of experiences and skills to her editing craft. Twenty years as a writer and theater maker has developed her keen sense of story structure, plot and character development. Her plays have been commissioned and produced across the United States and performed in both English and American Sign Language. Fifteen years as a Master-Level, Certified Sign Language Interpreter has finely tuned her ear to the subtleties of language and the nuances of human interactions. And with over two decades as an educator, her teacher's heart allows Andrea to personally tailor her work with each writer. Click here to read Andrea’s recent interview on her journey founding Allegory. You can contact her at andrea@allegoryediting.com.