How important is the Almighty Love Interest in YA?

Jenifer · Jan 29, 2009

Am I cutting the legs out from under myself by not allowing my 14-year-old MC a love interest throughout the book?

It's not that I'm opposed to young love... she's just got a lot on her plate. She's fixated on a riddle left to her in her grandmother's will... struggling with a situation with her uncle that she doesn't understand... finally making friends throughout the book (which is the answer to the riddle in the end). And then there is another subplot that revolves around high barn drama.

I've decided that if throwing in some boy hasn't occurred to her, it's perfectly fine; it wouldn't have occurred to me either. I think it would complicate things for no good reason (I'm already doing a fair bit of rock-throwing). And horse-crazy girls take longer to notice boys anyway.

But how important is the old boy(or girl)-crazy thing to the YA readership? Will they miss the steamy kissing scenes or the fluttering heartbeats?

Shady Lane · Jan 29, 2009

No, I sort of hate when a love interest is clearly thrown in "just to have a love interest," especially when she/he has nothing to do with the main plot.

That said, most books do have love interests...hmmm. Can anyone name some good ones without?

Jenifer · Jan 29, 2009

Ugh, same. But I hate that sort of thing in general.

I suppose she does actually have a love interest... a big, cuddly yellah Tennessee Walking Horse gelding.

peachiemkey · Jan 29, 2009

Oh gawd Shady, I'm having trouble. Let's see... um...

Well rest assured they are out there, okay? haha. I mean, if anything, not having a male love interest will open up the book to anti-gush male readers. I don't see it being a problem, especially if the book revolves around the horses theme as opposed to a bunch of teens plopped down into a situation. The gelding thing sounds really cute.

Jenifer · Jan 29, 2009

It's not as sappy as it sounds, I promise!

Danger Jane · Jan 29, 2009

Shady Lane said:
No, I sort of hate when a love interest is clearly thrown in "just to have a love interest," especially when she/he has nothing to do with the main plot.

That said, most books do have love interests...hmmm. Can anyone name some good ones without?

Alice In Wonderland

You can totally do it. Don't throw in a character for the sake of fulfilling an archetype.

Claudia Gray · Jan 29, 2009

What Shady Lane says is true -- you don't have to have a love interest, and it often will help you get more crossover readership. However, based on the age of your protagonist, I wonder if you don't have an MG novel rather than YA. My editor says that most teen readers "read up" -- as in, they prefer main characters who are the same as as they are or older. So a 16- to 17-year-old protagonist will appeal to the entire YA readership, but there are some older teens who won't read about somebody younger than they are.

I don't know the tone of your overall story, so I can't judge, but just based on her age, I suggest you consider going for MG. Bonus: Middle Grade novels should contain only the simplest and most chaste romantic elements, if any. So your lack of a love interest would actually become a selling point in your favor.

Jenifer · Jan 29, 2009

Nah, if I were going to introduce a new character at this point, he would have to have a higher purpose and it would probably require a rewrite on my part (I'm a bit anal about that stuff).

I don't know the tone of your overall story, so I can't judge, but just based on her age, I suggest you consider going for MG. Bonus: Middle Grade novels should contain only the simplest and most chaste romantic elements, if any. So your lack of a love interest would actually become a selling point in your favor.

I think it's pretty solidly YA.

nayner · Jan 29, 2009

I think that you should only put in a love interest if it comes naturally to the story. Otherwise it will get in the way of what you actually want to write, and readers will probably see through it anyways.

as far as stories that don't have a love interest? hmmmm *looks at bookshelf*

King of Shadows (susan cooper)doesn't have one, but I don't know if that's categorized as MG or YA.... Harry Potter doesn't have one until later, although, again, kind of in MG as well as YA territory.

hmmm, I don't remember if Wrecked (E.R. frank) does, but that's one of my fav books, and I know that romance wasn't the main plot at all if it had one, and that's certainly YA.

Toothpaste · Jan 29, 2009

Hey, your local MG writer hanging out in the YA forum hoping no one notices and kicks her out of the cool club (okay maybe I've been watching too much Freaks and Geeks).

Jenifer, your book may be totally YA, but may I just ask why you think it isn't MG? Of course you know your work better than anyone, but I am very well versed in the world of MG, and I think often people mistake what can be "allowed" in such books.

Shady Lane · Jan 29, 2009

oh, there are tons of books where the main plot isn't the love interest, but there usually is one.

I thought of a few:

The Burn Journals by Brent Runyon, though that's a true story.

I also thought of Harry Potter.

Cut by Patricia McCormick.

Under the Wolf, Under the Dog by Adam Rapp--there's a girl he's interested in but she plays a minor role, and I certainly wouldn't call her a love interest.

Jenifer · Jan 29, 2009

After having researched the differences in the two, I believe the book has both feet in YA territory.

The only aspect of it that would qualify it as MG is the MC's age (she is fourteen turning fifteen over the course of the book). It deals with more adult subject matter, and verbage is more adult, ect. ect.

Toothpaste · Jan 29, 2009

Cool. Just curious, because while people are slowly getting used to the idea that YA can be "edgy", they still sometimes don't realise how dark MGs can get. But as you say you've done your research, so you are probably right.

As to the initial question, while many YA's have romance in it, I think it would be worse if you just tacked such a subplot onto the story. Be true to your work. And you know, while I was totally interested in the idea of romance at 14, I never had a boyfriend at all throughout highschool. My concern was more friends and school and extra curricular activities, than hooking up. It's totally realistic to have a character who has other things on her mind. Good luck with it!

Jenifer · Jan 29, 2009

Thanks!

Red.Ink.Rain · Jan 29, 2009

I agree with everyone else. I hate it when the love interest is so obviously just in there for the sake of having a love interest. My romances are always weird and complicated and angst-ridden, and they're usually very important to the plot. I hate the fluffy romantic stuff. *gags*

So - go romance-less YA!!

MissKris · Jan 29, 2009

I just finished Meg Rosoff's What I Was and there's no love interest. A very intense and intimate friendship, yes, but not what we would conisder a classic love interest. And it's lovely, just as all of her books are. Well, okay, I've only read two, but . . .

Leila · Jan 30, 2009

I know I've read good YA without romance plots, although when I tried to remember which ones my brain initially went blank.

I know Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson didn't have a romance plot, even though it did have a friendship between the female main character and a boy at the centre of the story. Although it was very true to the period of history that it was set in, which basically meant that a love story wouldn't have belonged. And to use a NZ example, I am not Esther definitely didn't involve romance, and was also very definitely YA. There was just too much going on in that novel to have room for a love story as well.

In the end, you have to be true to the story you're writing. If it doesn't contain a love plot, that's fine. Shoving in a love interest where one really doesn't fit would be the worst thing of all in my opinion.

And yeah. When I was fourteen, I didn't have a boyfriend. Actually, I didn't have a boyfriend until university. While there are a lot of girls who are interested in boys at that age, there are also a lot who aren't interested, or would be interested but dislike all the boys they know who are the right age and are too busy doing other stuff anyway. Which was pretty much me.

Rarri · Jan 30, 2009

Jenifer said:
I suppose she does actually have a love interest... a big, cuddly yellah Tennessee Walking Horse gelding.

That'd do it for me

Trying to think of YA without a love interest, perhaps not best example in the world, but Harry Potter in strictly about love interests, at least not in the first two or three books. Just an example though!!

Danalynn · Jan 30, 2009

I LOVE Freaks and Geeks! I have the complete series on DVD. lol!

For the record, my oldest daughter is 14, and she doesn't have a love interest. What Leila said pretty much describes my daughter.

So yeah, it's definitely possible for kids that age not to have a love interest, and for books for kids that age not to have a love interest in them as well.
:Sun:

*heads off to search for Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson, 'cause I have all of her books, and haven't heard of that one*
:gone:

bethany · Jan 30, 2009

Skin Deep by E M Crane is a great book with no love interest.

kaitlin008 · Jan 30, 2009

I think it's great not to have a love interest. I think with a 14-year-old, the liklihood that she's going to be seriously interested in someone is pretty low anyway. I would much rather not read about a sex-crazed 14-year-old, because I can't picture a 14-year-old being 'in love'. Your story can absolutely have a great plot with no love!

Zoombie · Jan 30, 2009

14 seems pretty young for love.

Crushes yes, love notsomuch.

Stunted · Jan 30, 2009

Even if there's no love interest, it might make sense to have a token teen age male character so that boys can read it without feeling gay. (You know how they are.) And also, people who wanted a love interest can crush on him. It's a win win situation.

wandergirl · Jan 30, 2009

The 14-year-old protagonist in my WIP doesn't have a love interest.... exactly. She has a strong obsession with an older girl, which kind of serves the same purpose. A different kind of chemistry. Here's my query.

wandergirl · Jan 30, 2009

Dana-Lynn said:
For the record, my oldest daughter is 14, and she doesn't have a love interest.

... that you know of

How important is the Almighty Love Interest in YA?

Now with extra neurotic filling.

my name is hannah

Now with extra neurotic filling.

circuits in the sea

Now with extra neurotic filling.

Now with extra neurotic filling.

Needs more sleep.

THE RECKLESS RESCUE is out now!

my name is hannah

Now with extra neurotic filling.

THE RECKLESS RESCUE is out now!

Now with extra neurotic filling.

Not your kid brother's YA

Is the random.

bookshop girl

NEVER give up!!!!

:)

Seeing newness all the time

Dragon of the Multiverse

Ich heiße Superphantastisch!

~kirsten hubbard

~kirsten hubbard