What's too much for YA

mase127 · Jul 6, 2009

First of all, i'd just like to say hi to everyone. I'm a long time lurker, first time poster on these message boards.

I just had a quick question. My current work has a couple of MCs who are teens, and while there's no drugs, very little swear words, there are some very important sex scenes. Sometimes graphic, sometimes not, but they are very important to the story line. So, basically, how much is too much when in comes to sex in YA???

Nakhlasmoke · Jul 6, 2009

There's no answer.

Some people will tell you anything goes if it works for your storyline.

Others have found that this is not true.

Write it and submit it, your editor or agent will have you cut what they need you to cut.

PS: This question comes up fairly regularly; you might want to go through the stickied threads in the YA subforum.

Danthia · Jul 6, 2009

Anything is acceptable in YA these days, but the line tends to fall in how graphic and explicit the scene is described. Think of it as the difference between an R rating and an X rating for movies. It can be clears what's going on, but if it dips into too much detail you'll run into trouble.

Elysium · Jul 6, 2009

I agree with Danthia. It's okay to have sex scenes in YA, but as long as you don't cross certain boundaries and you know what those boundaries are, such as how much detail you should provide and what not, you should be fine.

eyeblink · Jul 6, 2009

This debate has come up again in the UK. Here's an article from yesterday's The Observer, about Margo Lanagan's novel Tender Morsels, just published in both adult and children's editions in the UK. It was published as YA in the USA, but as an adult novel in Australia, where Lanagan's previous books were published as MG or YA.

article here

Lanagan's reply is on her blog here.

Anne Fine is a children's/YA writer of long standing, but this isn't the first YA novel she's objected to - Melvin Burgess fell victim to her wrath for Doing It.

scarletpeaches · Jul 6, 2009

Before Shady Lane gets here:

http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=132462

You're welcome.

Kathleen42 · Jul 6, 2009

Shady needs her own signal - like the bat signal only less suitable for fragile young minds.

Kathleen42 · Jul 6, 2009

mase127 said:
First of all, i'd just like to say hi to everyone. I'm a long time lurker, first time poster on these message boards.

I just had a quick question. My current work has a couple of MCs who are teens, and while there's no drugs, very little swear words, there are some very important sex scenes. Sometimes graphic, sometimes not, but they are very important to the story line. So, basically, how much is too much when in comes to sex in YA???

YA has changed a lot in recent years in terms of what's acceptable. Nakhlasmoke is right, though, in that different people will tell you different things on how far back the boundaries have receded.

In my own WiP my MC is beaten in an alley and there is an implication that it would have escalated to rape had someone not intervened. There are also references to other characters having sex. Nothing graphic and no actual sex scenes but these decisions were dictated more by what was called for in the story than what would have been considered appropriate.

If an agent loves your book but dislikes a sex scene, they would simply ask for a rewrite/edit.

Smish · Jul 6, 2009

Welcome to AW!

Write your story how you want to write it, but I'd suggest having others read it before you submit it to editors/agents.

Sex is definitely okay in YA, but I do wonder how often a truly "graphic" sex scene is "necessary" to the story. Can the reader skip the details and still understand the story? Usually, the answer is "yes".

Good luck with the novel!

Smish

Skye Jules · Jul 6, 2009

I don't believe there is such thing as going too far with YA. I did read a writing book where a well-known editor said that most people prefer their sex scenes subtle, apparently the Gone With the Wind way. But I suppose if it's necessary to be detailed, just make sure it doesn't turn into a porno where it's obvious you're re-creating some fantasy of yours.

The line between YA and adult is actually very thin, meaning that what you can do in adult, more than not you can do in YA.

Rachel · Jul 6, 2009

Kathleen42 said:
Shady needs her own signal - like the bat signal only less suitable for fragile young minds.

Haha, she does!

I hesitated at the word "graphic" here. Yes, you can have sex scenes. But is a "graphic" sex scene necessary?

Leila · Jul 7, 2009

Sex scenes are fine in YA, including graphic ones, and that's been true for a long time. (Forever by Judy Blume, anyone?) They need to not be gratuitous, and to work well with the story you're telling. But to me that's true for sex scenes in any kind of fiction.

And welcome to AW

Shady Lane · Jul 7, 2009

Kathleen42 said:
Shady needs her own signal - like the bat signal only less suitable for fragile young minds.

Shady has begun to avoid these threads like the plague.

Toothpaste · Jul 7, 2009

Eyeblink thanks for the articles! I finally bit the bullet and wrote a blog post about all this, let me know what y'all think: http://ididntchoosethis.blogspot.com/2009/07/new-ya.html

mase127 · Jul 7, 2009

WOW!

thanks so much for all the advice guys!

Stunted · Jul 8, 2009

70000 words! *Dies laughing!*

What's too much for YA

mase127

New kid on the block

Nakhlasmoke

yes

Danthia

Elysium

believe

eyeblink

Barbara says hi

scarletpeaches

Kathleen42

crushing on fictional characters

Kathleen42

crushing on fictional characters

Smish

Reads more than she writes.

Skye Jules

March 15th: Issue 1 release

Rachel

Stuff and nonsense.

Leila

bookshop girl

Shady Lane

my name is hannah

Toothpaste

THE RECKLESS RESCUE is out now!

mase127

New kid on the block

Stunted

Ich heiße Superphantastisch!