Taboo subjects in YA

[samitestar]

Does anyone think there are any taboo subjects for YA?

I'm not talking about rape, incest or murder here, but something like plane crashes and the possibility of a terrorist attack.

An agent told me that my story idea was bad, that it could never be published after 9/11 and at first I was like, "I'll show her!"

But now, I'm wondering.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

[The Kidd]

....That kind of strikes me as strange. I know of a guy that is querying a manuscript about a school shooting with the MC as the shooter. He has recieved a few hits on that subject despite Columbine etc.

Sounds like it was just an agent preference. Terror attacks, although very serious, don't strike me as off limits for YA.

[suki]

Nope. Nothing. Hell, How I Live Now came after 9/11. As did Little Brother.

With the exception of pornography (which is governed by messy laws, but certainly laws that govern materials that can not be sold/given to minors) I can't think of a single thing that would be off-limits from inception, as opposed to execution.

Could some things be tougher sales? Sure. Because there are ideas that would require phenomenal execution to pull off. But I think it comes down to execution.

~suki

[Sage]

As long as you're not suggesting that teens should resort to terrorism/plane hijacking, I don't think this would be considered taboo (and even then you have Little Brother).

Another YA novel dealing with terrorism is Love is the Higher Law by David Levithan (it's focused around 9/11)

[Kitty Pryde]

There are YA books about school shootings, gang violence, fascism, suicide, murder, the Holocaust, and yes, terrorism. A thriller book that draws its plot excitement from an event similar to 9/11 might be considered too much in bad taste right now, but I don't think 9/11 is a taboo subject automatically.

[samitestar]

Thanks guys, I was in a self doubt spiral and started to think I should scrap the book after three months and 11,000+ words.

Now I think I'll give it all I've got and hope for the best when I query it.

[itsaplane]

I always found those topics more interesting than taboo. I haven't read the ones mentioned, but I don't think there is anything wrong with those kind of issues, that we happen to deal with realistically everyday.

[shaldna]

Ah, the terrorism subject. (*flexes fingers*)

I live in Belfast (hush there in the back) and I can tell you that it's not so much a case of won't touch, it's a case of 'won't sell'.

People in Ireland are so sick of reading about the Troubles (that's our pet name for terrorism, FYI) that books set between 1975 and 2000 don't sell well, and books about terrorism in general aren't big hits in Ireland.

As for what is 'taboo' in YA, not alot to be honest.

[eyeblink]

Ah, the terrorism subject. (*flexes fingers*)

I live in Belfast (hush there in the back) and I can tell you that it's not so much a case of won't touch, it's a case of 'won't sell'.

People in Ireland are so sick of reading about the Troubles (that's our pet name for terrorism, FYI) that books set between 1975 and 2000 don't sell well, and books about terrorism in general aren't big hits in Ireland.

As for what is 'taboo' in YA, not alot to be honest.

How did Siobhan Dowd's Bog Child do? It does involve the Maze/Long Kesh hunger strike, amongst other things.

[samitestar]

I think it was just the plane crash in my book that the agent found reprehensible.

My idea that the plane crashed for reasons other than a mechanical malfunction made this agent go crazy.

[Glenakin]

Maybe the agent lost someone to terrorism or just doesn't like stuff to do with terrorism. Either way, that's BS. If the agent doesn't like it, query another one. One thing you have to remember is that far successful writers have been told similar things before they got published by agents, and they got published in the end :D

I remember reading a rejection letter addressed to JRR Tolkien when he queried The Hobbit. The agent was chatting some rubbish about how no one wanted to read books about midget people on adventures or some shit. Years later, Tolkien = king of fantasy. Hobbit = classic.

Do your thing.

[Stunted]

If you're going to do it, you're going to have to handle it with EXTREME tact. I'd be surprised if it doesn't hurt your chances at least somewhat. Don't forget that most publishers operate from New York.

[Momento Mori]

samitestar:
An agent told me that my story idea was bad, that it could never be published after 9/11 and at first I was like, "I'll show her!"

Never make a decision based on what one agent tells you.

Every agent has different tastes and different contacts. That agent just might not have known who to sell a book like that to or might have a personal bugbear with the subject matter.

At the end of the day, you have to write the story that you want to tell. Worry about who to send it to, whether it's too strong etc etc when you've finished the first draft.

MM