Can I have my characters do this in MG fantasy?

krashnburn · May 21, 2013

This is my first MG fantasy, so I'm not sure where to draw some lines.

My MC is 10. She's battling a witch who gets her powers from an apple orchard. MC and her friends use the threat of burning down the trees to get something from the witch, and then set fire to some of the trees to cover their escape.

It has a real purpose and no one gets hurt, but I'm concerned with having these kids setting fires. They have easily acccessible items, like BBQ lighters. If I had kids using hairspray cans with a lighter to make a flamethrower, is that too much? If I had them set fires more traditionally, without the crazy pyrotechnics, is that better? But isn't it the crazy pyrotechnics that have kids say, "Wow, cool!" I guess I worry about having my characters do something unsafe, even in a fantasy. Like I'm going to give kids out there bad ideas. Then again, I've been reading a lot of MG lately, and those kids do some crazy things.

You can see I'm really back and forth on this by my rambling post. Thoughts?

randi.lee · May 21, 2013

My eight-year-old niece started acting fresh with her mother after she started watching Hannah Montana and saw her doing it...and that's Hannah Montana. So, yes, children can be quite impressionable. Am I saying "Don't write that!...?" No. What I am saying is that you should follow your moral code. If you're torn about writing these things, it might be better to nix them.

MJWare · May 21, 2013

10 is pretty young to be setting fires, but hey, whatever fits your story. Personally, I think having someone get hurt might even be appropriate.

The flame thrower could be a bit too much (I'm undecided on that), but I don't think an agent, who loves your story, would reject you just because of a flame thrower. They'd probably just ask you to change it.

krashnburn · May 22, 2013

Well, I wrote the scene without flame throwers or any kind of special pyrotechnics. I think it works with just regular fire because there's a lot of other stuff going on. Perhaps you have a good idea, MJ, to have someone get hurt, so its not just fun and games.

DanielaTorre · May 23, 2013

Do it. They're not burning anyone alive or anything. LOL. I think it depends on the context. They're not doing it maliciously. They're doing it to obtain a goal. I don't think kids will start setting fires after working out the scene in their brain. They'll be more concerned with the why they did it than how they did it.

I have a similar dilemma in my new WIP that involves my MC reminiscing about having been grounded for the entire summer because he used hair removing cream on his classmates at the end of the year instead of the traditional shaving cream fight. Am I afraid it'll give kids the wrong idea? Yeah. It's malicious and conniving enough. Am I removing it? Meh. Don't think I will. If worst comes to worst and this ms goes anywhere and some bigwig has a problem, I'll consider it then. Until then, I shall draw from life experience and keep the cream.

lolchemist · May 24, 2013

Do it but make it like an evil apple orchard where no animals live or something like that because having kids burn down a real apple orchard where thousands of birds, insects and critters live can be problematic for a lot of readers. It's hard to enjoy a story when you're imagining bunnies and squirrels roasting to death! (And I'm 33! Imagine how a sensitive kid will feel??)

JustKia · May 24, 2013

My youngest brother was about 8 when he really did set a nearby wood (mini forest) on fire. He didn't get it from reading books (he still struggles to read now). So if a kid is going to do they'll do it regardless of whether you write it. If it fits the story go ahead put it in.

Kaarl · May 24, 2013

With everything children ten and even younger can be exposed to these days (thanks to the Internet) I'd say go for it.

As the Joker said "Everything burns"

Cyia · May 24, 2013

The issue with the flamethrower and the age is that it's really, really dangerous to set a pressurized can on fire, but also really easy to try at home. It might look cool on TV or in movies, but the flame can backtrack up the stream and make the can explode. Fireworks might actually be safer for a 10 year old, and you'd end up with a spectacular show.

Cathy C · May 24, 2013

Do a Wizard of Oz on the scene. If the witch gets her power from the apple orchard, maybe those particular trees live on something other than what regular trees do. Use plain old tap water instead (Ahhh! It burnsssss!) Then kids will run outside and see if their tree burns from watering it.

DanielaTorre · May 24, 2013

When I was 9 or 10, I burnt my next door neighbor's eyebrows off with a lighter and hairspray. I learnt it from watching Beavis and Butthead. Ah the 90s....

So yeah, kids are impressionable. But like I said, don't hesitate to do it. My makeshift flamethrower was out of curiosity. It wasn't malicious and Beavis and Butthead was far worst role models than kids defeating a witch.

Cyia · May 24, 2013

Cathy C said:
Do a Wizard of Oz on the scene. If the witch gets her power from the apple orchard, maybe those particular trees live on something other than what regular trees do. Use plain old tap water instead (Ahhh! It burnsssss!) Then kids will run outside and see if their tree burns from watering it.

^^^ Best idea, yet.

sitalakshmi · May 26, 2013

I'll say go with it since you said that this has a purpose.

krashnburn · May 28, 2013

Thanks for the feedback!

I actually already do a Wizard of Oz in the scene and a couple of trees throw apples at the kids. I decided to have the kids light fires without the crazy pyrotechnics. I do like the idea of fireworks, though. That would actually fit in really well with two of the characters. Thanks!

I read Matilda over the weekend as part of my MG studies. She Crazy Glues her dad's hat to his head. The headmistress picks kids up by their hair and flings them around. I thought of all the things that happen to the kids in Charlie and the Cholocate Factory. I read The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls and thought of the kiddie torture in there. I didn't think flamethrowers were so bad after all that.

Can I have my characters do this in MG fantasy?

krashnburn

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randi.lee

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MJWare

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krashnburn

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lolchemist

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krashnburn

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