Teens Writing for Teens, issue 6

lisalulu09

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Haha.

Now I have to think of things to include in the montage, things that pictures could be taken of, relating to Amber and Ryan's relationship.
 

amlptj

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hahahahah!

Everyone has those few songs... i have well... more then a few i'm very ashamed to have and like but Oh well.

I seriously need to stop dancing in my chair at these two songs, i'm sure my one co-worker/boss who can see me must think i'm in some kind of AWESOME mood... its just the songs... the java monster... and the two hours of sleep.
 

amlptj

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I know the feeling, sorry Lisa.

I've had a constant headache for the last week, cant sleep, and cant eat, guess its the side effects of everything going on. I've been living on Java Monsters, and only a few hours of sleep a night. Kind of waiting to see how long it take before i completely crash, one week of this so far, how many more to go!
 

Elysium

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Lisa - Hope your headache eases up soon. :(

I'm going to go see The Hunger Games with my mom tomorrow. She doesn't think she'll like it but I keep telling her she will. Hehe, I told her she should read the books but after I made her read the whole Twilight series a few years back she doesn't trust me when it comes to books recs.
 

lisalulu09

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Could you guys give me some ideas for my montage? I have none. :(
 

lisalulu09

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My screenplay.

Amber is looking through old photos of her and her ex, and I'm trying to think of events they could take pictures of.
 

amlptj

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HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

I'm waiting till i read the books before i see the movie, which wont be till summer so I'll eventually catch it on-demand or DVD.

Hey i have a question for you all. I know this is talked about alot on the YA forum, the whole concept of how much is too much for YA, and what's acceptable, and is there too much violence, or sex, and all that stuff, but i have a more specific question.

The other day, a rather harsh person on another thread pretty much told me that if i plan to self-publish, i might as well not bother because maybe two people will read my book. it was a little hard to read, but i dont necessarily disagree completely. But the reason i was going into self publishing was because i figured no agent would ever want to represent this book because of how morally horrible this book is.... but after hearing that person's words... well i guess my question is what wont any agent touch... topic wise. (I know there is an agent for everything but still...)
 

amlptj

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My screenplay.

Amber is looking through old photos of her and her ex, and I'm trying to think of events they could take pictures of.

School dances, Proms, playgrounds, long walks, the stupid Facebook pictures in which couples are kissing, if one of the characters has a MAC or a rather recent PC... those pictures where your faces look like there in a fun house mirror. Those strip pictures, that you get at malls, (you know the set of four you pose for and can get stupid borders around. Couples take pictures of laying in bed or on the floor together, holding hands, hugging each other while in a group with a bunch of other people.

Really the sky is the limit. Most of the time "new" couples (under a year) just take pictures from there phones of there faces pressed up against each other smiling, to put it on Facebook.

You could also have pictures if there at sports games, or museums, sometimes they have that "well take a picture of you that you pay for later if you choose" things at places like that.
 

amlptj

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I just ripped to shreds a bunch of pictures last week so yeah, I'm a good expert in this category. Although again it depends what time your characters are in, how old they are, and how long they did/are dating.
 

Elysium

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HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

I'm waiting till i read the books before i see the movie, which wont be till summer so I'll eventually catch it on-demand or DVD.

Hey i have a question for you all. I know this is talked about alot on the YA forum, the whole concept of how much is too much for YA, and what's acceptable, and is there too much violence, or sex, and all that stuff, but i have a more specific question.

The other day, a rather harsh person on another thread pretty much told me that if i plan to self-publish, i might as well not bother because maybe two people will read my book. it was a little hard to read, but i dont necessarily disagree completely. But the reason i was going into self publishing was because i figured no agent would ever want to represent this book because of how morally horrible this book is.... but after hearing that person's words... well i guess my question is what wont any agent touch... topic wise. (I know there is an agent for everything but still...)

Hmm...well I wouldn't listen to me because I'm not an expert but a lot of people who self-publish are successful maybe not in the Amanda Hocking since (author of the Switched trilogy) but if they're really good at marketing their book and spreading the word about it then self-pubbed authors can do well for themselves.

As for how much is too much for YA? Well it depends on who your audience is. If you're writing for younger teens then you certainly have to be careful what you write about but I think it's different for older teens. Take Living Dead Girl for example. That book was extremely dark and I couldn't sleep for days after reading it but Elizabeth Scott is a great writer and she handled the topic well. So I guess what I'm trying to say is...it all depends on how you handle your topic.

I wouldn't give up searching for an agent just yet. Do research on which agents rep Dark YA fiction and go from there. Don't let anyone discourage you. :)
 

amlptj

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Yeah then all the above still applies. I'm only 21, so not that drastic of a difference.

At least Will texted back "Thank you", almost texted back "no problem", out of reflex. Guess i'll just leave it at that and wait till he replies back about picking up his shit in my room. He seriously better do that soon.
 

amlptj

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Hmm...well I wouldn't listen to me because I'm not an expert but a lot of people who self-publish are successful maybe not in the Amanda Hocking since (author of the Switched trilogy) but if they're really good at marketing their book and spreading the word about it then self-pubbed authors can do well for themselves.

As for how much is too much for YA? Well it depends on who your audience is. If you're writing for younger teens then you certainly have to be careful what you write about but I think it's different for older teens. Take Living Dead Girl for example. That book was extremely dark and I couldn't sleep for days after reading it but Elizabeth Scott is a great writer and she handled the topic well. So I guess what I'm trying to say is...it all depends on how you handle your topic.

I wouldn't give up searching for an agent just yet. Do research on which agents rep Dark YA fiction and go from there. Don't let anyone discourage you. :)

Thanks, my book is on bullying. Intense traumatic bullying. The two MC's have alternating POV, and have a lot of flashbacks going back to there darkest times with it. Suicide attempts are mentioned alot from both characters as is there rather tragic home lives. Alex being in a single parent household with an alcoholic parent. Sam being mentally and physically abused by his brothers. At first they think having each other is all they need to overcome there past and present, but when Alex, is almost rapped by Sam's life long bully, and the tormentors even follow them into college. Something in them snaps. The shy, quiet couple lets out there inner sociopath, and formulates a brilliant plan in which, after careful stalking, and minor behind the scene influence, they get all there bullies to either kill or ruin the lives of each other.

And what they end up getting there bullies to do to eachother... well its downright evil.
 

Parametric

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But the reason i was going into self publishing was because i figured no agent would ever want to represent this book because of how morally horrible this book is.... but after hearing that person's words... well i guess my question is what wont any agent touch... topic wise. (I know there is an agent for everything but still...)

Agents will represent pretty much anything that's enjoyable to read. The question is whether you can write the horribleness in a way that readers will enjoy.
 

lisalulu09

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I am grateful I have nearly hit my page count target now, because I'm slightly stuck.
 

Parametric

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The shy, quiet couple lets out there inner sociopath, and formulates a brilliant plan in which, after careful stalking, and minor behind the scene influence, they get all there bullies to either kill or ruin the lives of each other.

Getting revenge on bullies is absolutely nothing in terms of disturbing content that agents might quail at. If your protagonists were serial child molesters, that might be a problem. Revenge? Not a problem.
 

amlptj

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I'm sure anyone who has been as horribly bullied as me would LOVE the book!

Told the plot and some details to a friend who wasn't even that horribly bullied, and she was like "Seriously you NEED to write this for me."

But then again me and my friend could just be minor sociopaths sooooo...Who knows if everyone thinks the same way as us when it comes to revenge and payback.

So far the stuff i posted of YAWN got really awesome comments back... so I hope i'm portraying the horribleness well. i know the flashbacks are triggering the right emotions as two people admitted to tearing up or actually crying because of what i wrote. So i guess i'll have to hope the revenge and evil will get the reaction out of people that i want too.
 

amlptj

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Getting revenge on bullies is absolutely nothing in terms of disturbing content that agents might quail at. If your protagonists were serial child molesters, that might be a problem. Revenge? Not a problem.

It goes beyond simple revenge though. Its not like they beat them up for all the times they got beat up...

It turns into rape, murder, suicide, making people think they are insane, sending people to jail, and ruining lives. None of the MC's actually DO any of this stuff but they pull the strings to get the bullies to do this to each other. That's where I worry.
 

lisalulu09

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I must admit, that does sound slightly disturbing...

ETA: Okay, it's a short montage (and scene, as a result), but I'm happy. :)
 
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amlptj

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Oh its very. There is one thing they plan and succeed at that is more disturbing then all the others... and I'm not sure how it will be viewed... and if i should change it or not...

All the others, in which they screw with drug deals, to get people killed or mess around with emails to get jealous boyfriend to kill people, and such, none of that bothers me on a true horrible moral level, but this one... problem is it fits as almost perfect punishment for both bullies involved.