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How Dark Can YA Get? – Jenna Greene

The idea that teens can’t handle deep and dark themes in literature is a pretty obsolete notion. It isn’t just the Internet that has exposed adolescents to the trials and tribulations of the world. Children live; therefore, they are exposed to poverty, abuse, strife, inequity, and prejudice. They might not experience it all themselves, but they can see it. They know about it. The eyes and ears of the young are far keener than anyone might expect.

So why would we put it in literature as well? Why would we write about slavery, intolerance, or racism instead of more cheerful topics? Won’t this just remind the readers of the injustices in the world and how there is so much darkness surrounding them?

Yes. But it’s also a way to show characters experiencing unfortunate events … and surviving. Even thriving. YA books can show protagonists enduring and overcoming. Not only that, but having an impact on the world they live in, changing it for the better. What could be a more positive, uplifting thought than that? Isn’t that why the original fairy tales were created? To show horrific circumstances and people overcoming them. Facing adversity and overcoming the odds.

That’s really the power of all literature. Sure, not every book will tackle issues at extreme depth and emotion, but every story has a conflict of some sort. A struggle. And even those that don’t end happily, still end. That is a resolution, of sort, which the reader must sort through internally. And, whether they know it or not, that emotional turmoil will stay with them and, to a degree, help them as they continue with their life.

And who needs these tools better than children?

I can’t think of anyone.

Sure, the images have to be presented in an age-appropriate manner. Some action must take place ‘off-stage’ or be inferred to, rather than seen. But the base conflicts can be present. And, yes, adolescents can handle it.

The Golden Age of Dystopia – Jenna Greene

Dystopian literature is far from new. George Orwell may have set the world on a disturbing, informative, and thought-provoking path with 1984, but it continued from there with works such as Brave New World, The Giver, and Ready Player One. All these titles are rich classics. Still, the insurgence of utopian-societies-set-upside down was an anomaly instead of the norm at that point in our historical timeline.

Then The Hunger Games crashed onto the scene, finding a YA audience that burned with desire for more prints and more pages, catching the attention of youth and adults alike. It could have been a one-hit wonder, skillful and unique, but it wasn’t. Divergent soon followed in Suzanne Collin’s footsteps, before authors such as Lauren Oliver, Ally Condie, and Victoria Aveyard hit the scene.

With many trends in literature, there are often ebbs and flows. Yet the dystopian trend has not had its ebb yet. The quality novels, short stories, and poems have continued to be produced. Hollywood studios are filming adaptations of newer classics as well as older titles. (Maze Runner and Ender’s Game anyone?) I could write for hours on The Handmaid’s Tale – willingly and with great passion, and see more and more titles popping up in my Netflix queue.

So how and why has the Golden Age of Dystopia been sustained this long, providing more quality than the temporary teenage-vampire trend? I believe it is connected to the depth of the questions that can be asked, should be asked, and most importantly need to be asked. Tackling discrimination, poverty, government corruption, fundamentalism, voyeurism, and a wealth of other themes through allegory and metaphor allows us to examine the issues in a critical way. Dystopian settings are both objective and subjective, authentic and fake. For those who have never examined these issues, they are drawn in by character arcs and rapid storylines filled with action and sentiment. Readership begins, fandoms arise, and then discussions happen. Sure, this happens with all literature, but with our global consciousness rising each day, dystopian literature has the power to do so in a way other genres cannot hope to equal. Paired with genuine societal movements such as #metoo, books have a way of changing the scope of thought and action in the world in a pivotal way.

All that remains is the question of which issues will dystopian authors tackle next. As a YA fantasy/ dystopian author myself, the challenge of creating new worlds with new problems, connected to our consciousness of this world and this world’s problems, is one I am able and set to tackle – and excited to do so. I am a part of the discourse, and thankful to be so.

The Series Structure – Jenna Greene

There is a reason some series, whether as movies or novels or even comic books, are ultra-successful, while others fall flat. Some of it has to do with the protagonist or villain not catching the reader’s heart, while other aspects have to do with the writing style, or even the unimaginative major obstacles facing the characters. But in terms of investment of the reader (or viewer!) a lot of the time, it comes down to the structure.

A movie is one thing, but for many people, investing in a novel is just that – an investment of time, energy, and emotion. Readers go on a journey that has highs and lows and an impact on how they view the world. Many people adore reading and will gobble up anything at any time, for any price. Others enjoy it but struggle to find the time to commit to the activity. Our lives are busy, after all. At the end of a book, the readers want to feel like they went somewhere,, and that their energy was well spent. Which is why readers often feel a bit ripped-off, when they come to the end of a book and find no resolution to the plot or characters, and are simply led to a cliff-hanger that insists they read the next novel in the series. It feels like a money-grab or a waste of time. They might purchase the next book, but chances are … they won’t.

So how do some series avoid this feeling in their readers? How do they keep the reader interested in a longer tale without offending their audience?

The best way to do this is to structure each book with a problem that is resolved. That way, the reader feels like the book accomplished something. They feel satisfied at the end of the novel. To keep them interested in the series, or wanting more, well, that has to do with an over-arching theme that can be developed – but doesn’t have to be.

Let’s examine the original Star Wars trilogy. (No prequels or post-quels, please). Luke Skywalker wants to leave home and join the rebellion. By the end of the movie, he has accomplished both those goals. He’s learned a great deal about the Jedi and accomplished what he set out to do. Along the way, he eliminates the threat of the Death Star and rescues a princess. The audience cheers and medals are (rightfully) handed out. No one watching that movie feels that it needs a sequel to understand what has taken place. However, for those who are interested, they can pursue more. There is a thread left over from the first movie, about the threat of the Empire and the destiny of Darth Vader, who is left alive. Nearly everything is concluded, leaving the audience feeling satisfied, but there are natural elements left to be explored for those who desire.

In The Hunger Games series, the first book ends on a similar note. Katniss Everdeen has survived the games and returned home to her sister. She has accomplished what she needs to. The thread left over is how will her relationships change based on her actions in the games, and what will happen to Panem in the future. The drift into future books is natural, not artificial.

Where a writer can start to play with the cliff-hanger is later in a series. By the second or third book, the readers are invested. They expect more things to go awry for the characters, leaving more lee-way for the plot. In Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, we are left with wondering what will happen to Han Solo. I will point out, however, that there is still a great deal of resolution in this movie. Luke, Leia, and the droids have escaped from Cloud City. A great deal has been learned and the plot has many satisfying outcomes. (With one huge spoiler, of course). But not everything has been left hanging. To leave all elements dangling would be torture to the reader.

It’s a delicate balance, to be sure.

I’m aware that there are many series that do not follow this rule of “resolve most of the conflict, leave a thread”. There are always exceptions. To be a writer, one must know the rules and, occasionally, break them. That’s what writing is. But to appeal to a wide, mainstream audience, a writer does have to be calculated and careful in what they do. Trends change over time. Would the structure of The Lord of the Rings be as popular today if there were other similar series to compete with?

I don’t know.