Why Girls Need Young Adult Novels

Something has been weighing on my mind for some time now, but I hesitated to blog about it because I didn’t feel like it was really relevant to the topic of my blog. However, I’ve reconsidered because first of all, I do think it’s relevant as a related topic, and secondly, I think it’s far too important to pass up.

The Young Adult genre of books has gotten some flack in recent years. Some of the criticisms are reasonable and some are not, but that’s not what I’d like to explore here. What I’d like to point out is why the YA genre continues to have value and should continue to maintain an important place in the literary world.

               

Let me preface this by saying that YA is my favorite, so I’m a little biased. But I think my point still has merit.

               

Even though YA has a wide range of readers and fans, I think we, as writers and/or readers, can agree that it is written about teenagers for teenagers. Most YA books feature a teenager who faces a crisis in his or her life and must overcome it. Depending on the storyline, these crises can be very simple and relatable or very complex and extreme. Either way, the reason these books are so popular is because they possess emotions and experiences and thought processes that everyone has felt in their youth.

                

So why am I pointing this out? For a very simple reason: Girls need YA novels.

                

YA novels are unique not just because of the age of the protagonist, but because the protagonist overcomes a great obstacle. As an avid reader, nowhere else have I found such a strong positive female role model than in YA.

                

Let me give you a very famous example from one of my all-time favorite books: Katniss Everdeen.

               

(Side note: If you haven’t read The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, you’re doing something wrong. If you are currently reading and not finished, no need to worry, there are no spoilers in this post).

               

The Hunger Games is one of the most popular YA books right now and there are many reasons for it. Collins tells a compelling story through excellent writing and superb character development. Her writing is top notch. But what I like most about this book series is not any of that (though I have an unhealthy appreciation/obsession of her writing chops). What I like most is Katniss Everdeen. From page one, Katniss Everdeen is a bad-ass who doesn’t let anyone push her around. She isn’t perfect and she makes mistakes, but she’s not about to let anyone control her life. Katniss never lets anyone dictate her actions or come anywhere near hurting the people she cares about. She’s brave even when she’s terrified, she perseveres when she thinks she can’t go on, and she finds the beauty in life even when she’s in a fight to the death. She recognizes injustice and doesn’t let anyone intimidate her into backing down, and that is very honorable.

               

Katniss embodies what I think YA books do so well: they remind people that young girls have the ability to do great things. Repeatedly throughout the series, many people doubt Katniss’s ability to succeed. Even Katniss doubts herself, but she never backs down from a fight. Katniss is underestimated because she’s a girl and at times, emotional, but she always gets the last laugh because she is far more powerful than anyone, including herself, ever thought she was.

                

I think that young girls need that. All young people need to be reminded that they have the ability to achieve greatness, even when people don’t think they can. All young people need these great examples, even fictional ones, that show just how powerful they can be.

                

Girls especially need these kinds of examples. As a twenty year old girl, I can tell you firsthand that I have experienced and witnessed a prejudice against young girls with big dreams. It’s sad that in the 21^st century, girls are still treated as less than boys. Girls are considered less intelligent, weaker, and all around inferior to boys. Now, don’t take this to mean that I’m a man-hater. I want guys to pursue their dreams fervently and become successful young men who don’t let anyone discourage them. I want guys to be encouraged to be all that they can be. But I want girls to have the same treatment. I want the world to tell girls that they are just as capable. If girls were ever treated like they deserve to be treated, I think we would see a vast improvement in our society.

                

Unfortunately, girls don’t hear the encouragement they desperately need. That’s why characters like Katniss Everdeen are so vital in literature. If Katniss can achieve what she does even under the most extreme of circumstances, then girls who are reading can believe that they too can succeed.

                

If girls continue to read about characters like Katniss Everdeen, Tris Prior, Lucy Pevensie, Lena Holloway, etc.,* then we can inspire young girls to seek greatness because they will believe they can achieve greatness, despite others trying to hold them back. YA books are filled with excellent role models for young girls and guys in a way that is unparalleled. This is why YA is my favorite genre. YA books are inspiring to the youth of the world, and that is priceless.

KMG

*Katniss Everdeen of The Hunger Games, Tris Prior of Divergent, Lucy Pevensie of The Chronicles of Narnia, Lena Holloway of Delirium

5 Scary Truths of the Mind of a Writer

First off, a quick update....

I'm dangerously close to completing my manuscript!!!!!! *squeals of glee* This is such a surreal feeling. I've had this idea for as long as I can remember and I've been working on it in some form of discipline since about junior year of high school or so. It's so weird/exciting/relieving/scary to think that I'm this close to finishing. Plus, I already have the basics of book 2 mapped out so yay! Just a little ways to go to finish...

Celebrations to follow once I am actually done

(Google)

So anyway, on to the actual topic of this blog post. Because I'm so close to finishing, the procrastination force has been especially severe. To procrastinate, I like to read blogs and articles by published authors, publishers, agents, etc. I've read several along the lines of how writers feel about their manuscripts, and while some of them really hit on some great chords, I thought I'd contribute my own two cents on the matter.

1. I'm constantly thinking about my manuscript, and I do mean CONSTANTLY. From the moment I wake up, to the moment I fall asleep, I'm thinking about it. (I've also been known to dream about it) As soon as I wake up, I'm evaluating everything in my head. Is that character developed enough? Is the ending finite enough? Is the beginning interesting and attention grabbing? Should I take out that minor storyline? Is it long enough? My chapters aren't equal lengths, is that a problem? How am I going to develop that relationship? Do I even need that character? Do I even like that character? This is my mind at all waking hours. I'm always thinking and obsessing and overthinking every aspect of the story. 

2. When I'm not actively obsessing over my own story (albeit I'm still thinking about it in the back of my mind), I'm thinking about other stories. Other books, TV shows, movies, whatever. If it has a storyline, I'm evaluating it. I used to not think about anything except the plot, but writing actively and frequently has caused me to analyze all aspects of storytelling. 

3. The characters I've made up in my head are just as real to me as the people in my life. Now before you think I've totally lost it, let me explain. Like I said before, I've had this idea for years, for a good portion of my life, and I created the characters, so I know them as well as I know myself. I know how they think, how they feel, and their entire life stories. This is especially true of my protagonist, Jade. I know Jade as well as myself. I know every detail of her entire life, even details she hasn't yet learned (because I haven't written them yet). I know what she looks like, what she likes and doesn't like, how she feels, and how she would react to any situation. 

4. The setting of my story is as real to me as my current surroundings. My story is a fantasy story and I often catch myself applying fantasy elements to real life. Again I sound crazy. 

5. I am probably both my manuscript's and my own biggest fan and its greatest critic. Sometimes I'm so proud of the story and the fact that I came up with it that my happiness escalates quickly into arrogance. Other times I find myself unable to write a single word because I feel like it's so stupid and no one will ever publish it. It will probably always be there. I, more than anyone else, want the story to succeed and be popular, but I also, more than anyone else, worry that it is the worst thing ever written in the history of the world. 

The writer's mind is a complicated thing. My mind is constantly racing with writing-ish thoughts. I still feel weird even calling myself a writer, but I guess it's okay when you have a 60,000+ manuscript in progress that's almost complete... 

Well, off to more writing... Leave me a comment and let me know what your crazy writer mind does... I'd enjoy reading it.

KMG