Sex in YA novels: How far do you go?

Nominate Butterfly Suicide for publication at Kindle Scout: http://amzn.to/2qWYnFx

How far can you go when writing about romance in young adult novels? What kind of love are young readers looking for? Is sex allowed? How graphic should it be? Should it be in there at all?

It's a big debate for some writers, as well as, some readers.

Remember when the Twilight book series first came out? Keep in mind, I'm talking about before all the craziness of the movie versions. Most of the people I talked to about this series were really into the romance of it, the lingering looks between the two main characters, the blatant yet unsatisfied desire, the sexual tension! This is the type of romance that many older YA readers(20s-30's) remember experiencing in high school or really wanted to experience. It's just one of the reasons they like romance in young adult stories.

But then comes the sex.

I recall sitting around with a group of women at lunch and one of them was talking about how Edward and Bella were getting to the point of having sex in the book. This woman didn't have a problem with the progression of the relationship, but she'd decided that she would not allow her daughter to read any further in the series until the daughter was much older. She also felt like once the writer brought sex into the book, the romance factor was gone. To me it sounded as if the story had taken a turn into adulthood that the reader wasn't willing to follow.

I think that's an interesting phenomenon and really very personal to the reader. And as a writer, it's something you have to be aware of. Romance and sex can make or break your young adult book depending on how you use them. Sometimes it’s the factor that sells books. Sometimes it’s the factor that turns your audience off. It all depends on how you weave those things and what style of YA book you are writing.

When I write YA, I usually don't set out to have a romance in the story. However, because of the age group, because of the hormone factor, because it's virtually impossible to put two teenagers in the same room and not have them notice each other, some sort of relationship usually develops. That's life though. That's reality. That's what YA readers cling to.  When it comes to sex, I only let my characters get there if its part of the natural progression, but it's still something I'm cautious about. In my young adult novel, Bayou Myth, sex is a factor in the story, though it's not something my main character is doing. However, we do learn a lot about my protagonist's thoughts on the subject! Though my book is mainly a YA horror novel, it does have a romance in it that helps drive the story along.

In my latest novel, Butterfly Suicide, sex is certainly a factor in the story line. While my characters are grappling with the aftermath of a high school shooting and how it affects their lives, they can't help but notice each other, too. In fact, they begin to question if they are attracted to each other because of what happened or are they're feelings of desire real deeper than that? It's a tough question because we're dealing with two people whose sphere of experience in the romance department is limited. Isn't that how it starts out for most teens anyway?

In the end, a writer should let the romance and sex angle develop how it will. What would be the natural progression for your character? Put aside the audience you are writing to (yeah, I know lots of people will contradict me on that one) and allow your characters to just develop!

Butterfly Suicide has been accepted into the Kindle Scout program. That means if it get enough nominations and attention, it might be published by Kindle Press. Readers who nominate it also get a free copy of the ebook as well. If you're interested in helping a writer succeed, please click on the link provided and nominate Butterfly Suicide for publication. Thanks! Butterfly Suicide Kindle Scout Nomination

Kindle Scout campaign for Butterfly Suicide: Why write about school shootings?

Well, it's been an interesting few days of campaigning. I've seen my stats soar and sink and then soar again for Butterfly Suicide. Thanks so much to all of the readers out there who continue to nominate it. The campaign is still running so feel free to share the link with your friends. Remember, you get a free copy of Butterfly Suicide if the campaign succeeds!  Butterfly Suicide Kindle Scout Nomination

I wrote Butterfly Suicide after a conversation with someone close to me regarding the power of perception. Something had happened in my friend's life when they were in middle school and this particular event went on to color the way people viewed them in high school and beyond. Around the same time as this conversation, the awful tragedy of Sandy Hook Elementary occurred. As an elementary teacher,  I was especially horrified by that event--saddened for the community, heartbroken for the young victims and their families. I followed the story that day as it unfolded and couldn't help but wonder what was going on in the minds of the shooter's family, too. How did they feel? How would they live with what happened? How do you move forward knowing that someone in your family is capable of such destruction?

These questions were the beginning roots of Butterfly Suicide. I spent quite a bit of time tooling around with the story line about a school shooting which takes place in a small town and trying to decide what was important to tell, what was just fluff, what would be interesting to a reader. In the end, I crafted a simple story that really isn't about the shooting, but more about two teens dealing with the aftermath and what people do in order to get through horrific events like this.

School shootings aren't an easy subject to write or read about, but unfortunately, they are still a part of our reality. My hope is that Butterfly Suicide reminds people to look at all sides of the story.