If you missed it, a few weeks ago, I blogged about my opinions about sex in YA books. Some of my awesome crit partners and vlogging partners have vlogged their opinions and responses.
First, Suzanne Gale gives her opinion:
Next up, Megan Whitmer gives us her two cents:
So... what do you think?
http://goo.gl/oV6IN
ReplyDeleteI don't think it's something to be avoided. It's a part of real life. Every teen, regardless of if they choose to have sex, is confronted with it. I think books that choose to include sex should focus on the emotional response more than the act itself. Some kids say they won't have sex before they ever get a bf/gf, but then start to question that decision when they are in a relationship. Are they with someone who views sex the same way they do? If you have one person who views it as no big deal (as many teens do) and one person who thinks it should be something special (as many teens do), that's going to cause conflict. If both characters are really truly in love, decide to lose their virginity to each other, but later break up, that's going to cause conflict. And this conflict is both internal and external. I think that's much more important, and much more real, than an overly descriptive scene just meant to titillate, or just throwing it in to show that these are "real teens."
ReplyDelete(As a comparison, the choice to swear or not to swear, as mentioned in the second video, could be seen similarly. Some kids do it. Some kids don't. Some make a specific choice not to. Some only use it on occasion. Some do all the time to prove they're adult, or to prove it's not a big deal. There are all kinds of kids, all kinds of people, all kinds of characters. The choices they make should make sense. The difference is, the consequences for letting a curse word slip out at an inopportune moment are typically less serious than poor decisions regarding sex.)
So . . . I guess I pretty much agree with what many have said already. It's fine if it's there. It just needs to make sense to the story, and it needs to be treated in a responsible way. (Sorry so long, maybe I should have just posted my own blog about it!)
I agree with both, honestly. Agreeing with Suzanne, I think we can show it without being graphic. I don't think sex in YA books should get graphic, or in any books, honestly (even though there are erotica books out there that definitely do...just my opinion). I also agree with Megan. If you're not going to be proud of writing a sex scene (however brief) in your book, don't write it. That's your name (or your pen name) that you're putting on the cover. Why would you write something you're not proud of. I was lucky also to have a relationship with my mother where I could talk to her about sex. But Megan's right, there are kids out there who don't have that type of relationship and they're going to learn about it somewhere. Make it realistic but don't be graphic. I do not agree with graphic sex in YA books.
ReplyDeleteI recently sent the first chapter of my novel, Twisted Time, to a friend of mine to look at. He said that it was natural to have sex. My main characters get married in the beginning of the book and then go on their honeymoon. I didn't really write a sex scene. He said it sounds unnatural not to have it in there because you know when they go on their honeymoon, that's what's going to happen. I felt awkward writing it. What my husband and I do in the bedroom is private. It felt awkward writing about it. But he's right...it seems not quite right if you don't put anything in there at all.
So I guess the answer I'm going for would be a little bit but not graphic. Tell the reader but you don't have to show them. They'll imagine enough for themselves. My opinion. Great post :) And thanks to Suzanne and Megan for their opinions. I hadn't given much thought to this topic before hand. So thank you :)
Sincerely,
M.J. Wille, author