Quick Fire Questions (A Place to Ask and Answer)

[Warren_Paul]

Your characters are 17, and they're interested in each other.... is it going to limit you if you can't explore certain, um, avenues? Not that i'm obsessed, just interested.

Now now, Springs, let's be honest... you just want to read a dirty story.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

No, I don't want my 12 year old kid reading a dirty story.

 

[David Evil Overlord]

Now now, Springs, let's be honest... you just want to read a dirty story.

No, I don't want my 12 year old kid reading a dirty story.

Notice she didn't deny wanting to read a dirty story herself.

Seriously, they don't get beyond a couple of kisses in this story. At least, that's the plan, subject to change without notice. It's the language, not the actions.

And I understand the desire to keep the kids out of the filth, language or actions.

Hmmm. Looks like it's the not YA market. Not with bats**t crazy words, it's not.

 

[Warren_Paul]

Seriously, they don't get beyond a couple of kisses in this story. At least, that's the plan, subject to change without notice. It's the language, not the actions.

And I understand the desire to keep the kids out of the filth, language or actions.

I do think the boundaries are pushed a bit on this though, aren't they? Like Twilight is supposed to be YA, but doesn't it go beyond kissing?

I'm not saying YA should go that far, just pointing out that some books have such content, not done in an explicit way though, but the reader knows it happened.

EDIT: Found some interesting reading material for you, David. It answers the question and backs up what I was saying about pushing the boundaries. I think what you want to include in your writing is very minor compared to what is already out there in the YA market.

YA Author's views on swearing in YA

Strange Chemistry's poll on swearing in YA

 

[HareBrain]

Hmmm. Looks like it's the not YA market. Not with bats**t crazy words, it's not.

Though there are cross-overs, there's much more to the difference between adult and YA than swearing; it's a whole feel. I think you're much better off modifying the language in a YA book than trying to market it as an adult story just because of its colourful oaths.

 

[Ursa major]

is it going to limit you if you can't explore certain, um, avenues?

You've used the word, av*n*e. And on a family-friendly site. (What was the software thinking...?)

​

 

[alchemist]

If you wanted to write it for the YA market, I'd say take what we consider swear words out, but use youthanisms instead - made-up swear words. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong on this, but I believe you will get away with that in YA.

I'm struggling a litle with this. I've made some youthanisms up (it's the late 21st century) as it seemed like a good idea (and I could avoid "bats**t mental") but they mostly sound very stilted, and I read somewhere that some readers roll their eyes at such things. Where lies the truth? Where? Where?

 

[Vertigo]

I'm struggling a litle with this. I've made some youthanisms up (it's the late 21st century) as it seemed like a good idea (and I could avoid "bats**t mental") but they mostly sound very stilted, and I read somewhere that some readers roll their eyes at such things. Where lies the truth? Where? Where?

I think ending up sounding stilted is exactly what you will get doing too much invention of new swear words. I reckon that so long as you don't go too blue with your swear words you should be fine. So swearing based on things like excrement is probably OK, swearing based on sex might be getting dodgy, swearing based on religion probably ok if not too specific (Oh God, Oh Jesus, Oh Hell etc.). Battlestar Galactica managed reasonably well with words like Frak (sp?), though actually I didn't like that particularly and would rather they had not invented words. I suspect it was to do with getting a rating that allowed them to air it early in the evening.

 

[Mouse]

I don't see anything wrong with swearing in YA stuff, so long as it's not all the time. I have a character say 'bitch' though I think she only says it twice over three books. Other times I just write 'John cursed.'

I have another question, sorry, how many members are in pop groups usually? Five? And what's the male/female ratio?

 

[Warren_Paul]

I don't see anything wrong with swearing in YA stuff, so long as it's not all the time. I have a character say 'bitch' though I think she only says it twice over three books. Other times I just write 'John cursed.'

I have another question, sorry, how many members are in pop groups usually? Five? And what's the male/female ratio?

Male/female ratio? well that's really dependable... today, there are many groups who have 1 female for the lead singer, so that she can stand up the front and look all pretty for them, but there is also the occasional group that is all female... The Corrs for instance is 3 female, 1 male.

In the 90s we went through a phase of having all male pop groups. BoyZone, Boys to Men, etc.

It depends of the era the pop group was based in I think, there were a lot more female pop groups back in the 60s/70s/80s, male artists tended to do more rock'n'roll/rock back then.

There is the likes of Abba, which is half in half. but then there is Madness, which is all male. You have Temptations who were all male, and Supremes, who were all female.

I think usually around 4-5, which you already guessed at.

 

[Mouse]

Damn. So you don't think three would work? Two guys and a girl?

 

[HareBrain]

Damn. So you don't think three would work? Two guys and a girl?

What? Of course it would. There have probably been hundreds of groups with that combination. And hundreds with every other combination. (Except fifteen girls. That would never work. You'd need to get a sixteenth.)

 

[Mouse]

I can think of bands with three members, but they're usually all male (911) or all female (Atomic Kitten).

 

[Warren_Paul]

Damn. So you don't think three would work? Two guys and a girl?

Everything works.

 

[Mouse]

I'm not very musical so I didn't want to write something and then have someone go, no, that wouldn't work cos the female voice would blah blah... etc.

 

[Warren_Paul]

I'm not very musical so I didn't want to write something and then have someone go, no, that wouldn't work cos the female voice would blah blah... etc.

Paramore is your answer Mouse. Very successful group.

 

[Mouse]

Ah cool, cheers for that! I feel better now.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

We think maybe Human League was phil oakley and the two girls - very exact in this house.

Boney m had 3 women and one man who apparently mimed.

The Corrs, the 3 girls and Jim.

We are having quite a lot of fun in this house with this, it could be a long night, cheers Mouse....

 

[Mouse]

Heh heh! You're welcome!

 

[Jo Zebedee]

He felt sick, it was his childrens’ minds he’d sensed.
or
He felt sick; it was his childrens' minds he'd sensed.

I have, either very cleverly, or very stupidly involved the other half in my discussions around punctuation; he is generally very good at such things, but we can't agree... (and no prizes whose version is which....)