So, I was talking to @Sparrowbug on twitter the other day about the responsibilities of YA writers in terms of content.
She was voicing her opinion about the fact that underage drinking and even drinking and driving seem to be given the ‘okay’ in some YA novels. The characters seem to not care and/or there are no consequences for the behavior.
I agree that is pretty crappy, but at the same time, is it authentic? Where do you draw the line? If it fits your character to drink or do other naughties and not face consequences, do you forgo that for your own sense of moral obligation?
I really don’t know the answer. On one hand, I know that my parents were very present and waiting up for me when I got home every night. Therefore, I didn’t drink in high school despite my friends doing, seeing it on TV, reading it in books, etc. So that side of me thinks you write what is right (fun with homophones) for your story.
On the other hand, I know my parents were awesome and not everyone has that. Also, some kids are just more rebellious by nature and will do what they want to do regardless (though I still think parenting comes into play). This side of me thinks we need to be very cognizant of the words/ideas that we are passing on to our readers.
So as writers, how do we approach these subjects? Do we strive for complete authenticity or do we try to work in some personal responsibilities (not preachy) into our writing?
A slippery slope.
