Violence in MG and YA - What's your opinion?

[LM Preston]

I admit, many - no all of my books have violence. Lots of fighting, and wars etc. How do you feel about violence in YA and MG. Do you purposely write to take this out in hopes that angry parents won't complain about this in your books? Do you snatch violent books from your kids greedy hands? I am a mother of four and maybe I am too lenient with violence. However, when watching 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' I giggled when Lucy threatened to 'sock' Snoopy.

So do you take this out of your ms? or leave it in?

[Debi Faulkner]

I have this same concern with my own mss! My current YA wip has quite a bit of fairly graphic violence, but it really is central to the story (so I can't avoid it entirely).

But then, books like the Hunger Games seem to handle voilence pretty well (there is a lot of it, but it is never "condoned," really).

I'd like to hear what others have to say, too.

[Jessica Milar]

I'm all for it, but I like dark (and humorous YA)
I just put up the first pages of my manuscript's graphic novel component. I struggled with this so badly that the cutesy, colorful web comic version I originally posted began to get to me, as I didn't think this was the version I should have chosen. So I just put up the unfinished, very non PC version's first page where you can tell a whole lotta violence is getting ready to happen(I'll probably finish the art and coloring tonight). I think the more direct, raw version says more in one page than the eight or so pages I originally put up. And its in more in keeping with the spirit of the book. Here's the link, please feel free to tell me what you think - http://razher.com/

[Paul West]

I don't have nearly as much problem with violence in YA novels as I do with graphic sex. Yes, both are real, but for whatever reason, graphic sex seems out of place for "children."

My book has lots of violence, even a couple of suicides. But you won't find any sex or vulgar words. Neither are necessary in my opinion. A truly creative writer can illicit the same reactions in the reader without those things.

[Heather Howland]

I think it really depends on the book's subject matter and how it's handled. Look at the Harry Potter series -- there's plenty of violence in those books. Same with Hunger Games, the Twilight books, and a lot of the paranormal and contemporary YAs I've read recently (Vampire Academy series, Perfect Chemistry, The Forest of Hands and Teeth (that was downright gory some of the time!!), and quite a few others). However, with the rare exception, the violence is handled in a gentler manner than we'd see in adult books.

Hunger Games was like that for me. There was some seriously bad crap happening to some of those characters (being chewed apart by werewolf thingies, dying a slow, gruesome death comes to mind -- ugh), but the language stayed just above where it would've gone in a more mature book, keeping us out of the darker places.

As far as Twilight, when they get to the fourth movie, I have NO CLUE how they're going to deal with Bella spurting blood every which direction and what they have to do to her when she has her baby. Probably the same thing they did with the Harry Potter books, which, if I remember right, are written with more violent description than is actually shown in the movies. I wonder if maybe that's a good guideline? If they can't film it without getting an R rating, leave it out?? LOL

[Ann Adams]

I'm in the middle of writing the first draft of my YA fantasy novel. It's set in a place at war. The violence in it is a centeral piece of the plot. I think it is all in how you handle it, and the age level you are writing for. Example, you wouldn't put violence in a book for children preschool to 8 yrs old.

Then it's the "off screen violence". Meaning 8 to 12 hear about it but don't actually get to read it. YA readers can handle a bit of violence so long as it is centeral to the story and not used simply as a hook or to spice things up.

There are a lot of books out there where the main character is either kidnapped, or something else. It's told from that characters point of view for YA readers. There is not way to avoid it then. Yet Editors don't turn it away because of it. As you are writing ask yourself if this is necessary. If not then don't use it.

[wayunlucky13]

You look at Harry Potter and the whole plot depends on violence in order to even happen.

I think violence is perfectly okay, if it helps draw a character to their ultimate resolution.... if violence isn't necessary to the structure (or tone) of a book than it might as well be thrown out.

[Margo Kelly]

I recently posted a similar discussion on my FB fanpage. While I do think YA books should have less detailed violence and sex than "adult" mainstream books, I think kids know more and can handle more than many parents realize.

Consider: "Children deprived of words become school dropouts; dropouts deprived of hope behave delinquently. Amateur censors blame delinquency on reading immoral books and magazines, when in fact, the inability to read anything is the basic trouble." — Peter S. Jennison

I just posted a draft of my first chapter (from my finished YA novel), and I'm thinking of trashing it because the MC appears to be abusing himself, when in fact the opposite is the truth. The idea of violence in a YA book is part of my hesitation.

Check it out if you're interested:
http://www.facebook.com/#/pages/Margo-Kelly/393322365522?ref=ts

Margo Kelly
www.margokelly.blogspot.com

[Georgia McBride]

I don't recall wether or not I've yet weighed in on this. I don't know if I have an official POV or not. I noticed however that in my books, the violence seems to be perpetrated in a good vs. evil kind of way and is almost always justified in that good wins out over evil. Bad people are almost always punished in some way and good people who are attacked are justified in seeking some sort of revenge. What lesson does that teach? I don't know but I write urban fantasy and paranormal YA so there is always some pissed off otherworldy out for blood. What to do?

[Ann Adams]

I agree. If its fighting just to be fighting, then get rid of it. Make sure it is justified violence. It has to move the plot alone just like teens kissing or finding a lost item moves the plot alone. Let them learn from it.

The down side to all of this is I've ran into some books for Teen and even younger lately that have violence just because the writer thought it would look good. There was no reason for it to be in the story at all. It's becoming a common thing now.

[J.L. Spelbring]

To me violence is okay, death is okay. It is part of life. But as some other posters have said, it needs to be a part of the story, for good to triumph, or maybe even lose. Violence should be portrayed to the extent that it is needed in the book and only you, as the writer, can honestly decided that.

Sex, I have a different opinion about. That really depends on the age group and how graphic it is.

For instance--A fourteen year-old reading compared to an 18 year-old. Since both are probably going to read your book, you might need to tone it down.

Sex, to me, doesn't have to be painted vividly with words. You don't have to get all graphic with certain body parts. At least, from my POV, it is way sexier for the writer to lead the reader into a sexual scene then let the reader's imagination go from there.

[Paul West]

I totally agree. I feel violence, if necessary to the plot, is OK. But graphic sex, to me is still taboo for teens. Call me old fashioned but to me it's way better to lead up to the scene like Ebyss said, then let the imagination go from there. I think the same should go for adult stuff too, but I know I'll get a lot of disagreement from that idea.

[Linda Michelle Randall]

Hi!

I have a question.. I'm trying to find some info about the guidelines of how graphic our sex scenes can be in a young adult book?

my characters are 18 to 22 years old. what is acceptable?