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How Far Is Too Far?
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From: Tanya Stone <tanyastone>
Date: Wed, 22 Jun 2005 13:04:00 -0400
How Far is Too Far?
Of course, the nature of the question itself is subjective, as is all art. But it's a fantastic question and I?d like to address a topic within this theme I?ve been thinking a lot about. I write contemporary realistic fiction. My forthcoming novel contains several sexual scenes, as my book explores the choices girls do and don?t make when it comes to their sexual relationships, and what they do or don?t learn as they enter the process of figuring out what they want to be.
In that context, I was very aware of the explicitness of some of my scenes and was extremely careful in my handling of them (and I made certain choices to cut a few out). My personal underlying philosophy on this issue guided me, which is: anytime a scene, or even an explicit phrase, is used solely to get the reader?s attention then the writer has gone too far. I have little respect for shock value and gratuitous sex in YA novels and there have been a few in the past two years that I personally felt did go too far and didn't do their larger readership any favors.
However, I have a great deal of respect for any work that stimulates a reader to think deeply about issues that pertain to love and sex. There have been some fantastic books that do this. Respecting my reader also guides me well in this area. Good books on this subject offer young adults a place in which they can safely experiment walking in other people?s shoes and feel out what pieces of themselves may or may not be reflected in certain characters and their actions. It may even help them figure out how they are feeling about something that has already happened in their lives. The clich? of a book being a friend exists for a very good reason?there may be nothing more important in this world than knowing we are not alone, especially when it comes to the volatile, scintillating, and sometimes confusing topic of sex for a young person.
Tanya Lee Stone Visit www.tanyastone.com for complete title list A BAD BOY CAN BE GOOD FOR A GIRL (Wendy Lamb Books, Random House, 2006) ELIZABETH LEADS THE WAY (Henry Holt, 2007)
Received on Wed 22 Jun 2005 12:04:00 PM CDT
Date: Wed, 22 Jun 2005 13:04:00 -0400
How Far is Too Far?
Of course, the nature of the question itself is subjective, as is all art. But it's a fantastic question and I?d like to address a topic within this theme I?ve been thinking a lot about. I write contemporary realistic fiction. My forthcoming novel contains several sexual scenes, as my book explores the choices girls do and don?t make when it comes to their sexual relationships, and what they do or don?t learn as they enter the process of figuring out what they want to be.
In that context, I was very aware of the explicitness of some of my scenes and was extremely careful in my handling of them (and I made certain choices to cut a few out). My personal underlying philosophy on this issue guided me, which is: anytime a scene, or even an explicit phrase, is used solely to get the reader?s attention then the writer has gone too far. I have little respect for shock value and gratuitous sex in YA novels and there have been a few in the past two years that I personally felt did go too far and didn't do their larger readership any favors.
However, I have a great deal of respect for any work that stimulates a reader to think deeply about issues that pertain to love and sex. There have been some fantastic books that do this. Respecting my reader also guides me well in this area. Good books on this subject offer young adults a place in which they can safely experiment walking in other people?s shoes and feel out what pieces of themselves may or may not be reflected in certain characters and their actions. It may even help them figure out how they are feeling about something that has already happened in their lives. The clich? of a book being a friend exists for a very good reason?there may be nothing more important in this world than knowing we are not alone, especially when it comes to the volatile, scintillating, and sometimes confusing topic of sex for a young person.
Tanya Lee Stone Visit www.tanyastone.com for complete title list A BAD BOY CAN BE GOOD FOR A GIRL (Wendy Lamb Books, Random House, 2006) ELIZABETH LEADS THE WAY (Henry Holt, 2007)
Received on Wed 22 Jun 2005 12:04:00 PM CDT
