On language
Foul language, to be precise.
I write for children, so I stay clear of all those Bad Words. You know, the ones George Carlin used for a whole comedy routine. Plus many more. But the thing is, despite our desire to keep those Bad Words out of sight and sound, kids see them, hear them and use them anyway.
So if you’re writing upper middle grade and YA novels, what do you do? As much as parents and educators would like, “heck” and “dang” and “gosh” are not in common usage. Putting them in the mouth of a character is a fast way to make him or her appear unreal to modern readers. So I work around them. I reword. I describe the fact that my character cursed. I change the pacing, or stick to the emotion. And sometimes, when I have to, I use a cuss word. Because my character would. Because it makes sense. Because not doing so would be untrue to the story.
And you know, the upper middle grade and YA readers won’t be shocked. It won’t be news. And they will continue to speak the way they always have, modeling their behavior on their family and peers – as they have for time immemorial – while hopefully, they’ve gotten a good story worth reading, about kids acting as kids do.
Tags: Bauer language middle grade on writing YA
August 26th, 2009 at 9:52 pm
In 1989, writing a MG historical fiction novel for Viking, I had a fifth grade boy say “Oh, Lord!” He was stunned by the death of his best friend’s mother. I argued to keep it. My editor, the legendary Deborah Brodie, asked me if that one word was worth losing readers over. “The gatekeepers will see only that and restrict kids’ access,” she said.
I changed the word into distraught actions …and the book, HERO OVER HERE sold solidly for fifteen years (and taken by Scholastic book club 3 times.) Another publisher just bought the subrights to bring it into print again. How many kids have read and been affected by my story? How many would have been lost had I clung to my artistic high ground?
August 27th, 2009 at 11:19 am
Couldn’t it be, Kay, that your success came from writing a good book? THE GREAT GILLY HOPKINS is chock full of “Hell,” “damn,” and “God,” and is still in print over 30 years later.
When I wrote NO CASTLES HERE I knew that there would be some gatekeepers who wouldn’t buy it because it has a positive portrayal of someone who is gay. But leaving Walter out of the book, or making him straight, would have sucked out a large portion of the story.
I think it’s a balancing act. We write for children. And we have to please gatekeepers, especially for the younger crowd.
August 28th, 2009 at 11:51 am
You are so right, Alice! It was strength of story that made my book last – but the use of a single expletive could have hindered its sales. That “Oh, Lord!” stood out because neither the character nor his social setting called for it. Gilly swore as she breathed. My character swore only once under duress. That made it a red flag for would-be-censors.
And Alice, making a supporting character in CASTLES gay was brilliant – and central – to the theme of your wonderful novel. Realistically, sensitively, and sympathetically handled, it will do far more good, in more places, than you’ll ever know.
I LOVE that about our books!!!
September 3rd, 2009 at 11:43 pm
Ahem, should I mention the word used in the book that won the 2007 Newbery?