Touchy subjects; what's okay? What's taboo?

I can't confess to being a YA writer since have never been published in that direction but I have tried and I've taken some YA classes. I personally would not put a rape and that kind of stuff in a YA novel. When doing the nanowrimo this time I was thinking to do YA but as I got into it I changed to Adult because I simply didn't think some of the things were appropriate for a YA novel. The thing that I grapple with is the fact that I am an older woman and perhaps YA's are considered more "mature" than in my day and maybe these things are now acceptable for YA books? Is there a guideline. I know back when I took some classes on YA writing, there were some guidelines and I think they indicated some things just weren't appropriate. I wonder what others will tell you.

Also, I wonder why some have been telling you that the writing is more YA than Adult????

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I'm fourteen and I included rape in a novel when I was thirteen, from an idea I've had since I was ten. That sort of thing happens all the time and every teenager knows about it, so I think it's fine to include it as long as the scenes and the description isn't too detailed or horrible. Hope that helps x

YA Fantasy should be absolutely fine and these situations occur all the time in those sort of books!!

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I think right now it's the sentence structure as well as the main character. My writing's not too complicated and fairly straightforward and my main character is a young girl. My Mom's only read the first two chapters, which is just getting into the story and hasn't yet touched on anything even slightly 'adult' so I can easily see where this would be a question.

Thanks, Rosiie..x

The rape scene isn't actually shown in the novel; it's alluded to after it's happened. I don't think I've got it in me to actually write something like that.

When I was in high school I read a YA novel with rape in it. I think it was called Speak and was basically about the aftermath of a girl who was raped upon entering high school (although there are no explicit details and for the first three quarters of the book you don't even know what's making her so upset).

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I am also 14 and I heartily agree with Rosie X. My gosh, I've read a YA book about murder! If you get the book published, the editor will probably put a warning on the inside of the cover. If you don't get it published and if you get someone younger to read it, just warn them/their parents.

I depends on what age group you are writing to. Young Adult, Teenagers, Kids? For Young Adult and Kids I would include what you would you see in the news. Which would include rape, murder. Basically despairing things. But for the sake of the gag reflex, I wouldn't include many details. For kids, I would include maybe a reference to murder, but if I was a kid reading about murder, the book wouldn't really satisfy my yearnings. When I was a kid, I wanted to feel like someone older, but nothing that would bring me down and make me cry, you know?

(By the way, I am also 14 going on 15 this coming June. :3)

I don't think rape is taboo for a YA novel, although it shouldn't be described IMO.
I won't read it, because it terrifies me, but that's my personal issues. I don't think it necessarily applies to others.

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Your story sounds fine. There's a bestselling, fairly recent young adult book called Speak that deals very closely with rape, and it's amazingly done, very powerful and not at all inappropriate. Rape happens, and if fiction about it helps someone realize they're not alone, then so be it. Even if it just raises awareness to whoever's read it, it's a good thing.

Good luck!

Its okay if you have rape, just don't go off and describe it graphically.

I think it's okay - especially since you are alluding to it and not going into details. Since you *might* be writing for YA instead of adult, it might be a good idea to chat about this with a few parents of YA kiddos or teachers or a librarian or book store employee who focus on children/MG/YA books. ??? But as a YA author (to be), I don't see anything wrong with it. Kids are a lot more savvy now-a-days. They know this stuff happens.

Check out some of Sarah Dessen's books. She's delt with abusive parents, teen pregnency, abusive relationships and rape. But it's all very tastefully done which is what I think will make and break it. That stuff isn't just thrown in for shock factor, Dessen actually deals with it.

I've heard of quite a few books that have that kind of material becoming very popular young adult books. Just as long as you're not aiming for children under 13, I think it will be fine. Actually, a lot of teenagers go out of their way to read that sort of stuff.

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