Handling an all-adult subplot in YA fiction

[mauricesempine]

Okay, I agree it's YA (my novel, that is)

Any suggestions on how to handle an early confrontatioin between a bad adult (who lives to become the main villain) and a good [sort of] adult who gets killed by the bad guy--leaving the kids alone to face the world and the villain.

I'm going to introduce the confrontation (as adults) by having the better guy (who doesn't win) recall a previouis meeting (when they were YA's). I know that will be okayk.

Question is: Can I have a chapter (or two) where the two adults confront each other without having the YA's tag along. Do I need to have my YA hero secretly follow the Good Guy and watch helplessly as he goes down. I'd rather have the YA not know exactly what happened until the very end of the book (final confrontation--bad guy seemingly in control tells all to hapless victim).

I would appreciate any feed back.

Mac

[Soccer Mom]

Adult sub-plots are tricky. Is it necessary to show the confrontation or can we learn exactly what happens when the YA character does?

[Toothpaste]

Why can't we the readers find out about what went on the same time as the MC does? That is to say you don't want the lead to find out until the end of the book, right? So why shouldn't the reader? I bet it would make the ending more shocking, and have a bigger punch than if the reader knew all along. You could hint at things, do some foreshadowing throughout the book, so the revelation doesn't completely come out of left field. But changing POV for several chapters, along with the fact that the characters are all adults in a YA, simply to give us a plot point and explain some sort of motivation seems like a bad idea.

[myscribe]

Adult sub-plots are tricky. Is it necessary to show the confrontation or can we learn exactly what happens when the YA character does?

I agree with Soccer Mom. You want readers to connect with your hero, and the adult sub-plot may take away from that.

It also depends on the POV you are using for the story as to whether you can show it or not. It might be good to keep the audience not sure of what happened too, just like the YA hero - raising the suspense.

[mauricesempine]

good points---all of them. while waiting for you guys to respond, I predicted what you would say--probably because it make the most sense

I was trying to break up a sequence of chapters that had a lot of talking and not much action. Of course that's not a good reason--who's writing this book anyway--I can add in anything I want at any time.

Really, thanks a lot. I'll probably change the previous scene as well. I had the good adult guy remembering the time when both adults were younger. Originally, I was going to have him tell that story to the YA's. I can put enough action in the story to last for a few chapters thereafter.

Appreciate it,

Mac

[Jimmer]

You've two issues to consider. One, how do you get adult type scenes into your admittedly YA novel (and also how might adult character only exchanges affect the interest of YA readers). The second issue will be a point of view issue. Whether you choose to write this story in first person or limited third person, the point of view character needs to be present at all events. You cannot describe events or thoughts occurring outside the point of view character's presence. Now, you could write in an omniscient third person viewpoint allowing your narrator complete access to all characters' thoughts and actions, but that is rarely if ever done in YA literature and only daringly done in adult writing.

So I think your major problem is point of view. How can you convey behind the scenes information without including the point of view main character in the scene? The reality is, you can't without violating point of view rules. Your point of view character will need to be present, or the information will need to be told to, witnessed by, or overheard by the point of view main character of your story.

Point of view can be a tricky issue and violations of POV rules are generally viewed by editors as a clear indication of amateurish writing. Make sure you know what you're doing here.

[Sage]

The second issue will be a point of view issue. Whether you choose to write this story in first person or limited third person, the point of view character needs to be present at all events. You cannot describe events or thoughts occurring outside the point of view character's presence. Now, you could write in an omniscient third person viewpoint allowing your narrator complete access to all characters' thoughts and actions, but that is rarely if ever done in YA literature and only daringly done in adult writing.

So I think your major problem is point of view. How can you convey behind the scenes information without including the point of view main character in the scene? The reality is, you can't without violating point of view rules. Your point of view character will need to be present, or the information will need to be told to, witnessed by, or overheard by the point of view main character of your story.

Point of view can be a tricky issue and violations of POV rules are generally viewed by editors as a clear indication of amateurish writing. Make sure you know what you're doing here.
It seems worth noting here that in third person limited, you are not limited throughout the story to one POV. Yes, the POV character must be present. But the POV character can change. It does not need to be the MC.

[Jimmer]

Very good point, Sage, and one I neglected to mention. It is somewhat unusual, though, to do a lot of POV switching in children's literature. Young adult isn't as restrictive but I think you'll find most YA's are limited to one POV character throughout.

Adult novels, on the other hand, alternate POV characters constantly.

It's just not as common is children's writing.

[mauricesempine]

thanks to Jimmer and Sage

I've gotten into some bad habits regarding POV, it seems.

Something to focus on now while I can nip it in the bud.

Maurice