Obviously some YA novels, if not most YA novels will have some level of violence. What is the best way to approach this? Can the violence be more graphic if it illustrates a point, less violent?
What are your thoughts?
What are your thoughts?
How To Show Violence
- Thread starter Ohgodaspider
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In YA, you're talking about readers who are 14 to 18 years old. I think you can make the violence as graphic as you want. Most people that age are already watching R-rated movies. They can handle some blood, gore, and death in their books. Obviously, it depends on the genre too, but I think this would be more of a concern in a middle grade work.
I think as long as the violence is necessary to serve plot, characterization or any other of the main parts of a novel, then it's all right. Personally, I don't like books that have bloody scenes for no reason at all, but I know there are others who enjoy this. Use your best judgment!
Obviously I'm not gonna make my book to be like horror porn or whatever. The violence will serve a purpose.
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Hear hear!
Seriously though - don't use kid gloves with your YA readers. If you're writing a story about space marine cadets and their epic struggle against space pirates, there's gonna be violence. I don't really see a reason to shy away from it.
And be as graphic as you like. For example The Marbury Lens by Andrew Smith and Ashes by Ilsa J Bick are both bloody and disgusting and fabulous in their use of language around violence. Neither shied away from gore.
Your readers will respect you for not sugar-coating the truth, like were you to write a story about what is currently hppening in North Korea. I remember hearing once, what I thought, was one of the most disturbing stories I have ever heard coming out of North Korea. Practising Christianity is illegal in North Korea, so when a group of secret practitioners were discovered by the military, the pastor was forced to watch as the members of his congregation were run over by a steamroller and he was shot in the head as soon as it was done.
It's a true story, it's out there for anyone to read, including teenagers. Pretending things like this don't happen won't earn you any respect. I'm not saying to describe brain matter squeezing out of their cracked skulls like toothpaste, but there is a balance you need to strive for: telling the truth without writing gore porn.
It's a true story, it's out there for anyone to read, including teenagers. Pretending things like this don't happen won't earn you any respect. I'm not saying to describe brain matter squeezing out of their cracked skulls like toothpaste, but there is a balance you need to strive for: telling the truth without writing gore porn.