There is nothing new under the sun, true, but does that mean that every other YA
book has to feel so much like last year's big break-out hit?
You know what I'm talking about: first, it was vampires, then fairytale
retellings, then paranormal romance in general, then angels and zombies, then
dystopian.
Boy, was there a lot of dystopian! Now I hear tell that the thriller is
back in style, though I'm sure it will end up being a very specific kind of
thriller.
I'm not dissing individual authors. Those authors that are supposedly
"ripping off" some other author who came before? Usually their books
were written years before -- they had to be, in order to take advance of the
trend's exploding popularity. And let's face it: a lot of times, these
"second wave" books are even better than the first break-out hit.
Plus, hey, we all gotta eat.
This is about the industry, and the fact that teen literature is a HUGE business
these days.
This is exactly what happens when an entertainment medium becomes wildly popular
- when it attracts the attention of huge corporations. Exploiting a trend or a
fad until it's completely tapped out makes for a fantastic business model. And
in general, people will always like what they know, what is familiar.
But let's be clear: this is a creative trap. If you want to know what's at the
end of that road, look to the Hollywood movie studio system: virtually
everything they now do is a superhero movie, a sequel, a remake, or a reboot.
No, seriously. Of last year's top ten grossing movies, seven of them are one of
those things. This year looks to be even worse.
Creativity is literally almost completely dead in the studio system. A lot of
the producers and writers who work there are very talented, but they're now
openly discouraged from being interesting or challenging.
Instead, it's now independent filmmaking -- not the six major movie studios --
where you now find almost all of the intelligence, originality, and the
risk-taking in movies today.
Or look to television. Not to the broadcast networks, which operate a lot like
the major movie studios: mostly broad, bland programming that's meant to appeal
to the widest possible audience.
But cable television? That's a whole different animal, especially
"pay" cable television. Writers are encouraged to take wild risks
here, to create intelligent, attention-getting shows because their business
model requires more passionate and highly motivated audiences.
So where is YA publishing headed? Like the movie studios and broadcast networks,
or indie filmmakers and cable networks?
If the corporations get their way -- if money is the most important
consideration -- YA publishing will continue to become more like the studios and
networks. And most of us who enjoy YA have already heard all the warning signs:
declining advances for debut authors, mid-list authors unceremoniously dumped
when their books don't move tens of thousands of copies in hardcover.
The word has long gone out to agents: give us books that can be turned into
movie franchises!
Welcome to the big leagues, boys and girls. Make us lots of money, now, or move
along.
And yet, despite all the handwringing, the YA genre is still producing more
books, and better books, than it ever has. I still think there's too much
groupthink going on, too much cynical bottom-lining. But beyond the lead titles,
publishers are giving us some pretty amazing diversity. For the time being, YA
publishers are acting more like cable channels than broadcast networks or movie
studios.
I've been thinking about all this a lot because my latest book, THE ELEPHANT OF SURPRISE,
is the story of a gay boy who has a passionate romance with a guy he first meets
rooting around in a Dumpster. The guy's a "freegan," someone who's
voluntarily choosing to be homeless. He and his friends eat roadkill and squat
in houses and explore abandoned buildings.
Needless to say, "romance" and "Dumpster diving" are not
themes you usually see associated together. This is also a pretty far cry from
most other LGBT teen books. But that was exactly the point. I wanted to do
something really unusual and attention-getting and different -- not like
any other YA book you've read before.
Did I pull it off? Well, it's been out for a couple months now, and so far, so good.
The greater point is I'm just happy to write in genre where writers are still
allowed to let their characters be as weird, dorky, and unconventional as they are.
Let's hope that never changes.
Brent Hartinger is
the author of many books for teenagers Geography Club, the
first book in his Lambda Award-winning Russel Middlebrook Series, is now an
(indie!) film co-starring Nikki Blonsky and Scott Bakula.The Elephant of Surprise,
his latest book, is available now.
Visit his website: http://brenthartinger.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/brenthartinger
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brenthartingersbooks
Watch the GEOGRAPHY
CLUB movie trailer
5 comments posted.
Hey, I loved The Elephant of Surprise! This made my day and I intend to go back and read all the earlier books. I thought the cover shot looks too old for the book however - early twenties, say, and it looks like he's in a bar. But I live in Ireland, maybe that is what teens look like in America. Although there was no bar in the book.
(Clare O'Beara 8:53am June 10, 2013)
Keep up the original thinking! Movies that do not conform also do not do well here in North America whereas the lowest form of comedy is a block buster. I will have to keep an eye out for the Geography Club when it opens in Canada
(Janis Milford 4:00pm June 10, 2013)