Last week I woke up before 4:00 am and got in my car to drive to Disney World and the Dolphin and Swan Resort. What would make me do such a thing? The Romance Writers’ of America annual conference and their wonder Librarians’ Day. I had attended a few years ago when they were in Dallas, and really enjoyed it. The drive was much better than I had anticipated, turns out there is no one on the roads going up the middle of the state that early in the morning! As before, the programs were excellent, the romance writers and librarians generous with their time and knowledge, the food delicious and the goodies and free books more than I could carry.
The program I enjoyed most was “Focus on Young Adult Romance.” Moderated by teen librarian extraordinaire Amy Alessio featuring YA romance authors Ally Carter, Melissa de la Cruz, Simone Elkeles, and 2008 RWA librarian of the year Susan Gibberman, I wish I had recorded the whole program, but here are some highlights.
Simone on becoming a YA writer and reader: She hated reading as a teen. When she was an adult and had a kid of her own, in the winter they would go to the library to “mess up the kids’ section.” She happened to pick up an Oprah book and read it straight through. However, it was sad. So she then picked up her first romance and loved it.
Ally on becoming a YA writer and reader: She too was a reluctant reader, bored with the books available. She says she went from Berenstein Bears to Barbara Taylor Bradofrd. Then she heard about S. E. Hinton, a teen girl from Oklahoma who wrote great books, one of which was made into a movie with Tom Cruise. Ally thought, I’m a teen girl from Oklahoma, that’s what we do. Romance for teens is different, the happily ever after can be different from a date to a moment to a dance to an agreement to see other people.
Melissa on writing: She writes paranormal romance for teens and teens love paranormal romance because it is a fantasy of forever love, it provides an escape. She writes about the pleasure of reading, her parents read for pleasure and read widely. She reads for pleasure and entertainment.
Simone on injecting romance into a book: Romance is my focus, my characters wouldn’t be their true selves if they didn’t fall in love with this person who helps them become that true self.
Ally on injecting romance into a book: Romance is what happens when people aren’t trying to kill you. (Her series is set at a spy school.) All teenage girls with crushes are spies, these girls just have the training to back it up. Romance allows us to show another side of the characters. It’s not realistic to portray teenage girls and not have them interested in romance. Her characters aren’t looking for big major love, but are interested and curious about the opposite sex.
Melissa on injecting romance into a book: Teens think about boys, sometimes it seems like it is the center of their universe, but not really, they also have family and friends who are always there. This is what she tried to capture in her books. I don’t set out to write a book for teens, I write a book that appeals to me. I remember it (being a teen) misery, crushes, friends you trust so much. Everything is a first, an adventure, love is first love.
Simone on realistic romance: Characters must act like who they are. Gang members fight, cuss, have sex. Girls not so much. Avoid teaching a lesson and teenspeak.
Ally on “clean” realistic romance: I’m a gosh dang darned kind of person so I write gosh dang darned kind of books. I’m not censoring myself, my 15 year olds (characters) are young because they have been in this sheltered world. It is realistic because they are trying to figure boys out and where they fit in a man’s world.
Melissa on realistic romance: I was a good girl, but being a teen was all about rebelling. In my mind I snuck out, I wanted to be naughty, bad. She lived in New York, saw how kids in the city were, the trendy scene where everyone was smoking, drinking, “so old,” living the Gossip Girl life. Her characters may look like teens, but in reality they are 1000s of years old New York City kids. Sometimes that gets her in trouble, when one of her characters had an affair with a 40 year old, editors wanted to make them a little younger. I’m going to keep doing what I do because that’s what I like, write what I want to write.
Simone on diversity in YA romance: She’s written books with Latino, Israeli and now gay characters.
Melissa on diversity in YA romance: I’m everyone’s Asian friend with a Spanish last name. Her Blue Bloods series has roots on the Mayflower, but other books have diverse characters. The world of Blue Bloods allows for vampires with diverse backgrounds, like a very old Asian vampire.
Ally on diversity in YA romance: A spy school needs to be diverse, it would be a bad spy school without diverse students. Someone in the school can disappear in any corner of the world.
