CKUT Queer Corps Interview + Writing Advice

I had a GREAT time at CKUT radio’s Queer Corps yesterday, and I’m not just saying that because the host, John Custodio, assumed I was not long out of my teens.

We talked about everything a YA author wants to talk about, and some things we don’t: what defines YA, how much variety there is in the field, from literary to genre fiction, what you can or should “get away with” in YA in terms of sex and other shenanigans, from Philip Pullman to C.K. Kelly Martin, and my personal dreaded question: how do I accurately assume contemporary teen voices?

I don’t know how to answer that question in a satisfying way. I honestly believe that if you can remember what it feels like to be a teen struggling to gain control of your life in face of the conflicting expectations of so many adults and peers, then it’s not necessary to worry about how “current” teens talk to each other. As a writer, you can simply focus, as intimately as possible, on the individual that your character is at heart, and write from that single, unique perspective.

And this is the advice I’d give to any writer sitting down to tackle teen “voice.” Don’t worry about the horde of young people out there you imagine to be cooler than you. They are you. You are them. Kids have wisdom and grown-up writers have immaturity. The edge you have over your audience is 5, 10, 15 or more years of experience in how it all turns out. They don’t need you to be cool for them– they have enough of that already, all around them, and having to be cool can actually get quite exhausting.

What they more likely need from you is reassurance that someone understands what it’s like, that although they are unique, others have been through similar struggles, and that whoever they are, whatever they value, whomever they love, they’re going to survive high school and find something amazing on the other side.

As I said before on Deborah Kerbel’s blog, most people (and I’m not just talking about teens here), are struggling with a lack of confidence, not a surfeit of conviction or cool. I think if you examine my books closely, you’ll see that the characters who are trying the hardest to act and sound cool are, in fact, extremely not cool. Mostly they come off as desperate, mean or silly.

To hear the full interview, you can stream it here. Or download it here. I’m the first guest at the top of the show. You can also keep an eye on the Queer Corps Facebook Page, where they’ll be giving away a signed copy of Rhythm and Blues!