Being a 21st Century Writer

Good Morning, Dave

Of course, mine says: Good Morning, Amy. And my 21st century technology – even though it’s supposedly miles ahead of HAL – still doesn’t seem to work as well, but the thought is the same.

Once upon a time super-computers, the internet, eBooks – all of these things were simply an idea in a writer’s, or young future millionaire’s mind. People thought these ideas were ‘cool,’ and wanted a world that gave them superior technology. In some respects these inventions have been a gift. In others…not so much.

The very first YA that stuck with me was by Judy Blume, who became the name in YA fiction during her time period. The book was, Forever, and it was one of the most controversial novels ever to hit the shelves. I remember my mother – the head librarian of our town’s ‘gift to knowledge and wisdom,’ – was made to put this book into the adult fiction section by the townspeople. (I know, the town sounds a bit like Salem and their hunt for witches). Everyone was upset that their children would have the chance to read about a sexual experience.

It’s absolutely hysterical to me when you think about it now. Today you can see far more on soap operas aired in the afternoon. Not to mention Facebook, YouTube, MySpace, video games, and a trillion other sites that bring subjects far more dark, obsessive and grisly into the young adult eye.

We’ve gone miles in the past few decades. Being a writer in the 21st century offers a vast amount of choice. The leeway that’s given makes it far easier for the author to introduce subjects, such as: sex, teenage pregnancy, suicide, bullying, and more. We can also offer the supernatural worlds of vampires, zombies, ghosts, goblins and angels.

For a book to be controversial nowadays, it usually has to ‘knock’ on the door of either politics or religion. Yet, angels have become one of the most well-read and talked about entities in fiction. Perhaps everyone has noticed that having a protector or defender with wings doesn’t mean they are promoting or bashing religion. Nowadays, a protector is something we all WANT to have, with the horrific things that are happening in the real world where teenagers can hear all about it on the six o’clock news.

Choice has arrived in the 21st century and authors benefit from that. In a world that’s actually being bashed for taking away freedom, the world of writing is still very much enjoying it. I’m always thrilled, as an editor, to receive novels filled with very real characters. They may not be real ‘beings,’ but even the fantastical are focusing on human emotions, and addressing subjects that are affecting our teenagers. I admire those authors, and I’m thrilled that the 21st century has allowed them a ‘microphone’ to talk about the issues.

I really love the fact that teenagers have gotten back into reading. When Rowling came along and built an empire, and when Meyer introduced a new ‘Romeo and Juliet’ who were actually happy to be dead – reading became a ‘must’ again. It also spawned a whole new generation of writers that have exciting careers in front of them.

In the end, the 21st century has proven to be an invigorating time for writers. And I, for one, hope it grows even stronger over the next few decades.

Until Next Time, Everybody.
Amy