Stormy weather

Dear Gabriel

I’m interested in writing a novel which is aimed at teenagers and which tries to express some of the turmoil of the teenage years. Well mine were a bit suppressed I suppose but today’s kids seem to be out there and doing things which are really scary – not helped by the internet and other technologies I imagine. So my dilemma is whether to normalise teenage rebellion in ways that are fun and quirky or should my protagonist be that rare thing, a teenage role model.

Thank you

Ruth

Hullo Ruth

Role model? Hmm, I think teen readers will see right through a character if they are too good or unrealistic. It also matters what kind of role model you want them to be – in some ways teen stars and musicians become role models parents dread (having too much too soon seldom makes for a mature adult) because of their bling lifestyles and devotion to hedonism. I’ve always felt that asking celebrities to be positive role models is naïve and dangerous – and in most cases they never signed up for this when they started climbing the ladder of success.

Perhaps there’s too much of an “either/or” in your question – teenagers, like adults, are a mix of black and white and have their good and bad days (teen moods must, at the very least, be measured in days but often parents will tell you that minutes and hours might be more realistic). Readers, especially those from this age group, will relate better to a teenage character who is complex and nuanced.

A broader issue for me is whether the cliché of teen turbulence is true? It’s my view that every generation of parents believes their teens are more rebellious, more tempted to err, more stormy, less likely to adhere to parental norms and more sexual than they were in their day. It’s true that in post millennial times there is an extraordinary array of tempting tools and pressures – driven (and here I agree with you) by technologies which make it possible to do, say and depict things which are hard to take back once they have been sent out into the ether. And globalisation and commodification of everything don’t help as they may create a climate for even greater pressures. While previous generations might have feared pregnancy or herpes from unprotected sex, today HIV and other diseases make sex daunting.

Yes teenagers are pressured and yes “finding yourself” is a normal rite of passage, accompanied by inevitable hormonal and other changes to body and mind, but many teenagers navigate this with humour and resilience. I don’t mean to underplay peer pressure, bullying and mixed signals from adults, but I don’t think it’s all doom and gloom. In many ways the internet and other technology can empower young people to satisfy their curiosity, with some with boundaries set by involved parents (key to an easier transition to adulthood). It’s no good today for parents to abuse their age and privilege – they have to make sense when they set limits and they need to really examine the impact their words AND actions have on their children.

So good luck with your character – I think this is a fascinating topic and market – make him or her (or whatever gender choice and presentation they may make) a full and complex person and you’ll have a winner. PS: I think any moralising will be sniffed out and rejected by teenagers! 

All the best

Gabriel

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