tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2182805214114999185.post637853573313004092..comments2021-07-15T10:49:38.001-07:00Comments on Teens, Writing and Randomness: The F BombMaria Padianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15187638787394947693noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2182805214114999185.post-54185263505157205132010-02-01T06:54:31.472-08:002010-02-01T06:54:31.472-08:00I just read this post along with the "Same as...I just read this post along with the "Same as Ever Was..." post and am going to comment about both of them here because I think in some ways, you are commenting on the same thing.<br /><br />So in "Same that it ever was..." you make the point that the parents should stand their ground. I'm not disagreeing! But I think there is another aspect and that is the role that parents making rules and teenagers breaking rules play in the coming of age process. For some teenagers, this process of transferring from childhood into adulthood is relatively pain free - and we adults judge them as being "mature" since there is seemingly little to no rebellion against the adult rules. (I would argue that is it lack of adult knowledge, not lack of rebelling, that leads us to this judgment.) Other teenagers are wired to rebel, to push back, to create their own form of society through their actions and yes, language (F-bomb or not).<br /><br />Mind you, I am talking as a YA lit critic, not as an author or mother. If authenticity in language and, shall we say, situations is what you are after, then thinking as a rebellious teenager is a must. And all teenagers are rebellious - it's just to what level? Or maybe it is to what definition? What do you consider "rebelling" to be? Does breaking little rules (akin to telling "white lies") count as rebelling? I would say Tess is rebelling - but I would also say that dropping the F-bomb is a form of rebelling since it goes against society's rules of etiquette, etc. The very fact that children whisper the world tells you it is rebellion. <br /><br />So how do you write about young adults? Ha ha - I am a critic, not an author and I happily leave the hard work to you! But I know the books I enjoy show the nuances of what it means to be a teenager. The little rebellions and the big ones. The choice to use specific words or not. (Side note here: the f-word is more common in certain areas than others and has become "accepted" but until I hear the Queen/President use the f-word in a speech and not for some shock value, then it is still a means of rebellion.) I think in some ways John Green's *Looking for Alaska* is successful in showing big and little moments of rebellion - and language choice in different registers as well. Of course the danger with dialect is that if it is too authentic, you can be accused of stereotyping or be out of date in a matter of moments. The nature of changing language isn't always a great thing!<br /><br />Did I make a point? I think I might have somewhere in there but had best end the comment before I become accused of blogging on your blog! ;)Tammynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2182805214114999185.post-77213381129223956832010-01-28T09:28:40.656-08:002010-01-28T09:28:40.656-08:00In my extended family there are 23 teens, and in t...In my extended family there are 23 teens, and in their talk there's a lot of 'F this' and 'F that.' They're all about exploring their sexuality at the moment, as well as asserting their exit out of childhood.Angie Muresanhttp://www.angiemuresan.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2182805214114999185.post-44949147836777382332010-01-25T18:09:24.564-08:002010-01-25T18:09:24.564-08:00Nope, didn’t know about “ragers,” but that might b...Nope, didn’t know about “ragers,” but that might be because my kids and their friends don’t go to them, at least not yet. What a great word, though!<br /><br />My kids swear hardly at all and speak grammatically, even among their friends, although that makes them a bit weird. During our year in the UK, my kids reported that the Brits swear more than Americans, including at school. <br /><br />Good point about careful word choice, even beyond swears. Besides, swears lose their impact with overuse. It just becomes noise. <br /><br />For the fun of it, I just checked (via “find) my YA manuscript: <br />2 F-bombs with due cause <br />3 bitches, including one that actually refers to a female dog <br />4 damns - one was in a Shakespeare quotation!Sarah Laurencehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00423008641739156182noreply@blogger.com