WARNING: Some Content May Offend

My friend, Brenda Howson, and I are just doing the final prep for the first book of the Mica and Lexy Series - Forbidden Territory. As we have been discussing the final details, I often find myself coming back to the same questions... Have we pitched it right? Is our language too strong? Are our characters doing things that we would be happy for kids to read about?

As writers, we do need ask these questions. Personally, I think it's really important that the characters are reflected in a realistic light. For example, one of the main characters in Forbidden Territory, Mica, is a very fiery, expressive person. It would be unrealistic for her not to swear occasionally. I'm not talking really bad swearing, just the odd word to make her point clear.

In my next solo novel, Betwixt, my main character is a girl with problems. She's hurting and this can come across in quite an aggressive way. She also sleeps around. Those elements are important to the story, because they make up who this character is, so I don't want to leave them out, but I'm also very aware of the message it might send.

I don't want to promote bad language and teenage sex, but I also want to write stories that reflect what my characters are going through in a realistic and meaningful way.

So - I guess what I'm wondering is... What do you think is okay for YA fiction? What is too much? Is there a line?

If you're interested in finding out a little more about the character's in Forbidden Territory, check out the interview with Lexy (Mica's best friend) on our YAlicious blog.

I hope everyone is having a fantastic day.