Greetings, everyone!
Today I'm pleased to bring you a guest post by my friend and co-WestSide Books author Carol Larese Millward. Carol's book STAR IN THE MIDDLE was a 2010 Galley Cat Best Teen Book!
Be sure to catch Carol's book trailer at the end of this post!
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Welcome, Carol!
Many thanks to my friend and fellow WestSide Books author Selene Castrovilla for inviting me to write a guest blog. I admire writers, like Selene, who consistently find interesting topics and issues to tackle and manage to present them in a thoughtful, insightful manner. I was inspired to write this piece after reading Selene’s quote on her blog site --
“Sharing my truths with the world, and helping others find theirs.”
As a writer, my goal is to create characters that share their truths with the world. In my YA novel, Star in the Middle, I found it difficult at times to be true to Star’s character.
I felt so protective of this teen mother, who was not only dealing with a new baby, but also with a painful secret from her past. Wilson, the young father’s character, was even more of a challenge.
Wil wanted his voice heard, and although this novel at its inception was to be about a teen mother and her baby, how could I deny the father his say?
“If there is any one secret of success, it lies in the ability to get the other person's point of view and see things from his angle as well as your own.” –Henry Ford
I found truth in the preparation. I wrote page after page of information about my characters and their needs in an attempt to understand and empathize with them. I had worked with teen parents as a Family Advocate and Parent Educator through Family Support Centers, and with the help of my fictional characters, I wanted to explore the many real consequences an unplanned pregnancy can have on young lives.
Writing extensive profiles gave my characters voice. As they told their stories, they revealed their truths.
What does truth look like, and how can we as writers stay true to our characters and our readers?
Sometimes the truth—the issues--we explore while writing realistic young adult fiction is dark. Writers don’t create that darkness, but we do attempt to shine a light on it and expose it for what it is.
I have been very pleased with the dialogue Star in the Middle inspires among teens at schools and book clubs that I visit. I believe young adults feel less threatened talking about the issues they face, while discussing fictional characters facing the same concerns.
“The worst thing about being lied to, is knowing that you're not worth the truth.” --Unknown
Parents who object to the exploration of topics they find inappropriate or offensive sometimes challenge books and want them removed from their child’s school or library. But we can’t protect children from the truth that bad things happen. We have all been bombarded with the Jerry Sandusky scandal. How many children witnessed him being led away in handcuffs on national television--with a Penn State jacket hung over his shoulders? Sandusky said that he has never harmed children and is innocent of the Grand Jury allegations that he molested young boys. What is this man’s truth, and what truth can we find in those around him who failed to come forward? Is it better to shield children from this story, or take the opportunity to talk to them about sexual abuse and predators?
My truth is that I have always been a writer. As a child, writing was my way of processing what happened to me and to those around me. I believe this process helped me to understand myself, and others. I think the most important thing I learned was that mine was not the only truth. I firmly believe that empathy is the most valuable tool a writer can have.
I write for children and young adults because I respect them and the issues they face. I hope that by being true to my characters and letting them tell their stories, I can help young readers feel empowered to tell their stories in their own unique voices.
“The pursuit of truth and beauty is a sphere of activity in which we are permitted to remain children all our lives.”
–Albert Einstein
Star in the Middle Book Trailer - A Shelf-Awareness Book Trailer of the Day Selection --
WestSide Books/2009
A GalleyCat Best Teen Book 2010
Order from Amazon:
http://carollaresemillward.com
Characters are the most important thing to me in stories and it's important that I connect with them. Often it means them being true to themselves and sharing their truths with us. I think it's wonderful when authors seek this out and find a way to bring the characters to life.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great post, and i so agree with exposing teens to all sorts of topics. She does it so wonderfully in her book.
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