I wrote about this
a little (and I've been thinking about this a LOT), this notion that the only way for a lady to Win Her Life is if she has a partner (and let's face it, a Husband) and a baby or two. Which is complete crap. It is not crap to want this and to have this. It is CRAP that this is the only possible WIN for a Lady. We get this CRAP NOTION handed to us by our communities, by the media, by family and friends. Please let us recognize that it is UTTER CRAP to believe this is the ONLY WAY TO WIN, ladies.
So it gave me great joy to see these
tweets from the awesome Ally Carter today, in reference to her Gallagher Girls books, but also excellent for YA lit and Life In General.
And it goes back to what I wrote about
Wonder Show -- not every conflict has to be about A Boy. I applaud the heck outta people who are saying the things Ally Carter is saying. We need to hear more of this. We need it shouted loudly and often.
Thanks for sharing that series of tweets. Yeah, it certainly isn't good that the End is getting the boy and/or married but it's especially bad to have that assumption as a teen. I know it FEELS like this is the only boy you'll ever love, but oh honey, there is so much growing to do.
ReplyDeleteAnd it's not even that romance is a bad thing to have in a plot, but that is NOT the only source of drama and tension available to writers. Expand your horizons!
DeleteAmen! I mean, I like my books to have happy endings, but I don't need them to have predictable endings. And I think we'd all be much happier if our story endings had a few less "this is what you need for a complete life" moments.
ReplyDeleteI like happy endings, too, but Happy can be so much more than settled.
DeleteYES YES YES! Absolutely. Will go follow Ally on twitter right now! So glad you shared this. "Being a teenager isn't about figuring out who you should be with, it's about figuring out who you should be." Can we shout that to the rooftops? And while we're at it, can we tell adults, too?
ReplyDeletegreat stuff - thanks so much, and thanks as well for being part of the 2013 comment challenge!
best,
Lee
I'm considering getting that tattooed on my arm.
DeleteThanks for hosting the challenge. It was inspiring.