YA: How much sexual content?

[Ray McCarthy]

Personally I'd rule out rape, intercourse, erotic petting, descriptions of nudity, sexual practices, descriptions of 'french' kisses etc.
But how far description of pregnancy, babies, explaining to Aliens what breast are for etc?

I'd be happy with hugs, a brief kiss (lips or cheek), holding hands etc.

Setting is 10 year olds to Adults in SF&F story on an Alien world that has one Earth human woman (age 24), vaguely contemporary period (perhaps turn of 20th to 21st Century).

The Human's alien friend suggests she is naive and there are three ways she could get pregnant (without explaining), but admits it probably doesn't apply as she doesn't seem to be the sort of girl to have 'hanky-panky' before marriage.

[Edit added comment]
The 24 yo Earth Woman is put in with rather junior class a year previously (when 23). She also is ageing very slowly. They assume at first she is about 14 (She may live many hundreds of years).

Adept Mages can heal anything* and neutralise poisons
Some Adept Sorcerers can 'shape change' other people down to DNA level if they have a sample of suitable DNA (mass is conserved).

You are welcome to comment on the three possible ways of getting pregnant. One doesn't require a partner at all. The Human is an Adept Mage. If she has thought of it, that hasn't been mentioned, nor indeed would she consider any of the three methods. She would (if she wanted to at all) only have a family by the traditional methods. She certainly is the 'wait till after marriage' kind of girl.

[* even congenital defects or 'genetic' diseases if a really good 'Healing' Mage]

 

[Hex]

Not sure I completely understand the question, but sex is okay in YA fiction. Probably more difficult to justify gratuitous, meaningless sex and I'd probably not describe it in erotica detail, but it's quite acceptable.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Absolutely. Judy Blume's Forever was being passed around my school in the 80s....

 

[AnyaKimlin]

My teen characters get pregnant by having sex

 

[Ray McCarthy]

The question was about how much discussion of sex and related topics between characters was acceptable.

The main Species of Aliens where my lone human is have advised her not to discuss bodily functions, or sex related topics in public. Apparently though close friends and suitable relatives can discuss it though in a manner that makes my human MC want to put her fingers in her ears. The division between public topics and style of conversation and private discussion is kind of head wrecking to her. It's one thing to speak the language well, it's quite another to understand the culture. They are shocked by her swimming in the sea (They do know some other Aliens 'Off Worlders' like swimming, but they don't, they even have shallow baths. Perhaps because they are humanoids like marsupials with the pouch on the chest.), it's only later privately that her Alien friend privately explains that the one piece swim suit exposes too much skin!
(If you think this is an odd reaction, think of some Moslems and Orthodox Jews, never mind Ultra Orthodox in Mea Sherim in Jerusalem)

The 11 year old and 16 year old Alien boys (Enchanter and Mage) find the young looking Adult Earth Woman alarming to Mind Link with till she learns to "fog" everything unrelated to the task in hand. The 16 Year old 'Cat like' Predator/Carnivorous Humanoid Alien though mainly found it hilarious. Without explaining why.

My teen characters get pregnant by having sex

Yes, only desperate adults usually do it by the more expensive laboratory methods. Though of course they'll have sex too if physically possible. I don't remember any books with magical methods, other than Gods which is usually not counted as Magic.
I don't remember anyone shape changing (either partner) to achieve being the same Species for sex and Pregnancy (what species is the child? Presumably depends on the Species of the mother at birth?). Except maybe some Greek legends. My MC would regard that as 'disgusting', even just for an innocent night out. Her viewpoint may change over the next century.

 

[Ray McCarthy]

Re: Sex in YA
Obviously there are complete areas of YA fiction that have passed me by.
There isn't any in Anne Digby Trebizon series (later ones are all 1980s). Nor very obvious in Harry Potter, though there are 'relationships'. Perhaps Hogwarts doesn't permit Hanky-panky

I shall have to do some reading research. It doesn't have to be SF&F, but ought to be regarded as reasonable quality mainstream YA.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

It also depends which end of YA you're looking at. Towards MG (up to 14) there isn't much, obviously. But at the top end there is loads of reference to, thoughts of, and desire to have sex. That's one of the things teenagers face, after all - what to do with all these hormones.

So, first I'd say have a clear age range in mind and then adapt accordingly. Some books have more than others - genre books often have a little less as the genre story is the main arc.

To look at - maybe Pitticas Lore's stuff. I'm not keen on them, but they've been very popular. Depending on age range, have a look at what Chris Wood, Patrick Ness, Garth Nix do around it. None, that I've read are graphic, but it is often mentioned at lesst as a source of tension.

And yep, if you're wriitng YA you need to read at least some YA comparitors.

 

[AnyaKimlin]

I've had quite a bit of feedback from agents on my first chapter and there is quite a bit of "sexual" discussion I guess but it has never been mentioned as one of the things to tweak or change. There is the following:

Angus is alone but he is naked.
He does discuss how he feels about his body.
He has tissues on his bedside table.
Mentions his girlfriend wouldn't go near him for a time.
His dad deletes naked photographs of said girlfriend from Angus's phone.
And his dad tries to talk to him about sex.

 

[Ray McCarthy]

if you're wriitng YA you need to read at least some YA comparitors

Almost all her companions are 10 to 17, a few are her own age, Journeymen studying to be Masters.
The College combines aspects of a High School and University. Classes change composition every term based on progress. They are not age streamed at all.
She gets 'involved' both in typical high school and college 'high jinks'. No apprentice can leave the college grounds AT ALL (not even holidays) till a Journeyman, because of the 'magical' Talents. But it's not at all like X-men or Harry Potter or "the Worst Witch". Magic is hardly regarded as such (there are seven special Talents) and the society has been technological over 5,000 years with Jump Drive Starships for over 3,000 (So know you can guess how a lone Human gets 80,000 light years from home, the Aliens bring her)

 

[Jo Zebedee]

But what has that to do with reading YA comparitors? I mean you need to hit the bookshop and stock up on what's out there. It's a hard market to sell in with specific requirements.

 

[Ray McCarthy]

I have to write what I'm comfortable with.
I don't think they are really books for adults.
I have a suspicion my reading habits of books for younger readers published since 1970s are not very representative. I know what modern SF & F for more grown up people is like, I have plenty.

One the one hand you write what you want to write. On the other hand it's nice to know what people are reading. Lemony Snicket, Spiderwick, Harry Potter, Redwall/Brian Jacques, Most Anthony Horowitz about covers my "modern" younger people books. Maybe a couple of others. All the rest are Alan Garner, E. Nesbit, Arthur Ransome, Enid Bylton, Noel Straetfeld, Anne Digby, Jean Webster, Joan Aiken, Elinor M. Brent-Dyer, Stevenson, Monica Dickens, Antonia Forest and other famous classics from Victorian to early 20C .

I've no money right now, so I need to stock up from the Charity shops. Or possibly the Library.

 

[Ray McCarthy]

But what has that to do with reading YA comparitors? I mean you need to hit the bookshop and stock up on what's out there. It's a hard market to sell in with specific requirements.

I had wrong glasses and was rushing out. I was SURE you wrote that my MC needed YA companions

 

[Hex]

One the one hand you write what you want to write. On the other hand it's nice to know what people are reading. Lemony Snicket, Spiderwick, Harry Potter, Redwall/Brian Jacques, Most Anthony Horowitz about covers my "modern" younger people books. Maybe a couple of others. All the rest are Alan Garner, E. Nesbit, Arthur Ransome, Enid Bylton, Noel Straetfeld, Anne Digby, Jean Webster, Joan Aiken, Elinor M. Brent-Dyer, Stevenson, Monica Dickens, Antonia Forest and other famous classics from Victorian to early 20C .

I think a lot of those would come under the umbrella of "middle grade" -- books aimed at 8-12 year olds, Certainly Lemony Snicket and Spiderwick (Holly Black has written a lot of YA too -- have a look at Valiant for sex and drugs, and maybe The Coldest Girl in Cold Town, too). Harry Potter is middle grade at the start and kind of slides closer to YA by the end.

There's generally more sex in contemporary YA than fantasy YA, but it's certainly a theme. As for how much they can talk about sex and still have a story remain YA, it doesn't sound like you're in danger of overdoing it.

 

[Ray McCarthy]

I went into a real bookshop today. They do sell to teenagers who mostly buy only from the teenage section. I discovered maybe a couple other authors I do have. I photographed the shelves for later analysis.
Two shelves of Darran Shan (Looks like the sort of genre my kids would have sneered at as teenagers, they all into more serious Fantasy or SF (but mostly not both)
He went to a School I put a computer network in during late 1990s, so a little after he left. It wasn't called Copsewood then.

He received his primary education in Askeaton, and attended secondary school at Copsewood College, Pallaskenry.

I also have a friend in Askeaton. Small World

 

[Michael Colton]

As others said, I think there needs to be some sort of distinction between YA and children's or tween. Lemony Snicket was not YA, it was a children's series (a fantastic one, in my personal opinion). Most young adult I have heard described to me leans more towards adult in content than young, but has a different focus. But keep in mind that this is my impression by discussing with fans of YA, not from reading it myself. In my mind there is a similar cutoff as there are for films in the US. G, PG, PG-13, R. If I picked up a YA book, I would expect everything you can see in a PG-13 film.

 

[Ray McCarthy]

My 2014 stuff is definitely Older Teens / YA / Adult. The 1992 work that needs a rewrite and edit is tween/teenager/YA

 

[Robert E. Parkin]

If you are writing YA is sex a must? I for one deplore the idea of putting it in any of my stories as I feel it brings nothing to the actual story or plot. Guess I'm old fashion in that regard. That, or I simply am no good at righting such scenes.

In regards to the OP, I've read several YA that deal with sex, but I feel as long as its not graphic and described to an extreme degree, there really isn't a problem.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Entirely up to you. My YA has no sex in it - it's not a theme.

 

[Hex]

It's the treatment of sex that differs in YA. Not gratuitous, for example. Plus, there's often a romance angle but no actual sex.

 

[AnyaKimlin]

I have sex in mine but it happens behind a shower curtain and the fruit bowl is strategically placed. Poor bloke had been married for a week without any action so it felt necessary.