McAnally's (The Community Pub) > Author Craft

YA: Is my character supposed to be a good role model?

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OZ:
I have read many successful stories about thieves but usually there is some redeeming characteristic, if not at the beginning then at some point in the story. Who are his victims? Would he have any second thoughts if he found out that his theft had bankrupted a family and let them starve? Would he care if someone else was punished or killed for failing to keep something safe? Would it bother him to find out that the painting he stole had sentimental value and that he left somone in tears or suicidal? Just to say he is a thief because he likes it leaves a lot of leeway. Of course some people have written stories about people who were real jerks and still sold books. I guess it partly depends on who you want your audience to be and how you want them to feel about your main character.

meg_evonne:
It's the character that counts, not that s/he is a thief.

If you are serious about YA, get involved in SCWBI and attend events. You'll get up close and personal with agents and editors from major houses. You'll get a chance to ask them.  Also, on twitter, is #askagent. You might get on twitter and ask a YA agent what they think. nothing like a direct source.

Quantus:
It depends somewhat on the particular moral grey area you are worried about, but in general I don't think your characters don't need to be moral in any particular way, but IMO when your target audience are young and/or impressionable, you should take at least a little care in presenting the story, or at least the immoral/amoral aspects, in some form of moral perspective, or at least draw attention to the moral question at some point.  The main thing to avoid is portraying the questionable aspect as common or acceptable or what have you.  If your MC is a thief, don't let him get thought the whole thing without somebody (himself or another character) questioning its moral implications, or else facing its consequences.  If your characters are vikings, its entirely possible that they will spend much of their time raping and pillaging, and may not ever think bad of it, but somewhere you might remind the reader that the lady might not appreciate it.  This is one of the complaints I hear most often regarding a certain shiny vampire series: that an angsty, obsessive, possessive, and often violent relationship is common and proper and something to strive for.  Not that any of that is all that unusual in a vampire setting, but it never really pointed that difference out, and as a result a whole crop of pre-teens are going to have dreams of a kind of relationship that in the real world just causes damage. 

</soapbox>

This is one of the few instances IMO that is easier to handle in a 3rd person POV than a 1st.  In 3rdPOV you just have to slant the narrative tone slightly, and you can usually keep everything grounded enough.  But in a 1stPOV, your narrative voice and tone cannot so easily diverge from what your character themselves is supposed to think/feel about the matter (unless you are narrating in a future musing memoir flashback sort of a way, which lets old MC comment on the foolishness of his own youth or whatnot). In those situations, it usually takes another character or event within the story to draw attention to the particular morality you are trying to preserve, even if its simply by contrast.  Or there is the redemption path, but then the morality is a central theme to the story, and is in no danger of getting lost. 

Darwinist:

--- Quote from: Quantus on May 26, 2011, 01:35:18 PM ---

</soapbox>




--- End quote ---

Damn, well said. Got right to the root of my inquiry. I also like your idea on the POV, its something to consider. I'm a pretty weak 3rd POV writer, so it would be a challenge - but I agree it would make the narrative stronger and easier to follow.

mithrandirthewhite:
You could also give him an annoying voice in the back of his head that berates him everytime he steals.  A bit cheesy I guess, but it's a thought.  Though its best to introbduce the concience after a traumatic moment, so that there would be a reason for it.

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