Ages and love

Pixie

Pixie

i'm a little confused as what to do. My novel is going to hopefully consist of many others with the same main characters, the problem is that i dont know what age to start my main character. i thought maybe 14 as she will still be young in books to come, but i really wanted her to meet a boy in my first book, and want them to fall in love over the next few books... the only problem is that the boy in question doesnt age, his looks are that of a 25 year old which obviously wouldnt work with the 14 year old girl......... would it be wrong if she started with a crush on him? what would be the right age for her to become more involved?
my books is aimed at all ages... but i wanted mostly a older childrens - young adult type (such as harry potter can attract all ages)

any help please or direction? i'm so confused!

Crazy Horse

This is not an easy one. There is today's horror of peadophilia but in the classic novel and film 'Lolita' is barely 14 where as Humbert is over 50. A popular TV series some time ago was called May to Septembr which though a comedy explored a love affair wth a 30 year difference. A number of celebrities today have very much younger girlfriends than themelves, You would have to build up a reason for a considerable age dfference but I believe once this is acheived the story line has more scope than the run of the miil similar aged relationships which are a bit hackneyed. Go for it, but it must be alove affair not an exploitation either way.

Pixie

it is a tuff one isnt it...
maybe i could make her a little older? but would that become unidenifyable to the younger reader?
what age would you recommned, considering i want her to be youngish throught the series of my books....

Pixie

oh im sorry i forgott to add...

i was thinking that every book she would be a year older, but perhaps that doesnt have to be the case... how could i work it?

Jan

Welcome to the party Pixie,

Writing fiction provides a very special advantage, timescale can be distorted to suit the authors whim.
Romance, even in the real world, appears to manipulate time. I am sure many of us can recall episodes in our youth which seemed to fill the universe but in real terms only existed for a few weeks.
Combine the two attributes and you might take your heroine through many adventures within the space of a couple of calendar years.

Crazy Horse

Nearly all stories throughout the ages have contained a romantic thread. The basis is invitably the same, some seprating force keeps them apart, social position race, familly feuds, religeon and of course age difference. Surely the hotter the potatoe is to handle the tastier it will be in the end.

Patty

It is difficult to follow a pro like Dorothyd, and I always agree with her 100% (well, 99.9%).

But I would add this, the emotional drives of a normal man aged 25, and those of a teenager are very different.  Not having studied psychology I couldn't explain why, but as a writer of fiction my instinct says - don't touch it.

Patty

Pixie,
Have you read The Thorn Birds by (can an Aussie help me out?)  It is one of my top ten novels.
Patty

Anyanka

Colleen McCullough (no, I'm not an Aussie, I just remember stuff well).

Crazy Horse

There seems to be an assumption that the emotional drive for everyone of a particular age is the same. The drive is different for most inividuals and age is only part of the equation. The female matures much earlier than the male and the intelligence level has a huge effect. Despite my great age, many young women seem quite old to me in their outlook and this by the way has nothing to do with sex. I have noticed young ladies are fiercly determine to do whatever they have decided and I for one just keep out of their way.  Surely we can't just write what is commercially safe? I write what I feel if no one wants to publish it, so be it.

Carol

I have to agree with both Dorothy and Crazy Horse. She does need to be an adult, but even young adults can have crushes on people, especially if the object of her affection is at the start a superficial image of supposed perfection.
Who's to say that when she gets to know him, it won't evolve into love- requited or not.
I think that when you have thought about the *first* book, you may find that the ages you think you're aiming it for are wrong.
I may be wrong, but it's how I'm interpretting what you've said.

Patty

Thanks, Anyanka, I remember now.  And wasn't The Thorn Birds made into a TV series with some haunting music at the beginning?
I suppose our Aussie friends will soon be waking up tomorrow?

(In alphabetical order) to C, CH, DD, and J.

I have read your comments three times over the course of the day, and am astonished at how much knowledge one needs to contemplate writing a novel at all, let alone the minimum 80,000 words required by a mainstream publisher.

I once managed 77,500 but am now busy throwing out waffle in order to send it up to the RNA in January for a critique.
To prove my point (possibly), my book 'Writers in Revolt' on trafford.com is in three separate stories -
(1) an expatriate Writers' Circle form a website on the Costa Blanca,
(2) a lone writer is enchanted by an Irish artist in Barcelona,
(3) and another expatriate Writers' Circle on Majorca challenge the book barons in London.

All three stories were cut down from 40,000 words to about 25,000 for each yarn, and I think they are the better for it.
I am usually brain-dead at the end of writing 40,000 words, so I wonder why I am in this game at all?
Cheers, Patty

Patty

It has taken me an hour to write and edit the above (four times), so I am now closing down.

Pixie

thanks for all your comments :)
my book is actually a fantasy but i wanted to give the girl a little romance! im silly really, re-reading my first posts i have made the boy far too old, younger children will look at this person as an old man! i supose i made him 25 so that it was easier for me to create and relate to, seeing as though he is nearer my age.
i will save him for a future project!

also, i dont think 'looking forward' is a bad thing with my novel... i do want to write a number of sequals so i was just planning ahead a little. Im new to this writing and to me it is something that i enjoy and is a hobby, if i get anywhere with it then thats really great, if not, i'll have some nice bed time stories to tell my future children :)

thanks for all your help

Butterfly

I suggest you read a lot of 12+ / young adult novels. They range from 45,000 to 100,000 words. You must read a lot of the books in the market you ar targetting. This will allow you to understand what is being published and the kind of characters are like. I love writing for children, but  it isn't easy. They have to be fast paced and keeping up with trends. Keep abreast of  what is coming  out. Get the Bookseller if you can, you'll know what is  coming  out  and what children are reading these days. I hope this  helps.

Patty

Thanks Dorothy, that is a lot to think about.
There you are, Pixie. I am 75 and I'm still learning.
Regards, Patty

Crazy Horse

As a young man I was a complete romantic and thought all women whatever their age were mgical creatures to be put on a pedastal., idolised and protected I m now over 70 and haven't changed my outook one jot.

Carol

That's sweet CH, what a lovely person you are.

Sylvia

Yes, I agree, Carol - and so refreshing to come across a man who is right for a change. Thank you, CH.

Crazy Horse

In this weeks Radio Times it highlghts a new production about Myra Hindley. The point is the lead is played by an actress called Samantha Morton the blurb states that scrubbed of make up at 29 she could appear to be any age from 14 to 40 and looking at the picture I for one could believe either.