Kyle
asked
K. Ancrum:
Hello you groovy literary Goddess; you Queen of alt YA ships! Your refreshing use of little-seen poly, D/S, and bi relationships makes me happy. It’s rare to find such complexity in the YA field— alternative lifestyles and characters are only ever winked at. I crave depth and f*cking REALNESS, and you delivered with characters crackling darkly. Can we expect more alternative relationships in future works? Thanks!
K. Ancrum
Absolutely definitely. In THE WEIGHT OF THE STARS coming out this March, you get to see Jack/Rina/August's poly family, the MCs are lesbians, and the MC's younger brother is a 16 year old bisexual, single, teen father.
I grew up seeing a lot of alternative relationships and family/romantic life situations and I think that they're validating and realistic--regardless of the fact that they aren't entirely common in YA. In fact, I think irl teens (especially teens growing up in big cities) blur a lot of interesting lines and try a lot of interesting things--simply because they're at a learning period in their lives and the stakes are a bit lower in regards to social risk.
I value being able to write about stuff like this and showcase the tapestry of what existed around me as a teen, as opposed to what is conventional to expect teens to act like. Also, I do read ALL my reviews and I'm happy to report that I think a majority of my teen readers were able to recognize aspects of themselves and their friends in my characters in important ways.
There is this aspect of my work that is super deliberate that people (mostly adults) keep commenting on which is the parts where my teens say really "adult lesson-y" things. The reason why I do that--especially while handling alt-relationships-- is because there is value in teens reading other teens explicitly saying things like "Stop trying and find real help." or "My family is unusual, but my parents are all good parents and I love them."
I believe that there is a choice we are given--when writing inflammatory topics--to either: force the characters to do what we think is ideal rather than realistic in order to show teens how to handle difficult problems. Or to have them do what is realistic based on their circumstances, be punished for it in whatever way, and be taught by those around them how to learn from the experience. THE WICKER KING is the second kind of book.
So, as long as I'll be writing alternative lifestyle stories, I'll also be supplementing it with thoughtful considerate "adulty" analysis that my young readers need in order to process understanding why they exist and how they flourish when given the opportunity to.
I grew up seeing a lot of alternative relationships and family/romantic life situations and I think that they're validating and realistic--regardless of the fact that they aren't entirely common in YA. In fact, I think irl teens (especially teens growing up in big cities) blur a lot of interesting lines and try a lot of interesting things--simply because they're at a learning period in their lives and the stakes are a bit lower in regards to social risk.
I value being able to write about stuff like this and showcase the tapestry of what existed around me as a teen, as opposed to what is conventional to expect teens to act like. Also, I do read ALL my reviews and I'm happy to report that I think a majority of my teen readers were able to recognize aspects of themselves and their friends in my characters in important ways.
There is this aspect of my work that is super deliberate that people (mostly adults) keep commenting on which is the parts where my teens say really "adult lesson-y" things. The reason why I do that--especially while handling alt-relationships-- is because there is value in teens reading other teens explicitly saying things like "Stop trying and find real help." or "My family is unusual, but my parents are all good parents and I love them."
I believe that there is a choice we are given--when writing inflammatory topics--to either: force the characters to do what we think is ideal rather than realistic in order to show teens how to handle difficult problems. Or to have them do what is realistic based on their circumstances, be punished for it in whatever way, and be taught by those around them how to learn from the experience. THE WICKER KING is the second kind of book.
So, as long as I'll be writing alternative lifestyle stories, I'll also be supplementing it with thoughtful considerate "adulty" analysis that my young readers need in order to process understanding why they exist and how they flourish when given the opportunity to.
More Answered Questions
M. M.
asked
K. Ancrum:
I absolutely love the Wicker King, not only for it's plot but because it is incredibly relatable. Unfortunately, I'm a little confused as to what the climax of the story was exactly. Did it occur after August and Jack lit the toy factory on fire on pages 246 and 247, or when August had been placed and his cell and began to have a mental breakdown on pages 254 and 255?
Matthew
asked
K. Ancrum:
I imagine you've heard this dozens of times already, and have probably already answered it on here, but I'm too lazy to look and because I get a kick out of speaking to authors whose books I loved, here I am, asking it again: Will you ever write THE WICKER KING from Jack's perspective as a full novel? Not the novella, which doesn't do Jack, the novel, or you as an author justice!
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Nov 07, 2021 07:42AM · flag