How to tell if my story is appropriate for teen fictional stories?

December 4, 2009 by likeme · 13 Comments
Filed under: Books & Authors 
teen
Mary asked:

I’m in the process of writing a science fiction novel, but I’m a little unsure if it’s suitable for a teen section (which I’m gearing towards). If a story indicates a vampire being stabbed by a wooden stake, and turn into dust, is that acceptable? A person being stabbed? Are these too violent for teens. I know these days movies shown are quite graphic for young people these days, so how could one tell if something I’m proposing is too violent for teens or not? Any suggestions?

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Comments

13 Responses to “How to tell if my story is appropriate for teen fictional stories?”
  1. Yeorush says:
    December 7, 2009 at 11:23 am

    put some raping in it, teens love it i am a teen my self.. [who]

  2. shytbird420 says:
    December 9, 2009 at 7:35 am

    as a teen, i don’t read books because their boring [who]

  3. lefty7590 says:
    December 11, 2009 at 12:01 pm

    definitely not inappropriate. things on law and order and csi are much worse. [who]

  4. Visha says:
    December 11, 2009 at 1:02 pm

    yea television shows wayyyy worse, and more teens watch tv than read books.

  5. WhoaChelsie says:
    December 13, 2009 at 5:30 am

    No that’s perfectly fine. I’m fifteen and I frequently enjoy more morbid and graphic things than that. [who]

  6. TK says:
    December 16, 2009 at 12:08 am

    Have you read the Twilight series?? It’s geared towards 12 & up & there’s always 1 intense scene. Be it violence or sexual.

    My daughter is reading them after I did & there are scenes I was skeptical about but as long as I can talk it over w/ her, I feel confident. Your vampire death does not sound overly graphic at all. [who]

  7. ^_^ says:
    December 17, 2009 at 6:17 am

    dude buffy did it 10 years ago
    its not gonna be anything to kid now adays [who]

  8. Boba Fett says:
    December 17, 2009 at 8:11 am

    Run him through an industrial paper shredder but please…..NO more stupid vampires. [who]

  9. meg says:
    December 20, 2009 at 7:08 pm

    I think it really depends on the individual honestly. But since you don’t really have the option of deciding who reads your book and who doesn’t – I would say leave it in. I think that it would be perfectly fine being that the book is based on vampires after all. If you are still concerned however, I might suggest leaving out most of the gory details (the blood, the open wound, etc) and play up the emotion of the moment rather than the actual stabbing. [who]

  10. petlover948 says:
    December 23, 2009 at 12:28 am

    I doubt that it will be too graphic for teens. It’s probably hard for it too be too graphic considering everything they are exposed to. What would be the problem is what adults think the teens should be reading –> don’t go on in extreme gory detail for pages on end (

  11. cathrl69 says:
    December 25, 2009 at 7:51 pm

    Someone once told me that Buffy The Vampire Slayer is pretty much spot on the top limit of what’s allowed for a teen rating.

    It has vampires being stabbed and turned to dust quite explicitly. People being stabbed? Not so much. People get _hurt_ but there tends to be a lot of implication in there. It’s going to depend on how you write it. Gory descriptions of oozing blood might be too much. A glint of a knife and then suddenly it hurts to breathe and her legs fold under her as someone shouts “She’s been stabbed!” is probably fine. [who]

  12. kenna 4 life says:
    December 28, 2009 at 11:23 pm

    No. That’s fine. I have read so many ‘teen’ books that are WAY worse than that! [who]

  13. sirrascal says:
    December 31, 2009 at 12:48 pm

    hahahaaa.
    no!

    In my english class we are writing
    teen fictions and many people have
    violent stabbing and gun fights and
    worse stuff in it.

    like you said teens these days know and see too much.

    if you still think it is too bad
    then just go with plain fiction [who]

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