tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29864506.post6990949647609865985..comments2023-11-03T05:49:10.841-04:00Comments on Storytelling Rules: Bad Parents in YAMaureen McGowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00494408580378817045noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29864506.post-2191683766210824022010-09-16T00:13:26.297-04:002010-09-16T00:13:26.297-04:00I'd forgotten how Katnis's mom was so depr...I'd forgotten how Katnis's mom was so depressed and ineffective at the beginning of that book. Perfect example. And you're right Stephanie. John Hughes did it, too. I'll never forget Molly Ringwald's parents forgetting her birthday in 16 Candles.Maureen McGowanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00494408580378817045noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29864506.post-23640091641859159822010-09-16T00:09:28.485-04:002010-09-16T00:09:28.485-04:00Lisa, I haven't read If I Stay yet, but have h...Lisa, I haven't read If I Stay yet, but have heard good things. I think killing the parents off early serves the same purpose. Rip the kids away from their support, or don't give them one in the first place. Re wanting to shake the ineffective parents. That's it! Adults HATE those characters, but I think they work for the teen crowd because teens often see their parents as clueless... (even if they aren't) <br /><br />Kimber, I hated missing that meeting. :( but I was way too wrecked from seeing TRUST -- which happens to have been about a teen who gets hurt while her parents are looking the other way. Just realized that. But it was hard to blame the parents in that movie. They were pretty involved/active. That's one thing I liked about the film... It didn't rely on devices like bad parents to explain why bad stuff happened to the kid.<br /><br />Eileen, LOL about Bambi. Good point. Taking the parents away is a pretty major theme in children's fiction.Maureen McGowanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00494408580378817045noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29864506.post-63230852587953507402010-09-15T16:05:08.759-04:002010-09-15T16:05:08.759-04:00I should point out I was commenting on Molly's...I should point out I was commenting on Molly's comment about Katniss's mother....Stephanie Doylehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17448686465587131952noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29864506.post-55636964714381313662010-09-15T16:02:06.949-04:002010-09-15T16:02:06.949-04:00I think that's also a teen fantasy... not just...I think that's also a teen fantasy... not just being independent because you have no parent. But also somehow being better/smarter than the parent.<br /><br />Wasn't basically every John Hughes movie about that...<br /><br />Ahh Breakfast Club.... takes me back.Stephanie Doylehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17448686465587131952noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29864506.post-23791366068732574742010-09-15T15:18:01.662-04:002010-09-15T15:18:01.662-04:00I think that Katniss' mom was ANOTHER problem ...I think that Katniss' mom was ANOTHER problem for her to handle, made the book even better. When she told her mom that she had to take care of the younger sister. That she couldn't not care anymore - I cried. The kid being the adult. Loved it.<br /><br />I agree Bella's dad - from what I've seen - not an issue.<br /><br />Kimber - I wish I could have gone to Kelley's talk, I have to get back in the TRW groove - I'm missing too much good stuff.<br /><br />I just got back from the movie with maureen - Ryan Reynolds in a box --- holy cats. My heart won't beat right again. It was excruciating!Molly O'Keefehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15171236688541657736noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29864506.post-747390193208010952010-09-15T14:59:13.215-04:002010-09-15T14:59:13.215-04:00I clearly need to read more YA. Hunger Games has b...I clearly need to read more YA. Hunger Games has been on my list forEVER. <br /><br />I do think the isolation thing is something we do to all our characters, adult or teen, and removing a functional parental presence is a big first step in that. I mean, look at Bambi!Eileenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09803986849921870941noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29864506.post-75789513273948478902010-09-15T11:37:57.548-04:002010-09-15T11:37:57.548-04:00Kelley Armstrong addressed exactly this during the...Kelley Armstrong addressed exactly this during the weekend YA seminar. She pointed out that great parents would try to solve the teen's problems for them and then... whoops... it is no longer about the teen and wouldn't be a YA novel. She mentioned that one of the 'teachings' in YA is showing readers that it IS possible to solve their own problems (whatever that problem is).<br /><br />I really wished you could have attended, Maureen. You would have LOVED it. Kelley ROCKED the house.Kimber Chinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13658012405712901099noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29864506.post-58294435645904484432010-09-15T11:23:33.915-04:002010-09-15T11:23:33.915-04:00The MC in "If I Stay" has pretty cool pa...The MC in "If I Stay" has pretty cool parents (who die in the first few chapters). I think bad parents/no parents is a pretty common device because it gives your character a little more freedom. I personally hated Bella's dad in Twilight and Katniss's mom in Hunger Games because they're both so clueless that I just want to shake them.Lisa Galekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02438927319122874125noreply@blogger.com