The One Essential Element Required In Every YA Novel
Forged Series: Themes & Tropes
To learn more about the FORGED series, visit the Table of Contents.
Is it even a YA novel without it?
In honor of tomorrow's Hallmark-driven holiday, let’s examine the romantic side of Tessa’s story. Now, I can’t go into much detail because I don’t want to give away any spoilers from Shattered, book one in the Forged series. So I’ll say this: Since the existence of time (read as “teenagers gathering in social situations like public school”), every compelling story about high schoolers includes a teenage crush and all the expected drama it brings to the characters.
Budding Romance
The population of the United Pacific Territories has a low mobility rate, so people tend to live their lives where they were born. This means the students of Bannock High School have known each other their entire lives. When a new girl, dressed a little differently and with a slight accent, shows up, she is gonna stand out.
From her first step onto the high school campus, Tessa is noticed. And who notices her? Two boys who used to be best friends.
Recipe for conflict and drama, right? Here is a sneak peek of Tessa not quite realizing one of the boys has a crush on her.
Isaiah waited for me on the second-floor landing of the East staircase. I liked that we already had a pattern, a regular habit of eating lunch together. Isaiah had many friends. I’d never had any, only Mamá, Papá, and Sis. And although I looked forward to seeing him, I was surprised that he had chosen me to be his friend.
As we walked, we talked about the Calculus homework, the crowded halls, and the oppressive heat, which he claimed to enjoy. “Tell me about your home,” Isaiah suggested as we waited in line with our trays.
I pictured our modest house. Isaiah’s home must be impressive, so I hesitated. What could I share that wouldn’t make mine sound pathetic?
Limit the details.
“My mother was an artist. She loved music and art. We didn’t have many photos in our house, but her colorful paintings covered the walls. My sister would add to the collection with her own drawings. Mostly stick figures and garden scenes.” The thought of her bold, fanciful creations next to my mother’s delicate ones made me smile. “I studied at a desk in the kitchen so Mamá and I could talk. She liked to cook or sew or paint while I studied.”
I glanced up at Isaiah whose gaze was fixed on me, unblinking, as if my words were fascinating. His scrutiny flustered me, and I focused on my tray, buying time to gather my thoughts and reign in my embarrassment.
Excerpt from Shattered, book one of the FORGED Series, coming in 2025 from Provender Press
True to a no-spice YA story, there is no kissing… in book one. But there are plenty of sweet looks, innocent touches, and awkward moments. And when Isaiah’s former best friend gets a little too close to Tessa, the conflict will send all three of them reeling.
To read about the first day of school from Isaiah’s perspective, check out this short story.
This post is public, so feel free to share it. (Someone in your community might be interested too!)
Crushes
I can’t say that any of my crushes as a schoolgirl are directly represented in Tessa’s story. I would’ve needed a scene where the girl rides her bike (repeatedly) past her crush’s house on the off chance her crush was outside. (What did I even think I’d say had I seen him?!?) Or I could’ve included a swoon-worthy dance interlude when said crush asks the girl to slow dance. How about the girl cheering from the sideline for her crush on the football field? Yeah, I don’t think my crush stories would have worked for Tessa. Maybe the next novel!
Bigger Picture
As a YA author, I knew I had to have a romance thread to the story. In a way, the love triangle is a key component of what motivates Tessa throughout the series. In the end, I want readers to take a sense that a relationship doesn’t define a person. A girl isn’t defined by her love interest. Tessa’s strength comes from her confidence in herself as an individual. Relationships (both platonic or romantic) enrich her life but should never overshadow her own ambitions, beliefs, or sense of self-worth. This is the valuable lesson I hope all readers take from Tessa’s story.
What I’m reading
Here are some pieces available on Substack that I’ve been reading (and you might enjoy too).
Lean In. Lean on. Lean Away. - A couple of weeks back,
wrote about her high school crush. For a bit of nostalgia, indulge in this piece. (Did you find my comment about a junior high school memory?)YYZ-YVR, the summer of 78’ - This short memoir of
’s summer as a ten-year-old is entertaining.lemon scone - Anyone living with a shred of anxiety may find yourself represented in this short story. Enjoy Clancy Steadwell’s prose, packed with quotable quips and powerful visuals.
The Harvey Girl - Ann’s cozy mystery is about a NY socialite in search of her missing father and solving mysteries along the way. There is a sweet romance brewing between Willa and a Pinkerton man she meets early in her travels. And now you can buy the completed book on Amazon! (I got my copy… go get yours.)
Test Run - A dark dystopian short story from
. (No love story in this one—more of a Running Man meets The Gong Show). And a good reminder to stick to short jokes.
My go-to joke: “What’s a ghost’s favorite fruit?”
~'“Boo-nanas”
Before you go
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Questions
Tell me about your favorite budding romance story. Which character duo has a swoon-worthy romance?
What’s your take on spice/no spice for YA? Define what an acceptable level of spice looks like to you.
Do you have a good crush story? Do tell!
Having written a handful of YA romances, I've always let the characters determine the spice level in their stories. If they're passionate, sexually curious, and hungry for connection - there will inevitably be more opportunities for steamy encounters. If they're withdrawn, shy, or harboring some kind of trauma or trust issues, there might be little or no spice in their love story. I actually appreciate it when Young Adult fiction doesn't shy away from the subject of sex, because it's a major factor in teenagers' lives, whether they're doing it, not doing it, wanting to do it, or not wanting to do it. It's on their minds ... all the time. I do think authors need to be cautious about how they approach spicy content intended for teenagers. I don't like it if its staged to appear "better" or "sexier" than it generally is. When you're young (or old, who are we kidding?), sex can be awkward, embarrassing, and uncomfortable at times - and when kids see that kind of honesty in romantic storytelling, I think it serves them better in their own relationships.
There's my ten cents! I could honestly talk about this subject all day. 🙂
And thanks for the shout out, friend!! 💕