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Romance in Contemporary YA Fiction: Guest Post from Tiffany Schmidt (author of Send Me A Sign)

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Written by: Kelly on November 12, 2013.

Ready to talk about love in contemporary YA fiction? Today, Tiffany Schmidt talks about the aspects of romance in a novel that just work and she offers up a host of titles to satisfy readers looking for those very things. 

And don’t forget, you can enter to win an advanced copy of Tiffany’s Bright Before Sunrise right here at STACKED.

Tiffany Schmidt’s first crush was G.I. Joe. Her first hundred or so kisses were with the boy next door (she was a very affectionate toddler).  Tiffany now lives with her saintly husband, impish twin boys, and a pair of puggles in Pennsylvania. When she’s not writing, she’s frequently covered in toddler and puggle kisses–they’re both rather drooly, but absolutely priceless. SEND ME A SIGN was her debut novel, BRIGHT BEFORE SUNRISE will follow in February 2014, and the ONCE UPON A CRIME FAMILY series begins in 2015 with HOLD ME LIKE A BREATH. 








I love a good love story.



When I ask this question:



I look like this:

And when I read romance, I want to swoon. I’m primed to sigh, let my heart race, and stare dreamily at the pages.

But, wanting to swoon doesn’t mean I will. Swooning has to be earned. (Okay, I’m done with the gifs, I promise!)



Since I was asked to write this post, I’ve been trying to figure out the elements of an effective contemporary YA romance… and if you’re looking for a universal answer, sorry. Romance is personal. It’s as personal as a person can get. It’s why you crush on Person X and your best friend crushes on Person Y. (If you and your best friend are BOTH crushing on Person Z, let’s just hope Person Z is fictional so you can share!)



~*~



Tiffany’s List of Bookish Things That Make Her Swoon #1:  More than Attraction



For me, romance is about the give and take of personalities; it’s the way the characters push and influence each other in meaningful ways.



I’m not talking about why they want each other. Why do they need each other? What does each person in the relationship bring out in the other? Not in some epic “I need a boyfriend/girlfriend/significant other to complete me” way — this isn’t Jerry Maguire and I think we’ve all learned that Tom Couch-Jumper Cruise isn’t exactly a guru for relationship advice. But, what about combining the two halves of the relationship equation makes the whole greater than the parts? How do the characters challenge each other and what do they offer that the other one needs?



Good relationships: in fiction and in life, are about that balance of being complimentary and challenging. Being able to be both a safe haven, and a motivation. I love books that show this dynamic, including: Jordan Sonnenblick’s ZEN AND THE ART OF FAKING IT, Miranda Kenneally’s THINGS I CAN’T FORGET, Katie McGarry’s PUSHING THE LIMITS, and my own upcoming BRIGHT BEFORE SUNRISE.

~*~



Tiffany’s List of Bookish Things That Make Her Swoon #2 : Exes that aren’t Evil



Romantic interests shouldn’t be interchangeable sprockets. It shouldn’t just be: he/she is hot, ergo our kisses will be sparky and we should commence a Happily Ever After sequence.



I love when books explore the concept of not-right boyfriend/girlfriends. Not because the guy or girl is abusive or awful, but because it’s not the right time, not the right chemistry… not the right person. Break-ups because things aren’t wrong, but they’re not right can be heartbreaking. They’re realistic and make a sizzling next relationship appear all the more sizzling in comparison.



Some great books that nail this concept are: the hilarious forthcoming KISSING TED CALLAHAN (AND OTHER GUYS) by Amy Spalding, Jenny Han’s SUMMER series, E. Lockhart’s RUBY OLIVER series, and my SEND ME A SIGN.



~*~



Tiffany’s List of Bookish Things that Make Her Swoon #3: Yearning.



Yearning done well is like sitting in a room where cookies are baking. After being tormented by the aroma of melting chocolate and vanilla for the eleven extra-long minutes it takes for that dough to bake (and, if you’re smart, that extra minute or two so they cool down and don’t burn your tongue) the first bite is even more delicious.



If the author has caught me up in his or her character’s desire, then that first kiss is going to make me flush; that rejection is going to make me want to hug the rejected (and feed them cookies).



In fact, the want can be so much more appealing than the have. My high school years were full of crushes. Full of daydreams of: could he like me? Will he ever notice me? And semi-stalkerish tendencies to do things like have my best friends help me figure out the routes the different Hes took to their classes so I could create hallway opportunities for them to be dazzled by my ability to blush and smile… and, hopefully, fall for me. After which I’d spend way too much of my own classes writing notes analyzing the way he said “Hello.” Did his head tilt and raised eyebrows mean: A) I’m trying to look hot? (HE WANTS ME TO THINK HE LOOKS HOT!?!)  B) I’m confused. Do I know you? Maybe I want to. or C)Why is this crazy girl smiling at me?



Um, other people did this too, right?



Throw some obstacles between the book’s characters. Mutual yearning? Yes, please! Give me some almost-kisses, half-confessions, missed-signals, extended gazes, accidental touches. Feed me delicious yearning (or cookies) and I’ll fall in love with you.



For books that excel at this, I suggest Stephanie Perkin’s ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS, Emery Lord’s upcoming debut OPEN ROAD SUMMER, Polly Shulman’s ENTHUSIASM, and Bill Konigsberg’s funny and achingly real OPENLY STRAIGHT.

~*~

I spent wayyyy more of my teen years crushing than dating. (Based on what I shared above, I know this is a shocking revelation). And the What happens next? part of the romance equation was a mystery I badly wanted to solve.



Maybe this is why Tiffany’s List of Bookish Things that Make Her Swoon #4 is: Books that Transition Beyond the Yearning.



Early in my writing career someone told me: “No one wants to know what happens after the happily ever after. They may think they do, but they don’t.” I’m going to disagree. I loved having crushes. I love crushing along with heroes and heroines. BUT: If being IN a relationship isn’t more fun than the crush from afar — i.e. you like the IDEA of the person more than the REALITY — then you’re dating the wrong boy or girl.



I’d love to see more books where the characters get together earlier in the story. While the yearning portions of books are lovely and make us flip their pages, I’d love to see more stories where healthy romantic relationships are depicted. Where the curtain isn’t dropped with the suggestion of coupling up = happily ever after. Novels that take us past that point and depict a young couple working out some of their early insecurities and issues; that show us the romance and heartache of settling into a relationship. Like the moment when you’ve hung up on your boyfriend/girlfriend for the first time and you’re cradling your phone, praying they’ll know you want them to call back. Or you’ve slammed a door and you hope they’re waiting on the other side figuring out the perfect words to transform the emotions inside you from anger and hurt to comfort and passion.



Relationships are not a destination. They’re not an end-point. They’re always a journey. They should always be challenging and growing and evolving. Some great books that show this: FANGIRL by Rainbow Rowell, IF I STAY by Gayle Foreman, BOY MEETS BOY by David Levithan, INFINITE MOMENT OF US by Lauren Myracle, and the JESSICA DARLING series by Megan McCafferty.



~*~



Now that you have a sneak peak at some of the things I love about contemporary romance, leave a comment below and tell me what’s on your swoon list or what other romantic books I need to add to my To Be Read pile ASAP!

Comments

  1. So many of my fave books on here, and I'm excited to check out the rest! For me, my favorite things are when a couple feels like they're friends as well as lovers (which I use for lack of a better word although it makes me want to vom) – I didn't realize how wonderful that was about ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS until I read it for the third time. Couples that make each other laugh are absolutely my favorite soft spot. And a big one that feels far too rare – couples that radiate mutual respect for each other's intelligence. It's why I love love love everything by Melina Marchetta; I think she nails this better than anyone else out there. So much to love!!

  2. I like the idea of a book that shows a couple's relationship, though that seems to go against the romance industry formula–even better! The authors who do it well, do it well (Rainbow Rowell, Gayle Forman). I'm obsessed with summer contemporaries. I love them! Looking forward to Open Road Summer.

  3. Some great picks here, Tiffany! Anna and the French Kiss is one of my favourites! Yearning is such fun to read, but so is the challenging give and take before the yearning. Very excited for Bright Before Sunrise!

  4. The Princess Diaries series shows Mia- and Michael's relationship through all stages, from initial yearning and tentative flirting to happily dating right through breaking up, losing contact, and eventually getting together again (spoiler). It's an older YA mainstay, and NOTHING like the movies — thank goodness — but it's a great 'ship.