I came across a piece on the Internet written by someone with cerebral palsy, lamenting the fact that there is a distinct lack of heroes with disability in YA fiction, especially now that the genre has swelled in the last ten years or so. The author discusses how much it may have helped him in his formative years to read of a hero who goes through the same things all teens go through, while also dealing with disability. As someone who has worked extensively with individuals with disabilities, this really hit home for me. Not only could that sort of novel give a sense of hope to teens who haven't yet learned to cope with their disability, that's exactly the sort of concept that makes a manuscript escape the slush pile.
I would think that the story should not be about the disability, or even dealing with the disability; the disability would simply be one of the traits of a main character. Perhaps the coping could be a subplot, but nothing more. Just brainstorming here.
Anyways, since I read the piece, I considered attempting to tackle such a project myself, but the truth is, I'm just not a YA writer. I've tried, and never cared for it, nor felt that I had the right voice for it. I know that many (if not most) of this community writes YA, so I thought I'd just throw the idea out there for anyone who'd like to tackle it. Or, perhaps we could even collaborate. Do with this idea what you will.
Good day, folks!
Gender:
Points: 100
Reviews: 0