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I was reading a blog post earlier wherein one of the commenters mentioned that this site is not appropriate for teens.
She's right. That's why we have the age warning on the very first page after typing in the address, after all.
But, how hard would it be to do something that WAS specifically for transgendered teens?
I'm not talking a website, or anything like that. No, I'm talking, perhaps, about an ebook.
Would anyone here be willing to contribute?
Keep in mind, a book of stories for transgendered teens is not the same as a book of stories ABOUT transgendered teens, though much of its content would inevitably be so. Nor am I talking about producing a book engineered toward a PRE teen audience. What I mean is a collection of stories that deal with the issue of being transgendered in a context that is appropriate for readers aged twelve or so and up without talking down to them or treating them like children.
There are plenty of stories that would fit out there, even ignoring such an obvious inclusion as "Shoes," though its inclusion would be nice as well.
I, for one, would be willing to submit just about anything of mine deemed appropriate, though perhaps "The Tree" would be the story I feel would best fit such a book.
Anyone else interested in contributing? There would be the additional need of finding someone willing to set the entire thing up, of course, since I am a lazy one and have far too poor a work ethic to produce the actual document myself. Put it up on some of the bigger sites for book distribution for free, or even for a variable fee with the profits from it benefiting organizations that make an effort to reach out to the community (Lambda Legal, Big Closet, and so on.)
Sound cool?
Melanie E.
Comments
Some of my stories
were written for a transgendered teen, but remember there's quite a difference between ages thirteen and nineteen. Which age did you plan on targeting?
Angharad
count me in
my main story might just be a bit weighty in its entirety but some of the short stories might well be suitable or even one or two of the standalone efforts. I don't write for particular audiences most of the time but i try to keep most of them PG.
So i echo Ang's question, is it for young adults or younger teens?
Madeline Anafrid Bell
Yeah!
I've been told that almost all my stories are written for teens. I disagree with the all, but yeah, I've done several teen stories, and I wouldn't mind another. Got a theme?
Wren
was thinking that
I was thinking about putting Summer Time Pinks, The Dress Punishment and maybe one other story together for a collection of young adult TG stories. There are those that are out there. I know there is one about a boy who swaps bodies with the lunch lady at school and its mainstream.
Katie Leone (Katie-Leone.com)
Writing is what you do when you put pen to paper, being an author is what you do when you bring words to life
There are many Stories For Transgendered Teens here
by a multitude of authors. Some are more serious than others, but all are very good.
May Your Light Forever Shine
Not for teens
I lol'd when i read that...
Times have changed, kids these days are made of way sterner stuff than we were/are when sexuality is brought into play. BCTS is pretty soft-core. Now over at FM they got some pretty raunchy stuff, but i've not seen much here that i would protest over a teenager reading. (especially one over 16) In fact your average romance novel these days is far more dirty than stuff on this site. (and girls start reading that stuff at like 13) I personally don't know too many girls who didn't loose their virginities at ages 13-15, and the one that waited all the way to like 18-20 was ugly as sin.
The point is that teens are far more mature than most adult realize, hell just think back to when you were a teen. The average conversation with your friends was more foul than 90% the stuff on this site. And that was without the internet growing up. With it... all that porn floating around... the stuff on this site is laughable when it comes to what teens should or should not see.
Not for Teens
I dare say you're right, but in general it isn't the teenagers that are the problem, it's all the grown-ups who think they know what's best for teenagers.
That's the problem. Any book which is designed for teenagers has to go through this whole process with people old enough to be their parents. Most of these will be market droids or middle executives who have a whole unrealistic idea of what a teenager reads.
My partner is a children's librarian, so I have some knowledge of the subject. Quite a lot of the crap that publishers want to foist on libraries are rejected out of hand by the librarians, who at least have a better knowledge of what teens are really reading.
Penny
And THAT's the balance I'm hoping to hit.
Yeah, teens tend to be made of sterner stuff than what we give them credit for, sure. But that doesn't mean that a book targeting them is going to be appropriate if it treats them exactly the same as a book targeting adults, or an adult audience anyhow.
My general feel for it is a story collection that would deal with TG aspects in a positive light while still facing the darker elements as well, but in a way that doesn't make any of the stories about those darker elements. So, I'd want to limit the collection to stories about voluntary TG content. Beyond that, it could run the gamut -- crossdressing, transformations, androgyny, everything I would hope could be covered at least once, perhaps even a couple of short essays over subjects like the relationship and difference between one's gender expression and one's sexuality. The stories can treat the audience like they know what sex is without being raunchy, after all, and far darker subjects -- suicide, mental abuse, and so forth -- will be likely to be faced and overcome as well.
So, for Ang and Maddie (thanks for being interested, ladies!) that should answer your questions about who we're targetting. Teens or Young Adults? I'd frankly rather try to strike a balance between the two, because really, the difference is negligible.
So, story list! And still looking for a volunteer to do the formatting!
Melanie E.
I'm game?
....deer in the headlights look? My Aidan's Tale, Olivia's Hope, and even my most recent piece, Visible, focus on the aspect of adolescence supported by the scaffold of being transgendered, and I hope would appeal to teens in more than just the single genre' of TG fiction. You're welcome to use any of my work that you might find will be helpful. Thanks for asking!
Love, Andrea Lena
I try to make sure
that the guidance of my stories is accurate. I don't write specifically for adult audiences although I accept that, for the most part, adults will read them. I don't include magic, horror, gratuitous sex or violence.
Having said that, I believe that many adults have a distorted view of what young people read. If they seriously viewed their reading material, then they might have to re-think their ideas. 'Harry Potter' for example, I find frightening in places although many people of all ages avidly awaited the next book. My brother has read the whole series and he is in his 70's.
When I was a child, my reading material was limited by my parents and a virtual absence of pocket-money; the outside world was limited by a clandestine radio. If I didn't know about it (and let's face it, it was a very small village) I didn't investigate it
It's natural that adults try to protect the young but I'd be very surprised if they had a true picture of the reality of their lives, peer pressure and reading material which is often driven by peer pressure.
S.
Quite a lot...
Quite a lot of content on the site is material that would be fine for teens, some for even younger kids. All? No... But, there's a reason for the ratings assigned. A browser that picked items with the appropriate ratings should find things safe for them to read. That said, there are sites out there with technical info that many parents do not want their kids reading.
Annette
It isn't?
In what way? I've been using this site since I was 16. The only stories I've avoided are the ones with gratuitous sex scenes. Those are pretty uncommon though. I always thought your stories were great reads, if that helps. :)
Silence is Golden
I think that if we're trying to get a message across to teen transgender, then something of real life should be included. I offer my "Silence is Golden." It's a nonfiction account of how being transgendered worked out in my life.
Mine is a gentle story compared to most I've heard. While I have had my share of fear, I've been spared the guilt and shame that many deal with and I've managed to have a good life, married to a good woman and have raised two children who also know of my trans status. My trans nature has been woven into that life with no major repercussions in my adulthood.
Of course the vast majority of my work is written with a "G" rating in mind with a smattering of "PG." I'd be willing to allow anything that I've posted as free for the reading to be included in the book.
As for dealing with the censorship of those who "know what's best for teens," self publishing has never been easier. Smashswords and other such eBook sites make it easy with no one worrying about whether it's a saleable product.
I might be willing to help on a committee to put it together but I wouldn't want the weight of the whole thing on my shoulders.
Hugs
Patricia
Happiness is being all dressed up and HAVING some place to go.
Semper in femineo gerunt