Hellooo, everybody! I'm back again for another tropes video. But today
we're doing things a little differently. Instead of breaking down the worst tropes in a genre,
I am going to break down the worst tropes in a category of fiction. And that category is young adult
fiction. Young adult, or YA fiction is fiction written for teenagers. Obviously, people of any
age can read whatever books they wanna read, but YA fiction was written with a teenage audience
in mind. I'll admit I was a little hesitant to cover this because YA fans, particularly adult
YA fans, can be very defensive about this topic. “How dare you attack YA! You can pry these
teen adventures out of my cold dead hands!” But I cover the worst tropes of all kinds of
books. I've got like thirty of these videos already. And some of my most popular
worst tropes videos are about genres that I love to read and write in. That
means it's your turn YA. I’m coming for you. Today's video was requested by one of my patrons
over on Patreon, Albert. Albert wanted to see more trope videos, specifically about teenage
characters, and that's what we're talkin’ about today. Now in case you haven't noticed, I myself
am not a teenager. Which means YA books were not written with me in mind, but that don't matter
because I make these videos for fun. The shit ain’t serious, we’re here for a laugh. Which
of these tropes make you want to hurl the book across the room? Comment below. Now strap in
bitches because this is gonna be a rough ride. (The sound of a pen scratching. LOGO.) A quick announcement: I am now officially on
TikTok. So if you wanna see my face over there, check me out at this handle ‘@JennaMoreci’
and you'll get to see all of my writerly shenanigans. Follow me, share the love, you'll
be glad you did. Don't forget to subscribe to my channel. I post new videos on Wednesdays, and
if you wanna be alerted as SOON as I upload, you've gotta ring that bell, and you know you
wanna be alerted. I mean, in December I wear Santa hats. It doesn't get better than that. Shut
Up and Write the Book is available for preorder right now in these formats. And if you get it in
the eBook format, you will be buying it for 50% off. On top of that, everyone who preorders Shut
Up and Write the Book in any format is eligible to receive a free digital workbook as a thank
you for your support. Simply send your proof of purchase to this email address and bam, you
will get your free digital workbook. And now I am breaking down the ten worst young adult tropes
in my humble but completely correct opinion. Please remember this is just my perspective
and I reserve the right to change my mind, but let's be real, this disclaimer isn't going to
prevent anyone from getting irrationally pissed. Number One (1): He's so dark and mysterious. Or
is he just a fucking loser? I love a mysterious man as much as the next guy. Actually, no
I don’t. Tell me your truth or get the fuck out. But the dark and mysterious angle doesn't
translate super well when it comes to teenagers. I don’t know what high school you went to, but
the edgy dudes who wore mostly black and always went out at night were drug dealers. They barely
graduated, and they were regularly found high bagging groceries at their after school jobs. And
I know your dark mysterious character is probably just a fallen angel or vampire who’s actually
a thousand years old. But if that's the case, why the hell is he in high school? You
couldn’t pay me to return to that hellhole, but these guys are going back there willingly?
I'm just saying if he’s edgy, mysterious, and sixteen, he probably likes to melt
stuff and dislikes stuff that doesn't melt. On a related note. Number Two (2): The teenager
who’s actually ancient. Everything about this sounds like a nightmare. You have to be stuck
in your pubescent body for eternity? I would walk my vampire ass straight into the sunlight,
let my damn self burn. As we already covered, these characters are usually attending high
school which would never in a million years happen. And they end up falling in love with
actual teenagers, which is undeniable pedophilia. It doesn't matter if he looks sixteen, he is
old enough to be her great grandfather. And honestly how can they possibly enjoy the company
of teenagers? From the moment you turn twenty, everything about the teenage experience becomes
obnoxious. Wow, your hormones are a mess. Oh no, no one understands you. This guy is
paying taxes and getting colonoscopies, but please tell us all about how not making
the cheer squad ruined your life. I know fiction is fantasy, and we're supposed to overlook
inconsistencies, but the ones too gross to ignore. Number Three (3): I'm so plain, no one will ever
notice me. Except for literally every boy in this novel, especially the darkest mysterious one.
And my best friend. They're gonna fight for me. Because I'm so plain, in a supremely gorgeous
way. I think the reason we get the plain female MC was actually beautiful is because the writer
doesn't wanna make her seem vain. They portray her as if she finds herself ordinary, but lo
and behold, she’s mistaken. I think it’s also an attempt to make her relatable, because a
lot of young girls have body image issues, so if they see this plain chick getting
chased down by boys they think, oh my gosh, it could happen to me too. But you still provided
a physical description, and it was very unplain. Glistening green eyes. Rivers of crimson hair.
Boobs that are just too big, if only she could find a way to cover them up. And honestly, if
you do make her real plain, not fake plain, but actually plain, why can't her love interest
be plain too? Guys have body image issues too. Number Four (4): The reluctant chosen one.
Sometimes I don't mind the reluctant chosen one, especially if what they're chosen for fucking
sucks. You have to save the entire planet from flesh eating aliens, and you'll probably die
in the process. No thanks, count me out. But in young adult novels, the chosen one is usually
something unbelievably awesome. You are the long lost son of King Arthur! You are the heir to
the Fairy Kingdom! You are the most powerful witch in all the land! Who would not want to be
any of those things. These ungrateful teenagers, that who. They’re always puttin’
up a fuss, kickin’ and screamin’. “I just wanna be a normal teenager!” Normal teenagers have body acne. They have
to run the mile once a week. They have a curfew. You get to be a mermaid and fall
in love with a hot mer-Prince. But sure, here's some benzoyl peroxide and
rampant insecurity. Knock yourself out. On a related note, Number Five (5): But why
are they the chosen one? Why is the chosen one sixteen years old? And why did they have to
wait for the worst birthday ever to learn of their magical destiny? As a writer I understand
the intention. This is a young adult book, and you’re trying to tell your teenage audience
that they can achieve anything they set their mind to, which is a beautiful message. But
why then does the teenage chosen one fucking suck? I've read so many books where the chosen
one does nothing but make everything worse. I understand there's a learning curve, but are
they ever gonna learn? Why must the blunders take up the entire book? And this isn't
an inspiring message. If anything it says, look at that, all that effort and you'll still
fail, because you're the worst. Personally I think middle grade novels do a way better job
of this, maybe YA authors should take note. Number Six (6): The thirty-year-old woman living
vicariously through a fictional teenager. You know exactly what I'm talking about. The sixteen
year old main character of this young adult novel loves her Starbucks black drip. Even
though we all know teenagers are out there guzzling frappuccinos. Her favorite book is The
Great Gatsby, a book that most teens avoid like the plague because it's required reading. She
also says things like “Goodness!” or “Oh my stars!” because we all know teenagers talk like
soccer moms. And if she dares to try alcohol, she's gonna go for a fun little rosé,
because that's what teenagers drink, not cheap beer or hard alcohol mixed with Mountain
Dew. I understand that we wanna see ourselves in what we read. But if you wanna see a grown ass
white woman, read books about grown ass white women! Young adult is for teenagers. And yes,
it's fine for adults to read and enjoy them, but it's not fine to completely change
the category for your own convenience. Number Seven (7): It’s young adult, but
is it really? As we've already covered, a lot of adult women read young adult novels.
Specifically young adults fantasy and romance, which is fine, read whatever the hell you
want. But it's the same group of women who constantly demand steamy, graphic, YA fiction.
Here is something for your consideration: if you want more adult fiction, why don't you read
adult fiction? Adult fantasy romance is booming, and it's full of all the violence and smut you
could ask for. And you're out here demanding more sex scenes between sixteen-year-olds. You're
my friend are fucking gross. And because of this demand, a lot of publishing houses have bent
the rules. How many young adult books have you read where it's very clear that the characters
were aged down just to fit into the YA category, except literally none of the characters behave
as teenagers in the slightest. And sometimes they don't even bother to age down the characters.
The cast will be in their twenties, just to appease the Karens and Jessicas of the world.
Let teenagers enjoy YA. You can read it too, but it was made for them. They are entitled to
books that accurately represent their experience. Number Eight (8): The sassy brat. I love a good
sassafras, but whenever I hear that the leading lady of a YA book is sassy, I'm instantly
skeptical. This is solely because so many sassy teen heroines are actually just brats. Sassy
is boldness, it’s being cheeky and spirited. It's not throwing tantrums and constantly complaining
when things don't go your way. And listen, we all have our bad moments. I expect the main character
to show their ass every once in a while. I do not expect them to be insufferable. Authors, all I'm
asking is for you to learn the difference between sassy and bratty. Sassy is the chick at the party
cracking everyone up. Bratty is a little bitch. Number Nine (9): The epic teen romance. This
one's on the list solely because of my age. It's hard for me to believe, let alone get invested
in an epic teen romance. I've been a teenager. I haven't had boyfriends. Ain’t nothing epic about
it. It's just hard for me to sit there and think, “Yup, this would definitely happen. They're
definitely gonna get married and spend eternity together.” And I know some people
marry their high school sweethearts, but the rest of us do not find that romantic.
If anything that would be my worst nightmare. If I ended up married to my high school
boyfriend, I would throw myself out a window. Why? Because sixteen-year-olds have bad
judgment. We don't know how to pick ‘em. And yes, a lot of teenagers fall in love, but
the romance is only epic to them. “ “Oh my God, Brayden just shotgunned
five Busch Lights at Jessica’s Party!” “Oh my God, Jayden just took me stargazing in the
back of his truck and let me give him a handjob!” “Oh my God, Cayden took me to the movies
and I only had to pay for our popcorn, soda and candy. So impressive!” I think it's perfectly normal
for people to enjoy YA romance, I just personally can't get into it because
I'm a jaded adult. Who knows too much. And Number Ten (10): The Masquerade ball.
Yeah, I said it. I don't know what it is about young adults and masquerade balls, but
you guys love ‘em. Those fancy masks get you all hot and bothered. I don't hate this trope
per se, it's just kind of boring. There are so many masquerade balls in YA and they usually go
the same way. The heroine dances with the hero, she is mesmerized by his eyes, which I promise
you have gold flecks in them. They always got them gold flecks, it's the law. And they almost
kiss until some disturbance pulls them apart, usually a villainous disturbance. If this
doesn't happen, the author might take the route where the characters don't recognize
each other because of their masks. Masks that cover your cheekbones and nothing more.
Of course they dance, they fall in love, and then they get separated. However will they
learn the true identity of that mysterious stranger? It’s not like they saw 75% of their
fucking face. Or heard their voice. Or saw their figure. Those cheekbones get you every time,
I swear. If someone wants to do a masquerade ball that unfolds differently then cool! I'll be
interested. Maybe. I don't know. Probably not. So that's all I got for you today. A huge
thank you to Albert for requesting today's video. If you'd like the chance to have
a video dedicated to you or if you want access to tons of other rewards, check
me out on Patreon. You get early access to all of my videos. We have monthly
live streams. We have an exclusive writing group. You get signed books.
It’s awesome! I have it linked below. Don't forget to subscribe to my channel. I
post new videos on Wednesdays, and if you wanna be alerted as SOON as I upload, ring that
bell. Shut Up and Write the Book is available for preorder right now. And if you submit your
proof of preorder to this email address, you'll receive a free digital workbook as a thank you
for your support. I have the information below. And be sure to follow me on social
media. I'm on Instagram, Tumblr, TikTok and BookBub. And of course
you can tweet me @JennaMoreci! Bye! (Stern, Polished Female Voice) This is
Mousumi. Per orders, you must subscribe to Jenna’s channel and ring that bell. Your
Sovereign commands it. Any deviation from his word will be penalized harshly, so if
you know what's good for you, subscribe.
