by Shannon Roberts

Young Adult fantasy sells. Even if you've never read Harry Potter, never picked up a copy of Twilight, you're aware of what a hit (culturally and economically) these stories have been - such a hit, in fact, that a number of authors have tried to cash in on the trend by flooding the market with young adult fantasy novels filled with teen witches, vampires, and other supernatural elements.

I adore young adult fantasy, but even the most rabid fan of the genre probably finds their enthusiasm waning as vampire romance after vampire romance hits the shelves. I'm not trying to disparage these novels en masse; simply suggesting that new material would be a welcome relief. Because the fact is that most young adult fantasy follows a very predictable pattern: an attractive female character between the ages of 13 and 19 encounters a supernatural problem which she and she alone is capable of solving. There is inevitably a non-human/supernatural love interest of mysterious or preternatural beauty who is drawn to the main character because of her uniqueness. There's plenty of conflict, but it is always romantic or mystical.

I want to reiterate: there is nothing wrong with this template. Coraline was fantastic. Un Lun Dun was fantastic. In fact, the Special Girl who Comes of Age over the course of a Fantastic Journey is perhaps my favorite story-and it's a story that will never, ever be unpopular. But it's certainly not the only YA fantasy story you can tell, and let's face it: part of an author's job is getting the reader to relate to the characters and stories they create. Not everybody's going to relate to a beautiful, gifted, problem-free female character with a ready-made boyfriend waiting in the wings.

Let's examine the first (and perhaps the most easily remedied) tenet of modern YA fantasy: it's all about girls, girls, girls. I honestly have no idea why this is: boys read books, and are no less deserving of a role model. I imagine a lot of boys are actively turned off by the predictable YA fantasy pattern-while it's possible to identify with a character of the opposite sex, it's not a given, and who wants to spend an entire novel comparing themselves to the impossibly perfect male love interest? Bottom line: I love a good heroine, but it's time for a few more heroes.

On the subject of love interests: do they really need to be mysterious, gorgeous, and special? In fact, do we really need them at all? I'm aware it's popular, I'm aware it sells, and of course I'm aware that matters of the...heart...tend to pre-occupy most folks between 14 and 20. Consider this, though, and do so honestly: how many of us had trouble landing a date at that age? How many of us never did work up the courage to go and talk to the Little Red-Haired Girl? And why should your protagonist be any different?

Of course, we all want to see a happy ending, and a good romance is (almost) always happy. But it's far too easy to over-emphasize this aspect of a story, to the point that it becomes the WHOLE story. That's not fantasy, that's a romance novel-and I'm all for labeling your work properly. If you want to write a romance, write a romance. But if you want to write a YA fantasy novel, stick to the focus.

Another prevalent theme in today's YA fantasy is that of the Special, Gifted, or otherwise Unique protagonist. This always puzzled me, to some extent. The very fact that your character is taking part in the fantastic events of your novel should be enough to make them special-do they really need to be a Chosen One? Is a mystical birthright really all that important? Odds are, it's not. Intangible things like a destiny or a geas are often inspiring, but they're hard to relate to, and above all, you want your readers to relate. There are a thousand tangible ways to make a protagonist stand out: skills, talents, smarts. And odds are, your reader is far more likely to be able to hotwire their dad's ancient truck than to be in possession of an ancient, mystical bloodline.

What all this comes down to is that young adult fantasy novels have shockingly little to do with young adults. They are not about real 14 to 20 year olds, with all the problems associated with their respective ages and genders. If you really want to create a gripping, lasting young adult story-fantasy or otherwise-go deeper. Readers of this genre constantly crave something substantial, something fresh, and something real--something a little less fantastic.

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