I pitched a new idea at my writing group. With the pitch came a theme that started a short debate regarding the theme. The idea is simple: The Hero by beating the Big Bad, becomes the Big Bad of his own story.
It’s a dark theme, but I’ve got a number of hopeful ones and we all need to explore the dark.
The key thing, being a speculative fiction writer, I have a number of ways to bend that concept and I love them all. Most of them involve a continual loop of the hero becoming the villain to raise the same hero against him.
This of course begs to be examined as a growing up metaphor. As children, and even young adults, we often claim we’ll never be something. The angry company man. ‘Blind’ to love. Take your pick, we all had that thing we’d never be.
On growing up, we often compromise for our dreams. Taking on a little of that thing we dislike in order to get what we want. This cycle is the core of the idea.
One of my group felt that this was too dark of a theme, especially consider growing up metaphors are targeted young adult fiction. So, I’m asking you, readers, is this theme too dark?
I don’t think so. If it’s done properly, the message of the story could be very strong. The consequences of taking power when you aren’t ready for it, for giving up your morals, for any number of things that might warp a person’s sense of “good” into overzealous “justice” and then to “evil.” I think it’s a great story. It’s not one we see often, and I don’t think it’s too dark at all. Nothing is too dark for YA. The moment you start limiting yourself because you’re afraid of offending someone or whatever, your work won’t be as good. It won’t be as powerful a story. There’s nothing wrong with pushing those boundaries.
Thanks for the wonderful comment, Brooke. I pretty much totally agree with you.
Young adult novels can be very dark (see: The Hunger Games, I Am the Cheese) so I say, push those boundaries! Straight off a cliff.
Just write it so we have something to critique, then we’ll tell you if the themes are working.