The Very Best of #VeryRealisticYA
This past weekend, at a little after 5 P.M. on Saturday night, John Hansen started musing about realistic YA characters. Frustrated with homework, he was wondering how YA characters out saving the world manage to even find the time. After suggesting his followers start tweeting out their own #VeryRealisticYA characters and stories, things quickly took off.
Authors like Scott Westerfield, The Bloggess, Zoraida Córdova, Saladin Ahmed, Kody Keplinger, Michelle Krys, and even our own Andrew Shaffer joined in the fun, while John left his trending hashtag to go work on an English paper. Which, as he said, was the truest example of #VeryRealisticYA.
Here are some of the best of the best from that hashtag. Enjoy!
Girl has crushes on several of her guy friends. They are all unrequited. She doesn’t date anyone seriously until college. #VeryRealisticYA
— Jessica Spotswood (@jessica_shea) March 29, 2015
Teens suspect crime has occurred. Inform parents and police and go back to being teens. #VeryRealisticYA — Scott Westerfeld (@ScottWesterfeld) March 29, 2015
The survival of the world depends on girl learning to control her powers. Girl can’t. Everyone dies. #VeryRealisticYA — Pam of the Flatlands (@PamIsOkay) March 29, 2015
Girl spends much of her free time blasting music in her room and reading. Sometimes snacking. She is quite content. #VeryRealisticYA — emily m. danforth (@emdanforth) March 29, 2015
Shy girl has a crush on shy boy.Shy boy has a crush on shy girl.Neither of them say anything.They both do a lot of homework.#VeryRealisticYA
— Caela Carter (@CaelaCarter) March 29, 2015
Boy thinks girl is beautiful. Girl already knows, because she has a mirror. #VeryRealisticYA — J.C. Lillis (@jclillis) March 29, 2015
Geeky girl goes out with jock guy only to learn he has no hidden depths. #VeryRealisticYA
— James Dawson (@_jamesdawson) March 29, 2015
Girl gets a note reading “I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER”. She’s relieved someone is finally reading her tumblr. #VeryRealisticYA — TheBloggess (@TheBloggess) March 29, 2015
Boy discovers he’s half merman. Sorry, autocorrect. He discovers he’s half German. #VeryRealisticYA
— Zoraida Córdova (@zlikeinzorro) March 29, 2015
Girl suspects cute boy is a vampire, gets prescription for antipsychotics, is feeling much better now. #VeryRealisticYA — Brooks Sherman (@byobrooks) March 29, 2015
A gifted teen’s world is blown apart when she realizes just how much student debt she’ll have once she’s done with college. #VeryRealisticYA
— Saladin Ahmed (@saladinahmed) March 29, 2015
Teen realizes she loves fictional characters more than actual people. #VeryRealisticYA — Jon (@ScottReadsIt) March 29, 2015
Girl & boy have first kiss. It does not spark amazing, breath-taking feelings. It’s only OK. They get better with practice #VeryRealisticYA
— Kim Graff (@k_writes) March 29, 2015
After experiencing a scare, teenager releases breath she totally realized she was holding #VeryRealisticYA — Michelle Krys (@MichelleKrys) March 29, 2015
Teen reads Buzzfeed for six hours. #VeryRealisticYA
— Becky Albertalli (@beckyalbertalli) March 29, 2015
Girl likes a boy. Never tells him. Nothing comes of it. A few months later, she likes a different boy anyway. #VeryRealisticYA — Kody Keplinger (@Kody_Keplinger) March 29, 2015
The only reason the main character decides to save the world is so he can put it on his college application. #VeryRealisticYA
— John Hansen (@ABoredAuthor) March 29, 2015
Broody bad boy says something sexist to quiet, bookish girl. Girl puts him in his place. They never go out ever. #VeryRealisticYA — Ava Jae (@Ava_Jae) March 29, 2015
Girl has a guy best friend. They’re seriously just friends. #VeryRealisticYA
— annie cardi (@anniecardi) March 29, 2015
All three books of a trilogy are condensed into one movie, because hey there’s not much story there honestly. #VeryRealisticYA — Andrew Shaffer (@andrewtshaffer) March 29, 2015
Girl politely declines to be the face of the revolution because it’s junior year and she has too much homework. #VeryRealisticYA
— John Hansen (@ABoredAuthor) March 29, 2015
Main character is chosen to take part in terrifying death match, has no secret skills except writing fanfic, dies first. #VeryRealisticYA — Tatum Flynn (@Tatum_Flynn) March 29, 2015
And my personal favorite.
Boy goes to wizard school. Incurs crushing debt; graduates; wizard job market is terrible. Does nothing with wizard degree. #VeryRealisticYA
— Jeff Zentner (@jeffzentner) March 29, 2015
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