Wattpad brings you a guest post from Alexandra Corinth, author of fantasy fiction “The Stories We Tell”:
When you find yourself, either intentionally or by accident, in the teen section of your local bookstore, you can’t help but notice an alarming trend – paranormal romance, vampire romance, fantasy romance, romance romance. Now imagine me saying “Romance, romance, romance!” in the voice of Jan Brady. Don’t get me wrong – I like a steamy romance as much as the next young person. But the prominence of romance in young adult media can be overwhelming.
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Thankfully, over the last few years, a new trend has emerged – films, books, and television shows focused on the platonic relationships. Not just between males and females – there have also been movies like The Hangover or The Grey (which exclusively focus on the dynamics between men) and Bridesmaids or Mean Girls (which exclusively focus on the dynamics between women and girls).
Even shows like My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic have picked up on the emerging fad, focusing on the strange and often chaotic relationships between girls in their formative years.
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That said, oftentimes, when novels or movies or television shows focus on the relationships between females, they almost always focus on the negative aspect of those relationships. Take, for instance, a show like Pretty Little Liars– while the show is (mostly) focused on the main four girls and their complicated dynamics, the show’s driving force is the overabundance of secrets between them, and the potential problems those secrets could (and sometimes do) cause.
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When I first had the idea to write The Stories We Tell, I knew that romance would have minimal (if any) relevance to the main plot. And, I admit, that worried me – knowing how popular romance is in teen fiction (both as a reader and someone who studies children’s literature for a living), how in the world could I write a book without it? But as I kept writing and getting to know my characters, I realized that their priorities were to save their little fishing town and the people they already cared about – and that adding a romance would be inauthentic to their story. I also knew that, while the girls would struggle in their development as friends, that the book would not be focused on what so many teen novels about female friends do – cat-fighting, rumor-starting, back-stabbing politics.
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I didn’t purposefully avoid these tropes, or set out to challenge them – but I do think that it’s important to tell stories that encourage positive relationships that aren’t defined by romance or name-calling. That sometimes, the story isn’t about sex or manipulation or rivalry, but instead about companionship and loyalty and trust.
Read “The Stories We Tell” on Wattpad:
”We tell these stories — to friends, family, most often to ourselves. Do any of them matter? Are any of them real?”
Addalynn doesn’t mind being the town witch. The rumors of her “gift” keep the religious gossip-mongers at a distance, and with her parents gone, it’s best for Addalynn if no one tries to get too close. As long as things remain as they are, Addalynn is content to live in her parent’s home with her sarcastic familiar, Makena, and watch sunsets fall on her prized snapdragon garden.
Elladine feels that something is missing. Her father’s incessant concern for the “state of her soul” has pushed her away from the church, and her mother’s increasing passivity has only encouraged her distrust of anyone human. But neither of these things is the missing link, and Elladine can’t wait for the day when she can leave her home forever.
When an ancient race of demons appear in the nearby forest, Addalynn and Elladine must work together to protect the town from impending invasion. But a mysterious stranger also arrives, looking for any reason to commit Addalynn to the Asylum.
The unlikely pair have no choice but to unite and save their home. Is salvation possible without sacrificing themselves?
Told from alternating perspectives, The Stories We Tell confronts the human fear of insignificance while embracing love that grows like snapdragons in the winter — unexpectedly, defiantly, magically.