Today Becomes Yesterday
by Charlotte Bennardo
The theme for December is: YA lit as a time capsule (today's issues = tomorrow's nostalgia). At first I wasn't sure what to write, but then the phrase 'time capsule' said it all.
Writing about today's issues will equal tomorrow's nostalgia-especially for author parents.
When writing my YA books, because they were contemporary, I'd often observe not only other teens, but my own for language, cultural, and societal trends. What was going on in their schools, their lives, the world, the culture, that affected them? A lot of notes were incorporated into my writing to make it relevant and realistic for teens. So the literature becomes not only nostalgic for that time period, for that work, but for my life and my children. It becomes a snapshot of my past.
In a way it's both unsettling and soothing; that precious time stands perfect forever, a record. And it is a testament to the way things used to be, but will never be again.
Charlotte is busy with the release of her new YA fantasy, The Excalibur Vow, out now, and finishing revisions on a contemporary holiday romance. She writes MG, YA, NA, and adult novels and short stories in sci fi, fantasy, contemporary, horror, paranormal, and romance genres. She is the author of the award-winning middle grade Evolution Revolution trilogy: Simple Machines, Simple Plans, and Simple Lessons. She co-authored the YA novels Blonde OPS, Sirenz, and Sirenz Back in Fashion. She has several short stories in anthologies and online, along with newspaper and magazine articles. Having finished her MFA, she's applying what she learned by revising everything. She lives in NJ but dreams of a Caribbean beach house. And more cats.
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