For the past two months one of my absolute favorite Twitter accounts has been @DystopianYA. The account good-naturedly lampoons the stereotypes so prevalent in young adult literature. The account is helmed by writer Dana Schwartz who also runs the popular @GuyinYourMFA account and brings the same sort of humor to our favorite genre.
It’s hilarious and hundreds and thousands of people – including a number of young adult authors – have been retweeting gems like this:
My mom will never understand me, or the way I need to lead a guerilla revolution of teenagers.
— Dystopian YA Novel (@DystopianYA) March 21, 2015
What I love so much about that account is that it’s sometimes just fun to poke fun at the things you love. In the last twenty-four hours, a new hashtag has been taking Twitter by storm and thousands of new voices are emerging to crack jokes and point out just how ridiculous the YA genre can be. #VeryRealisticYA let’s us all take a moment to laugh at the unrealistic parts of young adult fiction – and at ourselves for loving it regardless.
It all originated with John Hansen, a teen writer who runs a blog for other teen writers.
Extremely realistic YA novel: a girl struggles to uncover the secrets behind her enigmatic new boyfriend–math homework. — John Hansen (@ABoredAuthor) March 28, 2015
This one bemused realization gave birth to the #VeryRealisticYA hashtag and the results have been hilarious.
Check out some of my favorites below and then hop on Twitter to add your own. The hashtag is still gong strong and there is plenty of fun to still be had. And hats off, to you, John Hansen. I couldn’t think of a better way to spend a Sunday afternoon!
Before we go on this months long long trek through The Outskirts to kill the president I should probably pack some tampons #VeryRealisticYA
— Lauren DeStefano (@LaurenDeStefano) 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
Rebel teens get decent jobs maintaining Dystopian System, decide that it’s not so bad after all. #VeryRealisticYA — Nick Mamatas (@NMamatas) March 29, 2015
Teen girl doesn’t read classics or quote poems. Watches Supernatural instead. #VeryRealisticYA — JLArmentrout (@JLArmentrout) March 29, 2015
Teens plot to overthrow oppressive authoritarian regime. Are arrested and never heard from again. #VeryRealisticYA— Alexander London (@ca_london) 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
Teens suspect crime has occurred. Inform parents and police and go back to being teens. #VeryRealisticYA — Scott Westerfeld (@ScottWesterfeld) 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
Teens fall in deep and profound love. They break up six and a half weeks later via text #VeryRealisticYA — Alexander London (@ca_london) March 29, 2015
A teen realizes the only way he’ll fit in with the cool kids, is if he changes himself. He doesn’t, finds better friends. #VeryRealisticYA — Eric Smith (@ericsmithrocks) March 29, 2015
Teens plan a whirlwind road trip to celebrate their drivers license. Parents say no. #VeryRealisticYA — Colleen Stinchcombe (@CAStinchcombe) March 29, 2015
Girl wakes up to hot boy sitting in a dark corner of her room, watching her sleep. She screams and calls the police. #VeryRealisticYA — Ava Jae (@Ava_Jae) 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
Senior boy asks freshman girl to “rockin party.” She’s relieved when mom says no. She spends the night watching Netflix. #VeryRealisticYA — Erica Millard (@erica_millard) March 29, 2015
Boy breaks girl’s heart, so she trashes him cryptically on social media. #VeryRealisticYA — Lauren DeStefano (@LaurenDeStefano) March 29, 2015
Bookish girl falls head over heels in love with boy. Closes book. Wishes fictional characters were real. #VeryRealisticYA #amwriting — christopher kokoski (@Chris_Kokoski) March 29, 2015
Girl notices attractive boy following her everywhere she goes. She tells her parents. Parents call the cops. #VeryRealisticYA — Bookphile (@thebookphile) March 29, 2015
Girl must go on cross-country road trip for uni interview. Uses parents’ SkyMiles instead. Arrives reasonably early. #VeryRealisticYA — Destiny Soria (@TheDestinySoria) March 29, 2015
‘But Daddy, I love him’ the girl sobs. ‘I don’t care. I’m not paying that much for concert tickets’ her father replies. #VeryRealisticYA — Elmer (@_AprilsLady) March 29, 2015
#VeryRealisticYA Popular guy asks popular girl to prom. She says yes. School gym fails to resemble Paris. Students extra tired on Monday. — William Polking (@Polking) March 29, 2015
Two female friends fight, and it isn’t over a guy, no lessons are learned, and now gym class is awkward #VeryRealisticYA — Lauren DeStefano (@LaurenDeStefano) March 29, 2015
Teenage girl detective walks into the killer’s lair armed with nothing but her wits. She is killed. #VeryRealisticYA
— Sunil Patel (@ghostwritingcow) March 29, 2015
There are tons of others on Twitter.
Share your favorites!
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