Help with the book in my head?

[Ianianian]

Hey, I'm a creative writing student and I'm very hopeful that I will get to spend much of my life (even if it's only in my spare time, even if I never get published) writing books for young adults. So far, I've written two first drafts of urban fantasies set in the same universe, but I think I want to start on something completely different.

The story I have in mind is about a teenage (around 16 or 17 years old) FtM singer who auditions for a reality show similar to American Idol (or maybe more similar to The Voice, not sure yet). His mother is an excellent advocate for him and he has been able to transition, so he is read as male 100% of the time. No one (besides the principal) at his school knows and he is generally stealth to everyone he meets. When he is accepted onto the reality show, the producers guarantee that he will be able to participate in the show without being outed. The book follows his journey on the show until, a few episodes in, his secret is discovered by the media. The rest of the book is about how he deals with the revelation.

So I know that I have a lot of problems with YA about trans characters being totally focused on their transness and almost nothing else. I know that is a central element to this plot. Would that bother you? What else bothers you when it comes to trans characters? Is there anything I should avoid? Anything that's immediately jumping out at you as a problem? Any advice?

[Jera]

I think you've already hit the nail right on the head, there. He absolutely must be focused on something else for it to be an engaging story any audience would want to read. Especially since it sounds like he is already post-transition for the most part?

So that can't be the driving conflict of the story. Rather, as he attempts to fulfill his goals in life, being trans (or more specifically, society's treatment of him because of it) is one of the major obstacles in that conflict, not the goal itself.

In other words, if being trans is the defining aspect of your protagonist, you're going to have a very limited audience. That can be a much more powerful, and approachable, plot device if it's a secondary characteristic. As in, he's a would-be singer, who just so happens to be trans, and by God, he'll be a singer no matter WHAT the world throws at him. So he's much more focused on his life in general than just the one aspect of it.

Maybe it doesn't sound like much, but it's a huge distinction that early in the writing process. Does that make sense?

[Ianianian]

Yes, that's exactly the place I was trying to go with this and that helps me a lot because I was having trouble figuring out how to keep the separation in my head between a book about a trans character going through stuff and a book about a singer kid who happens to be trans dealing with obstacles. Excellent thank you so much

I know that a lot of YA about trans youth so far has been the opposite, all about being trans and that being their primary character trait (Luna, Parrotfish, I Am J), and I think there is a place for that, but I definitely wish it wasn't pretty much the only thing on the market.