Dystopian Lit Roundup

I read Legend by Marie Lu a couple of weeks ago. While it was really good, and at some point I plan on reading the sequel Prodigy, a sudden realization came over me when I was trying to explain the plot to my class. It was a realization that had been lingering a while, until someone finally voiced my concern. The conversation went something like this:

“What’s the book about?” the class asked me.

“Well,” I said, “in some ways it’s kind of like Hunger Games. It’s a dystopian novel about a society where teenagers take a test to determine….”

“Ugh!” a student whined. “All the books are like Hunger Games. Seriously!”

And that whining student is 100% correct. Just like novels and TV were overrun with vampires a few years ago, the dystopian society is taking over Young Adult Literature. These books are rampant, with the best of them being made into movies and making loads of money.

For reference, this is my definitive ranking of YAL dystopian novels:*

1.  Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
2. Legend by Marie Lu
3. Divergent by Veronica Roth
4. Uglies by Scott Westerfield
5. Matched by Allie Condie

*Full disclosure: I have read all of these books but not all of them in the series, so the list, while definitive, could change once I have read more sequels. There’s also probably 108 more books that should be in this list, but one only has so many time for reading young adult dystopian lit, right?

After some deliberate thought, I have decided that writing a dystopian novel is truly the next “get rich quick” scheme for any aspiring writers. And lucky for you, I have decided to help you become the next Suzanna Collins or Veronica Roth. Presenting….the formula for a dystopian teen novel:

1. Create a strong female protagonist who either:

          a. Has been stomped on her entire life by “the man” and is now incredibly jaded and
          angry

          b. Believes in her dystopian system like a blind wombat until some discovery or event
          shatters her understanding of the universe

This protagonist should be pretty B.A. and hardened in some way by her life experiences. She may not realize it at the time, but she also has a deadly power to motivate people and because of this, is a threat to the status quo of her city/country. Finally, although she is a teenager, she and her friends are given a ton of power and access to weapons.

2. Design a society in which some sort of “choosing” ceremony takes place, which divides the citizens into different groups based on: personality, looks, intelligence, occupation, love interests, etc. This society should be ruled by some sort of ruler who, at first appearance, may not seem to be in charge, but definitely is and is probably spying on the protagonist and trying to ruin her life.

3. Add in a love connection, which probably includes the following characteristics:

a. Secretive or forbidden fruit, a la Romeo and Juliet

b. A love triangle of some sort between an old flame and new, fun boy

c. A relationship constantly in turmoil due to the violence that erupts in the story, or the lovebirds’ volatile personalities

d. Love that is not consistent or fully solidified until the end of book three in the series. Which leads us to….

4. Drag out the story into a trilogy. Three books is a must, and for best results, make sure that the second one is a classic sequel and develops the overarching story without being able to truly stand on its own. In other words, provide no closure in the second book and force your readers to wait until the third book comes out months later. Hopefully when the movies come out, you can make them into four or five movies. That would be money (literally).

5. Add in a surprise twist. This twist won’t actually be a huge surprise, given the fact that this is a formula, and if your readers have read any other dystopian novels, they’ll be expecting it. Ideas for twists include: a character who seems good but is actually bad, a character who seems bad but if actually good, an identity change, a surprise attack, or a mystery death.

6. Kill your characters off with technology and violence. Lots of people need to die, and definitely consider killing off two or three really important characters. Remember that dystopian societies usually have some pretty boss technology, so use that to your advantage. These deaths should also be surprisingly violent, considering this is a novel for teens.

That’s about it. With these characteristics, you pretty much have a blockbuster formula for creating a hit book series. And remember: as long as the first book’s good enough, the last two can pretty much suck.