Writing an Issue Book
When writers talk about trends, one that often comes up is that of the “issue book.” Lately, issue books have become fairly synonymous with contemporary novels in general, especially since the massive success of both John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars and Angie Thomas’s The Hate U Give.
Many writers, in their quest to write an issue book, may cast about for an “issue” and then structure their novel around that. “I’ll write a book about a teenager with cancer,” they may say. “Or a kid with a drug-addicted parent. Someone dealing with depression.”
These are all issues, yes, which means they could be classified as issue books. But what makes issue books transcend that definition to become a fully formed novel, with fleshed-out characters, a complex plot, and gripping emotional stakes? For that, you need to move beyond the basic “issue” itself.
To write an effective issue book, you need to move beyond the concept and add heart with your characters.
What’s an Issue Book?
I’ve written three books for middle grade readers that could technically be defined as issue books. P.S. I Miss You deals with a middle schooler discovering her sexuality while also questioning her religious beliefs. Good Enough depicts the journey of a girl recovering from an eating disorder. And Life in the Balance, out in January 2021, is about a girl with a mother who is admitted to rehab for her alcoholism.
These are all issues books. They all deal with serious issues. But P.S. I Miss You isn’t simply a story about a girl discovering that she has a crush on the new girl at school. There’s not enough in that simple summary for an entire book. Yes, there’s a concept, but there’s no heart. Not yet, at least. Because in the end, it’s the characters that make the issue come to life—their growth, their journey, and how they handle what life throws at them.
What Else is Needed?
After all, if each issue book didn’t have different characters, different settings, and different complications, every issue book would be the same. But there’s a big difference between The Hate U Give and All American Boys—both stellar novels that both cover similar “issues.” And that’s because the authors of these two books worked hard to develop their plotline beyond the simple narrative of “character encounters x issue, has obstacles, and then overcomes them.”
Issue books don’t just affect your main character, either, or the secondary characters in your protagonist’s daily life. Many issues, especially ones of social justice, have greater ramifications and effects upon the world at large. In Good Enough, my main character Riley realizes that her own issues with body image have something to say about how the world at large operates. In many issue books, characters end up taking a stand or moving towards activism because of these realizations. Certain issue books have a huge focus on place and setting, as well, which can distinguish them. You can find some great tips for setting your scene here.
Issue books will always have a place in children’s and young adult literature (with many picture books and even board books dealing with similar topics now, too), but even more so, what will succeed in the marketplace are issue books with heart, ones that present memorable characters, and ones that will stick in the reader’s mind because of their originality.
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