Essay Online

One day when I had nothing to do (well, actually, I had a lot to do, but I didn’t want to do any of it), I decided to play the Google game. This is the one where you input your own name or something else into the field in quotes to see how many search results you get. Because my most recent book, Queen Geeks in Love, was coming out soon, I decided to search the term “geek.” What I found astounded me.

I got more nearly 70 million hits from the word “geek.”

That’s million.

So, I figured that most every term would fetch that many results, or close to it. I started with what I would assume is the antithesis of ‘geek’: the “gossip girl’, which yielded 3,560,000. ‘Beauty Queen” yielded 1,750.000. Glamour came the closest to geek, with 44,600,000, but as you can plainly see, being glamorous is nothing compared to being geeky, statistically. Even the trendy “fashionista” only turned back 5,590,000 results.

So what does this mean? Is Google a valid measurement of popular culture? I suppose it’s not extremely scientific, but it does seem to be in indication of how many sites mention the word, which, by the way, originated as a circus term for a person who bit the heads off live animals. Thankfully, that particular aspect of geekdom seems to have faded out, unless you count Ozzy Osbourne in his former glory days.

If you look to the true measure of what’s out there in the zeitgeist, check your local television listings. This fall, every new show seems to be supernatural (which is within the realm of the geek.) We have Moonlight, a vampire tale. We have Journeyman, Supernatural, Ghost Whisperer, and Medium. The biggies&ndashLost and Heroes&ndashsell DVD collections in droves. Geeks are no longer hiding in their cyberclosets.

As early as 2001, the term “geek chic” began to be used, and in fact, a London clothing company ran a campaign using that very term to market its clothing. Fast forward to last year, when ABC premiered a show called Ugly Betty, with America Ferrera starring as an anti-fashion uber-geek. Well, guess who was on the October 2007 cover of Glamour Magazine? That’s right. The geeky girl. Of course, they glammed her up, but still, I couldn’t help but feel that someone from my team finally made it to the big leagues.

Gloria Baume, a fan of Ugly Betty and a fashion editor at Teen Vogue, told the New York Times that Betty’s “geek-chic look could trickle down.” In the New York Times article, she added, ”I’m obsessed with the nerd look right now,” adding that a number of designers appear to be similarly taken with all things dorky. ”Paul Smith did it in London,” she said. ”Lacoste did it here in New York. Luella also did the geek look. In her own kind of funny, twisted way, Betty has her own sense of style. It’s kooky, but it’s totally her.” (New York Times, October 2006).

USA Today even noted that “Knowledge is power and geek is chic. If you’re a cyber whiz who is plugged into the pop-culture world of sci-fi, fantasy, comic books and cult horror, maybe even the master of a Web shrine devoted to such once-arcane matters, you don’t just rule. You rock.”

Scholars are even on the geek bandwagon. One Danish scholar wrote a dissertation on geek culture and cited it as “the third counterculture” after hippies and yuppies. “The geek culture is changing the norm, transforming mainstream culture,” writes Lars Konzack in his thesis, titled “Geek culture, the third counterculture” ” Not long ago nobody would have known outside the geek culture what was meant by player character, experience points, level gain, and hit points. Now it seems like everybody knows. The geek culture is transforming mainstream cultures and it’s just the beginning of a general cultural change in that direction,” Lars Konzack, Aalborg University, Denmark.

In my own novels, Queen Geek Social Club and Queen Geeks in Love, the self-professed geeks of the title are girls who unapologetically are themselves. They like science and science fiction, but they also like fashion and guys. They want to change the world, but they also want to enjoy it. I like to think of them as the geek I never was in high school&ndashconfident, comfortable, clever. They know who they are, and although they struggle with self-doubt and anxiety like all teenagers, they use their intelligence and the support of their geek sisters to get through it all. In the end, it’s a great message to send to girls (or guys), and it reminds me of something someone once wrote in the margin of my yearbook: “be the way you are and you’ll go far.” Go geeks.

(And How To Keep Them From Fouling Up Your YA Fiction)

In 10 years, will anybody understand you if you say “fo shizzle?” Will they stare blankly if you mention Britney Spears’ buzz cut or Paris Hilton’s jail time? They might, they might not, but the point is this: If you’re a writer of young adult fiction, you can’t afford to pepper your prose with slang and cultural references that reek like week-old sushi.

More than in any other genre of writing, writers of young adult material must be acutely aware of the fact that what’s hip today is ho-hum tomorrow. In a youth culture where information is instantaneous and trends seemingly change by the hour, a great piece of writing can easily be spoiled by out-of-date references.

“Any pop culture references to fashion or TV shows change so rapidly,” says Dr. Montana Miller, an assistant professor with the Popular Culture department of Bowling Green State University. (Yes, they have a whole department that studies nothing but popular culture.) “In a way the effort to be relevant to the young audience by putting in these references is futile because the references are so quickly outdated. Young readers have a high sensitivity to when these things are contrived. They like to have a lot of detail but pick up on when the detail is being put in their purposely to capture them.”

Since the actual publishing of a novel generally takes a year (not counting the time it takes to write the first draft), shout-outs to famous people, hot television shows, political scandals, or trends will more than likely ring false to young adult readers once the book is actually read. Realistically, pop music stars who today are the focus of intense devotion on myspace will probably be has-beens by the time your novel is published.

Are there exceptions to this? Are there people, things, or events that become so entrenched in the prevailing psyche that they will fly as pop culture references? “Barbie is always going to be a touchstone for everyone,” Miller notes. “But I think that very few things become that universal and as permanent as Barbie.”

Barbie, though, has consistently wormed her way into the unconscious dreams and desires of little girls (and probably little boys too) since she was created in 1959. That’s more than 50 years of birthday parties, Christmas presents, and unfettered envy plastered into every little girl’s subconscious. Barbie has earned the right to be used as a cultural reference anywhere, just by longevity. But what about other less hearty objects? Anybody remember Tickle Me Elmo? Only the parents who clubbed each other one Christmas to hijack the local Toys R Us to make their childrens’ dreams come true. The kids probably stuffed the thing in a closet somewhere, and don’t even remember they wanted it.

Media is a tough call also. Music, movies, television shows, these all are a huge part of the American experience. But what makes a piece of media reference-worthy? Classic films from the ’40s and ’50s might be a cultural touchstone for people of a certain age, but for young adults, the idea is mass consumption, not lasting memories. And people of the older generations had far fewer options for entertainment and media. Pretty much everyone saw Casablanca and knows what it is. Pretty much everyone watched Leave it to Beaver because there were only three channels on the old black-and-white Zenith, and two of them didn’t work if the weather was bad. These people shared many common references.

Today, though, an internet search of ‘popular culture’ will net you more than 2 million entries. It’s not possible that every young adult who reads will have the exact same cultural references today, let alone remember them in five years, or ten. So, generally, the rule of thumb should be to avoid hot pop culture references in your writing.

At least two exceptions to this rule exist, though. First, if you’re writing for a specific genre audience that will share the same background and cultural history, some pop references will ring true. The sci fi geeks who frequent Comic Con all know the Star Wars mythology, and more than likely share at least a passing knowledge of things like the Dungeons and Dragons role playing game and the old Star Trek series. Sub cultures have their own history and language, so using their own internal pop culture references might work if you’re familiar with that world, but again, you must be absolutely sure that you do know what you’re talking about. Sports, surfing, the goth culture, punk music, the gay teen scene, all these are sub groups under the young adult umbrella, and all have their specific common references.

The second exception, according to Miller, is the case where a teenager writes the account of his or her own experience. In that case, pop culture references that might go stale are acceptable because the pieces are more like documentaries or memoirs, and so the point of view is that of a real person who is recounting the details of his or her life. One example is a French bestseller, Kiffe Kiffe Tomorrow written by Faiza Guene, a college-aged student who writes of her experience as the child of Algerian immigrants raised in Paris. Although labeled as fiction, the novel draws heavily on Guene’s own experiences, and because of this and because of her age, cultural references in it automatically retain their credibility.

Another issue in writing for the young adult audience is the use of slang, which Miller notes is still “awfully regional.” The term for something that’s cool in San Francisco, (”hella”) is different from the term for cool in New England (”wicked”). Although internet and text messaging slang might seem universal since most teenagers use it, the terms change and mutate so quickly that including them could be risky. One current favorite, “pwned” (it means “to be owned or dominated by an opponent in a situation”), actually is a corruption of the word “owned” and comes from a popular online game called World of Warcraft. In five years will anyone remember that? Hard to say, but it’s probably safer to leave it out.

All in all, the best bet for YA writers is to capture a reader’s attention with universal themes and characters rather than hot pop culture or slang. “If you’re an older writer writing for this audience,” Miller suggests, “the most important thing to capture the loyalty and love of young readers is to focus on themes of relationship, gossip, jealousy, betrayal, the things that keep readers attached and gripped. They respond better to plot and story lines and themes that are getting even more intense in this competitive world today. Kids want to see the kind of pressure they are really under now reflected in the stories they read.”

Fo’ shizzle.

Ms. Preble is an award-winning teacher, a jazz singer and pianist, and the author of The Queen Geek Social Club and its just-published sequel Queen Geeks In Love (both available from Penguin Books). A self-admitted geek, Laura is a science fiction fan and currently lives in the San Diego area with her husband, jazz saxophonist Chris Klich and her sons Austin and Noel.

T.E. Pouncey: I thoroughly enjoyed your novel. Are any of the elements in The Queen Geek Social Club autobiographical?

Laura Preble: Actually, the book is sort of like how I would have been in high school if I’d had better clothes and more confidence. Other than that, a lot of it is based on various elements of the schools where I’ve taught (West Hills High and Mar Vista High in San Diego, CA). I study my students, then take pieces of various kids, stitch them together, and create new characters. It’s kind of like Frankenstein, but with less lightning.

TEP: Do you create a character and then visualize what they look like, or do you visualize a character and then create their personality?

LP: I think I usually have a voice in mind first. For Queen Geeks, I woke up one morning at 3 a.m. and just had this idea, and the character of Shelby in mind. Her appearance developed as I developed her personality; the smart-ass attitude and wry observations definitely shaped her appearance. Plus, she looks a little like me if I’m having a really good day and have access to a foggy mirror.

TEP: The character Shelby Chappelle in TQGSC has a great robot sidekick named Euphoria. Which robot would you rather hang out with, R2-D2 or C-3PO?

LP: Geez. That’s like asking someone to choose which child they’d abandon on The Titanic … but if I had to pick, I think I’d go with C-3P0 because he actually talks. R2-D2 is much more down-to-earth and actually more intelligent, but since he just beeps and sounds like static from a faint radio station, it would probably bug me.

TEP: Speaking of movies, if TQGSC was optioned as a movie, would you want to write the screenplay?

LP: Yes, and if you happen to know of some really powerful Hollywood mover and/or shaker, please hook me up. I love to write dialog, so I think I’d do really well with a screenplay.

TEP: You once said you grew up in Ohio on a diet of hot chocolate and science fiction. Who were some of your favorite authors?

LP: I used to work at the local library, and my job was to go to the basement and bring up back copies of old magazines (this was before Internet … arghgh!). Anyway, when I wasn’t busy, I’d hide in the stacks and read Isaac Asimov and Amazing Stories, Robert Heinlein, Robert Silverburg, Spider Robinson, Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle, plus fantasy like Tolkien and Piers Anthony. I’m really a sci-fi whore and will read anything anybody puts in front of me.

TEP: Any plans for a TQGSC sequel or do you want to work with a brand new group of characters?

LP: Well, I do have a sequel coming out in November of this year, and it’s called Queen Geeks in Love. It follows the exploits of the same geeky characters (as well as Euphoria), and tackles the thorny problem of what happens when geeks date. Some highlights: attending Comic-Con as homemade superheroes, and putting on Geek Fest, a celebration of talent designed to humiliate those involved as well as those watching.

TEP: You have two sons. How do THEY react to Mom’s being a self-admitted geek?

LP: Ah! They are little geeks in training. The oldest one, Austin, goes with me to Comic-Con. In fact, we did a singing contest together there on a new lip-sync video game. It was also great this year, because Penguin (my publisher) sold the first book at Comic-Con and gave postcards out for Queen Geeks in Love, so Austin would go up to people near the booth, hand them postcards, and say “Buy my mom’s book so she’ll feed me!” Noel, the youngest, is too young to understand the true meaning of the word ‘geek,’ but he’s obsessed with space, aliens, and Harry Potter (at age 4) so I think it’s destiny that he’ll be a little geek himself.

TEP: Is your first novel, Lica’s Angel, still in print?

LP: Yes … I self published it a few years ago when I thought I’d never get a publishing contract. It’s available on Barnes and Noble’s website as well as Amazon and iUniverse. When I do book signings, they often have it in the store also. I started a sequel to that book also, but never got to finish it.

TEP: How did you become interested in jazz music?

LP: My dad had a killer collection of jazz, swing, and Big Band music, and when I moved away to college, I stole all his Duke Ellington records. Then I met my husband, Chris Klich, a consummate jazz professional (sax player), and now we make beautiful music together (yuck! Overt sentimentality!) Our most recent album, Blue Skies, still sells lots on CD BABY (and you can hear it at his website chrisklich dot com). We also had an originals band where I wrote all the music and lyrics, and that album is still floating around out there too, and can be heard at laurapreble dot com, my music site.

TEP: Which is harder to be: a good teacher, a good writer, or a good musician?

LP: It’s hardest to be all three at the same time, which is what I go for. Plus good mom, good wife, and good Olympic discus thrower. (No, that last one was just to see if you were paying attention.)

TEP: Can you tell us about any new projects that will be published before the end of the year?

LP: In addition to Queen Geeks in Love, which comes out November 6 &ndash and I’m hoping every person in the United States, Canada, and all English-speaking countries will buy a copy &ndash I’m also working on a novel titled Punk Boy Mysterious which is not within the Queen Geek series, and I am in the process of finishing Prom Queen Geeks, the third book in the Queen Geek series, which will be out in Fall 2008. I’ve also been writing for Writer’s Digest, and will be doing a workshop at the Southern California Writer’s Conference. And I’m still hoping for a TV show, a movie, an appearance on Ellen, and perhaps a Pulitzer Prize for humorous literature featuring a robot. (Is that a category? It should be!)

Interview by T.E. Pouncey, and reprinted with permission from GeeksofDoom.