Well I don't read gay teen books or anything, but I know of one cliche that happens in so many damn LGBT movies and really makes them shittier than they already are. The whole "gay boy crushes on 'straight boy' -> Gay boy makes straight boy question himself -> straight boy falls for gay boy -> Gay boy reveals he's dying of some type of STD but their love is stronger." Seriously.
dont just have a gay nerd fall in love with a super hawt gay guy *twilightesque, or vice versa. no rough sex with broken headboards, with the bottom waking up12 hours later after being knocked out *twilightesque* in the end, just avvoid anything remotely twilight like.
Or, from the perspective of the Straight boy liking the gay boy. I once watched this ONE movie. WHERE the whole thing was...Gay couple dates..They fall in love...They fight...they break up....they say sorry...they fall in love..guy sleeps around...they break up...They fall in love again at a wedding...Fights at the wedding...almost breaks up then GUY falls in love with the other guy again. Was it satirical? Nope. Dead serious and REALLY REALLY awful. I think the better stories about sexuality is from the view point of the family rather then just the individual. I always find that the more honest the story the better it works. Instead of telling the story of guy a/ guy b expand into more possibilties. How does it impact their family/friends. Maybe a story from the persepctive of the straight guy trying to accept his gay friend as he begins to date. Maybe their brothers?
"Gay boy makes 'straight' boy realize he's gay." Just no. If any cliche is used, just don't make it that.
Here's a cliche to avoid too. Gay couple falls in love. Plain and simple Why does EVERY SINGLE GAY STORY have the happily ever after? It's not that way in real life, so stop making it that way every time in books Besides, we have enough romances as it is....
Oh, and notice how there are never any virgins in these movies? I dont know about literature, but I feel like so many main characters in these films are sluts. (Like in Get Real, he'd meet guys at a public bathroom!? That totally turned me off from that horrible movie xD). Is it so hard to have a non sexually active story...?
hmn... well sadly it's gotta be a comedy of sorts, or a murder mystery, or a drama. it's ok to use some of the cliches at points, just not as the entire storyline. Something I know I like reading is the different viewpoints fo the characters in the story.
Please, pleeeease don't include the typical homophobic bully who in a 'surprising twist' turns out to be a closeted gay guy.
THIS. More generally, a story about being gay doesn't have to be a romance of any sort. There's more to being gay than romance. A story about coming out in a community where there really are no prospects, a story where he falls head-over-heels for his totally straight best friend, a story about dealing with gay parents (Last Stop to Normal, I think that was the title, does this), a story involving working at an HIV/AIDS clinic and having to tell a young man he's HIV+, or a story with a gay single character who is happily single (variety of reasons could exist for this, from being celibate, to simply not feeling ready, to having--and enjoying--random hookups or friends with benefits). And the list goes on.
Funny, I actually read an academic piece last term about how gay teen lit actually reinforces the notion of heterosexual gender norms existing in gay relationships, as well as the idea that the outside world is incredibly homophobic, as another poster mentioned. So you might want to avoid doing those things.
Gasp! I loved that movie. Oh well, we're all entitled to our own opinions. Yeah, I didn't love that part of that movie, either. It was an okay movie I thought, but not nearly as good as I heard it would be. Anyway, back on topic. I kinda like the gay romances where they go on happily ever after. Call me a sap, or a romantic, but I like it. That's just me. Anyway, some cliches to avoid: 1. Having the two guys be Abercrombie & Fitch type hunks. Seriously. Not everyone is a model, and it'll make the story more interesting and relatable if the characters are normal everyday people. 2. Unless the story is specifically about AIDS or some other disease and dealing with it, please do not have one of the characters suddenly contract and die from it. And please don't have one of the characters suffer from some tragic accident. It's old. That's all I can really think of right now. Best of luck!
