Meg the Healer
Sage
Sadly, I'm not sure which is worse - the fact that bullying has become so commonplace that it's been reduced to a cliche or that it's become so commonplace that readers are starting to think "well what else is new....you were picked on as a kid - big deal - tell me something different."
Let's face it, the bullying aspect is something most of us have experienced (one way or the other). I may have bullied "enemies" of mine, but I was bullied my "friends" - though I think that was called "peer pressure" in my days - because your friends really shouldn't be "bullies." (Whatever - let's just call a spade a spade). But it was always about seeking real/imaginary approval/fear from someone.
The problem is most everything that drives a protaganist into action is a cliche. There's a tyrannical king, a prophecy was made, the protaganist's entire family was murdered, there's a great evil to overcome, etc. It's just as boring (nowadays apparently) to read about a person that was bullied as much as person who has had to overcome nothing and led a "perfect" life - where's the story in that?
If the bullying doesn't "help" your protagonist in anyway - then I would just skip it or at least explain why they can be so passive about being bullied, but be so vehement about something else. And remember, YA, is typically geared towards 12-18 years old - who are still in grade/high school. Bullying is part of their daily life (either as the bully or as the victim) and with so much emphasis on bullying (especially in the States), it's no surpirse that it has mingled in with fantasy storytelling.
Let's face it, the bullying aspect is something most of us have experienced (one way or the other). I may have bullied "enemies" of mine, but I was bullied my "friends" - though I think that was called "peer pressure" in my days - because your friends really shouldn't be "bullies." (Whatever - let's just call a spade a spade). But it was always about seeking real/imaginary approval/fear from someone.
The problem is most everything that drives a protaganist into action is a cliche. There's a tyrannical king, a prophecy was made, the protaganist's entire family was murdered, there's a great evil to overcome, etc. It's just as boring (nowadays apparently) to read about a person that was bullied as much as person who has had to overcome nothing and led a "perfect" life - where's the story in that?
If the bullying doesn't "help" your protagonist in anyway - then I would just skip it or at least explain why they can be so passive about being bullied, but be so vehement about something else. And remember, YA, is typically geared towards 12-18 years old - who are still in grade/high school. Bullying is part of their daily life (either as the bully or as the victim) and with so much emphasis on bullying (especially in the States), it's no surpirse that it has mingled in with fantasy storytelling.