School play about adoption

Basically, I want to write this coming of age story about a cynical adopted teenager and how he reconciles with his aparents, but its not really coming into focus for a lot of different reasons. I've been doing research, but it isn't really helping, and my cynicism about life in general is getting in the way of writing a meaningful story with conflict. In the media, the adoption triad is usually portrayed as black or white. In this case, I want to make an exception, and not resort to stereotypes. No surh. Just PEOPLE.

I'm not asking you to write it for me, just looking for any advice or tips. I'm currently swamped with school and Redesigning Eva

As an adoptee myself, I think I can help you out a bit on this.

When writing about adoption, there are a number of factors to be considered that can offer a reason, at least a partial one as to why this adoptee is unhappy with his parents. That's kind of what I'd like to know. There are too many works out there with adoptee protagonists that demonize the adoptive parents for not being the 'real' parents, even if they're decent people. A lot of the time, the adoptee will do anything to leave despite usually being too young to remember what their birth parents were like and then promptly forget about the people who raised them when they do find the birth parents. As you can tell, I find this kind of plot revolting and congratulate you for wanting to avoid it.

So.

How old was he when he was adopted?

Is there any physical distance to speak of between his previous life and his current life as adoptee? Was he adopted from abroad, within the country, etc.?

How much does he remember about his birth parents, and why are they unable to take care of him?

Did he have to go through foster care?

Does he have any contact with his birth parents?

Are there any other children in the house?

edited 4th Mar '12 4:16:13 PM by CrystalGlacia

How old was he when he was adopted?

Zilch.

Is there any physical distance to speak of between his previous life and his current life as adoptee? Was he adopted from abroad, within the country, etc.?

In country.

How much does he remember about his birth parents, and why are they unable to take care of him?

By birth parents, do you mean a pregnant teenager?

Does he have any contact with his birth parents?

No.

Are there any other children in the house?

No.

edited 4th Mar '12 4:22:07 PM by ConnorBible

So, he was the result of a teen pregnancy, and the teen mom chose to give him up to the system after he was born?

Technically a pregnant teen would count as his birth parent, I think.

He was not put in foster care. The adoptive parents knew her and had it arranged.

edited 4th Mar '12 4:45:49 PM by ConnorBible

Okay, that helps.

Now, why is he angsty?

If the spoilered fact you gave is why you think he's angsty, I think that kind of thing occurs at least a few times in real life, where the teen mom meets a couple through an adoption agency or child services while she's pregnant and knows that these people will take care of her baby. I don't really find that to be angsty at all, and would only reinforce the notion that the mom had her child's best interests at heart. But if that's not why he's angsty, then, yeah.

edited 4th Mar '12 5:07:04 PM by CrystalGlacia

I still haven't figured it out. Disappointment with life? Disbelief in human sincerity? Identity issues?

Aren't teens generally angsty no matter if they are adopted or not.

I agree the way adoption is usually portrayed is offensive. I have 2 adopted cousins and im closer to them then to most of my blood relatives. Family is about love and loyalty not genetics.

edited 9th Mar '12 8:36:45 PM by HistoryMaker

Well, if his adoptive parents were friends with his birth mother (this is what I assume you meant by "knew") and yet he still has no contact with her, I could see that as a believable issue. Even though he could understand the "teenage pregnancy" angle and why he was put up for adoption, it doesn't excuse his mother never calling to see how he's doing.

edited 9th Mar '12 9:17:48 PM by SalFishFin

She's dead.

Ooh... For how long?

She died giving birth to the protagonist.

How about his mother's parents or other close relatives? Is he in contact with any of them? Do they resent him? There's some possibility for drama there.

I'm not clear on what you're looking for, so I don't know if this is useful.

Maybe the bio family could play into the story.

As someone who didn't know what she was getting into when she did an English paper on adoption, I found a lot of sites about it. Holy shit, is adoption a complicated process.

Granted, I focused on the PROCESS of adoption for the parents (and what happens to kids who fall through the cracks or "age out"), but that can be flipped pretty easily. Adoption.Org is the most well-rounded site.

Regarding the spoilered bits: Does he know she died giving birth, or does he think she just "ditched" him? If the former, it could be a Death by Childbirth variant of It's All My Fault. If the latter, his angst could bitterness, and then guilt when/if he finds out the real story.

He doesn't have to resent his adoptive parents for there to be plenty of that—in fact, there could be more angst because he genuinely cares about them.

edited 20th Jun '12 7:54:14 PM by Sharysa

The angst is probably more from the teen state than from being adopted.

If done well, adoptions work out pretty ok.

Depending on your target audience, you could let slip that Superman, Jesus (sort of), Tarzan were adopted.

edited 20th Jun '12 8:38:54 PM by Natasel