– Respect is a positive feeling of esteem or deference for a person or other entity, and also specific actions and conduct representative of that esteem.
It is preached about more freely than it is practiced. Maybe like all other virtues. Artists hope for respect when they create art. Writers included. But we should be prepared to give what we expect to receive for our creations. We should prepare to respect our readers.
Often, I am asked if the words I choose are too difficult for the young adult genre to understand. Maybe some words are not used everyday in grade school, I admit. But I cannot bring myself to disrespect the intellectual capacity of a teenager, a voracious reader hopefully like I was once. To me, the kids of today are capable of much more than we were in our days, all they ask from us is to be treated with respect for their abilities.
Same goes for the themes of science in my books. I refuse to dumb down the concepts, simply because I am writing for a younger audience. They are smart and they will do just fine, if only we let them to. My only hope is to write on the subject in an attractive and engaging way, and challenge them enough to dare to fall in love with science.