Writing for a young adults audience

Not too long ago I had a post on writing for a middle grade audience. But what about teens?

I really enjoy reading books targeted for young adults, so it’s no surprise that I also enjoy writing for this age group. Teens are passionate readers, many falling in love with their favorite characters. Authors who are able to capture a teen’s voice also capture their readers’ hearts.

Teen novel often delve into tough subjects like absentee parents, drinking and even suicide. You’ll notice the characters in these stories are exploring how they fit in with their peers whereas in middle grade they were figuring out how they fit into the world.

Readers of young adult typically range from 14 all the way up to adult. Although many adults are reading young adult novels, you can’t set out to write the next big crossover book and I don’t feel you should try to do this. If you are writing a young adult novel, then write it for teens. This is your targeted audience.

In young adult, your main character’s age is going to depend on who they are and what conflicts they will face along the way. Getting to know your mc is the first step. So how does a writer get to know a fictional character? Why, by listening to them, or course. 

Some ways of doing this are:

• Have your mc write a letter either to you or to a supporting character in the story.
• Sit down and write about them. This can be anything: a big event in their life, how they spent summer vacation, a typical day. What you write may not end up in the story, but it will help you get to know who your characters are.
• Create character sheets that not only includes basic features (age, color of eyes, etc.), but notes fears, allergies, likes and dislikes. Answer questions like “I love my mom, but …”  “My dad always…”  “I wish…” and  “If I could change one thing…” 

Completing these exercises will help bring out your main character's voice. I believe that voice is everything in a teen novel. Unfortunately, there is no right or wrong formula for creating voice, but if you have a strong and unique voice your writing will stand out from others. And if your characters don’t sound like a teenager, you’re going to lose your readers.

What is voice? It’s word choice, style and reflection. It’s seeing the world through a teen’s eyes. To help bring out your mc’s voice, bring things back to them. For instance, a character may comment on a poster they have hanging in their bedroom: I can’t believe I still have that unicorn poster on the wall. Or they may notice that a person’s eyes are the same green as their grandmothers.

To improve the authenticity of your character’s voice, visit places where teens hang out. Observe their actions, body language and speech. Take a notepad with you and jot down what they do and say. Okay, this may seem a little creepy, but as a writer we watch people all the time anyway and I’m not suggesting you sit across from them with a notepad and pen like you’re directing the scene. Blend in. Have a cup of coffee and a book in front of you. Wear headphones with no music. Attend high school sports, plays and other events that are open to the public.


This brings me to the last part of my notes. Plot. The first thing I'd like to say is...

Hook is not plot. Hook is what draws your reader in.

Plot is what carries your reader from page one to the end of the book.

I have this in my middle grade notes, but since it applies to young adult too, I felt it was worth repeating.

So how do you develop plot? You think about what is important to teens the same age as your mc. Then, you ask yourself if the conflicts make sense to a person of fourteen or sixteen, etc.

Things to remember when writing for young adults:

• Teens are not dumber than adults. They've just had less life experiences.
• Teens are complex.
• Include inner monologue.
• It’s okay for things not to be black and white. There can be gray areas in young adult.
• Your character should grow during the course of his or her story.

Things to avoid:

• Stay away from trendy teen-speak. This changes quickly and will date your novel.
• Don’t be vague. Your story can’t be absent of details.
• Don’t chase trends, meaning don’t set out to write a vampire book just because that is the current hot selling trend. Do write what you know and enjoy reading yourself. Trust me, if you don’t like fantasy or dystopian or historical fiction you’re not going to be able to write it well because your story won’t be coming from the heart.

  

I hope you found some of my notes helpful. If you have any tips you’d like to share, I’d love to hear them.

Writing for a middle grade audience

I recently pulled out my notes on writing for a middle grade audience. I had tons, scattered through different notebooks and I thought it would be nice to have them in one place.

Middle grade is a wonderful age to write for. Your readers are hungry for new adventures and it doesn’t hurt that schools often offer incentives to keep children reading. So what do you have to know if you’re writing for this age group?

Middle grade readers are 8-12, sometimes 13. One of the first things you’ll need to do is determine if you are targeting the younger readers in this range or the older readers. Once you know this, you can determine how old to make your main character.  For instance, if you are targeting younger readers, then you may decide to make your mc eleven. For older readers, have your character be thirteen.

Middle grade themes are also very different than young adult. In middle we think how does the main character fit into the world. Whereas in a teen novel, the character is exploring how they fit in with their peers. Middle grade also has strict lines on what you can and cannot do. You won’t find sex, cursing, or drugs in a MG novel.

I once heard an editor say that hook is not plot. To me, this made sense. Hook is what draws your reader in. Plot is what carries your reader from page one to the end of the book. Some notes on plot and voice in a middle grade novel:

Plot: Think what matters to a twelve-year-old.

• Are the conflicts what make sense to a twelve-year-old?
• Do they center on relationship?

Voice: The narrative voice should be what the character notices in the scene.

• Children this age often talk in fragmented sentences and half thoughts. Does your dialogue reflect this?
• Watch that your character is not too self aware. He or she shouldn’t have emotional maturity that comes with age.

On last note, while drafting your novel, remember to have the kids create problems that they will later solve.

I’m sure I’ve missed something and I’d love to hear from you if you have tips to share.

SCBWI Summer Conference: highlights from day two and three

Saturday’s line up was as exciting as Friday’s. Lin Oliver, Steve Mooser and the rest of the SCBWI team really did put together an incredible program.

Donna Jo Napoli discussed writing about unpleasant things. I’ve discussed this topic in the past with friends and fellow writers. The question is always the same: is a specific subject right for a children’s book. But the thing is these books help children who are living through rough lives in ways those of us that had good childhoods might not understand. They might show a person they are not alone or help others see warning signs from people they love. These books might even save a life. And for those in good homes, it allows them to gather an understanding of what others may go through without having to live through it themselves. It helps these children grow up to be more sympathetic adults. In my book, that is a wonderful thing and hats off to all the authors who tackle issues such as abuse, suicide, living with an alcoholic parent, and so on. The world needs you.

Does your website load quickly? Making sure your page loads fast was only one of the musts Verla Kay mentioned in her breakout session. I’ve always been a fan of her website and the community of writers that are members of the Blueboard, so it was a pleasure to hear what she had to say about promoting books on the internet. I’m still working on my website, but I now have a list of things to check as I create the different pages.

It was fun to hear about Judy Blume’s career. One of the tips she shared with the audience was to start your book on the day something different happens. I also had the pleasure of running into her in the lobby. She is as wonderful as I always thought she’d be.

And I can’t forget about the poolside gala where we all changed into pajamas and danced the night away. 

Sunday Gary Paulsen shared the story of his childhood and what led him to a career as a writer. He had a hard childhood and I’ll admit I got a little choked up when he said his only regret was not being able to thank the librarian who gave him his first library card.  

Harold Underdown and Emma Dryden reinforced the need for an author to have an on-line presence in their breakout session on social media. Helpful tips included owning your own domain name and having an author’s page on Facebook.

One last comment about the conference: the agents and editors I heard speak all look for sample pages with a great voice. It’s that little something that makes a submission stand out from the rest. I wish I could say they included a formula for creating great voice in a novel. But alas, this is something we all have to figure out on our own.

Finding my voice

I was beginning to think finding my voice, the one heard through my blog and Tweets and Facebook, was harder than finding my protagonist’s voice, and it shouldn’t be that way. After all, I do know my own voice. I don’t have to stop and think how I’ll react to a situation. I know what I like and dislike and what words I’ll choose when I respond to someone.

Susan Kaye Quinn’s post http://ink-spells.blogspot.com/2011/07/author-branding.html helped me to put the whole idea of voice in perspective and it got me thinking about my Author Brand, something I knew about but was just beginning to understand.

As a person, I’m more playful than serious. I like to have fun and to see the people I’m with having fun. I also like to help others. These traits tend to find their way into my characters. Why shouldn’t they show in my blog posts?

I’m starting to think my voice has always been there. It’s just that I’ve been afraid to let it show in my posts. Part of my problem is I can’t help but think I’m not famous. Who’s going to care what I have to say. But the truth is, if only one person cares, then that is something. And one day a blog post of mine may even help that person get passed something they’ve been struggling with.