Even before J. K. Rowling's tremendous success with
her Harry Potter series, publishers were frantically searching for fantasy and
horror fiction for children and teenagers that they hoped would top the
bestseller list. Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, but it does
not insure success as a writer. Here are my suggestions:
Tip One: You don’t need to copy current market trends.
(Honor bright!)
Teens have varied tastes in fiction. Not every teen
or juvenile book needs to feature werewolves, vampires, witches, goblins, etc.
Witness the huge success of such realistic teen novels as THE FAULT IN OUR
STARS. Note that ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE by
Anthony Doerr which won the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction could easily be
read and understood by teens as well as adults since the novel is suited to
both. Here we have a book which is historical in nature. Teens are as curious
about the past as they are about the present and the future.
Books set in the "real" world do have
appeal for teenagers. Teens are not necessarily trying to read books that
provide a total escape from reality. Even fantasy books need to be believable,
providing an element of reality through character development to which readers
can relate. In the crossover novel THE THIRD EYE: A PINE BARRENS MYSTERY, the
real world is seen through the eyes of a teenage boy while his mother
experiences it through an alternate reality. The paranormal elements in the
novel are believable because the “real” world interacts with them.
Dystopian novels are still popular at the current
time. But trends change rapidly. My
advice, don't write for the market; write the story you need and want to write.
We are all writers. We all have within us an important, wonderful story to
share. Get in touch with your inner teen self.
Strive for authenticity.
Tip Two: Develop a unique voice.
This is one of the most important things in writing
a successful young adult novel. This does not mean that you must write only
from a first person point of view. However, teenage readers often respond well
to a first person narrative. But ”voice” has to do with choice of vocabulary
and style as well. In my YA novel,
STACY’S SONG, the
story is written in the first person from the main character’s point of view.
Stacy has a sense of humor and a unique perspective.
Tip Three: Character identification is significant.
It is important to create a central character that
young readers can both sympathize and identify with. Whether writing realistic or
fantasy fiction, if the reader can't care about or relate to the main
character, then he or she won't believe or accept what follows. A main character needs to be well-rounded,
think and feel the way adolescents do.
Tip Four: Know teenagers.
If you are going to write about teens, you need to
know them. Do some research. Besides raising two teenagers, I taught English
and later Library Science. I taught at all levels: the university, high school,
middle school and elementary. But most of my years were in the high school. I
am accustomed to the way teenagers think, talk and behave. If you are not a
teen yourself, talk to teenagers, read their magazines, watch their favorite TV
programs, observe how they behave at malls, amusement parks, movie theaters etc.
Listen to them.
Tip Five: Recall your own teenage memories.
Dig deep into your psyche. How did you feel as a
teenager? Were you confused about certain things? What made you happy? What
troubled you? What are your most vivid memories of those times? Did you keep a
diary or journal? If so, reread some of what you wrote.
My YA novel, THE DEVIL AND DANNA WEBSTER, published by Clean
Reads in all e-book formats and print, is the story of a girl who has identity
issues. She is also faced with peer pressure and conflicting values. Most of us
have gone through similar problems as adolescents.
Tip Six: Get input from your own children.
Ask your teenagers to read your writing and
critique it. Consider collaborating with your children on the writing of your fiction.
I wrote WHERE IS ROBERT?, a YA mystery
novel, with help from both of my sons who were teenagers at the time. Both boys
contributed to the scenes of high school wrestling, since they both engaged in
the sport. I couldn't have written the book without them. My son, Andrew,
co-authored THE THIRD EYE:
A PINE BARRENS MYSTERY published by Five Star/Gale/Cengage. He gave the
teenage boy narrator an authentic “voice”.
Tip Seven: Make it dramatic.
Think like a cinematographer. Create vivid scenes.
Dramatize your story. Don't just tell your story, show it. I'm certain you've
heard that advice before! How to do this? Create meaningful, realistic dialogue
for your characters. Each character should be an individual, talking in a
certain distinct way to reflect a personal point of view, a unique way of
thinking. Good dialogue leads to action and conflict between people with
different viewpoints and goals.
Also, settings need to be described so that they
seem real. In fact, there's nothing wrong with using real places for background
setting. My five published YA’s are all set in Central
New Jersey , an area very much like the one in which I lived
and worked.
Tip Eight: Begin with an outline.
Outlines can be rough. They don’t need to be
detailed. But you should have some idea about arranging the events of the plot
line. This will be something to consult when writing your first draft with your
key characters and scenes.
Tip Nine: When you develop your book, look for
depth.
Although
books for teens are usually shorter than those for adults, that doesn't mean
they require less creative thought. Respect your readers; give them quality.
Tip Ten: Provide an element of mystery.
Teens as well as younger children enjoy a mystery.
Every good work of fiction should have a plot that keeps the reader turning the
pages, wanting to discover what is going to happen next. It's important to set
up some sort of a question that can't be easily or immediately answered, a
secret of the human heart that must be delved into.
Tip Eleven: Develop key themes in your YA fiction.
Teen novels are generally about coming-of-age, of
finding personal identity, making sense of the adult world, relating to it and
fitting into it—or not.
My latest YA novel is WITCH WISH. Val Williams believes she will never be as pretty or
popular as her older sister Ailene. When Ailene dumps her on an unfamiliar road
after an argument, Val decides to ask directions of the only person she sees,
an old woman engaged in a garage sale. Val purchases a music box which the old
woman claims has magical qualities and will grant Val one wish. Val wishes that
that her sister would stop being so perfect but soon comes to regret her wish.
https://blackopalbooks.com/witch-wish/
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DRB3VVH
The success of J.K. Rowling’s books gave new hope
and inspiration to those of us who write juvenile fiction. No longer could we
gripe that children and young adults do not read. If nothing else, the
reception the Potter books received proves that there is an audience for
fiction among young people. Also, such books if well-written have a strong
appeal for adult readers as well—think of THE HUNGER GAMES, DIVERGENT or the
TWILIGHT series.
Your comments, suggestions and input welcome here!
