How to Write Fiction for Young Adults
Writing fiction for young adults can be far more rewarding than just financially. Young adult readers are flexible and imaginative, and they have the desire to get caught up in a fictional fantasy. But before writing, you need to make a few decisions.
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Instructions
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How to Write Fiction for Young Adults
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Read, read, read in the genre of your choice. Analyze the book. What made it work? What style and voice made this book different from another one? And then discover your voice.
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Determine whether writing for young adults is for you. This genre is notably about coming of age and it’s a time of honesty, passion, independence, exploration, breakdowns and breakthroughs. And you must capture the essence of this time in a young person’s life.
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3
Determine the age range for your young adult novel. Typically, the young adult fiction market is geared for those 12-16. Writing techniques differ depending on which end of the age range you’re going for. Books closer to the middle school age will have different content and maturity levels than those at the high end of the range.
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Choose a subgenre for your book. Young adult fiction subgenres include contemporary, multicultural, alternative lifestyle, fantasy, science fiction, horror, historical, humor, mystery, romance and religious. Choosing a genre is important in selling your book because the publisher needs to know where to market it.
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Write from your heart. Get in touch with your inner teen and remember what issues were important to you at that time. Chances are they will be important to teens today. Conflict is what drives any novel, and this is one time you’ll be grateful for everything you ever suffered as a teen. Young adult novels are fast-paced, and putting conflict on every page will result in a page-turner.
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Tips & Warnings
Don’t be dismayed by the sheer number of writers out there. You are different from anybody else and that will make your writing different.
Don’t write down to your audience. Children of all ages read a couple of years above their age and can spot inauthenticity.
