How to Write a Teen Romance Story
No matter what age you are, the chances are pretty good that you can recall with amazing detail the first crush you had when you were in high school. If you're a savvy wordsmith and can conjure those memories of euphoria, angst, anticipation and pathos associated with that early discovery of the opposite sex, today's young adult (YA) market is one of the most exciting and lucrative fields for new writers to break into. While every generation tends to believe that it's the first and only one to ever experience the depth of these emotions, it's the timeless nature of love, loss, hope and friendship that makes it almost impossible to ever run out of fun ideas for stand-alone titles and series.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
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Familiarize yourself with what today's teens are reading. Websites such as TeensReadToo and Good Reads are a good starting place because of the reviews they post on popular new releases (see Resources.) Troll the YA section of the magazine stands at your local bookstore and pay close attention to the content of their advice columns (which are usually related to dating). Get yourself a subscription to Children's Writer Newsletter (childrenswriter.com), a monthly publication that contains interviews with industry professionals, how-to features and current market listings.
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Create a character profile for the heroine of your YA romance. In addition to her physical description, identify her talents, interests, strengths, weaknesses, career goals and dreams. Examine her family structure, social and economic status, and what kinds of companions she has in her life.
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Fashion a similar profile for the young hero to whom your heroine will be attracted. In addition, identify whether he's a brainy guy, a charismatic leader or someone who excels at sports.
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Determine how your hero and heroine will first meet as well as the obstacles that threaten to keep them apart. YA novels typically unfold against backdrops that are already familiar to teens and tweens. Examples include school, church, sports, music and social clubs. You may, however, want to introduce an exciting exotic setting in the context of a family vacation or a foreign exchange student experience. Popular obstacles may include parental opposition, divergent dreams and aspirations, jealous rivals, and comedic misunderstandings.
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Examine the importance of male and female friendships as viable sounding boards. Girls in YA romances typically have gal pals to whom they can confide the progress of the relationship. In some cases, the confidante can be a parent, a sister or a worldly female relative. Males, in contrast, tend to keep their romantic emotions to themselves.
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Give your short story or novel a clear beginning, middle and ending. Heighten the romantic suspense by forcing your young romantics to take escalating risks in order to be together.
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Tips & Warnings
Draw inspiration for your YA plots from mythology, folk lore, Shakespeare and even pop music lyrics.
Test your work in progress on teenagers you know and listen thoughtfully to their candid feedback.
Eschew trendy teen lingo in your work. Not only will this come across as fake to your target demographic but contemporary slang will date your work and affect its longevity.
