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The November 26 newsletter discussed writing for children. I promised then I'd cover writing for teens, and the time has finally arrived. I don't claim to know all there is about the subject, but perhaps my suggestions will help trigger more writers for this group.
Viv
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Writing for Teens - A Trip into Imagination
Writing for teens is different than writing for children or adults – what a minute! That statement is not true. Except for possible topics and making sure the reading level is correct, good writing is good writing. No reader likes bad writing. The difference is teenagers will tell you when they find something boring, loudly.
Teenagers expect much in what they read. They do not accept anything boring. What they read has to have action, things have to happen immediately. They will not wait for something interesting to arrive; they want it NOW. Yes, teens are often more demanding that adult readers.
Using flashbacks should be used seldom and only in short, vivid scenes. In fact, all stories should be written in vivid scenes.
The main characters should be close to the ages of the selected audience, because teenagers better identify with characters close to their own ages, perhaps a bit older, but not much. According to Claire Carmichael in “Writing for Teens and Writing for Adults,” Adult readers, having lived longer, have experienced life more extensively and can empathize with a wider age range.
Short stories for teenagers should draw on feelings, issues, and conflicts between teens and their peers and with family members. The writings might show how teens handle tough topics and conflicts, even everyday problems. Any moral message needs to be subtle enough that readers don’t feel they are being beaten over the head.
One thing a writer for teens needs, if not a teenager, is imagination so that she can pretend to be a teenager and “see” a story from a teenager’s perspective. Mridu Khullar, in “Writing for Teens, states: “When writing for teenagers, you’ve got to be one. You’ve got to think like a thirteen-year-old trying to figure out if the guy she’s crushing on really likes her or not.” What may not seem important for an adult is for that thirteen-year-old.” She adds later in the article that a writer must have the mind-set of a teenager and be capable of the thought processes of one to be successful writing for the teen audience.
Therefore, to write for teens, go back in your imagination to when you were a teen. Remember the pain, the struggles as they appeared then, not as they seem now. Become a teenager the age of your audience before putting pen to paper or fingers to keyboard.
I tried to follow my own advice in my stories for teenagers.
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Short Stories: January 24, 2007 Issue [#1496]
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