What should you remember when writing YA?

Lilmerlin - sounds like upper MG. I feel like there shouls be the following age groups:
PB - little kids
Chapter Books - 5-8
MG - 8-10
Upper MG - 10-12
Tween - 11-14
YA - 12-18
NA - 18 +
Adult - 18+

I'd like to see more of the Tween section advertised. Those books exist, but I don't feel they're marketed as such.

jtrylch13 said:

Lilmerlin - sounds like upper MG. I feel like there shouls be the following age groups:
PB - little kids
Chapter Books - 5-8
MG - 8-10
Upper MG - 10-12
Tween - 11-14
YA - 12-18
NA - 18 +
Adult - 18+

I'd like to see more of the Tween section advertised. Those books exist, but I don't feel they're marketed as such.

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I've always seen it more like there's a crossover period for MG and YA. LIke, 10-14 is upper MG, and 12-14 is lower YA. I think tween might even be separate from that, which definitely makes things complicated...

I think of that tween category as the crossover from Upper MG to Lower Ya. I'd say those three categories blend together, but chapter books blend with lower Mg and upper YA blends with NA. They all inter mingle to the age next to them. And that's fine. If someone writes an excellent book but it doesn't fit squarely in the center of an age group, that's fine. Readers don't sit squarely in age groups anyway. Every kind of book for every kind of reader is what I'd like.

Momento Mori said:

4. Don't talk down to your audience, i.e. don't assume that you have to dumb down your language or use modern teen slang (it dates anyway).

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I can't stress this point enough.

No, not dumbing down but age-appropriate, milieu-appropriate, schooling/upbringing-appropriate, circumstances and region-appropriate language is a must if the writer wants to retain credibility for his/her characters.

Prose - writing craft - must be first rate but your character(s) must convince the reader that they are who they are (as you established them to be) and that means understanding and living-within your character from the onset of writing him/her.

If your 10-year old is a prodigy who routinely synthesizes new molecules before breakfast, his language will be development-appropriate (rather than age-appropriate) and you can have him talk like a Nobel Prize winner. But if your character is a 16 year old fresh out of 'street-caves' his language, behavior, outlook on things, mores, morals and everything that comprises a human being will be once again - environment-development-appropriate. Whether that means slang or something else, depends on where he grew up and who fostered his development.

Bottom line is that you can have a 5-year old quote Shakespeare and you can have a 20-year old bark like a seal if there is a reason for either of those developmental anomalies. And you establish those right at the start of the story to 'root' credibility of your characters. Then the reader won't question anything as long as their speech and behavior remain within the established parameters.

And as far as the detailed division of categories, age-wise, many if not most YA publishers will not divide it as finely as that. Up to 12 it's Children's literature, each age-category needs to be presented in its own development-correct style. 13-18 is YA and over 18 it's NA or still YA, since many publishers don't really hold with NA category. Once the writing and characters are over 18, it's all adult literature. Just my experience with the genre and its editors.

I know this is an old thread, but the idea will never get old. There are certain ideas you have to keep in mind when writing in any genre. YA is no different. I read tons of YA books. I love them, and they give me inspiration. I love when I read one and hear my own voice in it. It makes me feel as though I am in the right genre. I am able to capture that same voice in my writing, so I must be doing something right. It's also important when writing YA to make sure your characters all seem like young adults. You don't want them to act too old, as though they are adults in teen bodies or something like that. You also don't want them to act too young. Teenagers can certainly be immature and naive, but you do not want them to seem like they don't yet belong in high school (or middle school, if that's where your novel is going to be set).

I chose to look at your question from the characters stand point.
If you are using YA characters remember teens don't have all the answers. Almost always a teen doesn't know exactly what they want or are trying to achieve. Even if they do know, they may not know how to go about it. Guidance is what a YA character needs. This guidance can come from a parent, mentor or friend of the same age who brings a different perspective.
Second I would say the ability to change. Teens are not set in their ways. They are more willing and able to alter their past behaviours. They are also more pliable to the influences of others, whether they be good or bad. This can lead to the inner turmoil many of them have.

Remember to not be condescending. That means treating people like they're stupid.

And don't feel that you have to repeat yourself so they understand. And don't be redundant. And whatever you do, don't say the same thing more than once.

I think it's important to remember to avoid cliches. Just because it's a YA doesn't mean there has to have a beautiful but mean blonde or the jock or the nerd, etc. I also think it's important to remember that because the story is probably about a teen, they don't need to be perfect. It's okay if they get rough and make mistakes. It would be boring if they didn't.

1. Read other YA books so you know what's on the market and how others write and what should stick within the genre.

2. Remember that you can use big words in YA--it's not toddler books. But don't just throw around words you got from a thesaurus.

misslissy said:

Not everyone likes books that end with something blowing up. Especially if it's a romance novel you know?

"John reached out for Jane. And then the whole world exploded instantly killing everyone."

Yeah, that just doesn't cut it for me.

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wouldnt that be hilarious. You would go whaaaaaaat!!!

I feel the key to a good YA novel is the journey the mc goes through and how it affects him/her. I look at a lot of YA novels that I've loved and that line has remained constant. True for any book honestly, but more so in YA.

Make sure you know who your target audience is, and cater to that.
For example: I don't know any boys who read The Fault in Our Stars or watched the movie BY CHOICE. If there are too many boyish elements in a book that primarily girls would be interested in, you're going to lose your target audience.

Write something original. This mainly applies to romance novels. Too many times we see the same story: the most popular guy in school is an idiot. The girl thinks he's hot. He suddenly falls in love her and they date. He cheats and she forgives her. Or, this one: He falls in love with her. He reveals to her that he has powers because her life is in danger because they're dating. She always wants to fight with him and he says no. If you're writing a romance novel, think: How can I make this not cliché? Of course, some cliché scenes are great. But if nothing about the plot is unique, not many young adults will be interested. When it comes to fantasy YA novels, try to think of the most original, never told before tale. All the bestsellers are very unique, in the sense that you'd NEVER think of that. I think this piece of advice doesn't just apply to YA novels.

Make sure your book starts off right. Most young adults have other things they could be doing other than reading. If they open your book and it starts off boring, most of the time, most of them will give it up almost immediately. And actually, I'm pretty sure most adults do this too.

Choose a topic that young adults will care about. This is probably the most important piece of advice. It doesn't matter how talented you are or how amazing the story is. If it's something teens don't care about, then no one will read it. And if you can't think of something a teen would care about, choose something that everyone will have to care about. An example of this could be a disease.

If you're struggling to find topics, read books by other successful YA authors. If you're thinking fantasy, find a fantasy YA novel. I recommend Cassandra Clare. If you're writing romance, I definitely recommend Meg Cabot. Sarah Dessen is another great one, too. This is a surefire way to find things that readers care about. And this will help if your publisher requests for you to suggest novels that are similar in tone to yours.

The others have said not to try to include teen jargon, which is very important. Don't even try. And if you ever consider it, read Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie. The whole time, the main character sounds like he's trying too hard, which is not what you want. However, make sure the teenagers ACTUALLY SOUND LIKE TEENAGERS. Too many YA novels have teenagers sounding like their whole vocabulary was taken from an SAT Vocabulary practice test. And make sure that even when your characters aren't speaking, make sure that your main character(s) has/have a teenager-ish tone, as readers will be able to relate better.

And always try to include a romantic element, as was already mentioned in previous posts.

And SARCASM. Teens LOVE sarcasm. Make sure to include it.

As you're writing the book, think about these questions in your mind:
WHO will read my book? What book has a similar audience, and how is mine different?
Has there been any idea quite like mine?
Am I relating well with my teen audience, or is it turning out to be more adult?

There are more, but my brain is tired. That's all I've got! Hope this helps!

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Make sure you know who your target audience is, and cater to that.
For example: I don't know any boys who read The Fault in Our Stars or watched the movie BY CHOICE. If there are too many boyish elements in a book that primarily girls would be interested in, you're going to lose your target audience.

Write something original. This mainly applies to romance novels. Too many times we see the same story: the most popular guy in school is an idiot. The girl thinks he's hot. He suddenly falls in love her and they date. He cheats and she forgives her. Or, this one: He falls in love with her. He reveals to her that he has powers because her life is in danger because they're dating. She always wants to fight with him and he says no. If you're writing a romance novel, think: How can I make this not cliché? Of course, some cliché scenes are great. But if nothing about the plot is unique, not many young adults will be interested. When it comes to fantasy YA novels, try to think of the most original, never told before tale. All the bestsellers are very unique, in the sense that you'd NEVER think of that. I think this piece of advice doesn't just apply to YA novels.

Make sure your book starts off right. Most young adults have other things they could be doing other than reading. If they open your book and it starts off boring, most of the time, most of them will give it up almost immediately. And actually, I'm pretty sure most adults do this too.

Choose a topic that young adults will care about. This is probably the most important piece of advice. It doesn't matter how talented you are or how amazing the story is. If it's something teens don't care about, then no one will read it. And if you can't think of something a teen would care about, choose something that everyone will have to care about. An example of this could be a disease.

If you're struggling to find topics, read books by other successful YA authors. If you're thinking fantasy, find a fantasy YA novel. I recommend Cassandra Clare. If you're writing romance, I definitely recommend Meg Cabot. Sarah Dessen is another great one, too. This is a surefire way to find things that readers care about. And this will help if your publisher requests for you to suggest novels that are similar in tone to yours.

The others have said not to try to include teen jargon, which is very important. Don't even try. And if you ever consider it, read Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie. The whole time, the main character sounds like he's trying too hard, which is not what you want. However, make sure the teenagers ACTUALLY SOUND LIKE TEENAGERS. Too many YA novels have teenagers sounding like their whole vocabulary was taken from an SAT Vocabulary practice test. And make sure that even when your characters aren't speaking, make sure that your main character(s) has/have a teenager-ish tone, as readers will be able to relate better.

And always try to include a romantic element, as was already mentioned in previous posts.

And SARCASM. Teens LOVE sarcasm. Make sure to include it.

As you're writing the book, think about these questions in your mind:
WHO will read my book? What book has a similar audience, and how is mine different?
Has there been any idea quite like mine?
Am I relating well with my teen audience, or is it turning out to be more adult?

There are more, but my brain is tired. That's all I've got! Hope this helps!

I think everyone already covered pretty much everything but based on my personal experience ( a lesson learned the hard way), I can tell you one thing: don't include sensitive or controversial issues like religion, even if you are writing fantasy (I didn't know that; wish someone had told me!). And you should read at least a dozen book in your YA genre (romance, fantasy, dystopian or whatever interests you) before you begin your own pretty, little YA
Best of luck!

That childhood isn't some idyllic time free of trouble. Yeah, not paying bills sounds pretty idyllic, but you were also completely at the mercy of the adults in your life, which really sucks if it turns out that said adults are horrible people who shouldn't be trusted with a stone, never mind a child.

Skabr said:

And you should read at least a dozen book in your YA genre (romance, fantasy, dystopian or whatever interests you) before you begin your own pretty, little YA
Best of luck!

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This right here is the best advice ever. Though I'd say more than a dozen, and keep reading the genre/age group you are aiming for. If you don't like to read it, you won't write it well.

I love reading and writing YA, my only tips are the following.
1. Don't talk down to your readers- the audience for YA are far smarter than one would believe.
2. Don't preach to them- I'm sure they hear they hear all that in their every day lives.

Most importantly, focus on the story, at the end of the day all a reader wants is a good story.

Edita A Petrick said:

No, not dumbing down but age-appropriate, milieu-appropriate, schooling/upbringing-appropriate, circumstances and region-appropriate language is a must if the writer wants to retain credibility for his/her characters.

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That's one of the things that killed "Magonia" for me. The side-character/best friend/love interest, Jason. He's only seventeen years old, but he has a crap ton of money from inventions that are not only impossible for someone his age and lack of education to make, he is also an expert computer hacker who can forge travel papers and call in favors from the government. It doesn't work because of what you said: it's not appropriate. He was raised by two lesbians who are just ordinary people, a doctor and an environmentalist. THEY certainly didn't teach him anything, but the book makes it seem like he learned all he knows just by staying glued to his computer. And he recites the digits of the pi formula to calm his nerves. Right. Like teens do that.

It's like the protagonist from another story somehow got lost and wound up in this book...

Don't treat your reader like they're stupid.

It's about as simple as that. I see a lot of, especially in older authors, talking down to the reader not just on a technical level, but also emotionally. It's important to remember that teenagers have varied life experiences and they feel things deeply, especially when writing YA. Don't force your characters into shallow roles or hesitate to tackle heavy emotional subject matter just because you think teens won't grasp it - they will.

JinxKing said:

Don't treat your reader like they're stupid.

It's about as simple as that. I see a lot of, especially in older authors, talking down to the reader not just on a technical level, but also emotionally. It's important to remember that teenagers have varied life experiences and they feel things deeply, especially when writing YA. Don't force your characters into shallow roles or hesitate to tackle heavy emotional subject matter just because you think teens won't grasp it - they will.

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THIS.

I hate reading sub-par YA where a writer has clearly "dumbed down" (for lack of a better description) their writing. Great example is Philippa Gregory--she writes incredible historical fiction for adults, but her YA series Order of Darkness fell into the trap of a crappy narrative. The whole time I read the series, I couldn't help but feel she assumed that YA readers possess a sub-par intelligence level.

Always relate to the reader. Keep in mind that teenagers might not feel drawn in if the main character doesn't go through the same experiences they have. Also, comedy gets to everyone.

I've read this thread through and I've a couple of questions. My work tends to fall between YA and NA, the protagonists are YA, but the situations they are in are more NA and there are adults in there. Reading what has been said here about writing up age wise, can I reasonably market myself as a YA author, or do I need to be looking more to the NA side.

Also, NA isn't really a marketable thing anymore. If you do write NA, it's now just considered adult from what I'm hearing. I can't imagine any situations that would be NA vs YA unless we're talking full time jobs or college, in which case it's probably Adult. Teens, and YA, deal with every possible kind of situation imaginable. As long as the teens are actual teens the book is probably YA. But like Sage asked, if you could give us a better idea of situations that would help.

I write NA. My MCs are full-time first year students at University. They're just past the boundary of YA, because they're living independently rather than with their families, which to me is what makes the difference. I think it's more about the character's mentalities and the themes that book deals with (i.e growing up, figuring out what to do with your life etc..) than the situations themselves. But I do think there's a distinction to YA.