Writing for Teens by Chris Higgins

Author Chris Higgins shares her tips for writing aimed at teenagers and young adults:

1. Know your audience. Mix with people who are the age of your characters. Do lots of school events with students who may not be fans. You will get an honest response to your work. 
   
   
2. Teens are unforgiving readers. They lead incredibly busy lives and have little time to waste on books which don’t immediately engage them. Grab their attention from the start.
   
   
3. Don’t use teen-speak. It’s patronizing, you’ll get it wrong and it dates. Only use words you would use yourself.
   
   
4. Try writing in the first person. It helps you get inside the head of your main character.
   
   
5. Be honest and unsentimental.
   
   
6. Do your research thoroughly. If you get something wrong they’ll be on to you in a flash. But then, when you write your story, don’t let the research show.
   
   
7. Use lots of real detail. Never underestimate your readers’ intelligence, never overestimate your readers’ need for information.
   
   
8. Give each character the freedom to do what he or she wants. Planning is over-rated. When your characters do things you never intended, that’s when you know your story is working.
   
   
9. Show your characters in action, vary the pace, use lots of dialogue and reflect on what they’re doing.
   
   
10. Don’t try too hard. Allow your subconscious to take over. It can recall what it felt like to be 14 much better than your conscious mind can. Actually, it’s not that different from what it feels like to be 41.