THOUGHTS: The Dos and Don'ts of Writing YA

 

            The amazing thing about writing YA is that it is a genre that is really blossoming as of late. There are so many new subgenres, styles, and motifs of writing that were not in this genre even 15 years ago. Times have certainly changed, and YA has become a genre for experimentation in a way. Similar to how teens are constantly experimenting with who they are, the genre has been experimenting with who it is. The genre is always changing just like it’s readership, but there are certain things that should and should not be found in YA books. Everyone is different, but I think this list is a good, comprehensive look at the dos and don’ts of writing YA.

THE DOS

1.     Have a strong, clear main character for the reader to follow through the story’s journey. Even in multiple POV stories where there are two or more main characters, they still need to be strong and clear.

2.     Make sure that at the end of every chapter there’s a slight cliffhanger, peak in the plot, question, new discovery, or something that won’t be cleared up until the next chapter. This keeps readers reading even though it’s five in the morning on a Monday, and they still haven’t done their math homework.

THE DON’TS

1.     I don’t care how amazing the world you have created is, or that you did detailed character charts for your main character’s whole family lineage. Don’t put all that in your writing. Story details have a time and a place, and if you have an awesome detail that doesn’t then you should nix it. Just because you know everything, doesn’t mean the reader needs to or even wants to.

2.     Long chapters are a big no-no. Young adults have busy lives. They’re constantly doing something, and nobody wants to stop reading if they’re not at the start of a new chapter. Plus, short chapters means readers feel more accomplished when they’ve read 15 out of 70 chapters more so than 2 out of 10 chapters.

3.     Please don’t start your book in anybody’s POV other than your main character’s. It’s confusing and a little jarring to be experiencing something exciting in one person’s POV and then find out that person is a secondary character and now the rest of the story will be in this other person’s POV. This, of course, is a little different for multiple POV stories.

Like my list of favorite tropes, this is one of those posts that will probably get updated when I come across more atrocious don’ts in my reading.

XOXO Tia