Write a Young Adult Novel
A young adult novel, often called YA, is like an adult novel with teenage characters. Much of the writing process is the same and readers often read both YA and adult fiction. Authors of young adult novels detail the delicate, awkward, interesting lives of young people trying to transition into adulthood.
Instructions
Plan
1. Read young adult books, and look through teenage magazines. Go to the library or bookstore and see what books are popular now, and analyze them to see what teens are looking for in a novel. This will help you to decide which plots and themes have been overwritten and give you insight as to current issues.
2. Choose an age group to focus your novel on and use themes acceptable for that age. Young adult books are typically marketed for ages 12 to 18, though many younger and older readers also enjoy them. Older YA readers can handle, and prefer, the main character tackling edgier subjects with much introspection and big questions, while younger readers prefer main characters watching their friends or family go through these big issues.
3. Choose a genre as you would with an adult book. YA novel genres take on subjects such as general fiction, fantasy, science fiction, animals, school, families and mystery, and non-fiction and memoirs.
4. Think of a plot or set of characters for your story before you begin writing. Keep a journal or a notebook close by to jot down any interesting thoughts. Remember times from your own teenage years or ask friends to recall their most awkward moments.
5. Create a general outline of your story, including characters, plots, viewpoint, themes and lessons to be learned. Characters in a YA story tend to experience life in a dramatic way and grow psychologically throughout the story.
Write
6. Start writing. The beginning of any book is difficult to write but extremely important. Teenagers often stand in a bookstore or library and read the first few pages of a book to decide whether to continue. The beginning should introduce the characters and start talking about the plot or theme of the story.
7. Continue writing. The body of the story focuses on the challenges the characters face and the choices they make. A typical young adult novel is between 40,000 and 75,000 words long. The middle of the story is where the bulk of your character's experiences happen, where he begins to question his role in life or she struggles with the importance of relationships. Often a tragedy has taken place in the beginning and the character is left to deal with the aftermath.
8. Create a climax. All of the things the characters have been struggling with finally come to a critical point and one decision can change everything. The climax generally happens right before the ending-everything that has happened in the beginning and middle leads up to this moment of truth and resolution.
9. End the book. Be careful not to drag the story out too far after the climax. YA novels don't always end with happiness, but most hidden themes require some sort of resolution or understanding. Characters will find their way and feel as though they have become a part of their world. Lessons aren't as necessary as a sort of psychological and emotional transformation.
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