Writing for Young Adults? Here Are the Key Elements Your Story Needs

There is a particular recipe for writing young adult fiction and non-fiction. That’s not to say they’re formulaic, but that there are specific components you as an author need to include for your novel to be categorically young adult (YA). My last blog covered everything you should include, but certain elements appear more often than others.

Out of the Mouths of Teens

Teens talk a lot. I mean, this is a generalization, but it’s often the case. YA reflects that with more dialogue-heavy scenes than other novels. You still want to keep these conversations to the point, but there will be plenty of them throughout the story.

Authors also reflect how teens speak, which is often more impulsive, with less confidence (or sometimes overconfidence), lots of drama, and keeping it simple with grammar and vocabulary. All of that makes it more digestible and “real” for the readership.

It’s About the Teens/Young Adults

Whether the genre is horror, western, sci-fi, or epic fantasy, the story is still grounded in the reality of what it is to be a teenager or young adult. YA novels take the protagonist and the readers by proxy on a thrilling adventure that comes with lots of self-exploration.

The world and core dilemmas are merely a vehicle to instigate that growth. By maintaining realism, readers will identify with the story and characters all the better, keeping them turning pages and learning a bit more about themselves.

Showing Some Growth

No matter what lessons the protagonist takes or how the story ends, good or bad, they will learn something by the end of the novel, leaving them happy enough that readers are satisfied. Regardless of genre or theme, it is a universal truth across all young adult fiction and non-fiction.

But remember that whatever “lesson” you may have in your novel, you keep it subtle. If there’s anything teens dislike, it’s someone telling them overtly what to do or think, so successful authors avoid being preachy.

Diet Tough Subjects

Teens are not immune to the struggles many adults face, so most authors aren’t afraid to incorporate love, loss, death, sex, violence, and other challenging topics in their works. However, they often approach it delicately, providing a safe space for teens to tackle and process these difficult life factors.

YA novels are a brilliant vehicle to educate and encourage literacy, but also emotional intelligence and critical thinking surrounding major, life-moving subjects.

All of these elements make up the foundation of quality young adult fiction and non-fiction. Thankfully, they’re relatively straightforward to incorporate into your writing, regardless of what you write about.

Stay true to the story you want to tell while keeping the above in mind, and you’ll have readers clamoring for more! Reach out to me at jsims@jairesims.com and follow me on social media to ask me anything else about YA novels. I’ll be happy to hear from you.