How to Write Young Adult Fiction
Learn to write, and write well., Develop your own style., Start thinking about what you would like to write about., Create characters., Draft a plot., Start writing!, Go back, reread, and revise., Edit your work., By now, your writing is just about...
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Learn to write
Practice writing short stories, like experiences from your own life.
Use plenty of description, vivid words, and exaggeration.
Make the short stories interesting.
Try different writing styles, like poetry, nonfiction, fiction, persuasion, descriptivism, etc.
Read the classics to get an idea of what it takes to be a master.
Write a lot, but don't feel forced to write all the time.
Creativity comes naturally, and so do thoughts in writing. -
Step 2: and write well.
This isn't a very good "step"
because you can't force this, so wait for it to come naturally.
Your writing should be different, and should stand out.
Are your sentences short and to the point, or long and descriptive? Are your story plots complicated or simple? If you can answer these types of questions, you know you've got a good style going on. , What would a "young adult" (aged from about 13-20) like to read about? What did you like to read at that age? What do kids of that age read now? Take some time to look at old Young Adult Fiction favorite topics- vampires, werewolves, school stories, witches, wizards, and teenage romance- you get the idea.
Try to pick one that could be popular, but hasn't been worn out already.
Make sure you love it, too! , Male or female? Regular or supernatural? Think about what they look like, where they come from, how they speak, whom they love and hate, and how everything blends and form the character that you have skillfully created.
In your story, you don't have to reveal everything about the character, or provide explanations.
All people are a little mysterious, but most aren't too mysterious.
Don't make them people in your story- make them people, people who can live and think and reason, just like us! , Find fascinating settings for the stories to take place in.
Come up with a problem, which is the main things that keeps the story moving.
You can make it complex or simple, but don't make it disappear that easily.
Find a solution (but only if you want, maybe your problem doesn't have one.) Make sure that your characters change in some way and there is a message/moral to the story.
What's the point of writing if it doesn't mean anything? , Break the writing up into manageable sections or chapters, so it doesn't get too tedious.
Make your writing pop- don't leave the reader after a chapter not wanting to go on.
Add mini cliffhangers after chapters and major cliffhangers after parts.
Keep on changing up what's going on and make the plot transitions smooth.
It's common to hit roadblocks at this step and fall into despair.
Don't worry; this is completely normal for any writer
- professional or first-timer.
When this happens, step away from your work.
Take a walk or get moving on the treadmill.
Then approach your story with a refreshed mind. , This means serious, hard-core revising, with taking out sections and putting in sections, choosing better words to use, and changing weird parts.
Ask someone else to read it and help you pick out awkward parts.
Ask many people to help you! , Fix those annoying grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors.
Use a computer or a friend to help you. , Look at all the way you've come: before, you were a little confused.
Now you've learned to write well, chosen your topic, wrote the story, and fixed the story.
It is now time to share it with the world! Go on, don't keep it to yourself! -
Step 3: Develop your own style.
-
Step 4: Start thinking about what you would like to write about.
-
Step 5: Create characters.
-
Step 6: Draft a plot.
-
Step 7: Start writing!
-
Step 8: Go back
-
Step 9: reread
-
Step 10: and revise.
-
Step 11: Edit your work.
-
Step 12: By now
-
Step 13: your writing is just about perfect.
Detailed Guide
Practice writing short stories, like experiences from your own life.
Use plenty of description, vivid words, and exaggeration.
Make the short stories interesting.
Try different writing styles, like poetry, nonfiction, fiction, persuasion, descriptivism, etc.
Read the classics to get an idea of what it takes to be a master.
Write a lot, but don't feel forced to write all the time.
Creativity comes naturally, and so do thoughts in writing.
This isn't a very good "step"
because you can't force this, so wait for it to come naturally.
Your writing should be different, and should stand out.
Are your sentences short and to the point, or long and descriptive? Are your story plots complicated or simple? If you can answer these types of questions, you know you've got a good style going on. , What would a "young adult" (aged from about 13-20) like to read about? What did you like to read at that age? What do kids of that age read now? Take some time to look at old Young Adult Fiction favorite topics- vampires, werewolves, school stories, witches, wizards, and teenage romance- you get the idea.
Try to pick one that could be popular, but hasn't been worn out already.
Make sure you love it, too! , Male or female? Regular or supernatural? Think about what they look like, where they come from, how they speak, whom they love and hate, and how everything blends and form the character that you have skillfully created.
In your story, you don't have to reveal everything about the character, or provide explanations.
All people are a little mysterious, but most aren't too mysterious.
Don't make them people in your story- make them people, people who can live and think and reason, just like us! , Find fascinating settings for the stories to take place in.
Come up with a problem, which is the main things that keeps the story moving.
You can make it complex or simple, but don't make it disappear that easily.
Find a solution (but only if you want, maybe your problem doesn't have one.) Make sure that your characters change in some way and there is a message/moral to the story.
What's the point of writing if it doesn't mean anything? , Break the writing up into manageable sections or chapters, so it doesn't get too tedious.
Make your writing pop- don't leave the reader after a chapter not wanting to go on.
Add mini cliffhangers after chapters and major cliffhangers after parts.
Keep on changing up what's going on and make the plot transitions smooth.
It's common to hit roadblocks at this step and fall into despair.
Don't worry; this is completely normal for any writer
- professional or first-timer.
When this happens, step away from your work.
Take a walk or get moving on the treadmill.
Then approach your story with a refreshed mind. , This means serious, hard-core revising, with taking out sections and putting in sections, choosing better words to use, and changing weird parts.
Ask someone else to read it and help you pick out awkward parts.
Ask many people to help you! , Fix those annoying grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors.
Use a computer or a friend to help you. , Look at all the way you've come: before, you were a little confused.
Now you've learned to write well, chosen your topic, wrote the story, and fixed the story.
It is now time to share it with the world! Go on, don't keep it to yourself!
About the Author
Hannah Gray
Committed to making hobbies accessible and understandable for everyone.
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