How to Write With a Teen Voice

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

Part of the Your Writing Questions Answered Series

Q: I’ve been submitting my 12+ novel to agents since the end of 2015. I’ve been rejected each time but have had quite a lot of good, encouraging feedback. One of the comments that keeps cropping up is that I should strengthen my main character’s voice. He’s a 15 year old boy in a difficult position, grumpy but basically a good guy. Any suggestions on how I could approach this?

A: Capturing the teen voice is one of the harder things to do as a writer. It’s also a tough thing to talk about without seeing any of the actual work, but let’s look at what makes a teen voice (if the submitter of this question wants to post a snippet in the comments as an example, please feel free).

The Secrets to Self-Publishing Young Adult Books Successfully

By S.R. Johannes, @srjohannes

Part of the Indie Authors Series

In 2014, Young adults book sales were up over 20% and adult book sales were down 3%. Young adult books are hotter than ever. Many think YA books dumb down or are easy to write, but this in not the case. Teens today are smart and we authors write for them. YA books have challenges in reaching readers just like any other genres.

To date, I have sold about 80,000 ebooks of my YA novel. Many authors who are interested in writing YA books ask me: "how did I do it?" and "where did I start?". If you have the right book, marketing strategy, cover design, and connection with young readers, self-publishing a YA book can be a successful and rewarding experience! But it is not easy.

Making History Appealing to Teen Readers

By Katherine Longshore

Part of the How They Do It Series   

JH: I'd like to welcome Katherine Longshore to the blog today to chat about keeping teen readers hooked with history. Even if you don't write historicals for teens, the things she says really are applicable to all genres and all ages. Like you've heard me say a hundred times, it's all about the story. She shares tips on how to keep that in mind as you write.

Katherine earned a B.A. in Cross-Cultural Studies and Communications from Humboldt State University, planning to travel and write. Forever. Four years, six continents and countless pairs of shoes later, she went to England for two weeks, stayed five years and discovered history. She now writes novels for young adults in which the court of Henry VIII bears a strong resemblance to high school, only more dangerous. Her novel, Gilt, (out now), is the first in a series set in the court of Henry VIII, published by Viking/Penguin.

She's a member of the YA Muses, The Apocalypsies and the Class of 2k12. She tweets , babbles about history and writing on Facebook.

Take it away Katherine...

3 Things to Consider When Writing Teen Romance

By Kody Keplinger

JH: I’m delighted to have fellow YA author and blogger Kody Keplinger here today to chat with us about writing romance for teens. I first “met” Kody ages ago on the Absolute Write forums, when she posted her query for her then yet-unpublished novel The DUFF. I’m happy to say I knew then she had something with that book, and even happier that she sold and published that novel to huge buzz and accolades. Her second novel came out a few months ago, and I’m hearing good things about that one as well. (and hopes it winds up under the tree this year with all the other great books on my list)

Kody wrote THE DUFF during her senior year of high school. She is now twenty and lives in New York City, where she continues to write YA novels. SHUT OUT, her second novel, came out in September 2011 and another, A MIDSUMMER'S NIGHTMARE, is due in 2012. Kody is a contributor to the writing blog YA Highway and a member of the contemporary, realistic YA fiction group The Contemps. You can also follow her on Twitter.

And for a double treat, I’m also guest posting over at The Write Now! Coach, talking about moving your premise idea to an actual plot (and how to tell if you have a premise or a plot). So come on over when you’re done here. If you happen to have a YA romance you think might be more premise or plot, today is certainly your day.

Take it away Kody…

Standing in Be’tween: Writing for a Younger Market

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy


When I first wrote The Shifter, I wasn’t sure what market it was going to be for. My protagonist, Nya, was 17, so it could have been an adult or a YA novel. By chapter three I knew it was YA. The voice, the tone, the story, all pointed in that direction. It was actually the story that made me realize this was my writing niche.

When my agent was submitting it, editors kept calling it a middle grade book. This surprised me, because in my mind, I’d written YA. After I sold it, it was called an upper middle grade novel, intended for ages 10 to 14. The ’tween years.