Groups / Writers for Young Adults / Creating Authentic Teens
He All,
I just tried posting this once before, and somehow I erased it. (It think it may have something to do with the fidgeting 2y/o on my lap....). Anyway, sorry if this same post shows up twice.
I wanted to know how you all "research" your teen characters. I vividly remember being a teenage girl, and I know the basic developmental challenges have remained the same (peer pressure, physical development, strive for independence, etc.). But modern teenage culture is different than it was before, and not just the technology aspect. I have looked at teen websites, I am trying to read as many current young adult novels as possible, and I stared really hard at the kids at the bus stop this morning. :) I actually wrote my master's thesis about teenagers, but when I look back, all those articles and books that I used are from the early to mid 1990's.
It was a little eye-opening when I was reading through a website called www.gurl.com and of course one of the main topics was sex, but it was discussed like girls should have a satisfying sex life. Sounded like they were in their 20's, not 17, to me! I just want to get my facts right. My main character is fairly tame, but not totally naive. And I need my setting to be accurate.
Thanks for your thoughts and any recommendations you might have.
Anne
part of the SparkPoint Studio Family
Thank you, Georgia/Anne! I would also recommend you read Hunger Games, because the characters are so well drawn. Also, anything by Meg Cabot. Eric Luper writes about teen aged boys.
If you don't mind some advice, I would make the older sister 15 and the younger one 14. That way they could both be in the same school. It would be 9th and 10th grades, but I think it might work better. Of course, that is just my opinion.:)
Good luck!!
Anne, I agree with the others here. Studying teens in society will be your best source for research. Being careful with adding too much slang and trends.
I love it when my mature 14 year old says, "Mom, we wouldn't say something like that!"
I'm also disturbed when she mentions that she's one of the only kids at school who don't curse. Although, she admitted to saying hell one day! lol. She says kids are trying to "be cool" when they talk, but they really sound "dumb." (I'm now including my punctuation inside the quotations. According to a college lit. teacher I spoke with, she says all punctuation should be inside. I wish someone would make up their mind!)
I feel sounding authentic is the key. Exactly how you go about this is the struggle. In my own writing, I struggle with my writing sounding like an adult looking back on her teen years. I have to go back and rewrite a lot giving the character voice speak like a teen.
Maybe meet up with some local teens and give them your material to read.
Hi Georgia,
I have written about both 14 year olds and 15 year olds. My newest ms that I am about to send out is about a 15 year old girl who changes from a tomboy to something more. Her character is basically always a little disturbed about things. She gets emotional and thinks about her best friend, who is a boy. There is no sex, but there is a great deal of teen aged lust thoughts.
I did a lot of research for my first book, If I Could Be Like Jennifer Taylor and then enlisted the help of my daughters, who though they weren't teenagers, in their twenties, they remembered what it was like and helped me with my dialogue. I also watched a lot of teen programs. The one I watched for my second novel was My Great Big Sweet 16 or something like that title, because I describe an over the top Sweet 16 and wanted to be accurate.
I would suggest that you watch the teen shows on MTV and also the shows that teens love. The best would be to actually talk with teens so you can see their dialogue. I also get teen publications online like "I Heart Daily". The thing is you don't want to use too much slang so your book won't become obsolete. My other suggestion is have teens read your ms to see if you are on the right track. They will tell you.
I hope that helps you. Of course, you might want to read my published book, If I Could Be Like Jennifer Taylor to see how I did it.:) You can find it on Amazon in both ebook and paperback.
Try hanging out at you local mall and just observing what goes on. Another thought is to become part of a youth group (as a chaperone, leader, or mentor) whether connect to a school, church, or other social network.
Hehe,
I'd say you're about 12 years away from some really good research when that person on your lap becomes a teen:)
Honestly, that's how I do my modern YA research. I have a fourteen year old daughter, and a 15 year old son.
For the most part, teen issues are the same as they've always been - body image, hormones, relational experimentation, peer pressure, exploring sexuality, independence vs dependence, death, love, fear, growth.
But you are right, the openness concerning many things has changed, the age at which certain things are known/explored. Language and slang are very different (I always have my kids check my dialogue and character names for modernization). Technology is a huge piece of change from my generation and I imagine it will continue to be.
As for where to do research, I'd say find a way to get to know some modern day teens or find some on-line who'd be willing to be first readers for your work. They'll probably be brutally honest about where you are missing (or hitting) the mark.
Good luck,
Ripley