finding your character's voice

I don't know if this will help, but you might want to try watching some of the shows on Nick and the Disney Channel (if you can stomach them).

Some of the ones my kids watch are "The Suite LIfe of Zach & Cody", "Hannah Montana", "Wizards of Waverly Place", "Cory in the House", "That's So Raven", "iCarly", and "Drake & Josh".

Do what the people above say.

But the way I learned to talk like a teenager was to be teenager...so I'm not the best help am I?

Sage said:

d) If you're feeling adventurous, put him in the Voice Game (Game: Your MC's Voice thread) for practice

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I second this motion.

I find that the best policy is honesty.

What I mean is don't try too hard. You may be bewildered by our crazy, newfangled teenager-speak, and it may sound as off to you as Nadsat, but don't try to copy it as is. I've read some books that tried to do this, let's just say that they're not enjoyable. Okay, I'll go ahead and say that they're just plain painful to read.

But, then again, I'm a curmudgeon around here. You probably shouldn't listen to me.

yeah, you know what? I just realize I do NONE of the things listed above... I don't hang out with teens, or visit their website, or anything, but even though I've been removed from YA-hood for some time, somehow I'm better with the YA voice than the adult voice. Call me immature, many people have. But I guess sometimes it just comes naturally to you. I agree with Haphazard, just don't force it. YAs are capable of intelligent thought, just like adults are! They're not so different after all! Just don't make your MC concerned about things like social security and Metamucil, and you'll be ok.

AP teen, remedial teen, articulate teen, inarticulate teen, geographic region of the teen, their vocabularies and speech patterns vary as do adults. You might check urban dictionary for some current terms or create your own. Then there is text messaging-speak.

A daunting task but all the above posts offer excellent advice.

Haphazard said:

I find that the best policy is honesty.

What I mean is don't try too hard. You may be bewildered by our crazy, newfangled teenager-speak

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Agree completely.
Keep it simple and straight forward or you'll just sound like a middle aged geezer trying to write teenage lingo.

I agree with all of the above, and your BEST bet is to read current YA books similar to what you're trying to write. (Or just any and all YA books in general that you can get your hands on where the MC is around the same age as your MC. . . .)

The more YA you read, the better your writing will be.

This is something I struggled with too, but you've been given some great advice. I think the only thing I can add is to try and give your MC some quirks you had as a kid. Did you posess a sharp wit--then use it. Make your MC witty or sarcastic at times. Did you say one thing but think another? Did you tell jokes, play pranks, show off, feel a certain way about school, teachers, etc?

If you can find something that you think would have a wide appeal (like witty thoughts, combacks, observations, etc) that you can remember what it felt like to feel/do those things, the writing and the voice will have an authenticity that comes from experience. No one is completely boring growing up--find something in your own past and use it, something that will translate to kids today that they will identify with or think is neat.

Okay,

I have a different twist. Many authors, who have written "How To" books on fiction writing often say to NOT date your novel so it will be readable years into the future. I think they're talking about creating best-selling novels that have potential to become classics.

Still, I think the advice is good. If we try to capture today's dialect, we are dating our work. So, should we really be doing that, or should we try to capture the "essence" of YA-speak without the actual dialect?

I've read some books in which the author uses so much slang it's silly. Just don't get sucked into that trap...although I guess technically it worked in the movie Clueless.

Couple things to think about when writing a teen:

1. Music is EVERYTHING (You can find your MC's voice here... this is where they get it - pick a sub-culture they are involved in... then explore it. If they are cutting themselves... go with Emo--this would be the mod/punk of today... mind you VERY different from hardcore)
2. Clothes are everything else (and if you think they don't know they are dressed like a bum... think again. Dressing like a bum is an art form when you aren't one)
3. And lastly, something else that is very important... but I only had two things to say and started it as a list - little chance of me going back and correcting that now.

Hope this helps.

Actually, there is another thing to keep in mind. EVERY generation is different (or so they believe) and to truly capture a teens attention, it's best if you nod in agreement to this.

Gah... one last thing: I wouldn't worry about dating your work. You have already picked a reactionary that is VERY dated. Cutting yourself was seen in a limited scope in 70's punk--and only for shock value. Prior to the 90's it was relatively unheard of and only in the last 15 years tops has it become a publicly known symptom of depression-seeking-attention.

I think that certain things you can get away with and others you can't. I mean, some would say that music or movies, etc would date your work, but all the time you see books where the MC is into 'oldies'. It all comes down to how you present it.

I think if you say in the book that the MC is going to see The Ring at the theatre, yeah, you've totally dated yourself. Even by today's standards it's dated. Naming specific movies isn't a good idea...even if it isn't in the movies. Tape became DVD, DVD became Blueray and so on. It's dated. Say the genre (a horror movie), not the title, or make a title up.

For music, you could say something like your MC has his headphones in and is tuning out to some heavy metal, and get away with it. Today's generation immediately thinks 'iPod' and identifies with the generic description. When something better than the iPod comes along, they will see headphones and think of the new media. Even terms like cell phones, texting, and handhelds still will hold their value to a certain degree. However, if you said MP 3, well..you've dated yourself.

Because technology is a huge part of this generation's culture, it's unwise to avoid it if you're writing contemporary. Some of the realism will be lost. Just don't be so specific that it dates your work. Keep it relatable.

As for slang, I think if you make the slang fit the character, you'll be on the right track. Instead of saying 'for shizzle' (groan) try something that will fit. Teens often shorten or splice words together to create slang. Whatever became whatev. Think of something new. The authenticity of it will come when it fits your character's style. If your character can use it confidently, it will feel real.

I think there are some slang that handles the test of time, like: Oh God, Are you kidding me? No way (sometimes), Damn, Real nice (as a sarcastic term), etc. As I said, I think it has to 'feel' right coming from the character's mouth or through their thoughts.