How do I get back in the teen mindset?

satyesu · Apr 29, 2010

I loved reading teen fiction in my adolescence. They weren't all sexed and gored up, the main characters were people I could identify with, and so on. Now, I don't know if most schools wee kind of like those in movies, but mine wasn't, and it's been a while since graduation. How do I get into a groove to write teen fiction?

LadyMage · Apr 29, 2010

If there's one thing to keep in mind is that image is the most important thing at that time. Insecurities run rampant. The "What if I'm not liked?" is/was the formative thought when I was a teenager (which was about 10 years ago) and it was what made a lot of choices.

Think acceptance. In teen years, cliques are par for the course. This is also when passions get discovered - not even just for each other, but for something: music, reading, writing, history... It's a very formative time.

Good luck!!

Cyia · Apr 29, 2010

Read YA. Watch teen shows.

CheyElizabeth · Apr 29, 2010

Read YA! Read lots and lots of YA books, and before you know it you'll be thinking like a teenager.

I wouldn't necessary watch "teen" shows because they are all played by actors in their 20s. I'd say more preteen shows like ICarly, etc etc (stuff on Disney or Nickelodean) are more in tune to real teens.

Also, hang out on facebook, or lamebook.com

Midnight Star · Apr 29, 2010

Cyia said:
Read YA. Watch teen shows.

I'd stick more with the reading. I'm a teen, and the teen shows on Disney Channel and ABC Family and such don't always depict teens correctly.

Of course, every high school and group of teens is different. Sometimes the shows are close to real life for one group, but far away for the others. Really, you have to follow the teenagers around to get a feel for how their lives are.

But who has the time? I think the best thing to do is to go ahead and write based on what you think it might be like, and then let some teens read it and tell you where you're right and wrong.

Shakesbear · Apr 29, 2010

Teen magazines? Especially the ones that have a problems page. They might also use some of the current slang words. They'd be good for fashion and music.

C.M.C. · Apr 29, 2010

Deprive your brain of oxygen for a little while? Sounds about right to me. [/joke]

LOG · Apr 29, 2010

I thought the teen mindset of teens was that of rebellion. If that's the case, then they must rebel by following the same mindset as everyone else who expects them to act differently.

Kelsey · Apr 29, 2010

Those Nickelodeon shows like iCarly and Hannah Montana might be good for things like dialogue and trendy words and phrases. For content, "Glee" does a pretty good job of encapsulating a lot of teen issues such as weight, popularity, teen pregnancy, being different, etc. As for what is important to teens, read things like Glamour Girl, Cosmo Girl, Vogue Teen, etc., especially the parts where teens write in themselves. Other than that, just read as much teen fiction as you possibly can.

satyesu · Apr 29, 2010

teen mindset pt 2 (merged with 'How do I get back in the teen mindset' thread)

Hey all, thanks for help with my other YA question. In doing more reading I found this:

The exact age of a YA character isn’t as important as the need for the age to fit the character. High school freshmen will act, think, and relate much differently than seniors. The most important requirement for your characters is that they are real. Their language, relationships, worries, hobbies, etc., must be exactly right for the person you have created

I can hearken back to my adolescence somewhat, but how on earth can I make these distinctions years out?

Kelsey · Apr 29, 2010

I don't know that this needed a second thread....

Decide what age your character is and go with it. I don't even know that I fully agree with the above quote. The issues teens deal with aren't exclusive to freshmen, sophomores, juniors, or seniors, but the way they are dealt with might be. Immerse yourself in the shows, books, magazines, etc. Eventually, it might all come naturally.

sneaky_squirrel · Apr 29, 2010

I have to disagree with shows, they are purely entertainment and in no way will they help you think like a teen.

I'd go with reading YA (Books tend to go inside the mind and are much more real rather than just shallow acting).

Regan Leigh · Apr 29, 2010

Go introduce yourself to these guys.

http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=177378&page=125

"Old people" writing for teens.

Smish · Apr 29, 2010

Read current YA. Lots of it.

Rubicon · Apr 29, 2010

satyesu said:
I loved reading teen fiction in my adolescence. They weren't all sexed and gored up, the main characters were people I could identify with, and so on. Now, I don't know if most schools wee kind of like those in movies, but mine wasn't, and it's been a while since graduation. How do I get into a groove to write teen fiction?

Read this book the teenage voice is exceptional.

[FONT=&quot]Vernon[/FONT][FONT=&quot] god little by Dbc Pierre[/FONT]

Becky Black · Apr 30, 2010

One thing, overreact to everything. Or at least imagine overreacting to every little thing. Things you shrug off and quickly forget when you're older seem to be either the greatest thing that ever happened in the world ever, or the biggest catastrophe to a teenager. If your parents won't let you go to that party they're oppressing you and your life will be ruined forever! Nobody has ever suffered the way you're suffering. etc. Teens are dramatic. Great for stories.

Lydia Sharp · Apr 30, 2010

Regan Leigh said:
Go introduce yourself to these guys.

http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=177378&page=125

"Old people" writing for teens.

Smish said:
Read current YA. Lots of it.

QFT.

I feel your pain, because I'm currently writing my first YA novel, and had the very same fears that it wouldn't present a believable voice. So far, my main beta reader (a YA author herself) has seen no real issue with it feeling unrealistic.

Most importantly, don't stereotype your characters.

When I was a teenager, I was not your typical teenager, and even so, teenagers are old enough to be their own people, which means they are not solely what they appear to be on the outside. They have layers and depth, just like any other adult character you would write about. Not all teenage girls are interested in fashion trends. Not all teenage guys are interested in cars. And not all teenagers of either gender are inherently rebellious. There is going to be more insecurity than an adult, yes, but that doesn't mean it has to be your main focus, or you'll end up with a character who looks so weak your reader will lose interest. There is also going to be a larger focus on sexually-related things, especially for guys, since they hit their sexual peak at age 18. That is realistic, but again, it doesn't have to be the main focus.

justAnotherWriter · Apr 30, 2010

Date an 18 year old.

jvc · Apr 30, 2010

Kelsey said:
I don't know that this needed a second thread....

I wasn't sure two threads were needed either. Merged them into one

I may also move this over to the YA forum soon, too.

How do I get back in the teen mindset?

satyesu

LadyMage

Coffee habit ahoy

Cyia

Rewriting My Destiny

CheyElizabeth

My horn can pierce the sky!

Midnight Star

We are once in a lifetime.

Shakesbear

knows a hawk from a handsaw

C.M.C.

Archetype

LOG

Lagrangian

Kelsey

Book Slut

satyesu

Kelsey

Book Slut

sneaky_squirrel

Regan Leigh

Insomniac Writer

Smish

Reads more than she writes.

Rubicon

Becky Black

Writing my way off the B Ark

Lydia Sharp

for the love of love

justAnotherWriter

jvc

Fearsome Dragon Mod