Needing info on writing YA fantasy

tasha43055 · Oct 26, 2008

Hello everyone. I have one novel under my belt but I am working on my first YA fantasy. My MC is only 16. I have not been that age in 9 years. How do I keep my characters from acting or sounding older? What things should not happen to characters in a YA? All my characters are between 12 and 17. One is older though.

Stormhawk · Oct 26, 2008

Read other YA books, and talk to teenagers.

I'm lucky, I have a friend's young sister who will the same age as my MC by the time I get around to writing my YA book, so I can throw it at her so she can crit the dialogue. ^_^

Danthia · Oct 26, 2008

I second the reading part. The best way to hear how teen characters sound is to read teen novels. With fantasy, there isn't that much difference between YA and adult, so you can probably rest easy there on how the characters sound. The odds of your MC sounding too old are pretty slim, unless you have her knowing things that would require someone with a lot more life experience to understand.

Pay attention to what they know and what someone in that age range would know in your world. If it's fantasy, there's a good chance kids grow up faster and have to take on more adult responsibilites earlier, so sounding older wouldn't be a bad thing. 16 was "adult" in a lot of cultures. Heck, it still in today.

There really are no "do nots" in YA these days. You'd want to focus on problems and stories that would appeal to a teen audience, so you'd probably want to stay away from stuff that would only appeal to adults. Though honestly, in YA fantasy, I can't think of anything that would be adult only except graphic sexual situations and violence. You can still have sex and violence, you just need to back down some on the details. Go more for the emotional aspect than the descriptive.

tasha43055 · Oct 26, 2008

Danthia said:
I second the reading part. The best way to hear how teen characters sound is to read teen novels. With fantasy, there isn't that much difference between YA and adult, so you can probably rest easy there on how the characters sound. The odds of your MC sounding too old are pretty slim, unless you have her knowing things that would require someone with a lot more life experience to understand.

Pay attention to what they know and what someone in that age range would know in your world. If it's fantasy, there's a good chance kids grow up faster and have to take on more adult responsibilites earlier, so sounding older wouldn't be a bad thing. 16 was "adult" in a lot of cultures. Heck, it still in today.

There really are no "do nots" in YA these days. You'd want to focus on problems and stories that would appeal to a teen audience, so you'd probably want to stay away from stuff that would only appeal to adults. Though honestly, in YA fantasy, I can't think of anything that would be adult only except graphic sexual situations and violence. You can still have sex and violence, you just need to back down some on the details. Go more for the emotional aspect than the descriptive.

Thanks and that helps so much. I am heading to the library to find me some YA fantasy.

ebenstone · Oct 26, 2008

Definitely read....but 25 isn't so far from 16 either! I'm 35 and I think I did okay in that regard.

I'm lucky enough to be a high school teacher too, so that helps.

Plus it depends on what KIND of fantasy you're talking about. If it's "contemporary" or "urban" fantasy you'll need to be true to the way kids talk, but if it's a traditional fantasy, you have some leeway. A 16 year old in a medieval/renaissance type world would be a full grown adult!

Try reading Tamora Pierce! Her perspective is great!

I hope that helps!

Panda Dragon · Oct 26, 2008

I'm currently writing a YA fantasy novel (which is actually a series) and I actually found it rather easy than writing other novels. FIrst and formost, you need to get your characters right. Because IMO, without great characters, your story will fail even if the story is great. Also, try to make your characters as realisitic as possible. Terry Prachett once said that just because characters live in a fantasy world, doesn't mean they can't be believable themselves. I always like characters that have human flaws as it makes them much more interesting.

Also, I think it helps if you make your writing as quick as possible as you need to keep the audiences attention gripped for as long as possible. I can show you examples of what I mean if you like?

Anyway, good luck with it. Hope it goes well!

tasha43055 · Oct 26, 2008

Panda Dragon said:
I'm currently writing a YA fantasy novel (which is actually a series) and I actually found it rather easy than writing other novels. FIrst and formost, you need to get your characters right. Because IMO, without great characters, your story will fail even if the story is great. Also, try to make your characters as realisitic as possible. Terry Prachett once said that just because characters live in a fantasy world, doesn't mean they can't be believable themselves. I always like characters that have human flaws as it makes them much more interesting.

Also, I think it helps if you make your writing as quick as possible as you need to keep the audiences attention gripped for as long as possible. I can show you examples of what I mean if you like?

Anyway, good luck with it. Hope it goes well!

Thanks for the advice. My characters do have flaws. Some of them anyways. Yes I would like to see your examples when you can.

Darzian · Oct 26, 2008

ebenstone said:
A 16 year old in a medieval/renaissance type world would be a full grown adult!

NightShayde · Oct 28, 2008

Being a teenager myself, I would suggest you just watch some. Go to a local hangout and take the entire afternoon off to just observe. You'll find some great dialogue that really portrays an everyday teenage life. I have a great opportunity because I can do that in class every day. Perhaps go to a local high school and explain what you're doing, perhaps they'll let you observe at lunch, or maybe even a class.

This also depends on like others have said before me, what setting your story is in. The advice I gave you is for a modern setting, if yours is set in another time period, research it and see what teenagers did back then.

I hope this helps. =3

-NightShayde

eLfwriter · Oct 31, 2008

Start with a bang and keep rolling, that's what I think. Like any book, you have to capture their interest and hold it. My brother, who's smack dab in that reading age, says that he'll pick up any fantasy that gives him a new spin on 'dragons and knights'.

Don't get stuck on the 'young adult' thing -- YAs can be mature readers. Keep you're characters 'real' and you'll do fine! Don't be afraid to show a bit of cheek or romance.

Read, read, read! You'd be surprised how good a YA yarn can be ...

DonnaDuck · Oct 31, 2008

I'm jumping on the "read more" bandwagon. I'm in the same exact position you are. The MC of my first novel is about 16 and I'm 25. it was a rocky start but when I just let her talk, the story just came out. Now I'm writing something with a 13 year old male MC, the story I'm doing for NaNo has a 14 year old male MC with a 17 year old sister, another one is a series that starts when the MC is 8 (although the voice is that of a 30 year old so it's a little different) and yet another series has characters ranging in ages from 8 to 17-ish.

You have to find your voice and your voice will dictate (along with where agents and publishers will feel your work will sell the best) what audience you write for. I've found my niche in YA, after so many years of chasing the tails of literaries, so to speak.

I would recommend just write the character and his or her age will settle in as it should. The MC of my first finished novel started around 10, grew to about 14 and finally settled at 16. It has to fit and you'll know it when it does.

tasha43055 · Oct 31, 2008

DonnaDuck said:
I'm jumping on the "read more" bandwagon. I'm in the same exact position you are. The MC of my first novel is about 16 and I'm 25. it was a rocky start but when I just let her talk, the story just came out. Now I'm writing something with a 13 year old male MC, the story I'm doing for NaNo has a 14 year old male MC with a 17 year old sister, another one is a series that starts when the MC is 8 (although the voice is that of a 30 year old so it's a little different) and yet another series has characters ranging in ages from 8 to 17-ish.

You have to find your voice and your voice will dictate (along with where agents and publishers will feel your work will sell the best) what audience you write for. I've found my niche in YA, after so many years of chasing the tails of literaries, so to speak.

I would recommend just write the character and his or her age will settle in as it should. The MC of my first finished novel started around 10, grew to about 14 and finally settled at 16. It has to fit and you'll know it when it does.

I already started the story and I think it is going good. I think she pulls off 16 but we shall see.

Momento Mori · Nov 1, 2008

I agree with NightShayde - observing teenagers can be a great way of trying to get an idea of their behaviour. My bus journey into work is usually shared by teens on their way to school, which has helped me get an idea of their homework requirements and class structures, but you can equally check out shopping centres or cinemas or wherever else they gather (just be careful not to loiter too obviously because sometimes people get the wrong idea ...)

I'd also second the recs to read a lot of YA fantasy to get an idea of how others do it - particularly urban fantasy if you're writing something set in contemporary times. I'd recommend Holly Black's Modern Tales of Faerie trilogy as a decent place to start, but from a boy's perspective, you might want to check out the Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz to get more of a teenage boy's perspective (it's a spy thriller series, but the concept still holds good).

Finally, it can help to think back to what you were concerned about when you were a teenager. A lot of those insecurities and worries that you probably had back then probably hold equally true for teens today and it can help give your characters an emotional resonance.

MM

Needing info on writing YA fantasy

tasha43055

Writer For Life

Stormhawk

Angry Bunny Girl

Danthia

tasha43055

Writer For Life

ebenstone

Panda Dragon

tasha43055

Writer For Life

Darzian

To-to-to-ron-to

NightShayde

eLfwriter

Indiscriminate Tree-Hugger

DonnaDuck

My Worlds Are Building

tasha43055

Writer For Life

Momento Mori

Tired and Disillusioned