How appreciative are teens of romance?

natpenna · Jun 11, 2009

Usually romance would be classed under chick lit, I know, but what about romance for the younger generation? Of course it can't be too graphic but would they be able to follow a romantic plot with twists of fate?
I ask mostly because I have one ongoing at the moment, this I felt would appeal to teens/young adults mostly but could also crossover into the romance/chick lit genre.

Red.Ink.Rain · Jun 11, 2009

Teens are pretty appreciative of romance, due to the massive amount of hormones raging through their bloodstream.

Just make sure your romantic novel has a plot as well as lots of making out.

Rachel · Jun 11, 2009

I'm with Red.

Becky · Jun 11, 2009

I'm with Red too - there's a huge market for romance in YA. A majority of the YA books I read involve some element or another of romance - us teens love it because, as Red said, of all those hormones!

=]

natpenna · Jun 11, 2009

Becky said:
I'm with Red too - there's a huge market for romance in YA. A majority of the YA books I read involve some element or another of romance - us teens love it because, as Red said, of all those hormones!

=]

That's reassuring!
I know when writing for a younger audience it's tempting to make the pairing painfully obvious, but I suppose it's true that you like there to be a twist at the end that you never saw coming after what happened in the opening chapters?

wannawrite · Jun 11, 2009

Romance and teens? Huge.

Sage · Jun 11, 2009

I don't write YA romance as a genre, but my novels always have an important romance element to them. And I like to make them somewhat complicated too.

suki · Jun 11, 2009

natpenna said:
Usually romance would be classed under chick lit, I know, but what about romance for the younger generation? Of course it can't be too graphic but would they be able to follow a romantic plot with twists of fate?
I ask mostly because I have one ongoing at the moment, this I felt would appeal to teens/young adults mostly but could also crossover into the romance/chick lit genre.

First, welcome to AW. It can be a great place for info, moral support and critique.

Now, the fact that you had this question tells me you haven't read much YA that has been published recently - like in the last 5 years. And that's not an accusation, just an observation.

So, I would suggest, if you are considering/going to write for teens, that you read a whole lot of recent YA - use something like the Best Books for Young Adults list put out by YALSA (YA division of ALA) or go to the library and ask the YA librarian for a good sampling of recent YAs with romantic stories, twists of fate, etc...

Because, from your question, I think you might be surprised by what teens are reading and what is published for them - especially in terms of complicated story lines and twists and romance.

good luck.

~suki

natpenna · Jun 11, 2009

suki said:
First, welcome to AW. It can be a great place for info, moral support and critique.

Now, the fact that you had this question tells me you haven't read much YA that has been published recently - like in the last 5 years. And that's not an accusation, just an observation.

So, I would suggest, if you are considering/going to write for teens, that you read a whole lot of recent YA - use something like the Best Books for Young Adults list put out by YALSA (YA division of ALA) or go to the library and ask the YA librarian for a good sampling of recent YAs with romantic stories, twists of fate, etc...

Because, from your question, I think you might be surprised by what teens are reading and what is published for them - especially in terms of complicated story lines and twists and romance.

good luck.

~suki

Your observation would be spot on although I could fall into the young adult section at 22. My recent reading has been Twilight (don't hurt me, please), Harry Potter (ditto previous), Jane Austen, Tess of the D'Urbervilles, A Room With a View, Peter Pan and an awful lot of Graphic Novels which don't really count. So thanks for the tip, I think it might be a trip to the library for me, lol

Zoombie · Jun 11, 2009

Um, yes.

Very yes.

Sage · Jun 11, 2009

natpenna said:
Your observation would be spot on although I could fall into the young adult section at 22. My recent reading has been Twilight (don't hurt me, please), Harry Potter (ditto previous), Jane Austen, Tess of the D'Urbervilles, A Room With a View, Peter Pan and an awful lot of Graphic Novels which don't really count. So thanks for the tip, I think it might be a trip to the library for me, lol

Twilight is actually YA romance (of the paranormal variety)

Leah_Michelle · Jun 11, 2009

Sage said:
I don't write YA romance as a genre, but my novels always have an important romance element to them. And I like to make them somewhat complicated too.

That's what has always been "in." Romance is huge with teens, but by itself, not so much. Revolve around the plot, over the couples. Add the couples in as a twist or side plot.

Leasie · Jun 12, 2009

I think romance for Young Adult is great. I prefer if it's not the main plot line though.
Paranormal Romance is very popular in YA right now.

bethany · Jun 12, 2009

And I don't know what chick lit has to do with the equation. Chick lit is a sub category of romance that doesn't follow some of the "rules", and while I'm sure that there are some chicklit YA books, really the rules of romance don't have to be followed in YA. I mean, who wants a happily every after at the age of 17?

I like romantic elements, specifically lots of sexual tension, but I like other things to be happening, too.

Metaphor · Jun 12, 2009

Romance + me = huge success.
Romance + all my friends = huge success.

I'm a teen.

My friends are teens.

Like Red said, it's the hormones

.

natpenna said:
That's reassuring!
I know when writing for a younger audience it's tempting to make the pairing painfully obvious, but I suppose it's true that you like there to be a twist at the end that you never saw coming after what happened in the opening chapters?

NO NO NO! Don't be tempted to do things like making it obvious just because we're younger. We may have ages of which the first digit is a 1, but we still like good books. Good books generally aren't painfully obvious.

Rule number one of writing YA: Don't talk down to the teenagers. Don't think you can get away with things just because we're younger. YA books have to be as good and as well-crafted as adult books, if not better.

Not saying that rule necessarily applies to you, and kudos for the second part of that post.

Good luck with your writing!

lm728 · Jun 12, 2009

Agree with all of the previous.
Just...write like you'd write for adults. With less thinking it through, more of that first-love, sweep-me-off-my-feet feeling.
You could always have teenage betas.

Wordwacker · Jun 12, 2009

teen romance?

Totally agree with previous comments. YA romance is huge, thanks to the spark of--dare i say--Twilight. Ugh, but yeah, it's true.

KarlaErikaCal · Jun 14, 2009

Leah_Michelle said:
That's what has always been "in." Romance is huge with teens, but by itself, not so much. Revolve around the plot, over the couples. Add the couples in as a twist or side plot.

Oh no! I'm currently writing 2 stories that revolve around romance. One is a twist on Mean Girls, and the other is searching for love type of deal, but not the searching that people usually think of ... more like, they have dreams of each other and venture to find each other because they've never met. I always thought Simon & Pulse romantic comedies were adorable... oh, and Someone Like You, by Sarah Dessen was a good one. I was even thinking about forgetting my two other stories, one SF other fantasy, to start contemporary romance.... am I headed for disaster?

How appreciative are teens of romance?

natpenna

Red.Ink.Rain

Not your kid brother's YA

Rachel

Stuff and nonsense.

Becky

natpenna

wannawrite

Sage

Our Lady of Parentheticals

suki

Opinionated

natpenna

Zoombie

Dragon of the Multiverse

Sage

Our Lady of Parentheticals

Leah_Michelle

Fangirling

Leasie

Surrender, Dorothy!

bethany

:)

Metaphor

twiftie

lm728

i'm baaaacccckkkkkk

Wordwacker

Sons of the Halo

KarlaErikaCal

YA romance writer in love with love