Help! I'm not 20!

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rhymegirl

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An editor I'm working for wants me to write stuff suitable for young people. I am thinking the 20-something crowd. But since I haven't seen my twenties in a while (sigh), it's so hard to figure out what to write. He wants contemporary language.

I guess I am still living in the 70s or something. How do I get into a 20 year old's head?
 

Kate StAmour

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rhymegirl said:
An editor I'm working for wants me to write stuff suitable for young people. I am thinking the 20-something crowd. But since I haven't seen my twenties in a while (sigh), it's so hard to figure out what to write. He wants contemporary language.

I guess I am still living in the 70s or something. How do I get into a 20 year old's head?

Watch reality tv and hit a few clubs, maybe vist a college or two and ask questions. You'll be fine, and remember the 70's and 80's are in right now.

Good luck!

Kate
 

Kate StAmour

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JennaGlatzer said:
I'm still in my 20s for a few more months. You can visit my head if you like.

What's your topic?

Jenna, I respect you ( and think you are awesome), but I think a visit to *any* writer's head could be scary. I can't imagine what goes on in your sassy, creative mind! I know my brain goes to strange and far away lands where the laws of physics don't apply-- it's frightening.
 

rhymegirl

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Thanks, Jenna.

Actually, these are greeting cards for Valentine's Day. Keep in mind that I usually write stuff that I would say or that I think my husband would say.

I had written one card that said something about my day being made by him walking through the door and saying, "I'm home."

My husband says that EVERY DAY! Okay, I realize that not every husband says that. But that's my own personal experience so I figure maybe other women might have it, too. I also think it's very romantic. The editor said, "It sounds like a line from a 70's sitcom. We'll use it but probably on a retro card." I guess I must live in a sitcom.

So it is quite a challenge to write copy for a young crowd when you're not young anymore. I asked my nineteen-year-old son what he would want to say in this situation and of course he said, "I don't know." Then again, he never buys cards.
 

Nivvie

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If it's about sentiments, how about checking out the most popular music with your age groups and familiarising yourself with the language used in what passes for love songs these days.

(Young 'uns today. Don't know they're born. Wouldn't know a decent love song if it danced naked on the roof of their car...I miss Leo Sayer and I'm only 29)
 

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Nivvie said:
(Young 'uns today. Don't know they're born. Wouldn't know a decent love song if it danced naked on the roof of their car...I miss Leo Sayer and I'm only 29)

I'm with you. I'm in my mid-to-late 20's, but I don't fit in with most of my peers. My brother is 35, and all my family is at least 5-10 years older than me (cousins, etc.).
 
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TemlynWriting

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JennaGlatzer said:
I'm still in my 20s for a few more months. You can visit my head if you like.

What's your topic?

Jenna, you inspire me. I think I've mentioned that once before. Upon finding out your age when I joined over here, I was so impressed and inspired to find that someone only a few years older than myself has made it this far at this age! I admire you. It gives me hope that I can make it, too! Thank you for being such an inspiration. :)
 

Nivvie

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TemlynWriting said:
I'm with you. I'm in my mind-to-late 20's, but I don't fit in with most of my peers. My brother is 35, and all my family is at least 5-10 years older than me (cousins, etc.).

Well come on, lets put on some ABBA grroooove.

(I'm also the youngest person in my family, and most of them are dead now, making me feel positively ancient, and now here come the grey hairs! Run away! Run away!)
 

Hummingbird

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As for me, I'm only 18, so I probably wouldn't help much with sentimental stuff. But, I looked into doing greeting cards last year, and the advice I was given was to look at cards in the same area I was suggested to write. (Not what I was looking for, but...) I found some sentimental cards aimed for people in their 20s in a novelty store. :)
 
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Compton

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Perhaps I am showing youthful ignorance, but I have to say the 20 year old demographic is as diverse as any other.

Hmmm.

- Cynicism and Absurdism are generally popular
- I'd avoid copping out, and doing something 'like' including the word 'like' to an excess
- Satirical self-depecriation

As for the language, I really can't think of anything distinct to say about it. Except, obviously, avoiding words similar to 'Gosh' and 'Darn'.

You'd probably be safe using your own casual vocabulary. It's just the mindset that is different... How can I put this.

We are at the age where we figure out that it wasn't the world that was stupid all along, it was us, yet we are still largely unwilling to let go of the lifestyle associated with that attitude.

I think that suits me, anyway. I can't pretend to know how everyone is approaching reality. I'm 19, by the way, if that has any bearing on how you interpret this.

Good luck!
 

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rhymegirl said:
An editor I'm working for wants me to write stuff suitable for young people. I am thinking the 20-something crowd. But since I haven't seen my twenties in a while (sigh), it's so hard to figure out what to write. He wants contemporary language.

I guess I am still living in the 70s or something. How do I get into a 20 year old's head?

Go to blizzlink.com and join the forum. The guys there range in age put most are your typical angsty late teens. Yinz can prolly pick up on a few words that the rents wouldn't know. Peace dude.
 

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Chaoc said:
As for the language, I really can't think of anything distinct to say about it. Except, obviously, avoiding words similar to 'Gosh' and 'Darn'.

With the popularity of the film "Napoleon Dynamite" I've been hearing "Gosh" out of a lot of folks, teens and twenty-somethings. Of course, it could just be an effort to quote a popular movie, like quoting Monty Python shorts. My husband and I got roped into watching "Napoleon" with some friends (we're in out mid-to-late 20's), and now once in a while I'll come out with "Gosh!" and he cracks up. :)
 

rhymegirl

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So, like what you're sayin' is I should like watch some shows on like TV, visit some like websites and maybe like go to clubs?



But seriously, thank you to everyone who has tried to help me! The TV shows some of you mentioned, of course I don't watch since they're not my thing. I guess what I keep coming back to about Valentine's Day cards (sentiments) is that love will always be love, no matter what year it is. I think girls like romance, like to hear something mushy. The guys are more difficult to write for. What would they want to hear? Maybe you better not answer that though!
 

Galoot

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Chaoc said:
We are at the age where we figure out that it wasn't the world that was stupid all along, it was us
Give it a few more years and you'll realize both are true.

rhymegirl said:
The guys are more difficult to write for. What would they want to hear?
Break out the rhyming dictionary and look under "nipples." That should get you started.
 

Rose

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I interviewed a 20-something hip hop artist earlier today. That's when I discovered there's a whole separate English language out there. GOOD LUCK, rhymegirl.

PS - You know were not like trying to battlerap you or anything. Right?
 

zeprosnepsid

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i'm 24. As are all my friends. TV shows is a tough call. Although I watch The O.C. I think it's aimed more at teenagers and their language. And I also watch Gilmore Girls but most of the people who write that show are not in their 20s (and no one talks like they talk on gilmore girls!)

I really think your best bet is to read blogs. Every other 20-something has a blog. And if you find one blog of a twenty-something, they'll have links to the blogs of their 20-something friends. I think that's your best bet.

As another writer noted, it is probably more in the tone than the language. We are an mtv/internet/prozac generation. And my blog and my friends' are a lot of 'i hate my life, everything sucks' sort of things. I can't think of any particular language things though. As that same poster also noted, i don't think 'like' is big anymore.
 

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Ah that would be a great one!

A 'l33t-speak' valentine. A language thing that I overlooked; while not really used seriously, it is kind of a novelty to many computer addicts. May seem lame and abrasive to the crowd here, but I know a person or two that would cream their pants over one.

'j00 r wu72 b /\/\~/ v4|3n71n3!'
'h4\/\/7!!'
 
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