Writing Young Adult Characters: The Writing Life

It's Friday!

I just sent Chasing Forgiveness, my Tala Prophecy novella, to my betas. EEP!

Recently, my middle sister and I were talking about my choice to write young adult characters. She was wondering how I connected to being a teenager, and wrote them so beautifully (thanks, sis!), because she she felt removed from that time in her life.

My first thought... am I just refusing to accept my age (42)? No, I've never been one to freak out about birthdays or lie about my age.

In part, I write from a teenage/young adult point of view because it's rich with drama, insecurity, indecision, naiveté, heartbreak, ego, disappointment... the list goes on and on.

But many would say these apply to adults as well.

Yes. However, teenagers and young adults are at a crossroads. They have one foot in the innocence of youth and one in the responsibility of adulthood. It's such a delicate balance, and it creates an environment ripe for mistakes and learning. What's most terrifying is that the consequences can be very adult without the benefit of adult knowledge in the decision-making process.

Can adults still screw things up royally? Of course! And I don't write my teenagers/young adults in a void... they are surrounded by adults who are still trying to figure things out, while also counseling the younger ones. See, an environment loaded with possibilities.

While I was thinking about this, I also realized personal reasons why I write this age group, but I'm going to save those reflections for next week's post. Please stop back by.

Please share why you love (or don't love) reading young adult characters? If you do love more adult books, why?

Plus, I do have the advantage of having two teenage girls in my house (well, my middle will turn 13 on 2/7). Plus, my youngest acts like a teenager thanks to her older sisters. They keep me firmly connected to the way a young adult's mind works. Not that I ever felt disconnected.

So, the three beauties (pictures sprinkled throughout this post) are part of my inspiration.