KEEP CONNECTED - Aging Writers, Young Protagonists

How to stay connected to Young People as we age as Writers:

It's back to school time for most of the US, and so like many a Mom of kids, I was sitting in the hair salon waiting for my two boys to once again look presentable on their first day of school.

There were a ton of magazines spread across a glass table in front of me -- from modern homes to puppy love, every topic was covered. But the one that caught my eye was Seventeen Magazine.

Being a writer of teen fiction, I am ashamed to say that I haven't read this magazine in years. As I shuffled through the pages, I was immediately drawn into my old teen world. Memories flooded my head, ones I hadn't thought of since I was 15 years old.

Teens have changed since I was one of them. I wondered how can I represent them in the best, in the truest light if I don't know what's going on right now in their world.

Yes, teens change, but they stay the same too. The problems are similar to the ones I had back in the 90s. But the words, the outfits, and the technology are different. 

While I was flipping the pages, I did not only get a better sense of myself as a teen, but I got some writing ideas and ways of describing feelings my main character would use in her world. 

Writers age. That's a good thing because we have more experiences to draw from when we write. But it can also date our writing where it's not interesting to a teen of today. 

Do your homework when you are writing teen characters. Read what they read. Flip through the magazines they order. Check out the clothes they wear. Listen to the words they use. These things will help you create a more authentic teen of today and beyond.

That day in the salon, I used my cell phone to order 17-Magazine. I laughed when I had to input my birth date to receive it. I'm sure 99% of the people ordering are aged 12-17 years old. But I can't wait for my first issue! 

Anything that helps you, as a writer for teens, bring you back to that state of mind is good. Those feelings, that drama, and the pain of feeling left out are good for your writing. I encourage you to find the teen magazine that appeals to your younger days and read it from cover to cover.

Write~On
Angie









More Teen Magazines: