When I first began writing young adult fiction in high school, I had no doubt that I was nailing the characteristics of my generation at the time. Now that around 15 years have passed since penning that first book and I’m in my thirties, I no longer have the insider knowledge on how to write characters that reflect today’s teens. Nevertheless, I continue to write young adult books that resonate with their age group.
So, how is it possible to write realistic teen characters when you’re, like, double their age? The key, my friend, is to do the opposite of what you might think.
Writing a book is hard. There aren’t many people who would argue against that statement. Editing a book, on the other hand, can be a whole ‘nother level of difficulty that can drive us authors insane as we chase perfectionism, if we let it.
The ultimate truth, though, is that besides the Bible, no book is perfect. Including ours. And that’s okay. It’s perfectly normal.
It’s been over ten years since I wrote my debut novel, and over five years since I published it. How have I grown as a writer during this time? Click to read about the top three areas I feel I’ve most improved in.
Writing Christian characters can be a difficult concept to grasp. How can we make them realistic while not crossing the line into too legalistic, or too edgy? Join me in learning how we can craft believable Christian characters who are realistically flawed and still lead the reader on a Christ-centered journey.
Do you have a hard time crafting palpable emotions for your characters? Check out today’s post where I reveal my top tips for writing scenes that will take your readers on an emotional roller coaster.
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