How To WRITE Awesomely

How to CREATE TEEN YA CHARACTERS part 2

How to CREATE TEEN YA CHARACTERS part 2

As you'd expect, teens have their own ways of doing things. That rebelliousness, or perhaps naïveté. The reason teens are this is way is because they are still growing and grown ups in the making. Your story is part of their journey into adult hood. Here are traits you need to build into your teen, so he's convincingly youthful as he grows into a mature teen.

Having your characters act like teens

#1: He must think like a kid

Your young hero should do things that real kids would do, if they could, (like eat a whole box of Pop-tarts for breakfast). They must also demonstrate an age-appropriate out look on life, as well as mannerisms.

Teens are complex and truly fascinating individuals with their general lack of worldliness. Teens exaggerate their emotions and seem to have grandiose notions of self. They may overdramatize things, judging themselves and others harshly and quickly. Worse, they might act on fault judgements, totally thrashing the situation. Your teen should mature in some way, by the end of your novel, moving one step closer to thinking like a grown up.

#2: He must dream like a kid

Your protagonists dreams and needs to be in line with those of a person his age. Be sure readers can identify your character's big wants by the first chapter.

The want or need shoudl be:

• Simple enough for your character to imagine

• Important enough for him to strive for

• As achievable as it is difficult

#3: He must be the age of a kid

Young readers want to see themselves in their books. They want to experience conflict and overcome it vicariously, finding out how to navigate life through the pages of their novel. Your character must be of the same age as your target audience, or slightly older, because kids are happy to read up. They aren't so keen to read about someone younger than they are.

Make the main characters age evident on the first page so they have a clear understanding of what they are like.

#4: He must be a hero-in-the-making

The teen star must be capable of resolving the key conflict of the story; grown-ups can't do it for him. Young readers want their young hero to save the day because it makes them feel empowered as well.

For a teen to be a convincing hero, he must exhibit heroic qualities early on. That means providing small moments where he he shows his core strength in some way. (Core strength mentioned on pervious chapter). Readers must get the feeling that when push comes to shove the hero can step up to the plate and do what he has to do.

#5: He must be a good kid at heart

To be sympathetic despite his flaws, your teen lead must relate to others from a moral center of good intentions, basic respect, and empathy for others. He must show heart. Yes, I know that teens and their centers are still pretty mushy, but that's good! Their flux is useful as you travel throughout the story. Don't worry if your character has a rough edge - as long as the kid has a good heart, his flaws will be more believable, and his mistakes will prove him more relatable.

Have him show all the emotions that would wrack a real person who struggles and triumphs.

#6: He must be willing to risk it all

When you manage your tension right, you have something at stake - something your protagonist can't bear to lose. Yet at some point he'll knuckle down and risk that very loss to overcome the final, biggest obstacle of the story and attain his goal. Suppose your fame-hungry freshman b-baller gives up his last chance set up that first-year point record by giving the game-winning shot to a senior during the final game of the season. Your hero makes a personal sacrifice to let a senior with no hopes of college ball get one last chance at his own basketball glory.

Excersize: create a main character thumbnail

Create a thumbnail for your key character and establish your MC's core attributes.

Name and age: _________________

Need/want: ___________________

Consequence of failure: _____________

Key flaw: __________________

Core strength: _________________

• • • • | |

Thanks so much for reading my How to today, next time will be How to make secondary characters important!

Enjoy your life!

~ Absolutely_Positive