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Although I now mainly write for children, I have published a number of devotions and poems for teens. Here are some tips on how you can write for the teen market too.
Tips for writing for teens
- Study your audience.
- In the1986 movie Hoosiers, basketball Coach Norman Dale ordered one of his players to guard his opponent so closely that he knew what flavor of gum he chewed. As writers, we need that same (albeit but less competitive) closeness to our target audience. If you don’t have a teenager in your household (or a close relative), you still have options. Hang out with your church youth group, attend youth sporting events, go to a high school theater production, check out the CD section in the bookstores, or play the latest video game. The more familiar you are with how teens think, act, and talk, the better able you will be to craft meaningful stories, articles, and meditations for them.
- Study your publication (themes/guidelines)
- If you are writing for a magazine, consider collecting back issues or subscribing to your target publication. Some publications have an online version, which gives writers a great opportunity to study it without added cost. Once familiar with their style, you can tailor your writing to fit. Some publications, like Devozine (Upper Room Publishing), provide writers with specific themes and extensive questions.
- Study the issues teens face
- A well written story often reflects an understanding of the issues teens face. Generally speaking, these issues include anything from social action to spiritual consciousness. Teens have a greater awareness of the community and the world (social issues such as justice, racism, or global warming) and how they fit in. Teens are often concerned about relationships (especially between peers), self esteem (beauty, self-image, fitting in), and attitudes (especially coping techniques for dealing with extreme emotions). Faith issues also surface as teens grapple with what they believe and why.
- Remember to be vulnerable…and real
- Drag out your old yearbook and reminisce…As a teenager, did you ever feel lonely? Face temptation? Lie? Deal with a phony friend? Sit at the butt end of a joke? Do you remember what it felt like getting your driver’s license? Winning the big game? Spending hours on the phone talking to your friends? Staying up all night at a slumber party? Crying over a misunderstanding? If you can recapture the intense feelings you experienced as a teen and talk about what you learned with candor, your writing will resonate with your audience. Teens recognize and appreciate honesty.
- Remember your passions
- What’s your passion? Art? Horseback riding? Football? Soccer? Tap into those talents when you write for teens. Relive the steps you took to learn a skill, write it out, and pass it on. Or revisit the emotions, drive, or obstacles you faced. These types of shared experiences can serve as a springboard to reach teens.
- Remember to make “senses”
- When writers stimulate reader’s senses, the story comes alive. I’m sure you’ve experienced this phenomenon…it’s found in the cold chill you feel when reading about Little Ann and Old Dan’s icy mishap in Wilson Rawls classic Where the Red Fern Grows; it’s hidden in the throbbing heartbeats echoing through the pages of Edgar Allen Poe’s Telltale Heart. These writers seamlessly incorporate sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, and the unknown into the details of their stories. Whether writing fiction or non-fiction, you would do well to add a little sensory flavor to your words.
- Avoid preaching
- No one I know enjoys reading Aunt Gertrude’s lecture on the nuisances of proper manners. If writers want to promote certain ideals, they must house them in a good tale and allow the reader to discover these truths on their own. While geared toward children, Max Lucado’s lovable Wemmick stories provide a good example of how to present a message in an entertaining and thought provoking way.
- Avoid slang
- Avoid slang for the same reason you pass up old bread: it quickly turns stale. Besides making your story taste outdated, you cannot be certain any given slang term will hold the same meaning in another part of the country. To steer clear of any misunderstanding, stick to plain language. Use a metaphor or a simile if you want to spice things up.
- Avoid stereotypes
- The world often pushes certain images at teens, but they also lack authenticity. Boys don’t always love football, but if they do, they aren’t always dumb jocks. Take former Nebraska Cornhusker Grant Wistrom for example. He was a first string defensive player and an Academic All-American. Tough and smart. Make your characters REAL.
- Offer humor
- Humor sells. Period. Besides that, humorous stories not only stay with the reader, using it can be a good way of broaching serious topics. Comedian Bill Cosby said, “You can turn painful situations around through laughter. If you can find humor in anything, even poverty, you can survive it.”
- Offer insights
- Dr. Seuss may seem all fun and silliness, but have you ever noticed how many of his stories give offer great insights into human nature or give the careful reader pause? Titles like The Lorax, Yertle the Turtle, and The Butter Battle Book tackle trouble with the environment, pride, and the cold war arms race. Be like Dr. Seuss and think outside of the box when you write for teens. They don’t just crave entertainment or information; they crave a path to discovering solutions.
- Offer hope
- Everyone needs a little TLC. Teens are no different. Weave hope throughout your storyline with encouraging words. If you are writing a devotional, you can also suggest a prayer or helpful Bible verse, explain what steps they can take to deal with a problem, or just provide them with the comfort of knowing they are not alone.
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