Romance for young adults is a growing market. The demand for teenage love stories has grown steadily, in part thanks to Stephenie Meyer's smash hit series, Twilight. Today, the teen romance market is saturated with titles and very competitive, as so many writers try to create bestsellers. To write a romance for young adults that hits the right chords of the audience you need a good understanding of the genre, a well-structured story and a quality first draft.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Prepare for Writing
Step 1. Learn about the genre of teenage romance novels
Stories like this focus on kids falling in love, a unique and intense experience that many young adults hope to experience or are about to experience. Most of these novels are written from the perspective of a teenager and the protagonists are under the age of 18.
- The target audience for these love novels is those between 13 and 18, adolescent readers who have to deal with the feelings of love and desire in everyday life. Romantic stories allow young readers to experience these emotions through characters and fictional stories, helping them to manage their feelings.
- Almost all teenage love novels have female protagonists, because many of them are written by women and are aimed at a young girl audience. Some of the most famous short stories, however, are written by men and have male protagonists.
Step 2. Read some examples
Study the genre by analyzing the best sellers. Eg:
- The Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer. This four-book series is one of the most popular teen romance sagas and is still in print. Meyer created a unique and strong female protagonist (Bella Swan), making her deal with problems that many teenagers face, such as a distant father, moving to a new city, the feeling of being alone and isolated. These problems are intertwined with supernatural elements, such as a beautiful vampire lover, to create a compelling romance for young adults.
- Blame the Stars, by John Green. The story of Hazel, a teenager with cancer, and her encounter with Augustus Green is a favorite with readers.
- Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell. This novel is based on two strong protagonists, sixteen year olds in love, to tell a classic love story.
Step 3. Analyze the protagonist and the character he falls in love with
In the book, how is the main character developed? For example, the main character in Twilight, Bella Swan, is very different from the Fault in the Stars, Hazel, even though they are both female leads. Each character sees the world differently and describes the other actors in the story from their perspective, interacting with them according to their own unique characteristics. Both of these books, however, deal with the darker sides of adolescent life (loneliness, isolation, death), another important element of young adult novels.
The boy loved by the Twilight protagonist follows the stereotype of male characters in novels for young adults: he is incredibly handsome. The same goes for Augustus in The Fault of the Stars, who is described as "cool" by Hazel and fits the stereotype of the beautiful and mysterious man
Step 4. Determine the obstacles or problems between the two characters
A good love story needs conflict and stakes. The main characters may hate or despise each other and learn to love each other only over time, or a mistake or misunderstanding could keep them away. Usually, the greater the risks to the characters, the more involved the reader will be.
For example, in the first Twilight book, the stakes are very high when Edward and his family defend and save Bella from a sadistic vampire. The protagonist is in danger and her relationship with her partner is put to the test. This conflict sets the stage for the other books in the series
Step 5. Watch the ending
As a reader, were you satisfied with the book's ending? Did you get the impression that the conclusion of the story went on too long or that it was too trivial? What strategy has the writer adopted to solve all the interweaving of the plot and to create a credible and satisfying ending?
Fault in the stars doesn't end with a happy ending for Hazel and Augustus, but it integrates dark themes, such as death and suffering. While the ending doesn't follow the classic structure of a love story, it fits perfectly into the model of a young adult novel, where the protagonist doesn't get what he wants, but experiences a transformation or an epiphany
Part 2 of 3: Creating the Story Structure
Step 1. Create the protagonist of your story
While many young adult romance novels are based on female main characters, this doesn't have to be a limitation for you. You can choose a male protagonist or an unidentified gender. When creating the main character, however, avoid falling into clichés or banality. The protagonist must be engaging and unique to encourage readers to keep turning the pages of your book.
- Avoid the trap of creating a "Mary Sue", a term that denotes a self-centered and superficial female protagonist. Mary Sue are often one-dimensional characters, who never make mistakes, always get what they want and win the man of their dreams. This not only causes a flattening of the main character, in which the reader cannot identify with, but also generates a predictable story, in which the characters risk nothing.
- Do not allow the beloved person of the protagonist to excessively influence the character, but develop it independently of his partner. Think of the protagonist as the main pillar of the love story you want to develop in your book. Make him someone the average reader can identify with, full of insecurities, awkward habits, and adolescent instincts.
- Use a teenager you know as a model, or recall your childhood memories. You probably didn't feel perfect every day and you didn't always get what you wanted. Your main character should have deep inner conflicts and you should show his insecurities to readers so that they sympathize with him and can empathize with him.
Step 2. Develop the characteristics of the protagonist's partner
Almost all teenage love stories are read by a female audience, so the character loved by the protagonist should have one main characteristic: beauty.
- In almost all teenage love stories, the protagonist's loved one is very desirable, physically attractive and is often known as "Gary Stu" (corresponding to "Mary Sue"). It is not necessary, however, to exaggerate with the desirable traits and physical beauty of the protagonist's partner. You should avoid banal masculine descriptions such as "tall, dark, handsome", "handsome as a Greek god" or "really cool".
- Even if the male protagonist will have to be very handsome, it is important to highlight the traits of his personality and the characteristics that make him interesting. Try to keep this character grounded by revealing his insecurities and showing his problems, which will be similar to those of the female lead. Even if the person loved by the protagonist should have some fantastic element, it must also be believable and similar to a living and normal person, with problems and fears.
Step 3. Think about the meeting of the two lovers
Establish a bond between the two characters, through a shared interest or hobby, a friend or acquaintance in common, or even a clunky conversation while in line. Avoid clichés, like "love at first sight" or the male lead who arrives and wins the girl with a snap of his fingers.
- A bond should be established immediately between the two lovers, but it does not necessarily have to be positive. In principle, they may not like each other or even despise themselves. They may also clash and argue. Let the bond between them slowly develop over the course of the story. Often, love affairs between young people involve a mixed relationship, misunderstandings, and awkward moments.
- A mistake that many writers make is to make the protagonists of the novel fall in love immediately. Instead, if you let the tension between the two characters build over time, the story will be more compelling and readers will always have a reason to keep turning the pages.
Step 4. Think about a problem
A story is not a story without a conflict. This is especially true for teen love stories, because the main characters are often victims of a difficult situation or face obstacles that test their love. The problem can also be the cause that pushes the protagonists to declare their love or to realize the feelings they feel.
- The problem of the story must give the reader the opportunity to discover more information about the protagonists. It should also generate a conflict.
- Create a problem that fits your story. If you're writing a novel that involves supernatural elements, the initial problem may be the protagonist's discovery that her lover is a vampire. If the protagonist of your novel is ill with cancer, the problem may be the time she has left to spend with her loved one.
Step 5. Create a texture structure
Use the "Freytag Pyramid" to structure the story. By completing this step before you start writing, you will be able to get a better idea of the big picture.
- Introduction or Exhibition: Describe the setting. Introduce readers to the protagonist and the world she lives in.
- Triggering Incident: This is the element that starts the story or action. It should signal the start of the main conflict. In a lot of teenage love stories, the protagonist's partner is introduced in this way. For example, in The Fault of the Stars, a 16-year-old with cancer who has a few weeks to live meets a 17-year-old also suffering from the disease, with even less time available and a bond is formed between the two.
- Crescendo: the phase of the book in which the plot becomes complicated. The involvement of the characters should increase, due to the triggering incident or the main problem of the story. You can achieve this by making them approach or separate. You can also assign them a mission, such as Hazel and Augustus' trip to Amsterdam in The Fault in the Stars.
- Climax: the turning point of history. This section (or chapter) should be the one with the highest level of tension in the entire book and should contain the most exciting moments or events.
- Return to calm: the main conflict has been resolved or unresolved and events happen as a result of the climax.
- Resolution: The protagonist solves the main problem or conflict, or someone does it for him.
- Conclusion: the story closes and the final details are described. All pending questions are answered. In some books, the authors end with an argument, or suggest other future possibilities for the characters beyond the last page.
Part 3 of 3: Writing a First Draft
Step 1. Write for your audience
Remember that your readers are between 13 and 20 years old, and that they often face major teenage problems, such as love, loneliness, and desire. Avoid formal terms and language by writing accessible descriptions for a teenager.
- Instead of lowering your language level, listen to how teenagers express themselves and how they interact with each other. Your goal is to create believable dialogue and reactions between the characters. Your readers must be able to identify with the protagonist of your story and understand his world view.
- For example, in Twilight, we find a scene in which Bella tries to flirt with Jacob, a 15-year-old boy who becomes a werewolf as night falls. Their dialogue is clumsy and full of hesitation. Bella feels embarrassed as she tries to flirt with Jacob and tries to hide her attraction to him. Many teens can relate to this scene and understand what Bella felt. This makes the Twilight protagonist a successful character.
Step 2. Show instead of saying
This is a basic rule of writing that can be applied to all genres, not just teenage love stories. Instead of explaining to the reader what they should feel when reading a scene, show those emotions through the actions and words of the characters.
For example, instead of writing "Bella was angry with Jacob. She felt betrayed", you can use her actions and words to show these emotions: "Bella stared at Jacob, her fists clenched at her sides and her mouth twisted into a pouting. "I can't believe what you've done," he yelled at Jacob."
Step 3. Address important issues
Think about the problems teens face. Often, kids try to figure out who they will become as adults. They may experience difficult situations, such as moving to a new city, becoming aware of their feelings of desire and love, keeping their sexual attraction in check. The best romance novels for young adults explore the deeper themes of adolescence.
Consider a broad topic to explore in your book. For example, your protagonist may have a special power that she keeps hidden and this makes her feel marginalized or isolated. Or he may struggle with problems such as death, unrequited love, or the discovery of his identity
Step 4. Conclude the book with a transformation rather than a happy ending
Create an ending that shows the protagonist's transformation through his experiences, which doesn't necessarily translate into a happy resolution. Often, the fairytale happy ending, in which the protagonist gets everything he wants, seems fake or unrealistic.
