I would've left out the comma after "but." However, creative writing isn't always about following the rules; the rules can be broken to achieve a particular effect. Putting in or leaving out certain punctuation [theoretically] changes the pace at which readers read. For example, stream of consciousness pieces often have long sentences (in some cases, sentences are hundreds of words long) without much punctuation because the goal is to mimic the human thought process.
My conclusion is that it is very though to write a teenager who lives in regular world. Then there should be something special about teens personality. If the environment is exciting it takes attention away from very generic character. For example Bella from Twilight.
@Ulramar It is a perfect example of a book that has been greatly successful. It's full of magical things, but, the main character is 100% generic.
I wish I had read it long ago when I still appreciated Young Adult. Now I just read it to look for its flaws. It's lost its flare to me, though I guess I should still read it. I still hear it's really bad. Is that true?
We constantly compare what we read with our own experiences, so hell yeah I'm going to be thinking a 14yo girl who can't spell and plays with Barbies must be either badly written or mentally deficient 'cause I wasn't like that at 14. But then again, if a 14yo manages to pass as a 18yo and get into a bar, I'm like hell no, 'cause I looked like a kid back then and couldn't even get my belly pierced at a tattoo parlor. I don't think you can win, so just stay true to your vision and do the best job you can.
I'm no expert but I'd spend time around them, you might have a few teenage cousins or so, you might wanna talk to them. Ask them about their interests, most ones I know students in collage that either play Xboxes, videogames, listen to music, do work, read books, go to parties and drink all night long, hmmm..... maybe you could do something like that? Have a look and try, besides its not much you're dabbing into anyway. But it will depend on what genre you're aiming for, adventure/action then you're going into the realm of Anthony Horowitz. Go higher to 16-18 olds, and you're looking for something more deeper, don't know drug dealing, or something like that. or getting involved in other projects, film making and so on.
I suppose at the end of the day, everyone is unique. I know, I know. It sounds like a cheesy line from a makeup advertisement, but seriously- everyone is unique. Yes, I do agree that in some sense of the word, you can have so-called "generic" teenagers, who dress the same, talk about typical "teenage" things and seem to react in typical "teenage" ways. But, at the end of the day,no one is the same. People like to pretend that they're the same as everyone else, in fact, the whole world has been managed around that idea that you should be like everyone else. But we're not. People's thoughts are going to be different, the way they react, the way they look at life- everything. You can only make the outerperson generic, never the inner person. (I sound like a guru but I'm just an ordinary person. Everything here is my own opinion.) So, I suppose I'll just repeat what I said before but in a different light: Don't strees too much about making the character unique! Uniqueness comes to the character in time! Think of all the books we've read- The Great Gatsby- Nick wasn't exactly a unique character. He was typical in his hunt for wealth and an exciting lifestyle. But because we were reading about him; because we became invested in his story, then he became unique. It's like life. People are unique to us when we get to know them. Focus on allowing the readers to get to know your character and then definitely, your character will become unique.
I strongly believe that if you can create realistic children characters, Adult Character, Animal Characters, You CAN create Teenage Characters that are Realistic. The problem is that teenagers are so different from both Children who kinda have a Semi-Open personality pool, Some are Shy and Sweet but others are Loud and Rough and Adults who have similar issues. The problem lies in the Teenagers reputation to be unpredictable but also fall into cliches like the emos, the art freaks the scene kids and so on. They begin to et generic As an 18 year old writer i feel like most portrayals have issues with mixing cliches and/or forging identities. To me, Teenagers are a mix between children characters with high energy and the tenancy to be naive and make mistakes, but also Adult characters with the ability to finally make choices on their own. but also have the whole "who am i?" idea going on In short, Just make a believable character with their age and not because of their age.
I always make sure to stay far, far away from young adult. I'd advise all others to do the same. For one, it's too competitive of a market. Been that way since J.K. Rowling. Every one wants to be the next J.K. Rowling.
But that's just giving up! I say fight! It's not a bout being "the next J.K Rowling. It's about being you. Having your writing out there. If everyone just gave up on young adult, what would young adults read? Of course it's competitive, all writing is competitive. But if that's what someone wants to write, they should write it and never give up just because the water's crowded. If someone wants it enough they'll fight with everything they've got.
You misunderstand. Too much competition is just one of the many reasons I haven't read a single young adult novel since I was 11. I don't want to be too harsh on anyone, so I'll just leave it at this: I have "strong words" against the young adult genre
Adding to the chorus of uniqueness, there's many assumptions about how a teenager acts that don't hold up in many circumstances. For example, how would someone sixteen act if they had to raise a younger sibling since they were ten, if not younger, on their own? For another, what if they ran away as a child, and remember that time when they grow up? Or had the experience of starvation for a week, because of being lost? People are very much shaped by their experiences, and many of those are ones one won't know of when meeting someone. Teenagers are hardly immune to this, to put things mildly.
Hi Vonzex, Since nobody else has picked up this particular baton, I'll take it and run, and hope I don't lead you too far astray.
