Writing Young Adult Fiction
You will:
Learn the key elements of a young adult (YA) novel
Comprehend why writing for teenagers is different
Develop skills in character development and point of view
Understand structure, including structure for a series
Get up-to-date with the current state of YA publishing
The popularity of books for the young adult market has exploded in the last decade, becoming one of the most successful areas of the industry. But what is it exactly – and who is it aimed at? What special skills or knowledge do you need to write successfully for this sophisticated readership?
“The Australian Writers’ Centre really helped me understand the structure of writing a YA book – the importance of character building and understanding backgrounds. If you would like to grow as a writer I highly recommend AWC. I can’t explain how invaluable this course has been to me!”
– Cody Apted, Graduate of Writing Young Adult Fiction
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Here is a small extract from the course where Pamela Freeman talks about the course itself and provides some valuable insights into what YA readers want.
Here’s what you’ll learn
You will finish the course able to:
- Understand exactly what a YA novel is and does – and what the ‘rules’ are in YA fiction
- Develop great characters readers will identify with
- Create an engaging voice for your main characters
- Craft a cast of lively, believable characters who will enrich your story
- Incorporate the key elements of a strong structure and a storytelling mode that works for this audience
- Improve your writing through the exercises, which will guide you towards writing a book that YA readers will obsess over.
“It’s given me so much practical guidance for writing for young adults. I most enjoyed the specific information and discussions about young adult issues and audiences. I did this at the same time as Novel Writing Essentials and I found that they complemented each other beautifully”
Penny Andrews, Graduate of Writing Young Adult Fiction
Lessons Include
Module 1: What is YA?
What’s the difference between a book for older readers and a book for young adults? What IS a young adult, anyway? We answer this in two ways: by looking at how YA publishing works, and discussing the themes and defining features of current YA writing. We will also answer some FAQs: Can you swear? Can you write sex scenes? Can you write LGBTQIA+ stories? How much violence is okay? Who gets to decide all this?
Module 2: The YA character
How do you create a cast of authentic young adult characters – especially if it’s a long time since you were a teenager? This module helps students create believable characters whom readers will identify with and enjoy reading about. You’ll learn how to develop characters’ backstories so that readers will find them believable – and also how to present characters who are similar in age, gender and background so that each of them is vividly different.
Module 3: Finding your voice
Now you know your characters, we can look at point of view and getting the young adult ‘voice’ right. This is the most crucial part of writing for young adults – they have to believe that the person the story is told through is their age or not very much older. In this module we look at the elements of voice: not just point of view, but word choice, rhythm, syntax and attitude.
Module 4: Structure and storytelling
Once you have your characters and their relationships, you need to take them somewhere – to tell a story. YA stories have specific elements and story questions. We look at how these can be shaped to create great stories that readers will obsess over.
Module 5: Creating a great cast of characters
Most YA novels also contain adult characters, and often have younger children as well. This module looks at the depiction of adult characters/authority figures, and how child characters can deepen and define the depiction of your main characters.
“This course exceeded my expectations. Pamela was really great with her presentation. I’m really glad I did this course. Now I can go back to writing with more confidence than I had before.”
Stacy Baldwin, Graduate of Writing Young Adult Fiction
How our “self-paced courses” work
This is one of AWC’s 60+ “self-paced” online courses. But what does that mean? Allow us to explain:
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Should I do this course or Creative Writing Stage 1?
A: If you know for certain that you will be writing a YA novel, this is the course for you. If you’re just generally thinking about writing but you’re not sure what, Creative Writing Stage 1 is better for you.
Q: I know that I want to write for teenagers but I’m not exactly sure of the age of my reader. Will this course be relevant to me?
A: Absolutely! YA covers a surprisingly wide age range, from just-turned-teenager to almost-adult. This course addresses the needs of the whole readership. We’ll help you decide on the best age of your readers, depending on your story’s theme.
Q: I’m a complete beginner. Will this course suit me or do I have to learn how to write for younger age groups first?
A: This course assumes no knowledge or experience, so it’s great for complete beginners. You certainly don’t have to learn to write for younger kids first, if you intend to write YA novels. However, if you think you will be writing for younger kids later on, keep in mind that we have specific courses, such as Writing Chapter Books, or Writing Middle Grade Fiction, which you can do later.
If you’re not sure what age group you will be writing for (except that they’re not adults), we suggest Writing Middle Grade Fiction as a starting point, since that covers all the basic skills you will need.
Q. I don’t have a story yet. Do I have to have a story started in order to do the course?
A: No, not at all. Although a lot of our students come out of the course with a story idea, you don’t need an existing story. There will be exercises that will help you get your creative juices flowing.
Q: I want to write YA fantasy stories. Should I do this or start off with Fantasy, Science Fiction and More?
A: Oh, this is a hard one! It depends on how advanced your story is. If you know the story you want to write, and have done some preliminary world-building, Fantasy, Science Fiction and More is probably where to start. However, if you’re just thinking about the idea of writing but you haven’t developed strong ideas about the world and what’s going to happen, Writing Young Adult Fiction is best.
But honestly, it doesn’t much matter which order you do them in – it works well either way.
Q. Is there any homework/assignments/activities/exercises?
A: We give you some great exercises for you to do in your own time. You won’t receive feedback from a tutor on these exercises because this is designed as a self-paced course. The course has been created so you can fit the modules and exercises around your personal lifestyle and schedule. Therefore, there are no submission deadlines by which you need to complete the exercises.
If you love getting feedback on your writing, then you want one of our tutor-led courses – a great place to start is Creative Writing Stage 1.
Q. I want to write a bestselling dystopian science fiction novel and get it adapted for film. Will this course help me do that?
A: No one knows why any one book becomes a bestseller – not even publishers! So we can’t guarantee a bestseller, nor that your book will be adapted for film. But your tutor can definitely guide you to resources and approaches which will help you create a dystopia.
And the course overall will help you improve your skills so you can write a good book that has an improved chance of being published.
Q: I want to write for children but how do I work out which writing course is right for me and my book?
A: Children’s fiction is separated into a number of different categories, depending on the age range of the reader. We have a course to guide you in every one of these categories:
- Writing Picture Books is perfect if you’d like to write illustrated books for younger readers (aged under 6)
- Writing Chapter Books for 6-9 year olds will help you write a book series for newly independent readers (ages 6-9, as suggested by the course name!)
- Writing Middle Grade Fiction covers writing middle grade stories in the vein of Nevermoor, Wonder or the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series (ages 8-13)
- Writing Young Adult Fiction is for people keen to write for teenagers (all the way from 13 to almost-adults!)
If you’re not sure which area you might like to write in, one of the best ways to decide is to think about your protagonist. Kids like to read up a bit (that is, read a little older than they are) so if your protagonist is 10, you’re likely writing either a chapter book or children’s novel. If your protagonist is 16, then it falls into YA.
Enjoy exclusive access to our AWC Graduates’ Club
Want to know where all the cool kids hang out? The Graduates’ Club of course! Now, calm down – there are no cigars, leather armchairs or loud ticking grandfather clocks here. But it IS exclusive invitation only (on completion of a course) and it’s free! Meet other writers online and share successes, seek help or just get something off your chest. Many students believe this ‘legacy learning’ is one of the most valuable things about our AWC community, and who are we to argue? So if you want to receive feedback, support and a heads-up on opportunities … join the Club!
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Duration 1
This is an online self-paced course
Duration:
Your 12 months' access begins straight away Learn at your own pace
Course Creator: Pamela Freeman $350 | |||||
