3 Tips for Writers (...and anyone else who just wants to be entertained), Part 2

“Who cares about pretty? I'm going for noticeable.”--Tris Prior, Divergent

Pop culture is an increasingly hot topic. So much so, it's the new religion and politics taboo talk at parties. Books-turned-blockbusters like Harry Potter, Twilight, The Hunger Games, Divergent, etc, started to aggravate people so much to the point they couldn't help but create cults like Team Edward/Team Jacob and wizarding cloaks and What Faction Are You buzz quizzes. I know, kids these days, right (We huff maturely as we guiltily Google photos of Edward)?

The disturbing thing is that these blockbusters have morphed into the 21st century replica of Lady Godiva riding naked through the streets--We may try not to look, but common, everyone is going to look.

Such staggering fame either amazes you, befuddles you, or infuriates you ("Anyone can write that shit!!" We spout, between sobs and someone petting us understandingly).

Either way, once your sales hit the 500 mil shelf and the film profits quadruple and you're floating on a cloud of net worth somewhere in the upper millionths hemisphere, your hand weary from signing autographs and your love handles oozing from too much Amedei Porcelana chocolate, I will personally congratulate you with a golden fucking Willy Wonka ticket.

Anyway, upon continual observation over the years, and an ongoing project that I'd be eager for other cloud kingdom making writers to participate in, here are just a few of the ideas behind successful teen bestsellers which are, back to the subject of trends, surprisingly less fluctuating than markets like fashion and music (Boys will be boys, after all. And "girls just want to have fun"..oh, the sageness of Cyndi)...

• If you have a teen, or ever were one, remember it

"Actually I'm highly logical which allows me to look
 past extraneous detail and perceive
clearly that which others overlook."--Harmione Granger

Yes, even the pimples and the hornyness and the recklessness and the bad financial decisions (..these ARE teens we're talking about...). Think of the high school dance, your first kiss, your first job, getting detention or being busted for getting drunk off of your dad's secret liquor stash. Whatever you were going through as a teen, chances are you weren't alone. Well, maybe you were a loner, but uniformitarily, you spoke the same language. Harry wanted to run away from home, Katniss lost her father, Bella was in love (slight understatement), and Tris wanted to prove herself in a big, scary world. 

• Decisions and conflict

“Here's some advice. Stay alive.” --Haymitch

This may seem obvious, but in reading beta books, this seems something woefully neglected. 

The conflict needs to be radical. The decision life changing. Harry takes on Voldemort, Katniss volunteers in her sister's place for the Games, Bella falls in love with a vampire, and Tris chooses Dauntless.

Each of these decisions kick-start the conflict that fuels the story. They're the ticking time bombs, the bungee cord, the pump of adrenaline; why we turn the page. What faction will she pick? Will Katniss win? Will Bella ever grow up (only kidding)? 

Maybe when we were young the only extent of our dramatic decision making was what to wear for the boy we liked, but the nerve endings are the same. The emotions are relatable, because we have all felt terrified of the unknown, of standing out or speaking up, the want to keep and protect the someone we love.

• Language

  

  --Gus and Hazel, The Fault in our Stars

Writing simply isn't just lack of a literary foundation, it's a conniving method by these writers we so mutually love and hate. Unless you regularly dug into encyclopedias for breakfast, teens, and adults alike, enjoy easy reading. They already have school and all the boringest books ever written on their syllabus (Why do they do that, anyway?) to plow through. Generally we like having a handy read where we don't stumble over thesaurical lingo and yawn inducing descriptions of the sunset, no matter our age (Fun fact: 55% of YA readership are adults over 18, 28% of that being 30-44 years old, and 78% overall aren't buying it for their kids). 

Do be descriptively creative. But focus on dialogue. Witty, sassy, whimsical dialogue, with moments of intensity, permeates every bestselling YA you'll ever read. Conversations keep it animated and builds character in the fastest possible way. We're on the train to Hogwarts here, and every page matters. Keep us squirming in our seats but please, bring the damn candy trolley while we get there.