Renee Matheson 
When considering some of the fastest-growing genres, young adult fiction may be one of the first thoughts to come to mind. There’s something about the teenage experience that resonates with all of us—no matter how old we are and where we stand in life.
Reading young adult fiction is not the only way for you to show your love and appreciation for the genre. You can also consider writing your own young adult fiction.
If you are thinking of giving writing for the young adult market a go, here are a few tips to consider for effective writing.
Know Your Audience
Just like an author of any other genre, the first thing you must do as an aspiring young adult fiction author is to understand your audience. If you do not know your audience, you can never get into their mind, think like them, and win them over.
Young adult literature is read by people of all age groups around the world, but it is targeted at readers between the ages of 12 and 18. If you want your work to resonate with the target audience, you must think like them.
You must know the kind of language, storyline, and plot twists that engage your readers. In addition, make sure you keep an eye on the current trends of the genre to ensure that what you write meets or surpasses the expectations of your readers.
Read YA Fiction
Have you ever wondered why Suzanne Collins and John Green have gained so much fame among young readers for The Hunger Games and The Fault in Our Stars, respectively? Surely, it cannot be luck by their side alone. Then what is it that sets their work apart?
The best way for you to find your answer is to read the works of the best young adult fiction writers. Reading the brilliant masterpieces created by some of the best young adult fiction authors gives you an insight into the themes, styles, and language of a book that appeals to teens.
Of course, plagiarizing your content is never recommended, but there is no one stopping you from getting inspired. Hence, you must always find time to read the work of young adult fiction authors before you start your own journey down this path.
Create Relatable Characters
Strong and relatable characters are key to winning the hearts of young readers. Teen readers love to see the characters face challenges similar to theirs and find their way out of these challenges.
Whether it’s dealing with family issues or finding their own identity in the world, make sure that your characters and their journeys do not fail to engage your readers.
In an effort to make your characters authentic and relatable, make sure that you do not forget to give them some flaws and vulnerabilities. These aspects not only make your characters more reliable but also allow you to move your story along in an effort to show growth.
In addition, if you are exploring sensitive issues, make sure that you cater to them with sensitivity and compassion. Do not oversimplify the challenges faced by your audience. You must respect the emotions of your reader at every step and avoid hurting their feelings.
Explore Relationships
Family, friendship, romance, and relationships in your young adult fiction can also play an important role in making an ever-lasting impact on your readers. As an author, you do not have to hold back from exploring relationships and the sensitive topics that come with them.
For example, if you are talking about friendship, you do not have to make it a picture-perfect experience for the readers. Instead, you can always be bold and show how friendships evolve over time despite the conflicts and all other challenges.
Similarly, if you are dealing with romance, make sure that you explore the complexities that challenge love and how different circumstances can lead to the rise or fall of a romantic relationship.
While dealing with any relationship and its complexities, make sure that you never undermine the intelligence of the readers. Your characters and their stories should be believable and relatable in every scenario.
Hire an Editor
Winning over the hearts of young readers can be a challenge, especially if you are undertaking this challenge for the first time. Things can get overwhelming when you are trying to create a balance between writing fiction, preparing for publishing, and managing deadlines.
In such circumstances, having someone who knows young minds inside out by your side can be a great help. You can hire children’s book editors for this purpose. These professionals can bring out the best in your work and make you stand out among your competitors.
Include Diversity
As an author, you have an important responsibility to represent different races, religions, and cultures. After all, the importance of the representation of diverse identities in young adult fiction cannot be undermined. Representation is yet again a sensitive topic. Hence, you must tread carefully.
Take your time to research and learn about representation sensitivity, and ensure that you avoid delving into stereotypes. Creating respectful portrayals of diverse characters and communities can help you gain success and respect as an author in the young adult fiction community.
Create Strong Hooks
Keeping young minds engaged can be nothing less than a challenge, even for young adult fiction writers who have been writing in the genre for years. You are always one boring chapter away from losing the interest of your readers.
You must pay special attention to starting every chapter with an interesting hook to lure the readers in. This could be a question, an intriguing statement, or a shift in perspective that sparks curiosity in your readers and makes them want to find out more.
Just like interesting starts to your chapters, you must also make the endings worthwhile for your readers. You can end every chapter of your young adult book with a cliffhanger to ensure that your readers are left with a craving to know what happens next.
