How I Write Teenage Characters

Intro

As someone who has written mostly in the young adult genre, I have to write a lot of characters that are in their teens. The teenage years are, as we all know, an…interesting period of life. It’s a transitioning phase, full of both physical and mental change, which can be confusing and frustrating—all of which sets a great stage for drama and angst. Which is what draws a lot of people to read and write YA in the first place.

But, for anyone who finds the task of writing a teenage character intimidating, you’re in the right place. In this post, I’ll go over some of the stuff that I consider to be the most important things to keep in mind when writing a teenager, which will hopefully give you a place to start.

That said, let’s get to it!

Teenagers are People

Yeah, duh, obviously. But they really are—they’re people and, in a lot of cases, they’re not actually all that different from adults. Which means that they’re all different. No two teens will react to the same situation the exact same way, just like no two adults would.

It’s a common stereotype in popular media that all teenagers are either utter drama queens or totally detached—and some are. Just like some adults are. And, just like everybody else, they have moments when they are dramatic or detached and moments when they aren’t.

The point is, I do not make these stereotypes my teenage character’s whole personality, especially if I’m writing something that is meant for teenagers. (Because, aside from the fact that stereotypes are a perfect way to make a very flat, boring character, I’d also risk offending my intended audience, which I shouldn’t have to tell you is something you don’t want.) Just like an adult character, a teenage character has to have a distinct and believable personality, with both positive and negative traits—they can’t just be some rude little punk that’s always staring at their phone.

I can still have them be dramatic or detached sometimes, of course, but I always make sure that I’m showing the reader why they’re acting that way. Like, if the character is acting a little detached and spacy, maybe they’re distracted by some internal conflict—or they’re under a lot of stress and are trying to distance themselves as a way to cope. These are both very realistic and plausible scenarios, and maybe even ones that a teenage reader could relate to, which makes them even better.

Remember that the true power of reading—and writing, for that matter—is empathy. As a writer, you want your readers to feel for your characters and, to do that, you have to feel for your characters too. And that’s not going to happen unless you give them an appropriate amount of depth.

Consider Your Setting and Time Period

I think that most of us kind of automatically associate teenagers with modern trends and technology, which isn’t a problem if you’re writing something that’s supposed to take place in the modern world. But, as someone who writes mostly fantasy, I can pretty much never lean into those automatic associations, because those trends don’t exist in the world I’ve created. So I have to decide for myself what’s considered the norm for my teenage characters in their specific time, place, and circumstances.

Sometimes I just make stuff up, but a lot of the time I actually turn to history for inspiration. For as long as there’s been people, there’s been teenagers, and the things that are expected of them are different in just about any given time period. Maybe they’re in a situation where they’re supposed to go to school, or get an apprenticeship somewhere. Maybe they’re pretty much considered to be adults and are expected to be working full time and trying to start families. (Which is terrifying, I know, but that’s how things were for a lot of history.)

Culture plays a big role in this, as you’d probably imagine, so I usually try to take some time to think about what the culture I’ve created would expect of its teens. Like, if they’re growing up in a culture where everyone is expected to be a warrior or something, maybe the teenage years are when they’re supposed to start training in combat. Or maybe they’ve been training since they were little, and this is when they’re supposed to prove that they’re ready to take their place in society by overcoming some sort of martial trial.

Obviously, if you’re writing something that’s supposed to take place in the real world, you can skip the step of making things up. But, if the story is supposed to take place in a different place or time than the one you’re currently inhabiting, I’d definitely recommend doing some research on whatever place and/or time period you’re going to be writing in to help get an idea of what young people’s lives are/were typically like.

Include Angst—But Not Too Much

The teenage years are, almost by definition, an angsty phase of life. Everything is changing, you’re having to deal with things you never had to deal with before, you’re learning who you are and what you want to be…It’s really kind of a lot when you think about it.

As a writer, I want my characters to be as believable as possible, so I want to have some of these “growing pains”—both literal and metaphorical, if you will—be present in my teenage characters, at least in some small way. I don’t write much coming of age or slice of life type of stories, so these general teenage issues and insecurities are usually not the main focus, but I always make a point of at least having them be in the background, or maybe be mentioned in passing if the situation allows. Things like first crushes or learning to overcome an insecurity can make great subplots, and could even contribute to the overall story in some way.

But some of the bigger issues—like the character learning who they are or what they want out of life, for example—sometimes do get a larger role in my stories, even if it’s not the main focus. Maybe it can serve as some sort of underlying motivation that even the character themself doesn’t recognize. Or maybe the thing holding them back from doing what they have to do is some basic teenage insecurity that they have to overcome.

Though, that said, there is definitely such a thing as too much angst. Not only does it get kind of tiring and annoying if a character is constantly wrapped up in their own personal drama and uncertainties, but it also actually makes it harder to like and sympathize with the character. Angst usually doesn’t exactly bring out the best in people—a lot of the time, it actually does the opposite—so, if you’re going to have an angsty story, it’s important to make a point of showcasing the character’s likable qualities along with their personal issues. If they’re supposed to be a friendly character, show them being friendly every now and then. If they’re a feisty character, show them being feisty. Show readers what they’re like when they aren’t wrapped up in their problems.

Like almost everything writing-related, there’s a balance to these things. The right amount of angst depends largely on the story that I’m writing—some require more, some require less—but I always try to remember to take at least short breaks in the drama to show the character doing something cool or funny or whatever it is that I think gives them their charm.