The 8 Habits of Highly Successful Young-Adult Fiction Authors

Best-selling writers including John Green and Veronica Roth share their strategies for crafting authentic, relatable teen characters — even in fantasy worlds.

Young-adult fiction, commonly called “YA fiction,” has exploded over the past decade or so: The number of YA titles published grew more than 120 percent between 2002 and 2012, and other estimates say that between 1997 and 2009, that figure was closer to 900 percent. Ask a handful of young-adult fiction writers what exactly makes a YA novel, though, and you’ll get a handful of conflicting answers.

1. Think Like a Teen
2. Find the “Emotional Truth” of the Teenage Experience
3. A Good Pop-Culture Reference Goes a Long Way
4. Get Input From Real Teenagers
5. Use Slang Words at Your Own Risk
6. Keep It Moving
7. It’s Okay for YA To Get Dark
8. Find the “Kernel of Hope.”

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