Writers Tricks of the Trade MARCH-APRIL 2015 | Page 24

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WRITING FOR TEENS (CONT’D)

LINGO
Use the proper vocabulary. All the parenting books advocate ‘don’t talk
down to teens’, but what does that mean? Use their vocabulary. That
doesn’t mean throw in awkward sounding slang, but don’t use $40 words,
either. Use simple easy to understand language with the dialect of the
proper part of the country, state, or neighborhood. Where do you learn
that? Research. Start a writers group. Go to rec centers. Listen to your
own kids.

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LOVE TEENS
But, the biggest way to get teens to listen is to let them know you care
about their feelings and desires; that you’ve suffered through the same
problems, dealt with the same evil doers. Let them know you’ve had
moments of weakness too, that screwing up isn’t just something they’ve
done.

SUBJECTS ‘R US

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This is important regardless of whethe