Advice for Teenagers Writing Novels: Overcoming Distractions and Developing Emotionally Complex Characters

Embarking on the journey of writing a novel as a teenager is a monumental task that requires dedication, patience, and the determination to face various challenges. This article offers guidance to teenagers who are starting their first draft, emphasizing the importance of managing distractions and developing emotionally complex characters.

Managing Distractions and Securing Solitude

Writing a novel is a process that demands significant periods of solitude and focus. For teenagers, this often means setting aside dedicated blocks of time every day, away from phones and other distractions. It's essential to talk to your parents and siblings about maintaining a quiet environment during your writing sessions. This might mean requesting an uninterrupted block of time in your room or hiding out at the library during busy periods.

It's crucial to manage your responsibilities such as chores and personal obligations beforehand, ensuring you have the mental space and time to fully devote to your writing. Setting boundaries and prioritizing your writing time can help you resist unwanted interruptions, such as visits from great-uncle Bert or friends.

The Role of Emotional Complexity in Your Characters

Strive to create characters that are rich and nuanced. In the early stages of writing, it is natural for characters to have simple moral and emotional contrasts, where heroes are good and villains are evil. However, as your skills develop, aiming for more complex and realistic portrayals becomes key.

Experienced writers often create heroes with internal conflicts and flaws, making them relatable and multi-dimensional. Similarly, villains should be more than just one-dimensional evil. They should have realistic motivations and a path to their villainous actions, allowing your readers to understand and sometimes even empathize with them, making the plot twists more impactful.

Practicing Writing and Lived Experience

Writing is a skill that improves with practice. Start small, writing short stories to become familiar with crafting language, developing characters, and plotting. Gradually build up to longer narratives, fine-tuning your ability to create engaging and complex characters.

The quality of your early work is normal and expected. However, it's important to aim for your best work even in your early drafts. This practice will help you continually improve your skills. In parallel, seek real-life experiences that will provide the emotional depth needed to write more complex characters. Engage in conversations with a diverse range of people, visit new places, and take on challenging tasks to broaden your perspective.

Conclusion

Writing a novel as a teenager is a challenging but rewarding endeavor. By managing distractions and focusing on your writing, and by embracing the nuances of character development, you can create compelling and emotionally resonant stories. Remember, practice and real-life experience are crucial. Keep writing and keep living life, for these experiences will shape your characters and your writing in invaluable ways.