How To Write An Original Teen Romance Novel 11 Steps

For example, you may put a spin on the girl meets boy or boy meets girl storyline by having the boy/girl be an alien from another planet or have the girl/boy possess a superpower that tends to repel most boys/girls. You may also draw on your own life experiences to help you create an interesting story idea for your romance novel. Think about how you felt as a teenager and some of the situations or conflicts you got yourself into. You could then use your experiences to create a storyline for your novel.

For example, you may have a main character who realizes s/he can read minds, but struggles to make friends at his/her high school or get the attention of a girl/boy s/he likes. Though your main character has a certain power, s/he still has flaws and experiences failure.

Most teen romance novels follow a very similar plot outline: infatuation, flirtation, friendship, commitment, and finally, love. You may end your novel with a happily-ever-after, but most teen romance novels do not end on a forever note. In fact, your ending may be more open-ended or indicate that your characters may only be in love while they are young.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell. Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han.

You should then place obstacles in your main character’s way that s/he must overcome to achieve his/her goals and consequences if your main character fails to attain his/her goals. This will create conflict and tension in the story, which will keep your reader engaged. For example, maybe you have a main character who was born able to read minds and is entering his/her first year of high school. S/he may have goals like making friends and getting to know the cute girl or handsome boy in his/her art class. But s/he may have to overcome his/her insecurities about his/her special abilities and resist the urge to read his/her crush’s mind so s/he has a real chance at a relationship with him/her.

You may ask yourself, How would my main character describe this scene? How would my main character describe another character? What kind of language would s/he use? These questions can help you get into the mindset of your main character and write from his/her narrative voice. For example, you may have your main character use slang that is common among teenagers to describe scenes and characters around him/her. S/he may say things like, “The girl was hot” or “I checked her Facebook profile and it said ‘single’. ”

For example, you may have your main character discuss sex with other characters or consider having sex with another character. Make sure you include all the awkward moments of a first kiss, a first make out, and a first time. This will make the scenes feel more honest and believable to teens. Though you may want to include notes about safe sex, such as the use of condoms, you should not paint sex as a taboo, shameful thing. Keep an open mind about sex among young people and make sure your characters share that open mind as well.

For example, you should avoid describing a character as “really good looking”, “sultry and sexy”, or “tall, dark, and handsome. ” These descriptions have been used many times before and will not have much of an impact on readers. Instead, you should create descriptions that feel specific to your story’s narrative voice and your main character. Your main character may describe an attractive guy as “better looking than my childhood crush, Tristan” or a mean girl as “worse than my mother on a good day. ” Keep your descriptions fresh and unique to your characters so they do not become cliche.

You should also read the draft out loud so you can hear how the dialogue, descriptions, and characters sound on the page. You may mark any moments that do not flow well when reading out loud and underline them so you can revise them.

You may also discuss certain elements of your story with your teen reader. You may ask if your story feels unique or distinct, especially if your teen reader knows of other popular teen romance novels. You may also ask for advice on how to make your story feel more original.

You may also think about how you can improve upon your story and make it more original. If you notice certain elements of your story seem too familiar or cliche, you may adjust them and revise them until they feel more unique.