I suppose that you, like me, write in a genre not of your own age group. If you write MG or YA, nine times out of ten you cannot claim that generation. No problem! I am going to tell you how to get the inside info you need to ensure your book fits with the current vibe of MG or YA (whatever it happens to be these days.) The following list will tell you where to go for answers:
Your Friends with Teens
This is by far the easiest way to get the needed info. Ask your friends’ kids to be beta readers or just sit in on some of their conversations. You may not get everything you need from the latter since they won’t always speak the same way in front of adults, so that leads to the second suggestion.
Watch YouTube
I have found that watching teen YouTube videos helps me to get a sense of the current lingo, as well as styles of dress, hair and the music they like. I usually search for teens who have consistent channels with a good number of followers, and who post regularly.
Go to a teen friendly hangout
Due to the COVID, this may not be an option, but if you can safely visit a location where teens hang out, just get yourself a table, buy something to eat/drink and just listen. Please, DO NOT record them.
Try Tick Tock
Tick Tock has its issues, but this might also be a good place to check out what teens are into these days. Be aware that some of this may not be appropriate for your book but hey, that’s what research is all about.
Read YA/MG books
You might think that this should be your first option, but nope. Granted, you should be reading in your genre alot, but by the time the book gets pubbed some of the things written may be dead or may not represent real teens in the first place. If you read something you want to use, run it by a real teen first.
So, there are my suggestions. Language tends to repeat itself over the generations; words like ‘cool’ and ‘super’ don’t seem to go out of style, but if you want to at least stay current, these tips should help.
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