Writing Teenage Characters

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I hate teenage characters. They're so annoying. They whine, they have issues that make no sense, they never speak up, and they consider all adults as their enemy. Why don't they just die? They can ruin movies and books with their very presence! Are these insufferable creatures from real life? I couldn't stand them when I was a teenager! I was insulted that people thought I was that way. I looked around at my friends and none of them were that way either. What idiot made up those buttheads?

Before you start ruining your story with some melodramatic punk that can't do anything but have sex and get high, take some time out of your day to hang out with a real teenager. You'll find them rather funny. Of course they have hormones going on, but don't we all?


Find their good points. Teenagers love to play, they love playing pranks, joking around, laughing, saying the most hilarious things, and doing the craziest things because lots of them don't think straight. You've got studious ones, serious ones, and mischievous ones. There are enough angry, whining ones represented.

If you need some sort of drama, don't put it on the shoulder of the teenage character. Do something different. Imagine how much better some books and movies would be if the teenage character wasn't one of the many four letter words running around out there? A lot of times, the teen is the open-minded one, the more understanding one, and always the more smiling one. And yes, the ones who listen to their parents and elders exist.


Like all people, they have their bad points, too, but everyone focuses on those. If you're hung up on the word "teenager" then don't think of them as such. Just think, "person."

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