In an interview with Suite101 writer Jennifer Jensen, Selene Castrovilla talked about the challenges and joys of writing for teens, developing realistic characters, and other advice for young adult writers.
About Selene Castrovilla
Selene Castrovilla is the author of the young adult novel, Saved by the Music, and the forthcoming The Girl Next Door, both from WestSide Books. She has also written two historical picture books, By the Sword and Upon Secrecy, both from Calkins Creek Books/Boyds Mill Press.
Why Do You Write for Children Instead of Adults?
Partly because that’s what wants to come out, partly because I think kids appreciate literature more than adults. They’re not jaded. And look at how much tighter YA novels are than so many of their adult counterparts, which just go on and on…
Do You Start with a Character or a Plot?
My books have come to me whole, but I would maintain that character is at the heart of the novel (and any story, really). I’m not concerned with what happened, but why it happened – and how the characters reacted. There’s your story.
Tell Me About Developing Characters
[Willow] spoke to me one night while I was driving home. I had to pull over and take dictation. Then I typed up all she said, and it sat in a laptop file. It took me years to realize she was feeding me a novel. It’s funny, because she’s really me. The teen me – still locked up inside.
I knew [the other characters], but Axel was a little underdeveloped. I think because I was scared to put him down on paper.
He was there, but lurking in the shadows. But I knew the major points of the novel all along. They never changed. And I always knew the end. People say you can write a novel without knowing the end, but I can’t. How can you move a story forward effectively if you don’t know where it’s headed?
How Do You Develop a Voice in Young Adult Fiction?
That’s a good question. People have often said to me with wonder: “You’ve found your voice!” I’ve responded: “Was it lost?” Really, I haven’t set out to create any voices. The characters started speaking to me. I wrote everything down. I think it also helps that I have a teen mindset. Arrested development, I guess. Caught up in all that angst, still.
How Do You Handle Teen Angst and Difficult Relationships Without Becoming Whiny or Depressing?
It’s like walking a tightrope. You want to keep it real, without making it redundant or over the top. The important thing is that it doesn’t hit you with a sledgehammer.
I also made sure to insert bits of humor, through some witty comment made by Willow or Axel, and especially by Aunt Agatha.
How Much Profanity is Acceptable in YA Literature?
I think you need to put down what you feel a character would say in a given situation. Don’t use words for added effect or to shock, but if they’re needed, then they’re needed.
I have a problem with whitewashing a situation – with no curses being used when obviously they would be in real-life, especially by teenagers.
Advice for Aspiring Young Adult Writers?
Don’t wait for permission to write. As Nike says, “Just do it.” More poetically, Shakespeare advises: “Things won are done. Joy’s soul is in the doing.”
Read How to Write Children's Books: Top Authors Give Tips to find more writing advice from Selene Castrovilla and other children’s writers.
Jennifer Jensen - Jennifer Jensen is an Indiana writer just returned from a lovely few years in County Cork, Ireland. She has been the Feature Writer for ...
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