By Victoria Garcia

I never had trouble with liking my writing. I always stuck with what I knew: poetry based on feelings, experiences, love, and pain, along with stories based on family, late nights, and fun. I always found myself able to write, to create with words. I didn’t struggle. 

Until I tried YA writing. 

YA writing is not like the writing I’m used to. When writing for a young adult audience, I have to create characters, use plot devices, setting, and all that good stuff that creates a story. I hated my own YA writing. I hated creating stories. How could I be an English major and not be able to create a story? I wanted to change that to be a better writer and for my own sake. Here’s how to like your own yA writing:

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Ways to Like Your Own YA Writing

Embrace Your Bad Rough Drafts and Ideas

Most writers fear writing young adult literature because of the new concept of having to create something entirely new. Many YA writers get overwhelmed by ideas and end up trying to fit all their ideas into one story. This usually turns out with the writer scrapping the entire story. 

Instead, settle on one idea and create your first rough draft. It most likely will not be something you’ll be proud of right away, but it will become special as the birthplace of your ideas and story. 

Rough drafts are important to your YA writing, and by liking your rough draft, you will grow to love your writing as a whole. Remember that writing is a process, and the rough draft is an important part of this process.

Author Andy Weir reminds writers that they have to stop daydreaming and actually write. Daydreaming about writing will get you nowhere. 

Focus on Your Mindset

The mindset of a writer is critical for the writing process. You need to have a clear mindset, at least for the editing part of YA writing. Focus your mindset on your YA story concept and what you as a YA writer are trying to convey to the reader. 

A healthy, focused mindset will help you write your best. If you write your best, you will come to like your work easily!

Poet Maya Angelou counsels us to find a quiet place within ourselves. In other words, you don’t need to find a quiet writing place, but a quiet mind. Only then will you be able to listen to yourself and your ideas.  

You may also like: Why You Should Take a Break From Your YA Writing

Believe in Your Skills 

Many writers doubt their skills when they begin to write. To truly like your YA writing, you must believe in your skills as a writer.

Writing is all about growth: growth of the plot, growth of the characters, and growth of the writer. Believe in your skills and your ability to grow as a writer. Then you will be able to write freely and enjoy what you create!

Jodi Picoult advises if you ever get stuck, or have given up on your writing, “force yourself to finish and then decide to fix it or scrap it.” At least you wrote something!

Take Classes

If you are still worried about liking your YA writing, join a creative writing class! Here you will be able to learn different forms of writing under the wing of a teacher. It’s a great way to become confident in your writing.

I began to like my YA writing after taking a creative writing class; it was fun and benefited me as a writer. I would practice writing my young adult fiction by reading other stories and following a theme. For one assignment I had to write a YA story of Mexican folklore. It was not only enjoyable, but also a good writing technique as giving yourself a theme will help you narrow your imagination. You could also enter teen writing contests to practice writing, gain confidence, and share your work. 

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Final Thoughts on Liking Your Own YA Writing

The more you work on your YA writing, the more you will come to like it. Don’t be afraid of writing young adult fiction because it is out of your comfort zone—just give it a try. Being a writer is all about creating. Once you come up with a story, half the battle is won. 

Have faith in your skills and give your YA writing a chance! If you need some ideas, check out these fun writing prompts to get started.

Have you struggled with liking your own YA writing? Share your tips for overcoming this obstacle in the comments below.