Teen Dialogue

On Guide to Literary Agents Blog, agent Joanna Volpe talks about why using Realistic Teen Dialogue might not be a good thing. Agent Joanna Volpe

"What works in an acted out scene doesn't usually translate well to the written word. If I were to write a scene with truly realistic teen dialog, it would go something like his:

"Hey Sara, what's up?"
"Not much, you?"
"Not much," I say as I BBM Michael. "I so hate Michael right now."
"Ya," Sara agrees. "Me, too."
"I mean, he's like, SUCH a jerk."
"I knooooow," Sara nods. "Totally."

And so on. Ugh. Snore-fest, anyone? Listening to teens is equally as important as nailing that voice. By listening, you start to pick up on what they care about and how they react toward one another and why they say the things they say. Then you have to take all of that valuable research and incorporate it into a scene with heightened tension and conflict. You have to dramatize it. Make it interesting. Turn it into a story. And as long as you’ve been paying attention, the YA voice will come."