Young adult books are easily one of, if not the fastest, growing genres in publishing. A lot of the biggest breakout books like the Hunger Games, Twilight, and Shadow and Bone are all based on YA novels. There’s something about the teenage experience that speaks to us all—no matter how old we get and how long ago teenagerhood was. 

Young adult fiction is one of the fastest growing categories of books in publishing. If you’ve ever been interested in writing young adult (YA) fiction, you might wonder how it differs from regular adult fiction. There are a few key differences between the two age categories, but there are also some similarities. Sometimes it can almost be tricky to tell which category it falls in, especially with protagonists in the 18-19 age range.

Here's everything you ever needed to know about writing unforgettable YA characters—from tapping into teenage motivation to finding authentic voices.

Want to create a world your YA readers are sure to get lost in? You've come to the right place! Here's everything you need to know about setting the scene for a young adult novel.