#RCReadathon2020 – How to Craft Relatable YA Characters

August 18, 2020 by Miles | Leave a comment

#romanceclassFlicker authors Angeli Dumatol, Danice Mae P. Sison, and Catherine Dellosa will take us through their process of crafting relatable YA characters.

A discussion on the challenges of writing for teens, how to craft a believable voice, and other elements to factor in when creating YA characters.

Follow the #RCReadathon2020 tag on Twitter, or check out our lineup for the rest of the panels!

I'm Angeli, author of Heartstruck! 💘 I'm a medical doctor and the fur mommy of Buchi. 🐕 👩‍⚕️ pic.twitter.com/ATPKRluul5
— Angeli E. Dumatol 💜👨‍🚀 (@angelidumatol) August 14, 2020

Hi, I'm Cat! Comic book geek, gamer, and noob wife.😅 I'm the author of #RomanceClassFlicker no. 3, RAYA AND GRAYON'S GUIDE TO SAVING THE WORLD ❤ pic.twitter.com/ps5IbXK4Vl
— Catherine Dellosa (more active on IG @thenoobwife) (@thenoobwife) August 14, 2020

Question No. 1: #RCReadathon2020 #RomanceClass #RomanceClassFlicker pic.twitter.com/WPlI61DhrL
— Angeli E. Dumatol 💜👨‍🚀 (@angelidumatol) August 14, 2020

Whatever those are that have shaped us stay with us and will always stay with us. I keep going back to the modules we got from our dear #RomanceClassYA moderators Ines Bautista Yao and Agay Llanera about how…
— Danice Mae P. Sison (@danicemaepsison) August 14, 2020

so a beginner's mindset helps in crafting relatability. On the practical side., it's important to listen to actual teenagers also. Our readers who are actual teenagers are great teachers of what resonated with them. It helps to talk to relatives who are in their teens.
— Danice Mae P. Sison (@danicemaepsison) August 14, 2020

I like to think I have a tendency to like whatever's popular with teens, but I'm finding out that might not be true all the time anymore as I get older.
— Danice Mae P. Sison (@danicemaepsison) August 14, 2020

Read YA books. Watch YA shows. At one point in time, I hung out at a coffee shop and tried to observe teens and how they react with their buddies (I was NOT stalking okay LOL). If you can, try to get your piece test-read by an actual teen and get some feedback. 2/3
— Catherine Dellosa (more active on IG @thenoobwife) (@thenoobwife) August 14, 2020

"We are not teens" Lol at what Cat said! 😂But I think it's also important to remember that we WERE teens once.
— Angeli E. Dumatol 💜👨‍🚀 (@angelidumatol) August 14, 2020

But fact of the matter is that the thoughts and feelings brought about by all those first experiences that definite youth remain essentially the same. I try to channel the good as well as the not-so-good memories I have of being a teenager and insert all those into my writing. 💕
— Angeli E. Dumatol 💜👨‍🚀 (@angelidumatol) August 14, 2020

How can you remedy "narrative distance" in YA? Try to see the world through the perspective of the teen. With young adults, there are common things that are very very important to them, like IDENTITY, FRIENDS, BELONGING, FIRST LOVES. 1/4
— Catherine Dellosa (more active on IG @thenoobwife) (@thenoobwife) August 14, 2020

Generalizations are lazy, and frankly, disrespectful. Not everyone comes straight out of Mean Girls (a movie I love, btw) 🙂 There are depths and dimensions to every character! 3/4
— Catherine Dellosa (more active on IG @thenoobwife) (@thenoobwife) August 14, 2020

One thing I've learned over time is that "relatable"can be very ambiguous. It doesn't mean that your character has to be appealing to all readers (Impossible!). It doesn't mean that your character's experiences have to precisely reflect that of your reader (Again, impossible!).
— Angeli E. Dumatol 💜👨‍🚀 (@angelidumatol) August 14, 2020

Cat has enumerated a number of things important to teens! These serve as important motivators for your characters.
— Angeli E. Dumatol 💜👨‍🚀 (@angelidumatol) August 14, 2020

Relatable is relative. There's not a "one-size fits all" recipe for creating characters that all people can relate to because different people have different experiences and ways of looking at the world.
— Danice Mae P. Sison (@danicemaepsison) August 14, 2020

I think it will always come back to what you as a writer/creator hold value to. What core values matter to you as a writer that you need to see more of in the world? Chances are, these have already picked you, and it's your job to bring it forth within the characters you create
— Danice Mae P. Sison (@danicemaepsison) August 14, 2020

PLEASE do not romanticize problematic relationships. I see so many of these in YA lit, and it just crushes my heart. To make matters worse, some of these books are blatantly being marketed as romance, when the fact that it's problematic should automatically disqualify it as such.
— Angeli E. Dumatol 💜👨‍🚀 (@angelidumatol) August 14, 2020

Looking back, I realize that there were a few stories that I enjoyed back then that featured these things when I was a teen, and only when I grew up did I realize just how problematic they were.
— Angeli E. Dumatol 💜👨‍🚀 (@angelidumatol) August 14, 2020

The youth need us to do better, and we should. 😊
— Angeli E. Dumatol 💜👨‍🚀 (@angelidumatol) August 14, 2020

I would also avoid stories where the teenager needs to undergo some kind of physical transformation to find validation in the end.
— Danice Mae P. Sison (@danicemaepsison) August 14, 2020

…so much of that as an adult.
— Danice Mae P. Sison (@danicemaepsison) August 14, 2020

My sisters said everything beautifully! I'd just like to add a small red flag: how the teen sometimes acts like the parent. Some writers don't realize that the character they're crafting is actually the parent, likely bec. the writer is actually closer in age to the parent LOL!
— Catherine Dellosa (more active on IG @thenoobwife) (@thenoobwife) August 14, 2020

I don't like it when other authors slam on our culture in their books hahaha! Sometimes there's a scene with a non-Filipino possible love interest and they have the non-Filipino talk shit about our food or the way we look, and come on. pic.twitter.com/f1CO8AKpj7
— Danice Mae P. Sison (@danicemaepsison) August 14, 2020

For me, characters who use too much slang! This is like the writer peeking from behind a curtain and winking. Also, in non-contemporary YA, teens who have their crap together all the time, saving the world &being super amazing at everything. How did they become so perfect? LOL1/2
— Catherine Dellosa (more active on IG @thenoobwife) (@thenoobwife) August 14, 2020

"Where Are All the Adults?" I think it doesn't matter if your teen character is independent or able to do their own thing. When ~stuff happens, I always wonder where the parents are in everything. How do the teens get away with doing so many things without adult supervision?
— Angeli E. Dumatol 💜👨‍🚀 (@angelidumatol) August 14, 2020

Question No. 5: #RCReadathon2020 #RomanceClass #RomanceClassFlicker pic.twitter.com/NoI02XIPvZ
— Angeli E. Dumatol 💜👨‍🚀 (@angelidumatol) August 14, 2020

As for "dating a piece", once upon a time, I was worried about this too, but my editor (Hi Chris!) gently reminded me that you're going to end up 'dating' your MS no matter what. Just the mention of ride-hailing apps or K-12 implies a certain time period.
— Angeli E. Dumatol 💜👨‍🚀 (@angelidumatol) August 14, 2020

I agree with Angeli on all points! #RayaxGrayson was pop culture galore. I think references are wonderful as long as you put them there for a purpose, not just for the sake of mentioning something. Every detail has to have a point; otherwise, why insert them at all?:)
— Catherine Dellosa (more active on IG @thenoobwife) (@thenoobwife) August 14, 2020

Like if I found out what movies, music, books, food these characters like it makes me feel so much closer to them. I also like learning about the references that aren't familiar to me. I'm encouraged to look these up.
— Danice Mae P. Sison (@danicemaepsison) August 14, 2020

Question No. 6: #RCReadathon2020 #RomanceClass #RomanceClassFlicker pic.twitter.com/O5lnoWgbwq
— Angeli E. Dumatol 💜👨‍🚀 (@angelidumatol) August 14, 2020

I've been told my characters act too mature or independent for their age, and perhaps that's true because I really think teenagers are capable of being more independent and standing up for matters that directly affect them.
— Danice Mae P. Sison (@danicemaepsison) August 14, 2020

I also tend to ramble with my internal monologues a lot, so my teen ends up having an existential crisis all the time! 2/2
— Catherine Dellosa (more active on IG @thenoobwife) (@thenoobwife) August 14, 2020

Teenagers are really, really STRONG. Emotionally, they handle all kinds of crap and still come out on top. Adolescence is HARD, and honestly, the way young adults handle all their issues is just mind-blowing. 1/2
— Catherine Dellosa (more active on IG @thenoobwife) (@thenoobwife) August 14, 2020

Not to condescend to readers' intelligence. Teenagers, like children are pretty good (and a lot are vocal) at spotting what's bullshit.
— Danice Mae P. Sison (@danicemaepsison) August 14, 2020

YAY! The next questions we'll be answering are from YOU! We'll do our best to answer your queries from both Twitter and Instagram! ❤️ pic.twitter.com/B1k0VNN1jY
— Angeli E. Dumatol 💜👨‍🚀 (@angelidumatol) August 14, 2020

A lot? Looking back, I experienced so many things during my HS years that I kinda wonder where teen me got all that energy and time. Haha. 😂
— Angeli E. Dumatol 💜👨‍🚀 (@angelidumatol) August 14, 2020

Yes, all of them :))) The angst, the unrequited crushes, the building of an identity, the belonging to a tribe. Mine your own experiences because how you look at what you've gone through changes as you get older.
— Danice Mae P. Sison (@danicemaepsison) August 14, 2020

Another from mionejeanpotter: #RCReadathon2020 #RomanceClass #RomanceClassFlicker pic.twitter.com/OSYFcIrg3k
— Angeli E. Dumatol 💜👨‍🚀 (@angelidumatol) August 14, 2020

I grew up reading a lot of white YA characters but Harriet The Spy and Anastasia Krupnik top my list and everyone in the Babysitter's Club (though they're more MG than YA). Fave takeaway from the YA MC's of my youth: it's totally OK to be bossy! pic.twitter.com/jF87UTO6y2
— Danice Mae P. Sison (@danicemaepsison) August 14, 2020

New faves are Twinkle Mehra from “From Twinkle With Love” by Sandhya Menon, Jessie from “Choco Chip Hips” by Agay Llanera, Alexa from “Heartstruck” by Angeli Dumatol and Raya from “Raya and Grayson’s Guide To Saving The World” By Cat Dellosa.
— Danice Mae P. Sison (@danicemaepsison) August 14, 2020

OO NGA @danicemaepsison 😭 WHYYYY~
— Angeli E. Dumatol 💜👨‍🚀 (@angelidumatol) August 14, 2020

From islandstorygirl: #RCReadathon2020 #RomanceClass #RomanceClassFlicker pic.twitter.com/x4iRfwZAR3
— Angeli E. Dumatol 💜👨‍🚀 (@angelidumatol) August 14, 2020

I had to look up film restoration in the Philippines for some details in "Flipping The Script". Then I had to review what I went through when I was a young Film major and update with current technology (media formats have changed A LOT since then)
— Danice Mae P. Sison (@danicemaepsison) August 14, 2020

Another from islandstorygirl (who also happens to be a Flicker editor!!!) : #RCReadathon2020 #RomanceClass #RomanceClassFlicker We are assuming this pertain to the Flicker books, btw! 😊 pic.twitter.com/VnEl2Evvbt
— Angeli E. Dumatol 💜👨‍🚀 (@angelidumatol) August 14, 2020

Yes (char!)
— Danice Mae P. Sison (@danicemaepsison) August 14, 2020

Those things are huge, so opening one while carrying the others would have been difficult to do, so she just got wet from the rain and carried the umbrellas. I did that. It worked for Miri in the book, because her crush noticed her, but unfortunately it didn't work for me haha!
— Danice Mae P. Sison (@danicemaepsison) August 14, 2020

From minavesguerra: #RCReadathon2020 #RomanceClass #RomanceClassFlicker pic.twitter.com/FLKj1dROnJ
— Angeli E. Dumatol 💜👨‍🚀 (@angelidumatol) August 14, 2020

Arnis was declared the PH national sport only in 2009, so maybe the whole arnis PE class would not have made sense if Heartstruck was set back then. (HS ako nung 2009!) And of course, the K-12 system would not have then existed, Alexa and the gang would have been HS seniors! 😊
— Angeli E. Dumatol 💜👨‍🚀 (@angelidumatol) August 14, 2020

There would already have been efforts made to restore Filipino movies, though. No instant messaging, either, and no group chats. The group chats would have probably taken place on a logbook that would have been passed around from person to person like a group journal.
— Danice Mae P. Sison (@danicemaepsison) August 14, 2020

From carlakdeguzman: #RCReadathon2020 #RomanceClass #RomanceClassFlicker pic.twitter.com/rlCHdAvyLW
— Angeli E. Dumatol 💜👨‍🚀 (@angelidumatol) August 14, 2020

That title~! Aaaaaaaaa~! *grabby hands* pic.twitter.com/fzGIVYjUkW
— Danice Mae P. Sison (@danicemaepsison) August 14, 2020

My paranormal/SFF/speculative vampire YA has been stuck since 2015, and my gamer guy POV YA since early last year. I need to get back to writing! Muse, #sendhalp LOL pic.twitter.com/ze4AaxE6Br
— Catherine Dellosa (more active on IG @thenoobwife) (@thenoobwife) August 14, 2020

I wrote an episode for #HelloEverAfter, the #romanceclass web series featuring our characters during these hard times! Alexa & Theo under ECQ, coming soon! In the mean time, watch the episodes that are out here: https://t.co/E5xqE7uXTP
— Angeli E. Dumatol 💜👨‍🚀 (@angelidumatol) August 14, 2020

The lockdown has thrown my creative writing schedule into chaos haha! So sadly, no. Thankfully, my Flicker sisters are being super awesome with their artistic minds as usual! Love in the time of COVID!:)
— Catherine Dellosa (more active on IG @thenoobwife) (@thenoobwife) August 14, 2020

The short answer is YES. Leaving this here~ Hello @angelamc23! https://t.co/NgOyTYvH0t
— Angeli E. Dumatol 💜👨‍🚀 (@angelidumatol) August 14, 2020

Making your way through and finding your people…this is what #RomanceClassFlicker is all about! Stay tuned for @angelamc23 's masterpiece soon! <3
— Catherine Dellosa (more active on IG @thenoobwife) (@thenoobwife) August 14, 2020

You can buy Heartstruck (#RomanceClassFlicker 1) here: https://t.co/Pb9ROJSsIK ~ It has arnis (Filipino Martial Arts), childhood buddies, girl friendship, and sorbetes 🍦 #romanceclass
— Angeli E. Dumatol 💜👨‍🚀 (@angelidumatol) August 14, 2020

#RomanceClassFlicker # 2 "Flipping The Script" is available as an ebook here https://t.co/xoyTAjoUbx
— Danice Mae P. Sison (@danicemaepsison) August 14, 2020

Better yet, you can get all 3 in one go through this bundle: https://t.co/6Pc6mjeeLF #RomanceClassFlicker #RomanceClass #YA

Use any one of our discount codes: flickerangeli or flickerdanice or flickercatherine (Sorry, one-time use only! 😉 Pick your fave. Haha. We won't mind!)
— Angeli E. Dumatol 💜👨‍🚀 (@angelidumatol) August 14, 2020

Thanks to everyone who tuned in and sent questions! Here's to young love in all it's messy, beautiful glory – coupled with the wonder and warmth of friends, family, and finding your place in this world. Feels guaranteed. 🙂 https://t.co/kgJ7TBawpb #RomanceClassFlicker #YA
— Catherine Dellosa (more active on IG @thenoobwife) (@thenoobwife) August 14, 2020

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