How to write... Coming of Age

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The Wikipedia Definition: A coming of age tale "focuses on the psychological and moral growth of the protagonist from youth to adulthood, in which character change is extremely important." (Bildungsroman, Wikipedia)

In plain English: A story that focuses on the mental growth of a character and how they mature. It's important to note that while these stories can include romance, the bulk of the story will be on the development and growth of the character (whether negative or positive).

Famous Examples: Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher; The Fault in Our Stars by John Green; The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky; The Catcher In The Rye by J. D. Salinger

Famous Film/ TV Examples: The Edge of Seventeen; Boyhood; Thirteen Reasons Why

Every teen fiction story has a coming of age element to it, with a common occurrence being a character changing over the course of their school life. However, it is a genre in its own right that continues to be popular, especially on Wattpad. As is the case with every genre, though, there are some definite dos and don'ts to writing a coming of age story, and here are some of them.

Do keep the focus on the characters - By definition, the main focus of a coming of age story is character development. Because of this, the story should always be evolving the characters - in teen fiction, this is typically the change from teenager to adult. In a coming of age story, this itself is the main drive of the story, and therefore is key. Every big event in your story should help the character grow and develop in some way.

These changes do not always have to be positive - the events that occur in the story Thirteen Reasons Why are the complete opposite of this, as Hannah is shown to slowly spiral into a depression that leads to her suicide. However, the person our character is at the start of the story should not be the same person we see at the end of the story.

Do know what you're talking about - Many coming of age stories cover major real world topics, including bullying, illness, fostering and adoption and death, among others. As a result, coming of age is the one genre that tends to reflect real life more than any other. This can be both a good thing and a bad thing. On the one hand, readers are able to relate to the events of the story more. However, it is also incredibly obvious to readers when one has not taken the time to do decent research. Not taking the time to know the issue you are handling is the easiest way to offend readers, particularly when dealing with a sensitive topic, or one that readers have experienced already. Because of this, it's extremely important that you do your research.

Don't confuse romance with coming of age - Many people confuse the changes that happen to a character due to romance with those in a coming of age story. While romance can be a factor in these stories, and often is, a story where all the changes that take place are caused by love, or being in love, is typically a romance story, and this can be seen from the definition (see our "How to write romance" chapter for details). The changes to a character in a coming of age story should typically involve factors other than just romance.

Do introduce conflict - As we have said previously, the coming of age genre tends to be the one that most accurately reflects real life, and it's rare that anyone's life is perfect. People typically change due to the conflicts they experience, and so there should be some sort of conflict within a coming of age story. It doesn't have to be a major event, even if these are popular in the genre, but there should still be challenges and obstacles for your characters to overcome.

Don't be afraid to draw on personal experience - Unlike a genre such as fantasy, the events in these stories are ones that many of us have actually experienced. This can be an advantage, because you can take knowledge of some of the scenarios your characters have been through to make them all the more realistic. Many authors writing in this genre have tackled issues that they have personally been through or resonated with, and their real world experience has helped to make the story much more relatable.

Misconception #1: There must be a happily ever after

Many tend to assume that there must be a happily ever after in these stories, especially in those featuring traumatic events for the main character. However, this does not necessarily have to be a staple. Some of the most popular stories in this genre have actually done the complete opposite - in fact, one of the clichés we listed in our video was ambiguous endings, as it is rare in published stories that we are entirely sure of the fate of the main characters

Misconception #2: Teenagers are all immature

It's common for teen coming of age stories to take a character that is fairly immature, who through some external conflict becomes an adult. Generalising in this way is not a staple of the genre, though. Teenagers are normal people, and as such have varying levels of maturity. It is for this reason that coming of age stories are a genre in themselves, as the genre is not only for teens. Many stories often classified as chicklit, for example, could also fit into the coming of age genre, as they deal with women changing due to some external conflict.

Misconception #3: The story has to deal with a major issue

While it is common for stories in this genre to handle major topics such as bullying, suicide and terminal illness, this is not a requirement. The focal point of these stories is character development, but this does not mean that your character has to go through an extreme situation. A person can equally be changed by smaller, more common occurrences, such as friendship, divorce between their parents, a new experience such as their first job, etc. Your character doesn't have to be put through extreme scenarios to grow as a person.

Chosen by you: Top 10 coming of age clichés

Just like last month, we made you a list of our top ten clichés in this genre. We hope you enjoy the video, but it's always intriguing to compare, so here's the list voted for by you, with number one being the most common.

10. Body or appearance issues

9. Losing virginity

8. Absent parents

7. New schools

6. Romances

5. Abuse

4. Damaged lead characters

3. Happily ever afters

2. Bad boys

1. Stereotypes

Honourable Mentions: Summer settings; bucket lists; token best friend character; road trip stories

We hope that this has helped you all! What's your advice on writing a coming of age story?

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