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 Mystery: March 18, 2015 Issue [#6885] |
  Mystery This week: Young Adults ~ edgy and sharp Edited by: Kate - Writing & Reading   More Newsletters By This Editor   1. About this Newsletter 2. A Word from our Sponsor 3. Letter from the Editor 4. Editor's Picks 5. A Word from Writing.Com 6. Ask & Answer 7. Removal instructions 
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I think Young Adult Mysteries are character-driven more so than other stories. Characters to which the YA reader can relate in some way, either with empathy or scorn (initially), but somehow 'caring' about the character. You need not reveal everything you as Writer know, but create a characters with depth and personality, and a relationship with other characters that the reader can sense from the start. 
Young adults don't want to be treated as little kids, to have eveythirng revealed to them. They see themselves as more mature, so they gravitate towards a protagonist who's in the upper range in age (16 and up), or even college-age or embarking on a career. The protagonist, like the young adult, whether or not flawed, needs to be dynamic - to grow or change as he/she solves the mystery you've crafted along with your reader. 
Young adults are impatient. Consider the instant connection of their smartphones and tablets and the Internet, which provide real time information on demand, and if they don't get it quickly enough, they hang up and delete the 'app'. So introduce the main character or subject early on to allow your reader to identify or empathize with the protagonist, and not hang up on your mystery. Expository paragraphs developing picturesque surroundings or lengthy back-story take the reader out of the moment. Make the ending of each scene, chapter, and verse, add to the suspense, and compel your reader, make him/her need to read on before time's up to solve the mystery. In a YA Mystery, don't give your protagonist forever to solve the mystery; set a time finite that the reader discerns early. Your reader will be able to relate, empathize with your protagonist in that regard, and want to keep turning pages and following the trails you've set with clues, 
Yes, clues, and red herrings, throughout your mystery will keep YA readers engaged in solving the puzzle you've created. Be straight with your readers, however, misleading with a red herring or two while alluding to the real clues that the protagonist and your reader can solve as the story moves forward. Like children, young adults are frustrated by phony trails that go nowhere, and likely to snub whomever they believe has cheated them of their time and effort. Be accurate also in researching the setting and character development so your reader's instant access online to historical facts or world events doesn't catch you up. Think about it, young adults question what they're told, and are quick to point out mistakes.
Show and don't tell setting, action, and characters. Know them well yourself, but allow your reader to see them as they relate to each other. As with the clues, subtle allusion will allow the YA reader to enter the story and embark on solving the mystery in the 'otherworld' you've created. Whether that is in the past - historical, or in the present day, or a blend of the two (check out Elise Brough's Shakespeare's Secret), or a leap to the future, research and know the world you design. Make it real, or you'll be caught out.
Edgy topics, such as murder, suicide, kidnapping, identity theft, cybercrime, terrorism, and other current issues are as relevant as peer pressure and age-related social and family matters are to young adults. A well crafted story or poem where a like-aged protagonist is confronted with such issues while solving a mystery will not only entertain, but engage the imagination and challenge a young adult's mind. 
