Young Adult author Seth Fishman (The Well’s End, a superbly eerie, dystopian fantasy novel with viruses and quarantines) whips up a fantastic article for writers diving into the YA division. In “How to Write YA,” featured in Publishers Weekly, Fisherman makes six solid points that make me simultaneously nod professionally and jump up and down like an enthusiastic fan of YA (and want to high-five him multiple times for publishing this and finally make people realize…well, read on).

1. Confront your failures.
2. Don’t write down. “‘Young Adult’ does not mean stupid. It doesn’t mean ignorant.” *internally screams with joy* 
3. Be timeless when timeless is called for.
4. Remember what you felt, not what you remember.
5. Be confident.
6. Have a teenager help you edit. (Yes, this, it’s so important, especially for dialogue or dramatic moments!)

Just read it like any good YA reader should! Fishman nails it.