For me, what lacks a lot in (high school) stories is FRIENDSHIP DEVELOPMENT. Most of the time, they have a BFF and everything is always super-duper, never had a fight and always agree (for me that’s unrealistic). But back to high school stories, it would be nice to see the link between MC and her friends, because high school is all about friends imo.
I don’t mind reading a high school story (even with some cliché), but it has to be somewhat original.
Like I said above, development . Maybe some fights (not necessarily), but things that were thrown in their way, but that they overcome at the end (idk if you get what I’m saying lol)
For me, it’s all about the dialogue, sentences can tell a lot.
Ask yourself if the scene is important to the story. If it’s not cut it out. When I say important, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it has to be a big scene, but for example, ask yourself “what is the reader going to learn from this scene?” if there is no answer, then maybe the scene is not useful.
I would say, let her express herself in her own way and “don’t be afraid to make her sound like a robot” because I think that would be the way people would see someone talking with words they have never heard lol. But make it look natural I would say
This helps a lot, especially your answer to my plot-wise question. I totally get what you mean! And your answer about the “worthy events” just gave me an idea! Thank you, @secrets.epi!
Okay I literally write a High School story and here’s my take:
I’d avoid pushing people into “cliques” and stereotypes. Especially if it’s not set in American HS. Like no “mean girls” who wear pink and expensive clothing and “computer geeks” who all like video games, are scrawny and wear glasses and look funny and all get bullied. Yes people do gravitate towards and group with people of similar interests but most friend groups are pretty diverse and different groups mingle with other groups all the time. I’d not call attention to all the groups if any, unless they’re somehow relevant to the plot. Like don’t be like “and those are the band geeks- {insert exposition here}” and then they never appear or have any lines of dialogue at ALL in the story. These groups were not a thing in HS for me, it was just attractive athletic boys and athletic girls who’d hang out separately or together and they’re “popular” who were really distinct as a “clique” in any way but nobody draws attention to that in real life.
Second, I’d avoid making it something like “Riverdale” where all these teens cant trust any adults and they’re dealing with insanely mature topics all the time and have to solve actual murder cases alone and sh*t like that. Like no teenager ever is doing that and doing that seriously, that’s not a realistic High School experience. And also avoid sexualising teenagers at any cost. It’s just gross and unnecessary. Like yes teenagers have sex but there really is no need to glorify it or promote it or even showcase it. Like just avoid IMO.
Honestly I’d avoid really edgy dialogue and cringe shallow stuff, especially frequently. Teenagers are dumb in a senseless way sometimes but not intellectually. If you’re going to be exploring serious stuff, treat it with care and don’t glaze over it or twist it into a joke, it’s very tone deaf and makes me hate a lot of stories about teenagers.
Deal in internal conflicts. From a Psychological perspective, the ages 12-19’s virtues revolve around fidelity, things that teens are figuring out and cause internal crisis are stuff like your identity and role confusion. They’re trying to figure out who they are and what they want to do in their future’s. Maybe experiment with love. Stuff like that.
Yep, it’s just overly cliche and doesn’t add anything beneficial to the story UNLESS its purely comedic for a comedy story and you’re poking fun at tropes and/or subverting them or something if that makes sense?
2 & 3. Not necessarily all mature themes but definitely like what Riverdale does where it’s over dramatised (and supposed to be high stakes but they’re literally living normal lives in a HS setting) but supposed to be taken seriously? If that makes sense. And there’s no reason to sexualise children.
With the dialogue I just mean stuff that is trying too hard to sound teenage but falls flat. Kinda like Life is Strange lmao. Id try to work in terms and slang teenagers are actually using now or at whatever time period its set.
Not most of the drama, just I’d focus character the character development of the MC especially on stuff like that, if that makes sense? External stuff can and should happen around them but think about how this changes the MC’s perspective on things and challenges their beliefs and develops them as a person. If you want realistic and relatable.
No, unfortunately, this story is not out yet because I’m having a hard time continuing to plan it. I changed my title to Senior Year Impact (insert copyright logo here). Besides planning, I’m also having a hard time wondering which artists to ask for backgrounds.
development 
Thanks!
