I hadn’t planned to blog today, but after the great comments on yesterday’s post, I wanted to add an important point.
Now, obviously yesterday's post was part humor and part truth. A number of the tips came from the social psychology, developmental psychology, and research methodology courses I took during my undergrad and graduate studies.
But as many of you pointed out, OBSERVATION of teenagers (or whatever group you’re researching) ISN'T ENOUGH. You want to spend time with them, too.
If you don’t have teenagers living with you, or nephews and nieces (Hey, at least my brother was good for something), then try VOLUNTEERING through a community program (e.g. church, library, community center, YMCA). You won’t be sorry, and maybe you can help ENRICH a teen’s life. And seriously, isn’t that what we YA writers are striving for in the first place? To REACH OUT and make a difference in a teen’s life, even if it's just a small difference.
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