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Young ReadersWriting Stories to Reach Young Adults‘I put more of myself in stories by integrating my experiences and my thoughts andpreferences in what I write.’By Leslie KorenIdevoured Anna Quindlen’s NewYork Times’s columns as a teenager.I knew which days they appearedand ran to get the paper. I readabout AIDS, motherhood, politics andfeminism—definitely not light topics. Idon’t suspect they were written specificallyfor suburban high school students,but they helped me make senseof a world that seemed terribly confusing.I am now a journalist working at theheart of my New Jersey newspaper’seffort to reach young readers. LastDecember I moved from The Record’scrime beat to its features section withthe nebulous charge of writing forpeople in their 20’s and early 30’s. Ioften reflect back on what lessons I canlearn from that young reader sitting atthe kitchen table reading Quindlen’swords.I wanted this assignment because,having just turned 30, I knew what aninteresting and complex time this canbe, especially with so many in my generationdelaying marriage and families.We are searching in different ways forour right career path, our great love,and for a more complete understandingabout ourselves. Along the way, weare creating new types of relationshipswith friends and parents, within communities,and in our homes.Writing for Young AdultsAs a reader and staff reporter, I didn’tsee these issues reflected in our pagesand, in the spring of 2002, I wanted anew challenge. So I proposed writing acolumn, profiles or features directed atmy peers. Eventually our editor, FrankScandale, combined all three and offeredme a shot. Almost a year later, Iam still trying to figure out how best tohone such a broad idea into specificExcerpts From Leslie Koren’s StoriesMy editors told me I’d need to lose theformal newspaper tone and spice upmy stories when I took on this assignment.Now I write using the first person,directly address the reader, andjust try to have fun. Some excerptsfrom my stories:stories and how to incorporate thesestories into a daily newspaper.There are many days when I wonderwhat young readers want to hear fromme and my paper, if anything.Though I hear of many new publicationsoffering short snippets to youngerreaders, my gut and some reader responseinstruct me to move in a differentdirection. So I try to craft wellwritten, informative pieces in a comfortableand friendly voice. To do this,I address the reader directly. I putmore of myself in stories by integratingmy experiences and my thoughts andpreferences in what I write. In my roleas a feature writer, I want to speak tothat part of the young reader that is stilldeveloping and coming into its own. Iwant to help them make sense of theirworld and encourage them to think forthemselves.• I don’t even remember exactly whatmy boyfriend had done wrong, onlythat it made me very unhappy. NowI can see that the relationship wasregrettable from the start. But at thetime, I was new to the area anddesperate to be anything but single.And so I did as generations of females,faced with similar and notso-similarquandaries, have oftendone—I asked a girlfriend what todo. A week later, after following herguidance and giving him the silenttreatment, we officially broke up.Another girlfriend told me never toseek that friend’s advice again.Women, it seems, are programmedto solicit counsel. Natureor nurture, I can’t say, but I’ve spentenough hours on both ends of thetelephone to qualify as an expert onthe issue. Apparently, so have dozensof other women, many of whomalso had the forethought to put theirso-called expertise into a book proposal,land an agent, and get it published.• More than 40 years later, the book,including [Helen] Gurley Brown’sadvice on finding, attracting andenjoying men, is going back on themarket. In a new introduction, shewrites about the great strides allwomen, including those without ahusband, have made since her tellallwas first published, particularlyin the career world. It’s perfect timing.We modern single girls coulduse a dollop of this 81-year-old’sfeistiness. We may have come a longway—and there may be a lot more ofus out there—but being solo, especiallyin your 30’s, still means sloughingoff friends, family and coworkerswho pity you for the lack of a ringon your finger and self-help gurusproffering the quickest way to getone. In Gurley Brown’s world—where pink colors the walls and aneedlepoint pillow proclaims,Continued on page 38.Nieman Reports / Winter 2003 37