On Jane Friedman site:

Years ago, I had a student in my AP World History class, who, despite seeming interested in the class, never submitted any homework. It was tanking her grade. Hoping to solve this no-homework spiral, I pulled her aside and asked what she did after school most days.

“Most days, I get home from school and start reading a book. And then I can’t stop reading the book. I keep reading until I finish, and by then it’s the middle of the night, and I’m tired, so I go to bed.”

We never did solve her homework problem, but she passed the class and graduated. As a writer and avid reader myself, I have a soft spot for the kids who hide open novels under their desks or stay up all night reading. As their teacher, I know I’m supposed to keep them on task and insist on better study habits. But, whenever I see a teenager reading instead of something else they’re “supposed” to be doing, I can’t help but think, Well, there’s worse things they could be up to.

I also know that a good novel has everything teen brains are primed to crave—excitement, emotion, and escape.

Since most YA authors are adults, we need to rely on our memories of adolescence to write teen characters. No matter how vivid your memories are, the fact remains that teenage brains function differently than adult ones. These differences are deeper than the poor impulse control that makes you want to scream, “What were you thinking?”

As a high school teacher who writes for teens, I think there are four things about the adolescent mind every YA writer should know.