The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins has been a bestselling book series since its release in September of 2008. Ask any teen or young adult whose read it why it’s so popular, and you’ll likely get a number of reasons, from the books’ dystopian setting to the page-turning action. But while Suzanne Collins provides an exciting ride for readers of her trilogy, she also offers writers of teen and young adult fiction a goldmine of writing tips. In fact, understanding what draws kids to The Hunger Games may just help teen and YA writers pen the next masterpiece.
Complex Characters, Developed Slowly
In her New York Times review of Mockingjay (Book 3, Scholastic), Katie Roiphe describes The Hunger Games protagonist Katniss Everdeen as “bossy, moody, bratty, demanding, prickly,” and yet “a great character” How so? The multidimensional quality of Katniss gives readers a character who’s interesting, human, and above all, likeable.
But Katniss isn’t the only character with many sides. Peeta Mellark can be described as trustworthy, honest, sensitive, and kind but also brave, rebellious, and a showman. Character Gale is loyal, protective, angry, jealous, and fearless. Even the members of Katniss’s prep team from the evil Capitol have different dimensions to their personalities that range from detestable to lovable.
How does Collins create such complex characters? Over time, she explains in an interview with her publisher, Scholastic. Though she admits to working out the important structural parts of her stories before she begins writing, she leaves room for the characters to develop – and it’s a tactic that works well.
A Suspenseful, Emotional Story
Collins knows how to keep readers engaged with some pretty standard tricks, like cliffhangers at the ends of chapters, intense action scenes, and intriguing subplots. But Collins uses another ploy that’s not so typical – ruthlessness, and that makes her trilogy standout suspense and an emotional journey for readers.
Says Gabrielle Zevin in her New York Times‘ review of Catching Fire (Book 2, Scholastic, 2009), “This is a world in which bad things happen to good characters” but a world “where a reader will want to return to see what happens next.” School Library Journal adds, “In her ruthless depictions of war, Collins leaves readers “repulsed, shocked, grieving and, finally, hopeful for the characters they’ve grown to empathize with and love.”
Handling difficult subject matter as tastefully as Collins does, however, is no simple task. In her interview with Scholastic, she explains that she thought of how she might describe a similar event to her own children, by giving them only the information they would need to understand it.
Story Details That are Unique and Vivid
Many critics agree that the unique details Collins puts into the world of Panem are what capture readers. Katie Roiphe writes in her Mockingjay review, “It would take too long to catalog the elaborate gadgets and gizmos and creatures and torments that Collins devised.”
And while the particulars of The Hunger Games world lack familiarity, Collins describes them so vividly – from the wolf mutts, like the one with “dark glossy fur, huge brown eyes, and a collar that reads 11 in woven straw. Teeth bared in hatred” (Chapter 25, The Hunger Games), to the extraordinary costumes, including “the fluttering cape made of streams of orange, yellow, and red and the matching headpiece [that Cinna plans to set] on fire” (Chapter 5, The Hunger Games) – that readers can almost see and experience what the characters do. For writers of teen and YA fiction, it’s a writing technique worth emulating.
Multiple Age-Appropriate Book Themes
Writers of teen and young adult fiction, no matter what genre, won’t stand a chance at selling their work if the book themes don’t appeal to readers. In The Hunger Games trilogy, Suzanne Collins has this issue covered well, with multiple themes like romance, friendship, rebellion, social status, and power – all popular among teens and young adults.
But themes for more mature readers are here too, including politics, philosophy, and war. Add to the mix a reality show flavor, and the books can’t help but be a hit with today’s young people and even many adults.
Readability – a Mark of Good Writing
Finally, Suzanne Collins shows writers of teen and YA fiction that readability is essential, especially when it comes to this often demanding audience. Collins’s writing is clear, smooth, and to the point. And her word choices are articulate but not pretentious: “Frankly. our ancestors don’t seem much to brag about,” Katniss muses in Mockingjay (Chapter 6). “I mean, look at the state they left us in, with the wars and the broken planet.” Most important, Collins writes with honesty and consistency. “You just set up a world,” she explains in her interview with Scholastic, ”and try to remain true to it.”
Sound advice, from the author of a trilogy that’s bound to be a longtime favorite book series – and one deserving of a spot on every YA fiction writer’s bookshelf.
Sources:
Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games trilogy. New York: Scholastic, 2008-2010.
Jones, Trev. Review of Mockingjay, by Suzanne Collins. School Library Journal, August 31, 2010.
Roiphe, Katie. “Survivor.” Review of Mockingjay, by Suzanne Collins. New York Times, September 8, 2010.
Zevin, Gabrielle. “Constant Craving.” Review of Catching Fire, by Suzanne Collins. New York Times, October 9, 2009.
“A Conversation with Suzanne Collins.” Interview by Scholastic, 2009.
Susie Yakowicz - Susie Yakowicz is a Minnesota freelance writer whose work has appeared in dozens of publications for children and adults.
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