S30E9 - Coming of Age Stories

One of the main staples in any Young Adult fiction is the Coming of Age theme. This is when the main character experiences personal growth and change which relies on their emotional responses and ties to the larger plot around them. It's when the character discovers something integral about themselves or the world. They're learning what it is to be.

This trope most often accompanies drama and slice of life stories, and it is a common theme in LGBTQ+ stories. Often you'll find the characters don't fit in, or at least feel out of place somehow, and the story is tied to them finding a place in the world.

Coming of Age stories, especially in the slice of life genre, are not simple progressions of someone's normal life. There still need to be challenges, a plot, and real struggle. That is, after all, how the character makes the key discovery. No one has an epiphany about their role in life without facing trials. For more on how to write a story using this plot trope, listen below.

First aired March 31, 2022.