Sometimes, as writers, we feel the need to use large and overly cumbersome words to express ourselves. This is probably due to an inner need to sound intelligent, or perhaps to create a certain effect (such as stringing a number of similar sounding words together). But is this appropriate for Young Adult fiction? Peta of blog ILBNH makes a pretty good case that it is not.
Instead of filling our books with overly complex words, Peta suggests using Familiar Style. What’s that you ask? Well, I’ll direct you to her article so you can get the info first hand. Follow the link to read What Familiar Style is and Why You Should Use It.