Hello everyone, I need to ask you a very small favor.

If the answer is no, that’s fine and I’ll accept that without any feeling of personal rejection.

(At my age, rejection is a way of everyday life.)

I am starting to research subject matter for a new novel/short story I hope to start writing later this year.

The primary storyline involves four young people starting at the ages of five years old to perhaps their early twenties.

What I am looking for is what are the concerns of young people are at different ages.

What are the needs, wants, desires, dreams, likes, dislikes and pressures of young people of different ages?

I’m an old man that is beating on the door of sixty-one. I left home at sixteen and never looked back; for reasons I will not get into.

I cannot begin to imagine the pressures young people are under today. I am clueless about peer pressures, social networking pressures and everything that goes on in young people’s minds. Does religion play a part or are you pacifying your parent(s)?  Please tell me what makes you tick.

Children committing suicide over bullying appalls me down to my very core.

If you and/or your friends/relatives/acquaintances could help me out, that would be wonderful.

It goes without saying; everything is confidential and will not be shared with anyone.

The only promise I can make is some of the stories/experiences I am provided with may make it into the novel. (It’s going to have a slightly science fiction/fantasy related theme)

(Names/dates/places changed for obvious reasons)

I have created a ‘special’ email address for anyone that wishes to vent.

author@grandvirtues.com

Even if you are not interested, please forward this note to someone who might be.

Ralph Johnson (Novice author)