Kiss Kiss Bang Bang - how to write YA on an adult voice

So if you haven't seen Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, then you should. It's like self aware YA for adults. And not like Percy Jackson where it's bad and for babies. <br><br>\---The Movie--- <br><br>The premise is a petty thief is mistaken for an actor, and so goes to LA and falls into a mystery and learns about himself. The story itself is very much a plot first story, it's the voice that makes it special. <br><br>It's not YA, but it's YA voice. And the voice is amazing. It's voice like I've never seen in a movie before. It's self aware, like Fleabag, but not fourth wall breaking like Deadpool. <br><br>The protagonist is not an audience insert. He's scrawny, out of shape and has no idea what he's doing. He's not special. It's his voice that's special. His narrative voice is like this breath of fresh air. It's like he's talking to you. <br><br>And it's not YA because it's not 16, we're not talking about crushes. We're talking about sex. He's an adult, and he's in an adult world. YA on an adult voice, and it's surprisingly good. <br><br>\---The Lesson--- <br><br>So YA voice is very much in the storytelling, but it's also in the voice. I've found that by breaking the fourth wall, and addressing the reader, you can create this YA voice. Your story itself doesn't have to be YA. <br><br> YA voice/narrator/protagonist are scrawny, long winded and talkative. They're not likable because YA sells because it's relatable. We put ourselves in the protagonist's shoes, and the voice helps that. <br><br>By making your protagonist feel like an audience insert, it makes your story more compelling. It's plot first, but the voice is what makes it great. <br><br>It's voice as narrative device. The voice of the protagonist is the main driving force in getting the story across. It's raw, honest and informal. <br><br>The voice is the protagonist. It's YA because we want to put ourselves in the voice. <br><br>I like threads that link to external content, it's why I tentatively put this up. I feel like the voice in this movie is something YA writers can learn from.