How Does An Adult Author Capture Teen Voice?

Hey Remember this Movie? I feel like that when I'm writing :-D

I hear it all the time. From other authors. From other adults. Even from kids. Is it a gift? A curse? A well thought out plan? How does an adult writer, capture and portray a teen voice in their books.

Truth is, I think it's different for every author.

MY SECRET to holding and keeping my teen voice...

I mentally put myself in that place, that age, that space my mind where I remember everything I felt, how deeply I felt it, and what I thought about when I was a teen. Also, with a dash of imersing myself in my kid's conversations with their peers, having a great open relationship with my own children and candidly discussing their issues with them while I write has helped me grow and blossom in creating that Teen Voice.

And guess what? That voice is EVER CHANGING.

FACTORS that CHANGE that 'Teen Voice' are:

Location (demographics)
Social Status
Intellectual Focus
Gender
Race

and many more little nuances that make people different.

All in all, when I sit down to write, I'm an actor, playing a part that I just happen to depict on paper instead of on stage. And with a wiley, everychanging thing like the 'teen voice' sometimes I nail it, sometimes I have to work on it. But in order to keep chugging it out, I have to allow myself to be open to my audience. Hang out around them, study them, listen to them, feel with them and respect them.

What about you?