Writing Fiction About the Millennial Generation

The Millennial Generation or Generation Y (1981 – 1996)

Authors who believe that writing fiction about the Millennial Generation means only telling tales of youth are going to be in for quite a surprise. As of the initial writing of this blog post, the oldest millennials had turned 33.

And now, let’s look at some pivotal moments, to help inform us when writing fiction about the Millenial Generation.

The Millennial Generation Turns 18 (1999 – 2014)

This time frame starts off with the euro being established as a currency, and Bill Clinton being acquitted of impeachment charges. IT professionals fret over the potential for a Y2K bug.

The events surrounding 9/11 dominate the middle of this period.

By the time this period ends, Boko Harum militants kill approximately 300 people in Nigeria, and the British comedy group Monty Python calls it quits. Plus, the shooting of Michael Brown triggers riots in Ferguson, Missouri.

Millennials Turn 25 (2006 – 2021)

This time frame starts off with NASA launching the first interplanetary space probe to Pluto (New Horizons), and the Human Genome Project publishing its final chromosome sequence.  Plus, there’s the execution of Saddam Hussein.

The West African Ebola epidemic dominates the middle of this period.

By the time this period ends, Donald Trump’s supporters riot and violently attack the US Capitol building, and the container ship Ever Given runs aground in the Suez Canal and disrupts global trade for days. Derek Chauvin is convicted in the murder of George Floyd.

The Millennial Generation Turns 35 (2016 – 2031)

This time frame starts off with David Bowie dying of liver cancer. The gorilla Harambe is shot and killed due to an incident involving a child. Also, the Chicago Cubs win the World Series for the first time since 1908.

The two impeachments of President Donald Trump and the 2020 election with the subsequent coup attempt on January 6, 2021 dominate the middle of this period.

As of the initial writing of this blog post, this time period has not yet ended.

However, the period from 2021 to 2024 saw the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol by supporters of Donald Trump, continuing issues with Covid-19 and its many variants, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

When I’m Writing Fiction About the Millennial Generation

Right now, I don’t seem to have any characters from the Millennial Generation. However, it’s possible that there are some from The Duck in the Seat Cushion but I don’t have the birthdates on file yet.

Takeaways for Writing Fiction About the Millennial Generation

With the youngest millennials already 28 years old, any present-day plans for writing fiction about the Millennial Generation should not be centered on high school life. Or even undergraduate life.

So, consider the young adult experience, as millennials navigate marriage, parenthood, and trying to purchase a home.

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Want more about writing fiction about current generations? Then be sure to check out the other blog posts in this series:

Want more about writing fiction about current generations? Then be sure to check out my thoughts on multigenerational fiction writing and the other blog posts in this series:

• The Greatest Generation
† The Silent Generation
• Early Boomers
† Generation Jones
• Generation X
† Millennials AKA Generation Y
• Generation Z AKA Zoomers
† Generation Alpha