THIS is what a little girl like me is doin with a big word like that

Bildungsroman

bil·dungs·ro·man or Bil·dungs·ro·man
n.
A novel whose principal subject is the moral, psychological, and intellectual development of a usually youthful main character.

There you go.

I just started writing one today, by the way. My goal is to finish by the time I'm 23. Hell, if Old Fitzy can do it, why can't I? That's a good 2 1/2 years from now. Plenty of time. Puh-lenty. Any suggestions? So far I've got: it's loosely about me.