Any advice for young writers?

Question

I am 14. I will be 15 next month. I have been writing since I was little and I want to be a published author someday.

Answer 1

Read as much as you can and write as much as you can.

If there are any particular genres that you want to write, try and read anything you can get your hands on in that genre (a library card comes in handy here!). Also, books on writing are fantastic. I have a huge addiction to them. Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg and Bird By Bird by Anne Lamott are two favorites, no matter what you want to write. On Writing Well by William Zinsser is a great resource for nonfiction (which would be helpful for you getting through school). Ursula LeGuin, Stephen King, and Orson Scott Card also all have books on writing which were interesting reads.

Write something every day. Maybe poetry, maybe you'll work on a short story or novel, maybe just some journaling-- it doesn't matter, just get words down on the page every day. Like any skill, it takes practice.

Be determined. It is a hard road, and even the most talented writers of our time have piles of rejection slips from when they were first starting out. Don't let that get you down! You'll continue to learn and grow and your work will be published in exactly the right place if you are persistant.

When you're ready to submit your works, check out the book Writer's Market or their website writersmarket.com. They have a huge database of publishers, magazines, and websites that accept all kinds of writing. Do you have any stories or poems now? Someday could be sooner than you think! It is a little pricey to buy the book, so I'd recommend looking for it at the library (or maybe asking for it for the next gift-giving holiday in your life).

If you have a desire to write novels, check out NaNoWriMo at www.nanowrimo.org-- it's a novel writing competition where the goal is to write 50,000 words in the month of November. It's intense, but an amazing feeling when you accomplish it!

Just remember that it takes a lot of hard work, but if this is what you want to do then you CAN and WILL succeed!

Good luck, and always keep writing.

Answer 2

Several tips come to mind.
1. Find the booklet, "The Elements of Style" by Strunk and Williams. It contains a wealth of information for novice and professional writers alike.

2. Follow the rules of punctuation and grammar. Use a good spell check and watch for words spelling differently, but pronounced the same way.

3. Trim and cut away the fat of the manuscript. Delete unnecessary words and phrases that only clutter the plot and the movement of the story. At first it hurts to cut away what you believe is superb writing, but it could be fat that you don't want.

4. Write realistic dialogue. Avoid exchanges about the weather and introductions of characters. They slow down the story. Each character has a different way of speaking; concentrate on the differences that your characters have and employ them in the dialogue.

5. Start your story with an action scene; i.e., blood on the floor, the parachute harness slipping away, the rifle's sights dead center on the victim--anything that creates instant tenseness.

6. Do not use a lot of backstory at the beginning of your story and shun the use of the words, remember, recall, noticed, such as "When I noticed her hair I remembered my first wife." Tell what is necessary.

7. Read a lot and study other authors' style in narrative and dialogue.

8. Edit your story continually and have disinterested people help you. Never trust a close friend or relative to give you the truth about your writing abilities.

9. Practice good penmanship everywhere: on this site, on the message boards, in your letters and e-mails. By writing well everytime your fingers touch the keyboard it provides the avenue toward perfection.

These and more are simply part of what can get you going in the enjoyment and task of writing. When you suffer from writer's block--as we all do--take the time and edit what you've written.

Good luck.

Answer 3

There are alot of sites you can submit your storys and/or poems to. If they like and post them you get paid. Also look in other books they will have websites and address where books were published. Send it there. If you are good (only saying if cause i have never read your work) you may want to contact a lawyer to see if they can help. Sometimes (rare though) lawyers will talk to kids on questions to help. I mean who in their right mind would not help a child whos head is in the right direction.

Answer 4

Get a book called "The Writers Handbook" and see what publishers might be interested in your stuff.

Also check out contests on-line that may further your goals

Answer 5

Read everything you can lay your hands on, the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Make judgments about what you read.

Keep a notebook of story ideas.

Answer 6

Read as many good books and classics as you can. It will help you learn how to write good plots, dialogue, and settings. It will also increase your vocabulary.

Answer 7

that's great, keep writing if you have a school paper ,work with them, enter essay, always get your writing copy right so no one can steal your work

Answer 8

Good luck.