Tips for Aspiring Writers
Any advice for young people who might want to be writers?
I started writing seriously when I was in eighth grade. I had an English teacher who encouraged me to submit my work for publication.
I became a middle school English teacher largely because of the impact Mrs. Pabst had on me so many years ago, and I love having the chance to encourage kids to write the way I was encouraged. That’s one of the reasons I was not anxious to leave the classroom to pursue full-time writing.
It certainly helps if a young writer can find a mentor who believes in his or her talent. Don’t be afraid to ask for help! Find a teacher or another adult you respect. Correspond with authors. They may not always be able to read and provide a personal critique for your work (remember authors get a lot of email!) but you will find that a polite email will almost always get a response. Many authors have advice for writers on their websites. Gail Carson Levine published a wonderful book for young writers called Writing Magic. I highly recommend checking this out. One word of caution about sharing your work, however. Personally, I learned the hard way not to share a story until it was finished. If I shared it too early, I would get discouraged if I got any criticism at all, and I would give up on the project. You may be different, but I’ve found this is a very common problem among aspiring writers. Take your time. Finish your project before you ask for advice.
Secondly, read a lot! Read everything you can get your hands on. You will learn the craft of writing by immersing yourself in the voices, styles, and structures of writers who have gone before you.
Thirdly, write every day! Keep a journal. Jot down interesting stories you heard. Write descriptions of people you see. It doesn’t really matter what you write, but you must keep up practice. Writing is like a sport — you only get better if you practice. If you don’t keep at it, the writing muscles atrophy.
Finally, don’t get discouraged! Rejection is a part of writing, and it hurts. The trick is to keep at it. Wallpaper your room with rejection notes, if you want, but don’t give up. Very occasionally, writers get published at a young age. Christopher Paolini, Nancy Yi Fan and Flavia Bujor are three examples. But remember these are extreme exceptions, and one reason they get a lot of attention is exactly because it is so rare that anyone that young can get published. Do not get discouraged if you don’t immediately get published at age 11, or 15, or 17. 99% of successful writers need more time to build their skills. I started writing at age 12 and I was 29 before I got published. That’s 17 years of writing and getting rejected! Even after I got published, it took ten more years before I came up with the idea for Percy Jackson and could become a full-time writer. Sometimes it takes a while to learn the craft of storytelling and to find the story that you need to tell. Every writer’s experience is different, but all successful writers share one trait — they did not give up.
