So G1 wants to be a writer when he grows up – an author, to be more specific – so I dug up these resources for our budding writer…
Guide to Becoming a Writer for Kids and Teens:
- First, be a reader; then go read some more.
- Start writing:
- Write for the school paper; or start your own paper
- Start a blog
- If you’re old enough, try to intern for the local newspaper
- Take writing classes
- Apply as a freelance writer for a newspaper
- Freelance or write guest posts for other blogs
- Practice writing – short stories, poems, fiction and non-fiction; write a novel (join NaNoWriMo for National Novel Writing Month in November)
- Read about writing
- Freelance for magazines
- Tips for becoming a better writer:
- borrow ideas from other writers
- try different forms of writing
- start a blog – (how to write a good blog post)
- share your writing with others
- read about writing to learn more about it
- write daily
- join an online writing group
- write about things you know about
- write about what you’re interested in
- grammar and spelling are important so learn about them
- editing and revision are also important
- avoid cliches
- keep a notebook on hand for recording ideas
- be an observer of life (or as Ryan Holiday says: go out and do interesting things)
Getting published is easy. Getting anyone to care? Well, that’s the hard part.
So if you want to be a writer, put “writing” on hold for a while. When you find something that is new and different and you can’t wait to share with the world, you’ll beat your fat hands against the keyboard until you get it out in one form or another. – Ryan Holiday
Online Writing Resources
AWC – Australian Writers Centre
AWC offers resources, such as:
- The Writers’ Room – tips, tricks, and writer interviews
- Podcasts from people in the know
- Writing news and events in the industry
- Q&As about words
- Writing competitions
- Writing jobs
- Blogs
This site offers lots of writing resources for writing a book, such as:
- where to start
- fiction tips
- writing techniques
- story models
- writing questions – plot, characters, genre
It also talks about how to become a writer.
Online Writing Classes
- Writing Classes for Kids
- Time4Writing (see sample lessons in the video below)
- Sleeping Giant – writing classes offered by childrens’ book author Jennifer Trafton (not all her classes are online)
- WordUpKids – online creative writing classes (live online class schedules follow Pacific Standard Time)
- Creative Write-It – also offers online writing mentorships
- Writer’s Bureau – this is a great distance learning course for the really serious writers
Books for Writing Tips
- Rip the Page: Adventures in Creative Writing
- Writing Magic: Creating Stories that Fly
- Spilling Ink: A Young Writer’s Handbook
- Unjournaling: Daily Writing Exercises that are Not Personal, Not Introspective, and Not Boring!
- Banish Boring Words!: Dozens of Reproducible Word Lists for Helping Students Choose Just-Right Words to Strengthen Their Writing
Write Your Own Stories
Thinking Tales Storybook Maker combines drawing, stickers, photos, voice, and text to promote literacy, language development, and creativity. Share the book on the web, social networks, email, or get them printed by Thinking Tales publishing team.
NaNoWriMo is national novel writing month. It takes place every year in November when participants spend 30 days to reach a target goal of 50,000 words. NaNoWriMo also has a Young Writers Program (YWP) for participants under 17 years old. Participants in the YWP can either accept the standard challenge of 30,000 words, or they can set their own word limit based on the NaNoWriMo age guideline, or use the word count goal calculator to help them set one that’s customised to their individual requirements.
NaNoWriMo YWP also offers free workbooks for Elementary, Middle School, and High School writers.
StoryBird
StoryBird is a platform for writers, readers and artists of all ages. It allows anyone to make visual stories in seconds by using curated artwork from illustrators and animators around the world to inspire writers of any age to turn those images into fresh stories. It’s a simple idea that has attracted millions of writers, readers, and artists to the StoryBird platform. Families and friends, teachers and students, and amateurs and professionals have created more than 5 million stories — making Storybird one of the world’s largest storytelling communities.
Novlr
This is a writing software that is currently in beta. It’s a great place for writers to keep their writing manuscript because it is online and it allows them to write anywhere, any time from any computer. If you’re planning to join NaNoWriMo this year, Novlr is a great place to plan, write and store your work.
Interviews with Writers
Be inspired by the greats, such as this interview with Roald Dahl:
And JK Rowling:
Nurture for the Future 