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Does anyone have any tips for a new writer?
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Brianna
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Apr 05, 2018 09:28AM
Hi! My name is Bri, I'm new here. I'm a new author, or at least I want to be, and I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for writing teen dystopian and fantasy? I've started a teen dystopian called "Galactis" and it's about 16 year old Rowan Lucas. She is trying to save her cousin April from being killed by the government and along the way meets Calum Brownfield, a spy hunter who is wanted by the law. Together, they go on a trip to save April and also become friends, sort of. I'm only 13, but I really want to be an author and I've already started considering publishers. Tips would be great! Thanks
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Hi, Bri! I'm not a published writer, but I am a writer. My main advice would be to not get ahead of yourself. It's fantastic how sure of yourself you are at 13 years old, but I think before considering publishers, you should take your time to develop your writing style and what kind of characters or themes you like. And don't forget to read a lot of books of the genre you want to write in, so you know how the stories are usually set or developed, and so you can figure out for yourself if there are things that other writers do that you would like to avoid. Every genre has a different style and structure. Reading a lot in general is ideal, not just the genre of your story. You can't be a good writer if you don't read (and by this, I mean read carefully, paying attention to the language, the structures, to the pacing and the development).And, to be perfectly honest with you, I'm not sure many publishers would publish the works of a 13-year-old (unless you pay for the publication yourself), because at that age we all lack a lot of vision, which is very visible in our writing. I started writing at 14, and let me tell you, the things I wrote at that age were awful, even though I thought they were great back then. So, I'd tell you to take it easy, write a lot of stories (no matter how long, what's important is to finish them) and wait a few years until you've gotten more perspective, more knowledge of how the world works and of how novels work.
I hope this was helpful to you :)
When writing dystopia they are meant to be commentaries and warnings about society. For example The Hunger Games shows how society can be entertained by violence and why it's bad. Also make your villains fully developed characters, don't make them bad just for the sake of being bad. And give them good motives. Some YA books I'd recommend with well developed villains are Percy Jackson by Rick Riordan, The Grisha Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo, and The Young Elites and Warcross both by Marie Lu
Hi there, Bri! Welcome to the writing club! I haven't published anything yet, but I'm always writing and looking for advice. Read a lot and write a lot is the most important tip I always keep in mind. Have a blast writing and don't worry about it during the first draft! Then you can go back and edit it later. I would also suggest waiting a good while, a few weeks or months even, after you finish the story before you go back to reread it. This way you can see it with fresh eyes. It's also good to learn about the rules of grammar and language arts (they're always changing), because once you know the rules, you can get creative and break them later.I don't think I thought a lot about publishing at 13 though. I would have fun writing for a while before I started getting into publishing, or you can even send in short stories to writing magazines. They often have contests. Your story sounds interesting though, and I would love to read it one day!
I hope my advice is what you were looking for. Happy writing!😄
Hey Bri! I first wrote my book when I was 12, and originally got it published at 16. So you improve as you go on. Learn what you can about editing and don't get discouraged when you are rejected. Authors throughout history have been rejected many, many times. If you believe it is your calling, pray about it and know that you will be lead in the right direction. It is all worth it in the end. :)Hope this helps!
Good luck!
Thank you for all the advice! I found a writing program where I live that takes new authors and helps them develop their books and possibly get published through their company. I love reading fantasy and dystopian. My favorites are the PJO series, Harry Potter, Divergent, and anything by Marissa Meyer! I have taken into consideration that I am a bit young, but that doesn't mean I can't try. My family and friends have helped me a ton and I think with a little guidance, I could write something interesting. Thank you again for your help!
Amariah wrote: "Hey Bri! I first wrote my book when I was 12, and originally got it published at 16. So you improve as you go on. Learn what you can about editing and don't get discouraged when you are rejected. A..."It took both Dr. Suess and J.K. Rowling many tries before getting published
Yep, and C.S. Lewis got rejected many times! And Tolkien's publisher was severely skeptical about LOTR, and refused to publish it. He had to find a different publisher.
Hi there Bri! I'm excited for you and your passion for writing! It's so much fun to create your own stories! I started writing at a similar age, and although I'm not pursuing it as a career, it has been an excellent hobby for me. I love hearing people's feedback and going back to read my old writing, to see how I've developed in my writing.One of the most helpful books I've read on the subject (and, admittedly, one of the only books I've read on the subject) was "On Writing" by Stephen King. The first part is a collection of memoirs, and the second an extremely helpful, straight-forward goldmine of writing advice from the hugely successful author. One of the pieces of advice he is very adamant about is this: "If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot. There's no way around these two things that I'm aware of, no shortcut."
Although I haven't read his other books, I have started a few (they're too creepy for me!) and I was impressed by his voice as an author. (I don't know how age-appropriate the book is. I think it may have a fair amount of swear words, if that bothers you.)
Apart from that book, I have some other advice that I've found helpful in my own writing. The first is that when you write something, stop writing that day while you still have ideas. The second is not to delete your stories on a whim. Keep them in a document somewhere so that when you're older, you can look back on them and see how you've changed in your writing. The third is not to rewrite, in the beginning. Get the first draft over with and leave it for a few weeks before you go back. Then you can rewrite and ask for feedback.
If you'd like, try finding a website like fictionpress or wattpad to publish your writing to an online audience! This way you can get feedback on your writing.
I'm not much of a writer myself, anymore, but I do read a lot. I wish you the best in your writing adventures! Hope this was helpful. :D
Anna wrote: "Hi there Bri! I'm excited for you and your passion for writing! It's so much fun to create your own stories! I started writing at a similar age, and although I'm not pursuing it as a career, it has..." Stephan King was born in Maine and I'm from Maine so his writing has encouraged me to keep writing. Most of his stuff is for adults, but I'll check out the one on writing!
First, read a lot — read everything from classics to contemporary and all genres. It will increase your vocabulary, and the storytelling style will get in your subconscious. You’ll also see what you like and don’t like and what cliches to avoid.Join a writing group if you can. Mine has tweens and teenagers in it along with adults.
Write a lot. It’s like learning an instrument or how to paint. Sure, the first million words will probably be pretty bad. But the practice is necessary to becoming expert.
Hello Bri! I agree with a lot of the other writers that are here. I started writing at 11 years old. You should wait until you are bit older before trying to publish. 16 is probably a really good age to try. I applaud you. I went a different route also. Published through Barnes and Noble Press first and then went to Amazon. For me self publishing is better than regular publishers. I have noticed lately that most publishers do ask you for money to publish. If they really like your book they would pay you. Since Amazon and Barnes and Noble are free try going through them as well.
Angela wrote: "Hello Bri! I agree with a lot of the other writers that are here. I started writing at 11 years old. You should wait until you are bit older before trying to publish. 16 is probably a really good a..."That's a good idea!
If you talk to most authors, they will tell you they have at least one, and sometimes as many as a dozen, manuscripts somewhere—in a trunk, in a drawer, stored under the bed—that they wrote before they actually wrote the one that got published. So my advice would be, keep writing, and expect the best from yourself, but don't put all your energy and determination into getting that one book published. If it doesn't click with anyone, put it away for awhile, write something else, and try with that. The other thing I hear from writers is that they eventually go back to the one that never got published and play around with it and maybe turn it into something better or different and end up publishing it...but not usually the first time out. This is, of course, confounded by stories of authors like Tolkien, and Richard Adams (Watership Down) and Rowling, who just kept sending out the same manuscript until someone said yes, and you could do that; but be sure before you invest everything in it that it really IS that good. If not, keep writing! The more you write, the more you improve. The more you live, the more stories you have to tell.
Melliott wrote: "If you talk to most authors, they will tell you they have at least one, and sometimes as many as a dozen, manuscripts somewhere—in a trunk, in a drawer, stored under the bed—that they wrote before ..."I always make sure to edit and revise before putting in a final draft. Many authors have had trouble getting published, but I feel like this is the gift God has given me and I want to work as hard as I can😁
Also check out McKenzie Wagner (minor). She was first published at age 7. She now has five books out, and she is 16.
