Writing Resources for Young Writers

For young writers who are passionate about publishing their work someday, it can sometimes feel pretty overwhelming out there. Whether you're the one looking for guidance or you have a relative or friend who could use some help, here are some resources that might be useful.

Community
One of the amazing things about modern writing is how connected we can all be. Finding other writers who think like you do is one of the best ways to keep yourself motivated, get valuable feedback, and provide encouragement throughout the entire publishing journey. Here are some communities specifically geared toward younger writers:

• Young Writers Online: Although this forum might look pretty basic, it's a great place to post work and get feedback on short stories, novels, poems, and even reports and essays. Certain sections of the forum are only available to those who sign up for an account, which provides for a little more privacy.
• Young Writers Society: If you're between the ages of 13 and 25, the Young Writers Society might be just the online home for you. Members post work for critique, questions about the craft, and valuable tips about writing and publication.
• Absolute Write "Teens Writing for Teens": Fair warning—while the main Absolute Write forums are a fount of valuable information about writing and publishing, they can also be pretty harsh for those who don't have thick skin. Within the forums, however, there are dedicated threads specifically for teens writing YA fiction (the link above goes to the current one, and there are links to previous ones in the first post of the thread). If you're looking to connect with other teen writers who are serious about the craft, this is a great place to find them.

Writing Resources

• Scholastic's Writing With Writers: Pick your favorite type of writing and read inspiring examples, prompts, and tips from real writers in that genre.
• The Story Starter Jr.: Can't decide what to write about? Get a quick, randomly generated story idea here. Don't like the one you get? Just press the button again to generate a new one!
• Grammar Girl: Not sure whether you should have used a semicolon or a dash between those clauses? Grammar Girl is here to help you. She has quick, easy-to-understand explanations for the most tricky grammar, punctuation, and usage questions.
• Pacemaker: This is a great site if you need help staying motivated on your personal or school writing. Input your goal and then create a personalized strategy for getting it done on time.

Publishing Opportunities

• Teen Ink: Between 13 and 19? You can submit your work to this teen website and magazine for publication consideration. They also run contests, host camps and summer programs, and have forums where you can share your work and get feedback and advice.
• Young Adult Review Network (YARN): From their website: "YARN is an award-winning literary journal that publishes outstanding original short fiction, poetry, and essays for Young Adult readers, written by the writers you know and love, as well as fresh new voices...including teens." How cool would it be to have your work published alongside your favorite established YA writers?

Writer's Resource: Absolute Write Forums

Absolute Write is a writer's resource extravaganza. Arguably the most helpful part is the vast online community of the Absolute Write Water Cooler.

Working on a novel in any genre, nonfiction book, short story, or freelance pieces? There's a section of the forum for each at the link above. There you'll find tons of information on writing, editing, and publishing your work. A tip: if there are stickied threads at the top of a forum, read them through before posting a question. The regulars sometimes get a little testy if they're answering the same question for the eighty-ninth time that month.

Another area to check out in the Water Cooler is Share Your Work (SYW). Free registration is required to view this part of the forum. Here you'll find hundreds of people sharing their query letters, synopses, and pages for peer critique. Once you accumulate 50 posts, you can post your own work for critique.

A very important word of caution: SYW is not for the faint of heart or thin of skin! People will be completely, sometimes brutally honest about their reaction to your writing. Keep in mind that a lot of it will be subjective--but if you get more than one person posting the same comments, you would be wise to consider their suggestions.

The Absolute Write Water Cooler isn't right for everyone, but it can be a great way to connect with like-minded writers and find critique partners. Check it out and see what you think!