Stephanie Morrill, Shellie Neumeier, and Jill Williamson each have a passion for working with teenagers who love to write. They’ll be posting here monthly about writing and the publishing industry as it relates to YOU. Sometimes they might even invite some special guests to share with you. . .so stick around!
The On Teen Writing column will post on the third Saturday of every month. These ladies love comments and questions, so don’t be shy!
Learning to write a novel is a lot of work. And I confess, when I started, I thought it was SO EASY! Until I went to my first writer’s conference and found out I knew nothing! I was so sad that I cried. (Cut me some slack, I’m a girl, and sometimes we’ve just got to cry, know what I’m saying?)
But later I knew I had a choice to make. Give up or keep at it.
Jill doesn’t give up. I’m kind of obnoxious that way…
Now, this was back in 2004 when self-publishing wasn’t what it is today. If it had been, I would have gone off and self-published my staggering work of genius right then, I know I would have.
That would have been a HUGE MISTAKE!
Here’s the deal… I know self-publishing is tempting. You just want to hold your book. Have it to look at. Build some readers. To show to your friends and family. I get that. I was there.
But if you want to have a career as a novelist. Do not self-publish. I’m not kidding. At least not until you’ve tried it the regular way and built up an audience. Why? Because you need to put in the hard work of learning.… continue reading
8 Mistakes I Made as a Teen Writer
by Stephanie Morrill, www.GoTeenWriters.com
I was convinced that I would be published in high school.
After all, I had the drive – I completed my first novel-length work as a junior in high school.
I had the determination – I was knocking on publishers’ doors and battling my way through edits.
And I had the talent … didn’t I? My parents thought my book was great. My English teacher said she believed in me. My friends were buzzing about the romance between my characters. That meant I was good to go, right?
It was just a matter of getting a publishing house to read my manuscript – I was convinced – and then I’d be picking out Sharpie’s for my book signings.
Enter reality.
Eventually, as the rejection letters rolled in, I realized I wasn’t All That and buckled down to do the hard work of writing a book worthy the notice of a publisher’s eye.
When publisher’s weren’t jumping to sign me back in high school, I found it puzzling. But now when I look back on my high school manuscripts, I instantly spot reasons for the rejection notices:
My ideas were not “big enough.”
While I had completed a manuscript, I also had a drawer full of discarded first chapters and outlines.… continue reading
Nicole here,
I wanted to let you guys know that I’ve done a three-part critique workshop over at Next Gen Writers:
Part Two: Top Ten Things about the “Take”
We recommend you read those posts. Then, if you’d like to participate in the critique process and possibly in a mentored critique group, please Register Here.
This is going to be FUN!… continue reading
By Shellie Neumeier, www.nextgenwriters.com
In no way do I claim to be an expert on creativity. In the words of my Pastor, “I’m just one beggar telling another beggar where to find food” (of course he was talking about salvation, but I think the analogy works here too). One place I’ve learned to find literary bacon is in discovering that new angle, creative twist, unique storyline that’s never been done before. How do you find that angle, that twist or plot line in a world where every story feels like something you’ve already read…different characters perhaps even a different setting, but nonetheless the same story? Doesn’t it drive you nuts when upon no large amount of thought, you can predict the outcome of a book precisely–much to every other reader within earshot’s dismay (I mean really…no one keeps those predictions silent which pretty much ruins the experience for everyone you tell:). I do this a lot. My kids have come to expect it and ooh do they love it when I’m wrong.
Honestly, so do I. Being wrong means the author beat me. They thought outside the box I’d placed them in. Their story surprised me, involved me, confused me, and simply entertained me.… continue reading
The first post will appear in this column on 2/18 and on the third Saturday of every month after that! YAY!… continue reading
For this first post in the On Choices column, I thought it would be helpful to talk about times we’ve wished we could press a rewind button and go back to the moments before a choice was made. If only. We already have a column here at Choose NOW MInistries called On Reinventing Yourself, … [read more]
What a JAM-packed show this is going to be. I can’t wait to bring you these three fabulous guests! First Jennifer Maggio and I will chat about teen pregnancy and life as a single mom. She visited Parent Talk in the previous hour, but now has something special to share with you. Jennifer Mag… [read more]
Slider by webdesign
