While interviewing teens for this very blog, I noticed that many of them had something in common: they're writers.This shouldn't be too surprising. The publishing world has seen its fair share of young, talented writers--most notably Kody Keplinger and Hannah Moskowitz. I'm hoping that this love will spread to academic programs--I would be THRILLED to see more creative writing programs in schools.
However, if you stay in a small district like mine, teens may not have these outlets. I decided to hunt the interwebz for sites where teen writers can "mingle" with other writers, and maybe even hone their craft:
Shelfari: I first learned about this site from this teen interview. Not only does this site list the New York Times Bestseller lists, but also allows users to make book recommendations and join book clubs. The most interesting part, though, is that members can even "pretend" to be characters from their favorite books--or maybe even from their own stories. Talk about getting the creative juices flowing.
Inkpop: When my students found out I wrote YA, they immediately wanted my thoughts on their own writing--and many of them submitted stories to this site. This is a cool place to find critique partners, share your writing with others, and even meet other writers. I've already bookmarked this website. :)
Teen Ink: The tag line says: "Magazine, website, & books written by teens since 1989." Are you kidding me? Was I living under a rock when I was a teen?? Regardless, this site kicks you-know-what. Not only does this site feature poetry, fiction and nonfiction written by teens, but it's also a cool place to swing by for reviews and celebrity interviews.
Write On!: This is a new site founded by Miss Snark's First Victim, the Authoress herself. This is basically an online community where teen writers can connect with other writers and book lovers. Not only is there a blog where teens can learn more about writing skills, such as discovering the inciting incident or differentiating between POVs--but it also includes a forum where editors pop in monthly to answer questions. I must say, this place is not only SAFE for teens--but it's one of the COOLEST sites I've ever seen. I can't wait to share it with my students when they return in the fall.
So, I know I didn't list every possible resource out there, but these were the most popular. I would love for you to include additional links below if you know of any. :)
9 comments:
This post is great. Thanks. I also bookmarked that site.
www.rebeccabany.com
Also it's good to note that areas that have writing centers sometimes have programs for teens. Up in Boston, Grub Street has the Young Writers Program.
It's great to get to know your audience! Delving into the minds of teenagers can be an interesting adventure. Thanks for the links to the sites. I haven't been to two of them yet.
NaNoWriMo has a young writers program every November, in addition to the adult version.
Those seem like amazing resources. I wrote too when I was a teen, but I didn't have the confidence or the sense of community that is available to teens now if they look for it. Good post! (and I just became your newest follower--> love the blog name)
I wish I had something to add :( But these are all great. I am gonna look into Shelfari and InkPop ASAP!
Yay! Thanks for the comments so far. :)
Alicia--you're right, local writing centers are EXCELLENT resources. In fact, my cousin and I are considering volunteering for one of them.
Michelle--I can't believe I left out NaNoWriMo! Love that program,
KD--welcome to our blog! Hope you like what you see. :)
Also--www.figment.com. The newest and (maybe) the most active teen writing site. Wish this had existed when I was teaching high school. Shoot, I wish it had existed when I was IN high school.
I did a guest post for them a while back here: http://blog.figment.com/2011/04/19/claiming-your-dreams/
http://novelteenagers.blogspot.com/
By teens for teens :) Along with five teens (one agented), I founded this in April
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