Teen Scene Tuesday: Creating a Teen Lit Mag!

Happy Tuesday! And for those crazy like me...Happy 1st Day of NaNoWriMo! In honor of the start of this writing-heavy month, my cousin, Quita, is guest blogging today about her high school's literary magazine.

Quita isn't just awesome because she's my cousin (even though that does up her Awesome Factor), but also because she balances teaching young adults while writing for them. She blogs with me over at Y(A)? Cuz We Write!

Creating A High School Literary Magazine in Six Easy Steps

1.) Get the word out! Most kids don’t know what a “literary magazine” is. So, you need to explain it. Set up a table to advertise. Put books they know and love across the table, along with pens and notebooks. The students will eventually get that the magazine is to showcase writers and readers.

2.) Set up a steady meeting date and time. Keep it simple: the first and third Thursday of every month until 3:30 PM is one example. You can meet as often or as little as you want, but if you want to be organized, keep it the same.

3.) Assign positions. Once kids show up to the specified meeting, give them a specific job. Book Reviewer, Writer, Co-editor, Illustrator, Interview, Web site/Facebook moderator, etc. This way everyone feels like they have something to do and they don’t just sit around and stare at the walls during the meeting.

4.) Make sure to choose responsible co-editors! If you can, have more than one co-editor, just in case one of them gets sick or can’t complete an assignment on time. Also choose ALL jobs with care. You don’t want the person who is in charge of the website and Facebook to be the kind of person who types with one finger…

5.) Create themes and release dates for your issues. This is needed if you want to have an organized, well ran magazine for teenagers. They need to have something to give their writing more focus. Also due dates will help students to remember to get their writing done. We all know how busy teens are with social matters. :)

6.) FINALLY—put the word out! The magazine will lie in an abyss of mystery if no one knows about it. Create commercials, advertise with posters, and write a blurb for your school’s morning announcements. That way people will know when and where they can get your magazine (and if you are selling it—make sure you advertise for how much). Also, put the word out to other writers in the school. They should be able to submit their work even if they are not a club member.

Have fun and happy literary magazin-ing!