It's hard to be a young writer. We've got school, which follows us at home, chores, maybe a job, curfews, parents and...we also write. And STILL people don't take us seriously.
"Oh, she/he is a teenager. Therefore he/she must be stupid."
Frustrating, right? So what do you do? How do you convince people that your input to society is worth it?
You keep reading, and writing, and creating. You listen to Bohemian Rhapsody, you read Catcher in the Rye, you listen to people. You go to school, LISTEN TO YOUR ENGLISH TEACHERS (sorry for the caps abuse) and you learn how to write better.
Because...let's face it. If you're the best writer in the world (and this is impossible seeing how many different ways of being "best" there are) you can still learn things. JK Rowling still has things to learn.
Basically, you show people that teens can (and will) write. You show them that, yes, teens can appreciate metaphor and create voice and sustain a plot and send query letters and make gigantic run-on sentences that seem to go nowhere.
Because we can. You and I are the writers of the future - the difference is that we're starting now. When the JK Rowlings and John Greens and Stephanie Meyers of the world have disappeared, it will be up to us to take up the mantle of awesome books.
Next time you're feeding your dog, or washing up, or struggling to keep your eyes open in algebra, remember that our writing journey is just beginning. The beginning of our journey with characters, plots, readers and writers.
Just remember that: that, yes, being a writer (and especially a teen writer) is hard. But it's also the most awesome part of being a writer. It's when you're just discovering your voice, your love of writing and your love of creating characters.
We've got a long way to go. But the journey there is the best bit.
No comments:
Post a Comment