Do You Want to be a Teen Writer?

Hello everyone! Welcome back to my blog! Wow, it’s been such a crazy school year and it’s finally over! If your in school, congrats on making it through another year! Todays post is going to be about being a teen author and my advice to anyone who is curious.
 
So, being a teen author. Man, it can really funny at times. I'll walk into events and people ask where the “author is” and then have the best faces when I tell them it’s me. I also get so much love and support from strangers and other people in my community! But seriously, I know there are so many kids out there who love to write and aspire to be an author. The thing I’ve learned from the publishing business is publishing companies do not care how old you are. The only thing publishing companies’ care about is if you have a good story.  Your story or novel should speak volumes by itself, because in the end, a good story is a good story, regardless of who wrote it. If your young and you want to write a book, but are hesitating, don’t hesitate just write. I’m where I am today because when I started writing all those years ago, I didn’t hesitate to start. There is absolutely nothing to lose, if your chasing after something you really want. So, for my friends who are also writers, the best advice I could ever give you is write, write, and write.  In my opinion, if you want something badly, and you continue working towards it, one day you’ll get there.
 
If you’ve reached a point where you feel like you have a good story and you want to pursue publishing, explore the publishing world first. There are many companies out there and some are definitely better than others. Consider getting a literary agent, and consider writing a publishing proposal. Make sure you explore all your options and pick the one that you think is right for you. There is no way around this really. The best way to learn about the publishing world and to succeed in it is to first research. Obviously if you are younger, it’s harder to do this alone. I had help from my dad and we researched the publishing world for about four months before we decided what to do with my manuscript.
 
If you are a young writer, do not let anyone belittle your feelings and aspirations. In my experience, the people older than me thought they knew best, but in my heart, I had always known what I wanted. I always wanted to be a writer; right from the moment I could write coherent sentences. So, don’t let anyone make you feel like you can’t do it, because you can and you will.  My family used to think writing was my hobby and they found it cute that I was writing a book. I never saw it as a hobby and I always took it really seriously because I wanted it so bad.  Eventually when I had a real manuscript and a good story, people started taking me seriously. Never lose sight of your end goal. If you want to write a 50 chaptered fan fiction then keep that goal in mind. If you want to write a 400 paged novel, hold onto that end goal. I never strayed from my end goal and little by little I reached it. Persistence and determination is key. The thing I really want to stress is age is just a number. With any goal or aspiration the only thing that matters is the heart and passion behind it. And if you have passion and the drive to do something, trust me, you’ll never fail. When I reflect on my crazy life, being an author is all that I dreamed it to be. It is very exciting, and gives you the chance to inspire people and talk to kids. I want to help other people reach their goals, whether you want to be an author or not. I want to motivate our generation because we are smart and capable and we can do anything we set our minds to. So, if you have an idea for a project and you need a little push to get started, let this be your push. Get started! There is no better time than the present.
 
Thanks for reading this week’s blog post guys! It is officially summer break so I have loads planned! I am planning an international giveaway so stay tuned for that! As always you can find me basically anywhere on social media and of course, feel free to contact me through my contact page or leave me a blog comment!
 
Until next time,
 
Alessia Dickson