The site for writers of all genre, and the readers who love them. Find what you want to know.
Encouragement & Ideas
Encourage young writers by fostering a love for reading, providing dedicated creative space, valuing their unique voice, and emphasizing that writing is a process of drafts and revisions, not instant perfection; focus on positive feedback, offer prompts, celebrate small wins like finishing a story, and help them see writing as a fun, powerful way to express themselves and build empathy, rather than a chore.
For Children
- Make it Playful: Use prompts like listing favorite things, creating stories with toys, or writing silly poems (like list poems).
Read Aloud & Together: Share picture books and chapter books, showing your passion for stories, and let them see you write, say Write Academy.
Provide Tools & Space: A special notebook, cool pens, or even a designated cozy corner for creative time. - No Pressure: Don’t correct every mistake; focus on the fun and flow. Let them doodle or write from the bottom up, Authors Publish Magazine.
Celebrate & Share: Make homemade books, bind their stories, or have siblings/friends illustrate them to show pride in their work, Children’s Literacy Foundation.
For Young Adults (Teens)
- Validate Their Voice: Tell them they are writers and their stories matter. Help them believe in themselves against self-doubt.
- Embrace the Process: Explain that great writing takes many drafts. Encourage revisions and focus on what’s improving.
- Explore & Experiment: Suggest fanfiction, different styles, or even “wild writing” (no rules!) to find their voice.
- Connect Reading & Writing: Encourage reading widely in their favorite genres to learn from other authors.
- Offer Gentle Feedback: Use the “compliment sandwich” (positive, gentle critique, positive) and ask for permission before critiquing, say Jane Friedman.
Universal Encouragement
- Read, Read, Read: Good writers are good readers.
- Provide Space & Time: Creative energy needs room to grow, say Write Academy and Charleston Moms.
- Let Boredom Happen: Boredom sparks creativity.
- Invest in Their Craft: Buy them supplies, writing books, or attend workshops if they’re interested, Charleston Moms.
Writer’s Conferences Do You Really Need To Attend?
Shelle Castles
You may moan and groan at the prospect of going to a writer’s conference. It’s too much money, you may complain. It’s too far away, you mumble to yourself. I don’t need to go to a writer’s conference, you may try to convince yourself.
How to Quit Writing and End up on the Bestseller Lists
Shirley Jump
The Art of Perseverance or How to Quit Writing and End up on the Bestseller Lists . Many years ago, I spoke at a writer’s group in Pennsylvania. I was a little daunted. It was the biggest group I’d ever spoken to, and many of the writers there had credentials I could only dream of having. But as I told my story–my journey as a writer–the room got silent. Why? Because everyone in that room, published or not, could relate to the tale I told.
The Art of Being Rejected–475 Words
Sharon Horton
Okay, everyone who has received one of the above intriguing [see article] and informative form letters raise your hand. Wow, what a breeze that caused.
A Dream Realized
Cheryl Wright
We are dreamers dreaming dreams. Pursue your dreams passionately and you will eventually achieve them. As a child I was fascinated with books and their writers. I spent many nights sniffing between the pages of my new school texts. The scent was so intoxicating.
Five Ways to Promote Yourself
L.J. Bothell
You’ve been honing your craft and doing all the right things: generating solid work, placing your bio strategically in your cover letter, keeping the submissions going out, sending queries, etc. Maybe you’ve even been published numerous times, yet you haven’t achieved the next level. There’s so much competition, and while you know that being the best at what you do is supposed to be the key, it doesn’t always seem to work.
Rules for Writers
PPW (Panhandle Plains Writers) Amarillo, Texas
A cheeky set of incorrect grammar usage to help you learn and laugh.
High Hopes–Avoiding Common Mistakes
Margaret Terhune
Beginners are by nature inexperienced and prone to making mistakes. Part of any learning process involves working through trial and error towards achievement. Novice writers are no exception. There are, however, many common mistakes the beginner can avoid. I have grouped these into three main categories: not researching enough, not writing enough and not revising enough.
A Guide to Assessing Writing Contests
Kerry Hanslits
Did you know that entering a writing competition is your best opportunity to achieve publication, payment and recognition for your work? Most writers don’t know this and many will only enter writing competitions that do not charge a fee, but following the majority in this instance means that you will miss out on opportunities to give your work an edge in the marketplace.
Mud Pies
Teraisa J. Goldman
There is something magical about writing fiction stories for children. When you write, you are transformed into a child again, and you hear your own words as if for the first time — as a child would.
Write Diaries for Your Children 05
Kelly DuMar, M.Ed.
This summer I spent of a lot of time in my father’s garden, gratefully picking the lettuce, tomatoes, acorn squash and other delicious vegetables he grows in super abundance there. Often, I would visit his garden just before dinner, to see what I would have for dinner, when the birds were noisy, the sun was still hot on my shoulders and a slight breeze would blow up to cool me down. One of my daughters would very likely be with me.
Write Diaries for Your Children 04
Kelly DuMar, M.Ed.
Often we encounter obstacles when we’re working to achieve something we want very much. Tell your future child the story about an obstacle you encountered in working toward bringing this baby into your life.
Write Diaries for Your Children 03
Kelly DuMar, M.Ed. The Wishing Well: Sit down in a comfortable place, open your child’s diary, write the date, and imagine yourself pitching 3 pennies into your magic wishing well. What three wishes would you wish for the child coming into your life? If they are metaphorical or symbolic rather than real or concrete things, that’s fine – imaginative language can be revealing and inspirational. Do these wishes have to do with the present, the near future, or the distant future? Write to your child about the three wishes and reflect on why you wish these things.
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