The Guide of Young Writer's

Introduction:

In many ways, I am a normal seventh grade student. I do my school work; I talk in the halls for way too long, and I hang out with my friends. In other ways, however, I am simply your average writer dork. I daydream for so long that it looks like I spaced out; I talk about book ideas and ramble on and on about how things can be better in a book - different plot twists, character points. Instead of gossiping on the latest news of who kissed who and who dated who and who likes who I play with the what ifs, the what if Harry secretly was friends with Draco, the what if Dumbledore was the bad guy, the what if Luke was being controlled. Those what ifs are what have driven me to create this wonderful thing I like to call: The Guide to Young Writers. Both fun and informational I cover all topics of writing. From essays to novels. Poems to short stories. Things like that.

Dear Reader, I hope you enjoy it. And know, that your words, the things you write: they are able to change people’s mine and with that, they can change the world.

Chapter 1: Genre: To write, or not to write. For that is the question.

As a young writer myself I have learned a method that has always worked best for me and allowed me to adventure my ongoing ideas. This method is called Trial and Error. And I know, this seems like something your teacher would tell you. However, this Trial and Error is more fun than trying to figure out what the heck pi is.

Trial and Error is seeing what you like. The style, the genre, the point of view. All very important things in the process.

The first thing you’d probably like to find out is the GENRE. The genre is what your story is about - the whole thing. However genres can get messy and tend to be complicated. Some mix with others and it tends to be more complex than it looks in a library.

However your story can also go in the “wrong” direction; basically it shifts genres.

Let’s take this example here. You’re writing about a fantasy but you realize you spend too much time building character relationships and the lovey-dovey stuff of a couple. This may not purely be wrong; your brain saw that moment where you got bored with fantasy and switched to romance. Happens all the time. Most of the time it’s easy not to give yourself a genre, but an idea.

An idea is more helpful than a genre. It gives you the idea of what you want to write about; whether that be aliens or middle school or even about the future.

Your idea can build and turn into a short story, poem, or novel if you let it grow.

If you want to write but just don’t know where to start here’s a couple of tricks that help me:

- Be in all Denial that you have writer’s block. Don’t even complain about it.

- Read! This is one of the obvious ones but if you read and you like playing with what ifs like I do, you’ll have ideas for that book and when you start writing more ideas should pop in your head!

- Be with friends. When I’m not writing, or can’t write another word, I like to hang out with my friends. They’re funny, silly, and crazy in their own way. It makes me think. Some of my characters would’ve never come to life without them.

- Do nothing. Staring at a wall, doing nothing, makes you want to do something. You can just think and think till you have so many ideas overflowing with them.

- Write. Even if it’s cringy, even if it’s horrible, even if it’s so bad you can bear to read it tomorrow. Forcing yourself to write at the time where you can’t help - it strengthens your mind to say I can write even when you feel like it’s an impossible task.

But all in all, have fun! It’s writing and you’re the author. Get crazy with it!

Chapter 2: The Writer’s style

The writer’s style sounds intimidating. Like something you’d hear when you’re getting threatened to go to Writer’s Block Jail.

This is not the case though. The writer’s style is nothing more than the way you write. Do you use “Chapter 1”, “One”, or “-Name of chapter-”. Do you tab dialogue or do you keep everything spaced out neatly. Does it seem like you’re in a rush and you’re quickly telling the story so much that your words are short but gripping? That tension is quick and fast? Or are you the author that likes the slow burn better? Do you build up a plot with many subplots so noticeable that they are detached from the original plot you couldn’t take it out if you tried? Do you like the tension to stay in the room for several days and having a big fight? Do you like small hints in the plot? Details?

However you write, whatever you write, and wherever you write, your writing style is a part of it. Are you loud? Short? Fast? Settled? Slow? Quiet? Calm?

Now here’s something you should know: Your writing style will always shift.

This is depending on your character. Little things, like the slow burn, the detail, all that stuff won’t but how you word things, the point of view, the thoughts of the character - all have to do with the character. Is the character quiet? Introvert? Or is it loud? Extrovert? This is important as it guides your writing and makes it flow. If your writing doesn’t match your character it’s safe to say it’s going to be weird - like two different mouths attached to one. One’s sarcastic and the other is a goody-two shoes. By amusing your character and building a strong relationship with the fictional character you are able to fit your writing style into your character.

Your writing style is important. It’s you. It grows; shifts; changes.

It makes the piece you wrote, well, you.