by Jaquelle Crowe | Editor-in-Chief of TheRebelution.com
I’m a teenager, and I got published.
And I’m not the only one – not by a long shot.
Brett and Alex Harris were published when they were 19. Jaye L. Knight got published when she was 18. Austin Gutwein was 15. Rachel Coker was 16. Leah Good was 19.
All of these are ordinary teenagers who were passionate about writing, eager to serve God, and committed to pursuing the difficult but doable task of publication.
I say doable, but many people believe it’s actually impossible (or, at best, tremendously improbable) for teenage writers to get published. They think we’re too young, too inexperienced, and that the task is too big for us to accomplish.
But I’m living proof that it can be done. So are Brett and Alex. So is Jaye. And so are Austin, Rachel, and Leah.
In fact, the more young writers I meet, the more I realize how possible it is for young writers to become young authors.
We live in an age where there is massive, legitimate potential for teens to get published.
But it takes hard work, it takes consistent guidance, and it takes knowledge. Especially knowledge.
Which is why we went to the experts (young people who have actually been published!) and asked their advice. We asked them, “What would you say to an aspiring young writer?”
What resulted was twelve incredible tips that every young writer needs to hear. We’ve compiled them into an e-book called the Young Writers Guidebook. You can grab the PDF by subscribing to our young writer email list. You can unsubscribe at any time.
List of Contributors:
- Leah Good
- Gillian Bronte Adams
- Alex Harris
- Jaquelle Crowe (me!)
- Jaye L. Knight
- Austin Gutwein
- Rachel Coker
Of course, you really should grab the entire guidebook.
But here is the very first tip from the Young Writers Guidebook, from Leah Good. And it’s a good one!
TIP No. 1: Don’t be ashamed of your youth.
As a young writer, you might feel you have many obstacles to overcome because of your age. It’s true. But you also have something many older writers lack. As a young writer, the world is filled with potential and opportunities to explore — with wonder and excitement.
You might not have the life experience or technical skill of your older counterparts, but skills can be learned—learned quickly by an eager young mind. As Paul once told Timothy, don’t let anyone look down on your youth.
As a member of several online communities of creative people, I constantly see people who have been writing for years saying that they need to step back and rediscover the wonder they once felt in storytelling. That wonder is fresh for you. Don’t be ashamed of it!
If writing is your passion, throw yourself into it with the enthusiasm and abandon unique to your age group. Set goals that matter, like writing stories that honor God and impact people’s lives. You might not hit the bestseller’s list (or you might!), but if you write because you absolutely love it, do it for God, and devote yourself to learning your craft, you will never regret the hours spent with a notepad or word processor.
That’s the first tip, but we’ve got 11 more from six other young Christian authors. You can grab the entire guidebook by subscribing to our young writer email list. You can unsubscribe at any time.
