Spoiler! :
That was one paragraph. It's over 500 words long. Apparently, 13-year-old me thought 500 words was a totally appropriate length for one paragraph (it's not). That's far from the worst of it, too. My old laptop with all my original writing is at home, so I had to search the YWS archives to find the example above.
This post is primarily aimed at all you younguns here at YWS (though it can apply to anyone, really) because sometimes it feels like there's no point trying anymore, that your writing will never be any good, that all you every receive is criticism. Plus sometimes us oldies can forget that you guys are younger, and as a result can be a little harsh in our reviews.
And so I have taken it upon myself to become a source of super awesome happiness and motivation. Here are some things I wish someone had told me at 13-years-old:
In reality, your writing probably isn’t that great right now
No matter how awesome of a person you are, chances are your writing at 13 years of age isn’t that of Shakespearian quality. I don’t say that to be mean, it just isn’t. This is something you don’t tend to realise until you’re older, so for those of you who are the youngest, you’ve got that to look forward to. When I was 13 I totally thought I was going to become a literary sensation overnight, far more so compared to now where I have lost faith in every aspect of my life (just kidding, I still have faith in my cat). While that may be the case, your writing isn't bad. I wrote a 60,000 word novel at 13, and while the content was shockingly awful and my grammar was horrendous, it's something I'm still proud of. Without such literary atrocities, I wouldn't be where I am today. Just don’t take yourself too seriously. You’re not writing Harry Potter quality novels quite yet, and that’s okay.
Write while you have the freedom to do so
When I was younger I could write whenever I wanted. Nowadays, it’s not quite that easy. Once you hit, say, 16 it becomes a lot more difficult to fit writing around school. By the time you’re 18 it feels rewarding just to open a Word document. I would write for hours on end when I was younger, and it was between the ages of 13 and 16 when I grew the most as a writer. Primarily thanks to YWS, I have to say, my grasp of grammar shot up, my creativity was ignited, my determination was excelled, and I begin creating real people and real situations as opposed to caricatures and ‘things happening’. So my advice is this: while you have all the time in the world, write like your life depends on it. Post your writing here, have it ripped to shreds, edit your writing, post it again, let it get ripped to shreds, and then edit it some more.
Listen to other people's advice
It can be quite easy, when you receive criticism, to become super defensive and defend your writing to the death. It's them who has the problem, right? They're too picky, they don't understand your characters, they don't like the genre. They're probably right, though, and deep down you know that. Take it on the chin. In the end no one you show your writing to, whether it be YWS or your mum, is going to criticise your work for a bit of banter. They genuinely want to help, and they want you to be the best you can be. Some people can be harsh, yes, but you take that in your stride and prove them wrong. Show them that you can write real damn good. I mean, hey, if I'd ignored all of the advice I'd received as a youngun I would still be writing 500 word paragraphs.
Don’t be afraid
This is probably the most important one. When I first joined YWS I was this timid little creature who feared everyone and everything, and now look at me! I’m just about the most annoying ball of loudness to have ever graced the site. Don’t be afraid of the moderators on this site either; they’re no more holy than you. I mean, heck, I was one at one point. That’s a scary thought, right? I know that when I first joined I would tip-toe around the mods and viewed them as these untouchable creatures to be marvelled at. Know this: they walk into a room and immediately forget why they walked into that room, just like you.
Regardless of age, you will never have any idea what the hell you are doing
I remember it as clear as day: it was 3am and I was tearing my hair out over a chapter of my novel because I didn't know where to take it, and I wanted to fast-forward to when I was an adult and had my life well enough in order to actually plan a novel efficiently.
Hahahahahahahaha.
Oh, bless me. The truth is that no matter how old you are, you will never feel like you know what you are doing. This applies to life in general, not just writing, and you know what? That is such an marvellous thing. Some of the best ideas I've conjured up have been in states of utter confusion and uncertainty. Besides, predicability is boring
So to conclude...
My writing is so far from perfect. So, so, so far. It never will be, but compared to what it was like 7 years ago it's practically War and Peace. Since that initial 60,00 word catastrophe, I've completed 3 novels and have about 50 unfinished ones. I sent an extract of one I completed at 15-years-old to a few literary agents, one of which requested the whole thing. It never went any further than that, but it was an enormous motivator.
So many times I've wanted to just pack it in and move on because writing can be stressful. It can feel like you're constantly hitting a brick wall, and I've gone over a year without writing a single thing. And that sucks. Just know that there is light at the end of the tunnel, whether you're 13, 30, or 300. Persevere, accept your faults, show your writing to others, and make the most of YWS and what it has to offer. You are brilliant, and you can do it, whatever it may be.
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