Young Writers Society

My name is Amy Stevens and I am the Editor-In-Chief of Texas Teen Models Official Magazine, a teen magazine based out of Dallas, TX. TTMO is an organization dedicated to influencing this generation of teens that love, acceptance, social responsibility and kindness are premiums. Our model influencers serve as not just models, but individuals who believe in promoting the greater good. Each month has a positively themed social message as well as editorial articles featuring teen interests and issues, style, fashion, service, and beauty. You can check out our organization and prior issues by visiting our website: www.texasteenmodelsofficial.com. For the 2021 year, we are asking for high school students interested in having their writing published to submit pieces to our editorial staff. These pieces would need to relate to one of our monthly messages. Here is a calendar of the messages for each month in 2021:

January: “Be U”
The main goal of our organization is to educate teens that individuality is important! Learning to love yourself for who you are is a big accomplishment and the earlier we can do that, the more successful we will be in life. We also believe that caring about and serving the world around us is the first step towards self acceptance. Humans need to help each other in order to help themselves.

February: “ Never Stop Dreaming”
February is Black History Month and we put a premium on equality. Our platform encourages love and acceptance for every human being regardless of ANYTHING. Our focus for this month will be encouraging teens to dream big; don’t let anything or anyone hold you back. And remember, every failure is a lesson. If you are not willing to fail, you are not ready to succeed.

March: “Learning to Live, Laugh, and Love In the New Normal”
The Covid-19 pandemic 1 year anniversary is in March, 2021. We thought it would be interesting to take a look at how our lives have changed. Learning to celebrate the positives in situations that seem overly negative is a life lesson. We would like to explore how our teens have positively transitioned in a world full of masks, social distancing, remote learning and fear.

April: “Green is the New Black”
If you still aren’t sure how important it is to make environmentally friendly choices in your daily life, let us remind you!!! The future MUST be greener on so many levels, one of those being fashion. This issue will be a reminder of several environmental issues that are killing our planet and the changes we need to make so that future generations can live here, too.

May: “The Fluctuations In Our Minds”
May is “Mental Health Awareness” month and we want to shout awareness from the rooftops!! Removing the stigma from individuals with mental health issues in an uphill battle: just because you suffer from a mental illness or impairment does not make you less valuable. We will explore the mental health issues that most affect today’s teens and why many of these are increasing.

June: “Pride In Everyone”
Individual identity and sexual preferences are nobody else’s business. At TTMO, we believe that who you are is AMAZING and that no matter how you identify, you should be PROUD. Gender “norms” should not be dictated by society. Individuals should feel comfortable and proud regarding any decisions they make for themselves without having to worry about what others think or how they will be judged.

July: “Your Perfect Shape Is Your Healthiest Shape”
Body image is a constant struggle for young men and women. We want teens everywhere to know that everyone has a different “perfect” shape. Changing the way society views beauty is a struggle we won’t give up on. In this issue, we will explore how healthy habits lead to happiness and positive body vibes.

August: “Selflessness”
At the heart of TTMO’s mission is selflessness. Learning to care more about helping others is crucial to a society that thrives. When we learn that helping others not only builds up our communities, but also allows us to feel truly happy, we succeed. Teens who learn this lesson early will conquer one of life’s most important lessons.

September: “What Moves You?”
Another crucial part of understanding who we are as individuals comes from exploring our own hobbies and talents. We all find enjoyment from different activities. Developing talents and taking time to enjoy hobbies helps us grow as individuals. Our focus shouldn’t be overly competitive when it comes to our talents and hobbies, but being a little better every day at what we enjoy.

October: “Character Is Everything”
What characteristics do you admire in others? Kindness, Loyalty, Hard Work, Determination, Focus, Selflessness? Not what we look like, not what we wear, not how good we are at a sport or activity, but the way we treat others will always define us. Understanding that our character is one of our greatest assets in life is very important.

November: “The Importance of Family and Friends”
Your culture and heritage help shape you. The people you interact with most have the power to influence you for better or for worse. In this issue, we pay homage to our heroes and mentors and to those who make a positive difference in our lives, and the lives of others.

December: “Like A Boss”
Own. It. Be confident in yourself. You are POWERFUL! You are a FORCE! You have got this. We want teens to know that they are capable of greatness. Find a purpose and go to work. Don’t let setbacks or failure steer you off course. Pick yourself up, refocus, and don’t look back.

Teen age 13-19 can submit their writing to TTMOmagazine@gmail.com. We are currently accepting well researched articles (with sources cited), opinion pieces, persuasive pieces, informative pieces, poetry, satire pieces, short stories and essays based on our monthly messages. Teens interested in direct prompts can email me personally (direct prompt pieces will be considered first for publication). Submitted writing can be between 200 and 700 words long. If a piece is selected for publication, we will notify the author. For more information, please email me at the address above, or, feel free to call/text me at (913)744-6064 if you need to verify I am a real human being:)