Getting involved in the writing community: Tips for teens

I cannot believe this is my third post!  Thank you to everyone who has read and commented on my previous posts.  I appreciate your responses, and I hope you stick around!  

Today I'm going to discuss a topic I definitely wish I had known more about before starting high school.  Getting involved in the writing community may appear tricky as a teenager because many do not know of all the options available.  Hopefully, these suggestions will help you find your place in the wonderful world of writing!

1. Join a Writing Club
By becoming a member of a writing club, you are creating connections with other teen writers.  If you do some research, you may find that your city or town has teen writing meetings at the library or in bookstores.  Also, many schools have established writing clubs.  If your school does not have one, get one started!  Starting a club will allow you to develop leadership skills while pursuing your passion with other like minded individuals.  

2. Write for Your School Newspaper
Do you enjoy writing nonfiction?  Then the school newspaper may be the place for you!  School newspapers are an awesome opportunity to share your writing with a large audience while getting to know the other members of the newspaper staff. If your school lacks a newspaper, create one!  School newspapers are a really great way to showcase student accomplishments, skilled writers, and the school's current events.

3. Enter Writing Contests
Writing contests are the perfect way to gain credibility as an author and to show your dedication to the craft.  A quick search on Google can yield hundreds of contests just waiting for your next piece.  Another perk is the chance for prizes!  Who doesn't want an extra reward for all of their hard work?

4. Establish a Social Media Presence
Social media is the perfect way to quickly become a part of the welcoming writing community.  Websites such as Twitter and Goodreads can be used to establish connections with other authors, and they will also keep you in the loop about the latest writing trends.  Other applications such as Wattpad are incredible because you can share your writing with millions of users!    Furthermore, if you establish a solid social media following early on, then you can later use your accounts to promote works you publish!


I hope my tips on entering the writing community as a teenager are helpful!  Let me know if you have any suggestions or requests for future posts in the comments!  Once again, thank you for being so supportive of this blog!