Where Teens Write was created and launched by high school English teacher Amy Isaman earlier this year. It's a place for writers (ages 13-19) to get feedback on their work-in-progress, to submit stories to be posted online, and to access writing resources. “I decided to create WTW with a focus on improving writing and learning to write rather than just sharing writing, though I think that’s important,” Amy says. “The purpose is for teens to have a safe, friendly, supportive, and inspirational environment to share their writing.” She also created a Facebook page containing helpful writing links.
Writing Opportunity!
Where Teens Write would like to feature a monthly column on what it’s like to be a teen writer. If you'd like to submit a piece for the new column, email Where Teens Write for details.
Writing Prompt
Where Teens Write offers several writing prompts. Here is one of Amy’s favorites:
Grab your favorite novel. Open it up to a random chapter. Write down the first sentence of that chapter. Choose another chapter. Write down the last sentence of that chapter. Write a 500 word story using those lines as the first and last lines of your story.
Advice from a Creative Writing Teacher
Amy offers four pieces of advice to teen writers:
1) Keep writing! Don’t ever let a negative curmudgeonly person convince you to give up your dreams of writing. You are writing because you love it and need to heed that call to write.
2) Write your truth. Don’t try to write like your favorite author or include the latest plot trends just because they’re popular. Write your story in your way. It’s opening up to your truth and honoring it that makes writing great.
3) FINISH a piece! I have so many students who have new ideas bubbling up every day. They start writing super excited about it, but then when it gets difficult, they put it aside and start on the next new exciting idea. They have piles of half completed stories, but nothing that they’ve worked all the way through. To really learn about writing and hone your craft, you need to work through the hard parts and figure them out. Even if you hate your story when you're done with it, you’ll have learned something about plot or character. You need to work through the hard parts because there are definitely hard parts when it comes to writing.
4) Find a great critique partner that you trust. This could be online or face to face, but getting good feedback is super important to becoming a better writer.
1) Keep writing! Don’t ever let a negative curmudgeonly person convince you to give up your dreams of writing. You are writing because you love it and need to heed that call to write.
2) Write your truth. Don’t try to write like your favorite author or include the latest plot trends just because they’re popular. Write your story in your way. It’s opening up to your truth and honoring it that makes writing great.
3) FINISH a piece! I have so many students who have new ideas bubbling up every day. They start writing super excited about it, but then when it gets difficult, they put it aside and start on the next new exciting idea. They have piles of half completed stories, but nothing that they’ve worked all the way through. To really learn about writing and hone your craft, you need to work through the hard parts and figure them out. Even if you hate your story when you're done with it, you’ll have learned something about plot or character. You need to work through the hard parts because there are definitely hard parts when it comes to writing.
4) Find a great critique partner that you trust. This could be online or face to face, but getting good feedback is super important to becoming a better writer.
Thank you for the interview, Amy.
In addition to teaching 9th grade English, 9th grade Honors English, and Creative Writing, Amy Isaman is also working on her own novels and is participating in Nanowrimo along with 17 of her students.
Visit Where Teens Write or join them on Facebook.
Visit Where Teens Write or join them on Facebook.
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