Writing Advice!

I often get asked about what advice I have for kids who want to write, so here’s my general advice:

1) Read as much as you can, both in the genre you want to write, and also in others. Look at books you love, and pick them apart to figure out why you like them so much. Is it the character, the story, the worldbuilding? You can do the same thing for books you didn't like, too, and think about how you might have done it differently so it would be something you'd like.

2) Write as much as you can, no matter what it is. Just like doing anything else, the more you practice, the better you'll get.

3) Show your friends/parents/teachers and ask for their honest opinion. It can hurt (and still does for me!) but it's a great way to see if you're missing something, or if you need to work on a specific part of the book. 

4) Finish the story first, then go back and rewrite/edit/revise until you're happy with it. I'll often revise a book four or five times after writing it, and I'll sometimes think the book is about one thing, but by the time I get to the end, it turns out to be about something completely different. So try to finish if you can!

I often get asked if I can read people's stories, or offer suggestions on names or plots, and I'm sorry to say I can't, both for legal reasons, and because I would get no writing done myself if I read every reader's own writing. But my opinion is no better than your friends/parents/teachers anyway, so you'll be all set there. Good luck!