Resources for Young Writers
Right now I am hard at work in my position as the contest coordinator for the Surrey International Writers' Conference Writing Contest. I've volunteered for this job for many years now (five? six?) and I love it. The contest is closed for the year, and now the scramble begins to find the best entries in all four categories.
This contest is aimed at adult writers, but it has led me to thinking about contests and opportunities for writers out there who have not yet attained the age of majority.
So if you're under 18 and you love to write, here's a list of some resources that you might want to have a look at. And if you have had experience with any of them, feel free to send me a comment, and let me know how things went! I can tell you that my daughter Meaghan got her first publishing credit with 'What If' magazine when she was 16 -- and these contests and other writing venues are a great way to get started for a young writer.
A BIG tip of the hat to writer (and CANSCAIP member) Gisela Sherman for compiling this list!
Stone Soup is a print magazine of writing by young people up to age 13.
Check out www.stonesoup.com.
Owl Magazine is a print magazine for 9 - 13s. It accepts drawings, poems,
short stories and photos for publication. www.owlkids.com.
New Moon: The Magazine for Girls and Their Dreams - print magazine edited by
8 to 14 year-old girls. See www.newmoon.org.
Wet Ink Magazine - a literary, visual arts and multimedia magazine for and
by Canadian youth aged 13 to 19. www.wetinkmagazine.com.
The Claremont Review - an international print magazine of young adult
writers. It accepts manuscripts by writers 13 to 19. See
www.theclaremontreview.ca.
Canadian Student Writing Contests and Resources are listed through
Wordwrights Canada at www3.sympatico.ca/susanio/WWCcomp.html.
The Toronto Star Starship Writing Contest is open to kids 15 and younger.
The Toronto Public Library has the Young Voices Contest for Teens (age
12-19).
The Hamilton Public Library has an annual Power Of The Pen contest, poetry
and short fiction, for ages 12-18. Look for it in the spring. Check the Teen
Page at www.hpl.ca .
The CBC4Kids website (www.cbc4kids.ca) allows kids to submit stories under
the Writer's Corner or add to a story at StoryBuilder.
The website www.cyberkids.com accepts work for online publication.
KIdsWWwrite - e-zine for young authors and readers at
www.kalwriters.com/kidswwwrite.
Skipping Stones Arun Narayan Toke', Editor
P.O. Box 3939 Eugene, Oregon 97403-0939 Tel. 541-342-4956
Email: editor@SkippingStones.org Website: www.SkippingStones.org
www.fundsforwriters.com/youngwriter.html
What If? magazine, published out of Guelph, takes writing by teens
www.whatifmagazine.com
Check for local papers and contests in your area.
Launch Pad: Where Young Authors and Illustrators Take Off! is a new
print magazine devoted to publishing fiction, nonfiction, poetry, book
reviews, and artwork by children ages 6-12. We do not charge teachers,
children, or their parents any sort of publication fee.
For more information, go here:
http://www.readingrockets.org/newsletters/rrnews
http://blog.reading.org/archives/002905.html
Me again.
My buddy James McCann, who writes for young people but is also a great mentor for young writers has more resources on his site. Be sure to check those out, too!
~kc
