Creative Writing

Creative writing has been around since the time we could first put a chisel to a stone tablet and carve out glyphs, wedges, and runes and people have been writing about the ocean for probably just as long. And why not? The ocean makes for both a great protagonist and the perfect setting. It has all the elements one needs to craft a compelling tale – danger, suspense, romance, mystery, comedy, adventure and, depending on your genre, can bring a reader to the edge of their seat or the edge of despair.

Pen + Paper

Much like filmmaking, creative writing has the power to change minds, behaviors, and even the course of history. And the beauty of writing – creative or otherwise – is that all you need is a pen and paper (yes, we know about computers) to start so there is virtually no barrier to entry. Unlike some other more specialized and less well-known pursuits that we discuss throughout this website, creative writing does not need much of an introduction. And unlike some of these other areas, to become a writer, you do not necessarily need to follow the well-worn path of high school to college to graduate school to employment. In fact, some of the most popular and best-selling authors of all time never went to college or ever took an official writing course. Some even might say that being spared the constraints and conventions of formal training is precisely what allowed them to be successful.  Of course, we are not encouraging anyone to forgo schooling and we firmly believe that most of us could benefit from at least some writing instruction and guidance. But nor are we necessarily encouraging you to major in creative writing if you do decide to pursue higher education. Our belief is that you should learn about what interests you. If that’s creative writing, then great. But if it is oceanography or ceramics or mathematics, then that’s great too.

Do-It-Yourself

Now there is nothing that says you have to receive guidance via the traditional methods. There is an abundance of video tutorials, online classes, and self-help books that can help you along the way. To this end, we have compiled an extensive array of material to help aspiring writers hone their craft. That’s not much different than we have done for every other field of study we address, but instead of discussing the specific areas you could pursue, we are going to focus on how to best use the material provided. In other words, we are assuming that, unlike say, virology or integrated multi-trophic aquaculture, which may indeed need some explanation, we all know the difference between a short story, a novel, and a poem.

Publications for Young Writers

Unless you are writing solely for your own enjoyment and consumption, writers tend to want the world to read what they have created. We have compiled a list of over one hundred literary magazines and journals that cater specifically to young writers. Some of these magazines and journals publish only young writers, while some publish all ages but the material itself is geared toward young readers. These can be found in the “make all the right moves” section below. Our advice is do not submit your work without first learning about the journal or magazine and actually reading some of its content. Many literary magazines have a particular theme and if your work is not aligned with that theme it will be rejected out of hand. This will greatly annoy the editors and that is something you want to avoid at all costs.

And the winner is . . .

Writing contests are an excellent way to get recognized, win scholarship money and have your work published.  We have put together a comprehensive list of writing contests for young writers which can also be found in the “make all the right moves” section below. As with the publications for young writers, some of these competitions are only open to certain age groups while others are open to all age groups, but the subject matter of the contest is focused on young readers.

Perseverance

The writing profession is rife with stories about well-known writers who struggled for years before being “discovered.” Stephen King, one of the best-selling authors of all time, had his horror story Carrie rejected 80 times before it was published. Now, it has been translated into hundreds of languages and has been adapted both into a play and a musical. C. S. Lewis, the author of The Chronicles of Narnia, faced 800 rejections before he got his first book published. As a quick Google search will reveal, there are hundreds of similar stories. Rejection in any form is painful, but with something as personal as a literary creation, it can really sting. You need to deal with the disappointment, learn from any feedback that is given, and always persevere.