Guest Blog on Writing for Adolescents
Judy Snider

Everyone seems to ask me how I got started writing. I have always

loved books and I think that was the key for me to start writing. I

always wondered who were these people who wrote books, and

where did their ideas come from.

I started writing in third grade a mystery, and then I kept writing

after that. I wrote poems in high school, wrote lyrics to songs, and

began to get an idea of what I liked to write. I found writing

relaxing, and when I was younger we did not have computers to

work on, so most of my writings were on paper. I had piles of my

writings in a container.

When I got married and was in my thirties, I decided to write

children’’s books. I guess after reading so many to my kids, they

inspired me to take a course and start writing. I picked usually

funny and heart warming books to write ……and still love those

kind of books. I got my ideas from real life. I am the mom of two

grown children, so lots of their adventures and daily life gave me

fun story ideas.

So if you want to write…….start…….if you write……continue.

Find the subject or type of book you love writing about!

Please don’’t think that the first time you write something it is

perfect and ready to send out. I say that because I did that at first,

and did not take time to show it to my family, friends, etc. and get

their opinion and suggestions. Of course, it is your writing for

your story or book, but it is nice to have people you know give

their thoughts to you. If one person does not love your story,

don’’t give up. Everyone has different thoughts on things when

they read. Like some people like mysteries, and others non-

fiction……. It is also important to edit, edit edit. Thank goodness

for spell check and some of the new great things on the computer,

but read your work over and over, put it away and bring it out

and read it again.

If your family is good at editing, again ask for their thoughts. I

also found friends who liked writing, and think that it is fun to

talk over story ideas, or in the case of my sister, we wrote this

book, I Love You, Be Careful together. It was very fun, but it took

work to share ideas, visions for the book, and work with our great

illustrator, Cady Driver, who lives in a different state.

In most libraries and in bookstores in the reference section they

have books that tell how to write, and how to get published

someday. They can be very helpful along the way. When you

think of it if you are writing: e-mails, papers for school, etc.

etc……you Are Writing. Don’t stop. Writing is Fun!