I'm new here. But I love writing. I write short stories but want write a epic book like harry potter or something. But I'm a girl and 11 years old. No ones takes me seriously... Does anyone have same issues or got some tips? Should I lie and say I'm a middle aged man just to get noticed???
I've been writing since I was a kid. It takes time and patience to become a good writer. I'm still not perfect, but have grown over the years. Make sure you pay attention in English class, as I did not. Work on your sentence structure, grammar, and punctuation. Keep a notebook and write all your ideas down. Even though I'm 22 and feel like my first novel will be done soon, many people don't take me seriously. The first step is to do it for yourself. Keep all your stories that you write so that you can look back on them in years to come.
George Eliot (google her) did just that. James Barry (google her, too) did that. Jane Eyre did that. J.K.Rowling implied that. I've heard of (male) writers of romance novels adopting a female nom-de-plume. It shouldn't matter if the writing's good enough, but... And, I have to say that your avatar and forum name is a pretty rubbish false identity for a middle-aged man! Welcome, at least you won't get judged on anything but your writing here!
If you write as well as a middle-aged man, that might work, but you'll be found out eventually. I won't say that an eleven-year-old girl couldn't write something I wanted to read, but that's the way I'd bet. Generally, you'll be taken seriously when you demonstrate that you deserve it.
I was 11 years old when I first got the writing bug. Before my mom went back to work as a secretary, my dad had bought her a typewriter - an old manual model. One day, I came home from school, rolled in a piece of loose-leaf paper, and started to type. Nothing else had ever given me the sense of possibilities like that did (although, when I got older, being faced with a brand new blank notebook would do it). I started to write an epic war story (in my childhood, stories about World War II were very big in my social circle), but I soon ran into a problem - aside from movies, I had no idea what war was really like. So, my writing languished until my knowledge base could grow. And that was a mistake. I should have found something else to write about instead. I also should have read more, but that drive didn't kick in until two years later. Read. A lot. Anything. Everything. Watch the world around you (live, not on television). What kind of people fascinate you and why? Write as you get the urge. Don't worry about publishing. Just write.
A good product sells itself. If you write like an adult, for all I know you could be an adult. And I might buy your book.
Age is rarely an issue in the publishing world. If your story/novel is good enough for an editor, your age won't matter (unless you have to sign a contract, in which case a legal guardian would have to help you out). Like the others have said, you need to practice a lot. That means reading constantly and writing as much as possible. Only then will you get better. Also, if you ever decide to publish, be honest about your age. There's really no point in deceiving anyone. By the way, I'll just point out that in the writing world, someone who is 35 is considered a young writer. So there's absolutely no rush to get something published.
Don't worry about how to present yourself yet. The reality of the situation is you're years (maybe a few, maybe many) away from needing to think about this. Think about how to present your writing identity once you have actually done a substantial amount of work on a story and are at a point where you can realistically consider trying to get it published. I started writing at age nine and completed my first novel-length manuscript at age fourteen: a 110,000-word YA urban fantasy story consisting of overdramatic dialogue, countless plot inconsistencies, and flowery prose. It's terrible and it'll never become anything. This is okay though because it was a fun experience and I learned a lot from writing it. After finishing it I wrote a poem with a similar theme that ended up being published in a Scottish anthology the same year. I'm twenty-three now and I haven't had anything longer than 5,000 words published. I've only revised a couple of novels (of over a dozen manuscripts) to a stage where I'm happy with them. I won't ever delete those older stories but they served as good practice and I learned from each one - even if some just serve as examples of what not to do. I occasionally read them over and cringe at how God awful my work was then compared to now. I'm expecting to react the same way to my current WIPs when I'm thirty. I'm not trying to deter you but just want you to realise that writing is a journey. Don't dwell over hurdles you're nowhere near yet and instead focus on what is relevant now: the story. You could get lucky and end up publishing your first novel as a teenager (I know a girl who did at fourteen and she actually received a lot of media publicity because of her age) but it's unfortunately not the case for the vast majority. Writing is hard work and in early days you should expect it to be just a fun (albeit challenging) pastime.
Writing is like any other business. It is the product that counts, not the age or sex of the creator. If your book reads like something suitable for an adult market, then it will sell. Concentrate on the product, not how others see you. You will get "noticed" when you have something to offer. Do the work first, produce the product, then look for someone to publish it. Recognition comes last not first in the process.
You made me laugh, and that's a good start! Do what the others above me have said. Write. Don't worry about being taken seriously. No one will take you seriously till you have a finished product, ready to go. So get a few of them under your belt. There are lots of creative writing guide books out there. Get hold of a few. Writers' Digest is a good source of books (as well as the magazine itself.) Just beware of using only one book as a guide. Read a bunch of them instead, and see what you can pick up. And as @Saralyn said, pay attention in your English classes. Grammar and sentence structure are some of the basic tools you'll need to master in order to become a writer. Just thinking up stories is only part of the battle. You've got to write them down in a way that makes sense to other people, and gets them excited and keeps them interested. So get in the habit of writing well early on. And read. Read all the time. Read everything that interests you. Always have a book or two on the go, just for pleasure. Reading gives you the feel for what writing should be. Watching TV or movies does not. These visual media might give you ideas, but they won't help you to learn to write. And most of all ...have fun! And don't let anybody discourage you. Ever.
I've been writing ever since I could physically write and telling myself stories since before then. I feel you. I dealt with a lot of condescension when I was younger, being told I would lose interest in writing, that old backhanded "you're good for your age" or "you'll get better" commentary, etc. Very few people are going to take you seriously, as you realize, because you're young and a girl. Ignore them. It was very hard for me and I doubt it's easy for anyone, but ignore them. Work out how to discern valid criticisms from people being assholes, and how to find the valid criticism in the assholery. Focus on getting better. Spend the next decade reading and writing. Be happy you've got head start on people who didn't start writing until they were in their twenties or thirties or later - by the time you're their age you're going to have so much more experience and I really think that's one of the most important things for a writer. I first got published when I was fifteen. Maybe you can beat me :>
You're only 11 - have some fun, really enjoy writing, learn a lot. Don't be afraid of making mistakes - you're bound to, it's just how you learn - so have fun making them. Don't rush into getting all serious so soon. I actually see the internet and writing forums like this one as having a potentially negative effect on kids aspiring to become serious writers sometimes. I think there's just a stage in life when your work shouldn't be analysed, shouldn't be taken apart, and where critique is necessary, it must be given carefully and gently. Thick skin doesn't grow overnight and someone younger is easier to crush - and the internet can often be rather cruel. I started writing when I was 9. Trust me, your time will come, and if you keep on writing, one day you'll get to the point where your writing will be good enough to be published. In the meantime, don't be in such a rush to grow up. Write, and really relish it. Enjoy it. Laugh about it. It's okay to think your writing is the best in the world - just always know there's more to learn also. And hey, if you really are that good, you'll get published faster. The author of Eragon was 15 when his first book was published Never read it so I can't attest to the quality of writing, but it was published and certainly taken seriously. I'd see it as a bonus more than a given though to have that kinda success at that age. You don't need anyone's validation. Write for your own pleasure for now - you're still at a stage in life where you have the full luxury of doing so. Enjoy it!
Book idea #202 Written from the POV of a preadolescent girl masquerading as a 45 year old doctor of anthropology, comes an "autobiography" offering an unusually detailed and poorly written account of the childhood of "Dr. Matthew Mconoway," and also a scathing condemnation of present day adults.
Nobody will know your age unless you reveal it. The quality of your writing and storytelling ability will be the 'face' the world sees. It (your age) may become a concern with respect to contracts, if you seek a publisher or setting up accounts if you decide to self-publish.
There will always be people who don't take you seriously, regardless of your age. I'm 42 and when I tell people I'm an author, they look at me as if I'm trying to pass off a hobby as a day job. (I have a day job too). And then you get all the crap questions like "Oh, I have a great idea for a book, want to know what it is?" and "Yes, I may write a book when I retire and have nothing else to do ..." and "Oh, can I be one of the characters?" My favorite answer to the last question would be "yes, I need another victim to kill off in some heinous way ..." Of course, I say that under my breath after they've walked away. Like others have already said, don't be too hard on yourself, have fun with your writing, learn to research, don't be afraid to ask questions and keep everything you write. Good Luck x
