Bill Ellis

>
> --- In [email protected], "pmteet@s..."
> <pmteet@s...> wrote:
>> My DD12 just has virtually no interests. This has been going on for about a
>> year. ... She use LOVE to write and wanted to get published. She has written
>> some poetry and short stories but I can't find a magazine to publish
>> unsolicited things especially from kids....
>

BE:
I have a 11 year old granddaughter who loves to write. She writes all day
talking to herself and putting some stories down on paper.
I gave her 3 hours of writing coaching with Susanah Shaeffer (pas editor of
Growing Without Schooling) as a christmas present. She has not completed
her first 20 chater novel. It's great. Refining and publishing isn't her
goal. But she does apprediate praise and comment on what she writes and is
not on her second and third novels.
I'm now urging her to learn enough computer expertise to self-publish.
You are blessed to have such a daughter. She will never be hurt by TV.
Bill

[email protected]

In a message dated 5/19/04 7:53:24 AM, tranet@... writes:

<< You are blessed to have such a daughter. She will never be hurt by TV. >>

Do you think kids who don't like to write are in danger of being hurt by TV?


Sandra

the_clevengers

--- In [email protected], "pmteet@s..."
> <pmteet@s...> wrote:
>> My DD12 just has virtually no interests. This has been going on
for about a
>> year. ... She use LOVE to write and wanted to get published. She
has written
>> some poetry and short stories but I can't find a magazine to
publish
>> unsolicited things especially from kids....


Try Skipping Stones magazine: http://www.skippingstones.org/ . From
their website: "Skipping Stones is an award-winning resource in
multicultural education. It is timely and timeless. ... We accept art
and original writings in every language and from all ages. We invite
you to participate in this exciting project with your submissions,
subscriptions, suggestions and support. "

My neighbor is the editor of this magazine and it is a very nice,
multi-cultural outlet for children's creative expressions.

Blue Skies,
-Robin-

pmteet

I wanted to thank everyone for all the wonderfull ideas. We are
going to try and get to the library this week-end and get some of
those books suggested.

She REALLY wants to be a novelist. But she understands that if she
wants to eat than she needs a job. Hubby's bosses wife is a freelance
writer and Amanda thought that would be a REALLY cool thing to do
until she publishes the next "must read" novel. She has already
written her first script and her play group will be preforming it
soon. She has also written an 80 pg book. It was VERY cute, and of
course THAT comes from me a completely unbias source.

Thanks again
Michelle

Alyce

--- In [email protected], "pmteet" <pmteet@s...>
wrote:

> She REALLY wants to be a novelist.

I haven't followed this entire thread and don't know how old your
daughter is... my daughter - another novelist in the making - gets a
magazine called TeenInk that she LOVES. For what it's worth.

Alyce

[email protected]

In a message dated 5/20/04 10:57:49 AM, pmteet@... writes:

<< She REALLY wants to be a novelist. >>

Minor but maybe really important point:

Try to nudge the thinking toward "I'd really like to write a novel," or "I
would like to get a novel published" instead of using the "to be" verb.

Lots of novelists are also other things. Doctors, gardeners, teachers,
mothers, travellers, researchers, cops, robbers, lawyers.

The "what do you want to be?" questions are not as nurturing as the "what do
you want to do?" questions.

Maybe she will "be" a novelist if she has dozens of novels published. But
maybe she won't. And if someone becomes something naturally in the course of
doing what they love, that's great. But if someone declares a goal that
involves "being" a thing, their odds of failure are way higher. Someone with one
published novel might not "BE a novelist" if they didn't do another, but someone
who said she wanted to write for fun would be way ahead of the curve if she
had one successful novel.

Sandra



Sandra

pmteet

===The "what do you want to be?" questions are not as nurturing as
the "what do
you want to do?" questions.====

See even as a child I would rather be asked what I want to be rather
than what I want to do. But this is why A VERY old nun asked me what
I wanted to do when I grew up. I looked at her and (in a very serious
tone and meant no disrespect) said "Breathe" I think I saw hell that
day. LOL She was not amused. LOL

===Minor but maybe really important point:

Try to nudge the thinking toward "I'd really like to write a novel,"
or "I would like to get a novel published" instead of using the "to
be" verb.==


Not minor at all. We even talked about it. It just seems more
positive. I told her if you write you ARE a writer, you are not GOING
to be you are one. Does that make sense?

> Lots of novelists are also other things. Doctors, gardeners,
teachers,
> mothers, travellers, researchers, cops, robbers, lawyers. ===

We talked about that before. She said ALLs she wants to do, or ever
really wanted to do is write.

===And if someone becomes something naturally in the course of
> doing what they love, that's great. ====


I think that is the most important thing. We have always talked to
the kids about picking a career that they love. Money is secondary if
not lower down. We ahve so many freinds who work at jobs they hate
just to keep up with the Jones. I would rather be dirt poor and love
my life than be rich and miserable.

I am just glad they have the opportunaty to explore all that is out
there.

Michelle

the_clevengers

--- In [email protected], "pmteet" <pmteet@s...>
wrote:
> She REALLY wants to be a novelist. But she understands that if she
> wants to eat than she needs a job.

You can do both. In fact, most novelists do both, by necessity. Most
novels, especially first-time novels either don't sell, or don't sell
well enough to pay the rent. Even most well-established novelists
started out through their first few books working at other jobs
(Stephen King was working at a laundromat, for instance). Actually
King's book "On Writing" is a really fascinating look at the craft of
writing and the kind of life one has as an emerging writer. He wrote
prolifically as a child, too (and accumulated a stack of rejection
slips, another thing that one has to get used to as a writer).

I'm a novelist, working on my second novel. Even though I have a very
good agent, it's still a very tough row to hoe getting published
these days. 80% of first-time novels don't break even. Publishing
houses are being consolidated and taking less chances on new fiction
(you'd be way better off writing "The Low Carb Diet for your Pet" of
course, non-fiction is selling like hotcakes). This can be gloomy,
but is also part of the reality of writing. You have to love it and
do it for love to do it at all. Fame and fortune are possible, but
not likely outcomes of writing.

She might look for a local writer's group. Ours sponsors lectures,
reading, signings, conferences, how-to sessions, and critique groups.
All of these things can be great for someone entering the world of
writing. The writer's critique group I go to has been a wonderful
support and has really increased the quality of my writing. My son
started a kid's writer's group in our local homeschooling group, and
that's a great way to get together with other kids who have the
writing bug.

Blue Skies,
-Robin-