3 questions

[Flawed Creation]

hi! i'm a newbie writer; (i consider myself much better than you typical newb, but then so do they all, i'm sure)

i am 14, have no formal writing training, nothing so much as an english class in shcool.

in fact, i've never been to school, having been homeschooled all my life. i grew up reading books all day long, and i've decided to try my hand at this.

i am not too worried about this, becaus ein general ifeel that formal training isn't as important as people tend to think it is. still, is there anything in articular i need to elanr/do/read? i've been wokring on a novel for several months; a fantasy tragedy (mostly; i still think the end is happy but no on else understands why.) about peoples acceptance and rejection of the roles they are assigned.

secondly; i am told that experience as an editor or agent is very helpful. i obviously can't become an agent just now, but is there any chance of getting a job of some sort with a publisher? pay is optional, i'd be happy to volunterr. maybe they could use someone to read their slush pile? are there rules about authors readind other author's submissions?

i live in rural new england, so it could be hard to find. a nearby town has some publishers of historical stuff though; that's all i've found really nearby.

finally, there are no writing groups in my town, so i decided to start a writing group at my local library; any advice on how to get started?

thanks everyone, Flawed Creation

[aka eraser]

Flawed, if you could spell you'd be scary. ;)

I've read a few of your posts and you're obviously intelligent, have an impressive grasp of the language for your age and I have little doubt you'll be fine writer one day. Probably soon.

I don't think you can get a job as a reader or editorial assistant. What you can do is read - read a whole lot. Read within and outside of your chosen genre. There's a ton of information available online regarding every aspect of writing. You might consider starting with the FAQs thread further (farther? you never do learn it all) down this board. There are helpful websites listed as well as other good tips for the beginner.

Since you're in the boonies it might be difficult to form a writers' group. Asking around at your local library would be a good start. Perhaps they'd let you post a flyer.

Again, there are lots of online writing groups catering to folks in every stage of their writing career. Do a search on Google for "writing group" or from EZBoard's home page.

Reading past threads and keeping your eyes and ears open around here will help too. There are a lot of brains worth picking on this site.

Welcome and good luck.

[mammamaia]

aka eraser is right on target with everything... best bit of all is that the best way to learn how to write well, is to READ voraciously...

in re the value of formal education, nailing down grammar, spelling, and punctuation is vital... if you don't master those basics, you won't have much [if any] chance to see your work in print...

you can join a writing group online, no matter where you live, so you googling for one you feel 'fits' you is a good idea...

if you ever want specific one-on-one help with anything, feel free to contact me... many of my mentees are young folks...

love and hugs, maia

[Sailor Kenshin]

Hi, there!

If you have a local newspaper, it wouldn't hurt at all to beg them for some kind of internship. Even if you only sweep floors, you'll be in the company of writers and you can talk to them whenever they have a moment.

Who knows? One of them might take you under her wing. I hear tell Stephen King started that way.

[Flawed Creation]

Thanks! incidentally, I CAN spell, and in fact I won a spelling bee for local homeschoolers the last two years, taking 3rd and 4th place in the multi-school bee held by my local paper.

I also know grammar pretty well. Not all the formal terms, though some of them. i can tell a participle form a predicate, understand definite and indefinite articles, speak grammatically at all times, etc. i don't know ALL the terms, but i have proofread stuff for my friends, and learned a lto fo grammar while studying Latin.

however, when posting on message boards i have a bad habit of spelling poorly. this is mainly because i don't type very well, and often forget to go back and fix typos. my writing is spelled flawlessly.

(re-reading that, it sounds really obnoxious, defensive, and arrogant. it wasn't intended as any of those, though I AM a bit lacking in modesty.)

thanks for the advice. i will talk to my local newspaper.

[Flawed Creation]

About the writing group: I have talked to my library, and they say I can use one of their meeting rooms for the writing group. I got a copy of the contract with the terms of use, and am working on setting a time. They also let me put up flyers. (Incidentally, I'm not exactly in the boonies. I don't know what I was thinking when I wrote my first post, [I was REALLY tired] but I live in the suburbs, not "rural" area.)

Anyways, the setting up of the group is under control.

What I'm worried about is actually running the group. I'm going to investiagte some of the other writing groups in neighboring towns, recommended by the reference librarian, but I'm in need of advice as to what a writing group should actually DO. I was planning on sharing manuscripts for criticism, and answering each others questions/offering advice on things which poeple are stuck on.

How long do groups usually meet for, and what else do I need to do?

[Sailor Kenshin]

but I live in the suburbs, not "rural" area.)

Burbs, boonies, what's the dif.

but I'm in need of advice as to what a writing group should actually DO. I was planning on sharing manuscripts for criticism, and answering each others questions/offering advice on things which poeple are stuck on.

How long do groups usually meet for, and what else do I need to do?

Your plan sounds good. (I'm a writing group vet). As for how long you meet, a lot has to do with whether you find congenial people to meet with, and what everyone's schedules look like.

If writing's really a priority, they'll make time.

Let us know how your group is coming along!

[Tish Davidson]

Flawed

If you want to e-mail me at davidson@att.net I will send you the guidelines that the writing group I belong to uses.
TD

[Maryn]

I imagine lots of us are in critique or writing groups. Maybe someone could start a new thread in which we share the way our own group formed and how it operates.

Maryn, whose group recently split in two and is still bleeding

[Sailor Kenshin]

Maryn, whose group recently split in two and is still bleeding

I felt that! Mine, too....

[Fern]

Quote:

"Burbs, boonies, what's the dif."


Thanks for my smile of the day Sailor! In my neck of the woods, boonies are where one might live a mile from their closest neighbor, gravel roads, sometimes impassable after a heavy rain. When you live in the boonies, you think nothing of driving several miles to the nearest "town", population in the vicinity of 100 to 500, which consists of a post office, gas station and maybe a cafe'. Real town would be 6500 people or so at the end of a 25 mile drive. To boonie dwellers, burbs are town.