Can a Teenager write a good book?

mccardey · Aug 10, 2014

One of my personal faves: "The Young Visiters, or Mr Salteena's Plan" by Daisy Ashford aged 9. With a foreword by J.M.Barrie

Quite delicious. A really excellent thing.

JacobLoL · Aug 10, 2014

Yeah, ive researched a little and read the posts on this thread, i think i should write my first draft, and ive already got about 10,000 words in and i have to say the book looks a little 'rough' but i know i can probably fix most of it up when i edit it after i finish it. So basically im planning on writing it then rewriting it, fixing up mistakes, lack of detail or whatever needs smoothing out and then ill get some beta readers i guess and then ill probably have to edit it again. I plan to at first try to get an agent to look at it and hopefully accept it, should i hire an editor first after ive edited it or does the agent do that, i really dont have a clue..

mccardey · Aug 10, 2014

JacobLoL said:
Yeah, ive researched a little and read the posts on this thread, i think i should write my first draft, and ive already got about 10,000 words in and i have to say the book looks a little 'rough' but i know i can probably fix most of it up when i edit it after i finish it. So basically im planning on writing it then rewriting it, fixing up mistakes, lack of detail or whatever needs smoothing out and then ill get some beta readers i guess and then ill probably have to edit it again. I plan to at first try to get an agent to look at it and hopefully accept it, should i hire an editor first after ive edited it or does the agent do that, i really dont have a clue..

10,000 words is a very good start. I'd suggest you just keep on writing and see where it takes you. After that, as you said - revise it, and polish it up so it's sparkly-bright and then get some other eyes on it. I think most people do find they need a couple of drafts.

Try to save the actual beta-readers until you're terribly sure you've got it as bright as it's going to get. A beta read is a terrible thing to waste.

After that you move onto the next stage - which will probably depend on whether you want to self-pub or trade-pub.

Good luck, and welcome to AW

Ken · Aug 10, 2014

Another example: "Frankenstein."
Written by Mary Shelley at 18. Pub'd when she was 21.

Emmet Cameron · Aug 10, 2014

Maxinquaye said:
A teenager is not a child. Depending on how old you are. Sixteen or seventeen? You’re more adult than a child. I’d say this is even somewhat true if you’re fifteen. Younger, well, then you’re still developing.

I work at a day camp with a mix of teenage and adult staff. I've seen 15-year-olds outshine fully grown-ass persons in maturity and competence. I've seen 18-year-olds with poorer decision-making skills than the 10-year-olds they're in charge of. Teenagers are really all over the map, and age isn't the best predictor of performance. Not that I need to tell a teenager who presumably goes to high school and is surrounded by their so-called "peers" that. But yeah.

RevanWright · Aug 10, 2014

eyeblink said:
Catherine Webb (who writes YA under that name and adult as Kate Griffin) published her first novel at sixteen.

She also wrote The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August under the name Claire North. I absolutely loved, loved, loved that book.
Sorry, not really the place to gush. But she's an amazing writer.

Can a Teenager write a good book?

mccardey

JacobLoL

mccardey

Ken

Emmet Cameron

RevanWright

inconveniently drunk