Advice for Teen Writers (Should You Publish?)

What advice do I have for teen writers? I'm sharing my thoughts, as well as "next level" advice for young writers who have a steady foundation already. If you're young, or just new to writing, I hope this helps you!
The "201" portion for more experienced teen writers starts at 11:32
Craft Book Recommendations
Save the Cat Writes A Novel by Jessica Brody
On Writing by Stephen King
Story Genius by Lisa Cron
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[@AbbeeRambles]

"I didn't finish a novel until I was 29" like wow that's probably something a lot of aspiring authors need to hear from you

[@SuperHappyNotMerry]

Me at 17, writing pretentious "literary" short stories: I am a prodigy. This is the next great American novel. Me at 24, writing 80k fanfics: if at least three people comment and like this fic I will be happy.

[@Marmonery]

SuperHappyNotMerry this is so true omg I love writing fanfics but at this point I don’t even care about comments (though it’s nice to have them) I just love writing!!!

[@britneysheldon7899]

XD Thanks for this, I'm just about to turn 14, and I've been writing online for almost 3 years already, AND SOMEHOW, SOMEHOW, I am like you are/were at 24.... HOW!?!?!?!? The wired thing about all of this, is that I am getting a lot of attention and praise... This has just turned into a rant now, SORRY! If you have read this far, just think of this as 'having nothing else to do'. Anyways, thanks for you reading I was just bored and didn't want to wright anything specifically, and just wanted to rant. Thanks! -Another writer

[@ENNEARTS]

And there’s me writing pretentious literary fanfics bc I want to pretend I’m educating myself while indulging in steamy gay frick frack

[@sunsetbutterfliesandfennec1531]

😘😍

[@daniellewagner7140]

As a fifteen year old writer, I can honestly say that stressing about publishing and nitty gritty prose and other stuff is not worth it. I needed the reminder that I’m doing this for fun, not to be published ❤️❤️❤️

[@Ur_DECA_Mom]

i'm with you!!

[@Namse21]

same... Exact same.

[@feelzyfeelz]

Writing fanfiction: Hey, this is pretty decent! Writing original stories: Garbage. Actual, flaming hot, total garbage.

[@nixutree1578]

Yup I feel you.

[@dahfuck1192]

I hate fan fics too, I think it's creepy, gross and cringy.

[@nixutree1578]

@@dahfuck1192 when it's about actual people, i agree with you. But when it's not about real people, then nah

[@serenesweet673]

bruh sameeee

[@iovechester5654]

Pls this is so me. I can so easily write a fanfic and come go with one but original stories can literally suck my ass. It’s so garbage. I can never come up with it properly and when I do it feel like it’s so dumb

[@dank7351]

As a teen writer, I can confirm, that my biggest problem is having to juggle school and writing 😩 (this video helped a lot, thank you!!!)

[@AlexaDonne]

Generally, I remember barely having any time for creativity when I was in school! I think it's why I turned to fanfic b/c it was low pressure and provided that creative escape!

[@FionaA17]

I agree

[@Luxliry]

In school i would just write whenever i had the time even in the middle of the class lol 😂

[@dibyabrotachatterjee7908]

Me too!

[@skechie_edits]

Haikyuu fan aswell🌚

[@ThePrettyTomboy]

I was a teen writer surrounded by adults who constantly pressured me to finish novels and get published. I did not have nearly the amount of craft skill or gumption to do that, and it ended up putting me off writing original work for about five years. The fanfiction community really helped me regain my love for writing while also allowing me to develop my prose and sense of structure through experimentation. Now that I'm out of college and working a full-time desk job (yes kids, you're gonna need a job lmao), I have the time and energy and knowledge to focus on writing. I'm working on the third draft of a real manuscript, and I know for a fact that if I had tried to publish the work I had done as a teenager (or at 20 😱), I would have regretted it, both because it wasn't good quality writing and because I didn't understand the industry well enough and would likely have been taken advantage of by vanity publishers. And definitely don't take the vast wealth of resources available to you for granted! Even 7-10 years ago when I was your age, it was difficult to find information on the publishing industry. I didn't even know how long a novel was supposed to be. 😂

[@AlexaDonne]

Yes! I definitely feel like the landscape is so much more open now and it's easier to find info. I wonder how my writing might have gone if I'd had this info earlier? Today's young writers are super lucky, though I also think they face additional pressures to publish young b/c those resources are right there? I'm also so glad I didn't make it until older. My stuff when I was young was just so melodramatic! I cringe now.

[@grapefry]

I wish I had this video when I was 16/17, but it was still helpful for 23 year old me who started writing again two weeks ago.

[@hibak8196]

Same here!

[@grapefry]

@@hibak8196 Are you doing camp nanowrimo too?

[@RibbonVintageGirl]

Yooo same

[@cactus.3157]

Yessss I just started writing again at 20. 13 year old me needed this video

[@moraday2098]

I'm a teen writer, and sometimes I get worried that I won't get published in the future because I have this trilogy I wanna get out there, but I know if I rush it it's not gonna be what I want it to be. Plus, I want it to be enjoyable for myself to write so I know I just gotta slow down, I wanna publish before high school ends for me but the quality is first. Love the video! I really needed a reminder to just slow down with these thoughts

[@Tenwyg]

As a 21-year-old who started writing young, I can verify for all those in their early teen years that this advice is utterly on point. It's almost eerie how closely your points align with my experiences! I'm currently rewriting a book I finished when I was fifteen (the current draft is a whole new beast, I don't think a single scene remains from the original) but looking at the early drafts is amazing--the melodrama is too real. I just really liked to write my characters freaking out or having a meltdown, I guess. And oh boy the self-inserts. It's a bit of a relief that that's all somewhat normal, actually. But yes, when I was 13 I was totally annoyed that Christopher Paolini was published and yet I hadn't even managed to finish a book. What a failure, am I right? I think the urgency (and almost competitiveness?) of being a teen writer, or newer to writing, is a phase you have to grow through, and once you've made your fake covers for Wattpad and daydreamed about where you want to be published or if your should self-publish and who you'll sign your book for, you realize that if you want any of that to come true, you have to write more and write better. It's sort of like the honeymoon phase of writing, and it's important because it starts the relationship off on optimistic footing. Though of course if you have finished a book in your teens that you want to commit to, there's the whole problem of having become a better writer as you wrote the book, so then you have to rewrite the beginning, but then the beginning is better than the middle and end so you rewrite that and so on when really you should just move on to another project...oh well, it's all part of the process. Anyway, thanks for another great video! Happy writing!

[@karkatvantas9557]

As someone who started writing seriously when I was fifteen (I had ideas before then, but that was when I started work on my first novel that I still want to publish), and is now twenty, I agree with everything you said about teens who want to publish young. My writing from that time is absolutely abysmal and I can barely read it without cringing. It has the makings of a good story in there, but the finer details are just so bad. Not to mention that the characters have evolved with time and the characters in the early chapters no longer resemble what they became. When it comes to what you said about stress, personally I get stressed when I'm not writing (which is most of the time). I just feel like I'm wasting time that could otherwise be spent honing my craft or actually writing my stories. If I want this to be my life, I should be dedicating more time to it. And not in the unhealthy way that is like "I need to be writing all the time" but in the "stop procrastinating and get on with it" way.

[@abbyfleiss2882]

Honestly, I'm thirteen and I'm writing a full length novel (I'm about 60,000 words in) and I worry about publishing so much. It's really hard not too. If I had a choice, I wouldn't but my mind does it's own thing. This was a good reminder and helped me to realize certain things. Thank you

[@nanab.1738]

This was incredibly helpful! I'm 17 and I often find myself putting unbearable pressure on myself to write everything perfectly and finish a long story, but I should really take it easy. I think I'm gonna stick with fanfiction for a little longer, and see where this gets me. Now I just need to get rid of the depression and I'll be ready lmao. Thank you as always for these amazing videos!

[@katym8874]

As a teen writer I find this video very helpful! I tend to get ahead of myself and think I can publish at 18, forgetting I need to let my skills grow and also live life haha. Thank you for all the advice, I'll take it to heart

[@rajasaurus3229]

I am literally 13 and have just finished my debut novel.

[@olivianoack8200]

Thank you so much for this video. I'm seventeen and just finished my sixth book and I'm finally starting to feel like what I'm writing is at least half decent. Right now, I want to learn more about craft, story structure and editing. Also, the reminder to not view publishing as a race was so helpful

[@AlexaDonne]

Oh, wow, 6 books?! I'm seriously impressed. And, yes, sounds like you're right at that next level stage!

[@coziigurl]

I'm 20 trying to finish a first novel and I've been binging your videos nonstop. Edit: I've self published a book of poetry on Amazon it's under this name☝🏾 if anyone is interested

[@uedafan13]

Im 21 and sameeeee

[@lunathedog6489]

What is the name? I looked for your book on Amazon but can’t find it! I searched “Carlly O poetry book” lol

[@coziigurl]

@@lunathedog6489 while I'm young, thank you

[@dylantd9189]

Also, it's so weird, I'm literally at university studying communications/marketing/journalism but my passion has always been creative writing. So everything you say rings to me in so many ways.

[@AlexaDonne]

I was a journalism major! We have a lot in common :)

[@natasham4184]

I'm very late to this party, but I'm currently a journalism student feeling a separate yearning to write fiction 😂

[@emmah.9421]

“Don’t worry about perfection.” Perfectionist me: 😮

[@cactus.3157]

Thank you :) I was a teen writer on wattpad for many years (12-16) and quit because of mental health issues. I came back at 19 (now 20) and I was so worried about being behind.

[@wolfinsheepsclothing1510]

I've been writing stories for about 10 years now (I recently turned 18). Lately I've been feeling that level up, and I've been considering publishing even (especially my friends are supporting it). This video helped out a ton, especially because I don't want to overestimate myself and my writing skills. Definitely got me to think more patiently. I'm just going to keep the usual writing going, and maybe I can pull out my stories from the trunk later on in life if I want to. But I'm totally going to try to finish a novel for fun 😛

[@marianaemily7128]

I am a teen writer! This video is here to save my life! Love u so much!!!

[@theatheistpaladin]

This works for me because I never grew up.

[@muffin_pat_axolotl_8368]

As a teen writer, my worst problem is mental health. Often what happens is I desperately want to write, but I just can't.

[@4rs0n1sm]

I'm 14 and I have decided to not care about finishing? Like, yeah, I try to finish stuff (*cough* my freakin venom fic that i have to update) but i try to write what I feel like to keep writing? It works for me oof

[@AlexaDonne]

Yes! That's exactly what I advise. Don't put too much pressure on yourself. Write what you want and however works for you!

[@kdnxnhdhdbfn2769]

I like to read English classics ( am German) : I am gonna write an English classic 💪🏻

[@malcolmubesio8523]

Go for it

[@ayanaa8810]

I'm 15, and I'm writing my first original work and I've been writing fanfic since I was 12. I like to think I'm an okay writer but I do want other people to see my work. I think I'm going to disregard the "put it in the trunk" advice because I don't think that will work for me. But thank you for this video, you've really helped me a lot during this whole process 💖

[@cinthiagoch]

LOL! This video is so on point! I developed my writing when I was a teen precisely with fanfic and poetry. It was so much fun! Writing is still fun, but my goals make me overthink a lot of things before I'm satisfied with the result.

[@baamnight6878]

Kinda not related to the video, but have your very thought about doing an audio book? Like you be the one reading it? There's something like clarity or I'm not sure what, but something there in your voice.

[@AlexaDonne]

Awww, thank you! I haven't thought of it, but if I had the opportunity it would definitely be fun!

[@rensketenveen]

The advice you give, Alexa, is so spot on. When I was still a younger teenager, I am twenty years old now, I fell into so many holes (being a perfectionist, wanting to write so I could be published, melodramatic, etc.), and therefore I just quit writing when I was 15. I felt like I was writing for someone else, rather than for my own enjoyment. I have picked it up since I enrolled in university and now currently working on something I wouldn't nessecarily call a manuscript, but it is a nice story (and my mum likes it!). I would still like to publish a manuscript, but I feel like it will probably take some years for it to be mature. One guy in my high school class is a perfect example of someone who perhaps needed this advice. I learnt something about publishing as a teen through his experience with it. Aged 18, he self-published a novel consisting of his memoirs (I know) and a few shorties via a local publisher, while having worked on it for a year and a bit. It was his very first work and he immediately rushed into publication when he finished it. I have seen his work, and he has a very well-developed voice for a so-called "newbie writer" and definitely has talent for divertessement, but he really rushed into being published. He had no idea of how the market works and his book, although he hoped to get nation-wide recognition (I know), never got further than friends, family and everyone else who knew him. ps. I hate melodrama. Used to do it so much as a teen, but I completely avoid it now.

[@nixutree1578]

Alexa, thank you thank you THANK YOU for making this video! I am a teenage writer who honestly for the past year got way too caught up in what the industry wants and if I'll get published etc and I also write fanfic on Wattpad and Ao3 but felt so guilty about writing fanfic because it wasn't my "original work" or what was going to be my debut novel. Now thanks to this, I felt a huge weight drop off my shoulders. I have finished my first draft already for an original work but I'm not going to care now about if it's publishable or not because well... I'm 15 only and don't want to rush into anything (and it's probably very dramatic and all that) so thank you again it felt so great to hear this sort of conformation from an author!

[@swaralideshmukh6001]

I-- I'm 15 and I've been thinking about publishing for so long. And this video was sort of sad for me, because I don't know if I'm truly writing that melodramatic stuff, but I've been seeing so many videos on writing and using them and all of that. And I want to believe that I'm one of the exceptions because I've been doing all of the second level stuff after completing one 50K novel, but I haven't gone through a lot of those phases and besides, I know it's a one in a million chance. So I guess I'll just keep writing and keep trying. Thanks for the advice!

[@TheSolarSystemx]

I've loved writing stories and coming up with little adventures for as long as I can remember, my mom says since I was in kindergarten I was writing anything I came up with. It was and still is my passion, I'm 16 and I just can't wait to see where I go with it. Writing a novel that I'm truly proud of is my dream and I've started writing one with my friend for fun, and I want to do as best as I can so I started looking at videos that talk about specific aspects of stories, which is how I found this channel and it's helped me so much already. So thank you! : )

[@StoriaFilms]

i probably did not read a 100 books yet, but i am trying to write a serious thing lately , i only today got the plot organized in my head ,i didn't know how i should connect them before cuz i was going to make a collection of long stories out of them ,i wrote these long stories over the period of three years and now i decided i will include them in one novel with the newer one, i only started this writing reading thing 3 years ago , i was always good at writing - at school - but i did not interact with this , and since i watched much stuff in my childhood till i am adult i tend to write in a cinematic way plus i do many things like making videos , short movies and photography and even making it harder for my self with learning other stuff and writing and studying and working , i really loved this video even tho i am 23 years old i feel late somehow but i know it not the case .i really enjoy writing and i know gotta read more in the language i write with and i gotta focus on fewer things , anyway i wrote too much unnecessary stuff xd thanks alexa ^^ btw u look like my sister xd

[@aquariotutu]

I'm 23 after posting fanfic as a teen and stop writing on college years... I've been struggling with different novel ideas that just don't flow and when you said that you came back to writing by this age... Really, thank you 💖 Your videos are my inspiration to write and finally finish a novel

[@dylantd9189]

I've written various short stories, first acts, large summaries etc, and now I'm almost 20. My plan is to start (and finish) a novel by the end of the year. I know it won't be publishing worth quality, but I've been writing for 8 years, and I have large quantities of work, but no full length novel. I feel like, no matter how much quantity of work I have, I can't move on until I actually finish a "practice" novel.

[@aboycalledfish]

When I was a teenager, I really wanted to write but there was just something in me that didn't know how to start, or persevere, or finish anything really. With almost a decade more of life experience, I worked on those skills through other creative pursuits, and now I've come back to writing and I am just blown away at what I've managed to accomplish. I just feel like the last decade of my life was totally worth it because I'm almost finished writing the first draft of my very first book at the age of 26 :D

[@karimrahme3234]

I started writing two months ago, immediately started to write a novel which I had an idea for and just posted some chapters on reddit and got critique from it, analyzed the kingskiller chronicles to improve my prose and joined a writing discord. My writing has improved a lot and two weeks ago I had finished my first draft, and I am currently rewriting it into first person, before that it had been third person omniscient. Also, I try to use all the advice I have scooped up in extensive research. Currently, 20k in the rewrite, wish me luck for the process lads

[@Marmonery]

I think you should rename this vid to ‘guide for new writers’ because I’m new to writing and I’m past my teens but everything you said I needed to hear haha!

[@Faerieshimmer]

Marmonery I’m 32 I feel old :/ I should have kept it up years ago

[@Marmonery]

Faerieshimmer hahaha, I’m 26 so I’m right up there with you and I’m still writing fanfic because it’s fun and a great destresser. So... I don’t think age really matters haha. Just do what you love and fight through that writers block when it comes. I’m new to the writing and there’s a lot of things that I don’t know how to do properly and I feel fanfiction is a great motivator to write. Who doesn’t like writing about their favorite characters? Now I’m trying to justify myself haha. Sorry for the ramble post.

[@ravendangernavy3575]

This is exactly what I needed!

[@zarastumberger2553]

I am teen writer (14 years old) and i am writing a novel.. I know it won't be good enought to sale but i love this story so i will write it til the end

[@sarahschmitt9455]

You’ll get there! Just keep writing books, finding your voice, and don’t worry about the time. Just write and write stuff you love :)

[@swanlake694]

I've been writing fanfiction for a while, and I do agree that its a really good exercise. You can write and get better at writing without any pressure to actually be that good.

[@RibbonVintageGirl]

Ngl since I was in high school, my book interests range from nonfiction autobiographies about politicians to Quebec literature under their "Dark Age" era to Japanese mangas. I was assigned contemporary modern fictions and they didn't click with me. It's always books relating to the theme of feeling hopeless and suffocated and the need to break free and polarizing figures that really struck with me that looking back at my old short stories, I somehow see a theme forming within my works. It's always about young men and women with supernatural abilities still struggling to fit in within their social circles only for them to just go "fuck it" and going against norms. Or themes about loss and hopelessness and dealing with grief where the characters either can never recover or they lift themselves up with the help of others. They have elements of my life experiences of having a borderline abusive dad and losing a lot of family members. Getting them published is already good enough for me because coming from a culture where You cannot openly express Your grief and mental health, it's like I can finally talk it out and has a voice. Yeah, I just want to share this out there.

[@athenaparthenos9092]

This is really helpful for me. Thank you so much Alexa!

[@6ix6locc19]

I’m a 13 year old writer and I think my biggest problem is using the right words in my wattpad book and sometimes doesn’t make since if I get my friends to read over🙇🏽‍♀️

[@SydneyFaithAuthor]

Really fantastic advice! I self-published at 17 and there are certainly things I would change now! So glad that teen writers now have experienced authortubers like you to give them all this much needed advice and encouragement ❤

[@zukorasmeni4746]

I absolutely love your videos! I’m 18 and I started seriously writing my fist novel for nano (I have five other projects that I’ve been been outlining and developing). I’ve got to say that the writing process is exhilarating and it’s my first time pantsing!

[@laszlob1294]

I am not a teenager but young at heart. For me writing is a way to escape from the drudgery of a corporate 9-17. I think all what you say, Alexa, can be applied to anyone at any age. There are two things I would add, though. Live your life to the fullest and do crazy things to spice up your life (bad decisions make great stories) AND write short stories, even flash fiction. I started with writing flash fiction and I learned to be succinct. Except when I comment youtube videos.

[@bluon259]

Every day I have to wake up at 5 am, so I’m taking that time to write on the bus for an hour and thirty minutes, and on the way back. It’s extremely tiring, but I know I’m getting better.

[@bryannaharnold3292]

I'm a teen writer and I've had writers block for the past few months, before coming to this video I finally finished a chapter of a book I have been working on for almost a year. After watching this video I felt so inspired and I cannot stop writing! Thank you so much!

[@thea.m.w]

I've been writing poetry on and off for a few years and I read a ton and I'd like to become a writer and I do some writer but I'm already 15 and although I think I have some skills I fear it's too late for me to start. I always strive for perfection because anything I'd write in the past was just not good enough or not super interesting to me, and usually collabs with other young writers online, so it never worked out. I'm hoping to learn a lot from your videos and it's gonna be my goal to start writing every day

[@lizmorin6390]

I was so excited to self publish my first book and now I’m mortified by it

[@nyx1676]

I'm only 15 atm and I really wanna improve my writing due to love of story telling from a young age THE POINT THAT THE BOOKS YOU READ IN SCHOOL CAN KILL YOUR LOVE FOR WRITING/READING IS SO TRUE IT HURTS

[@mangochickennugget774]

I was having problems getting back to writing and finding your videos finally made me stop procrastinating!!! Thank you so much!!!

[@sophieedens9928]

As someone who just got out of college, I really needed your advice. And thank you so much for making this video; I hope other young readers can see this video too and take away something that will set their minds at ease.

[@mikatokai3423]

I guess I'm no longer a new writer, but this video certainly applies to my sister, so I'll have to show it to her.

[@aestover91]

Thank you so much for making this! I sent this out to my students right before our summer break, and the number of positive and encouraging responses I got back was wonderful to see. You're inspiring so many young and old writers, and many more in between, and I hope you never stop being passionate about being a mentor in the authortube/writing community

[@sc8047]

"Writing is a muscle that you have to work and exercise a lot before you get good at it." THAT is SO SO important to understand on a real and deeper level, but it's true, and you WILL get good if you "just write" and the moment you realize you're getting good.... Wow. Goosebumps! :)

[@missmermade9331]

Thank you so much for sharing your experience! I'm currently in uni and where I live it takes you 6 years to get a degree! I am always so frustrated because I have so little time for my personal writing and I don't see results and that makes me unhappy in general. I hope it will go by faster than currently...

[@abbym4682]

i knowwwwwww Alexa said not to publish... BUUUUUUT i’ve been writing since i was a kid (i’m a junior now, so 16 years old) and with college admissions just around the corner, i’ve thrown my queen alexa’s advice to the wind and i’m 24k words into a novel that i’m planning to... self-publish on KDP before November 😫 every authortube cautions against this but i really think i’m the exception to the rule! i might (probably will) regret it in the future, but i feel like a whole novel will be something interesting on a resume and it’s a very fun pastime for me, not a chore. advice anyone?

[@lemonmania967]

Abby M Hey, I’m a junior too (17) and i’ve been writing for like fourteen years. I felt really pressured to publish before college apps too bc I actually “finished” my whole novel. I wanted to rush it and try to self publish or something to have a “garnish” on my college resume but that’s really not what’s good for me as a WRITER. i wouldn’t want to put out something or rush the process and break what I’ve spent LITERALLY my entire life working on just for a college app you know? Just as Alexa said, the fact that you’ve written a novel at all, regardless of whether it’s published or not, is impressive, and in the grand scheme of things, I feel like the college app stuff isn’t gonna matter that much but rushing your first publication WILL and you’ll regret it later. So i’ve been in the EXACT SAME SPOT AS YOU and i haven’t seen the outcome yet but i think that no you shouldn’t force publish it just to look cool for college :)

[@AlexaDonne]

Ok I understand the impulse! But remember, I worked in college admissions consulting too... anyone can self publish a novel, and thus it's not as impressive as you think. In fact, if what you've published looks amateurish, it will count against you. (though if it doesn't look amateurish... then worth a shot, but I still advise against) The thing is, in college admissions nowadays for elite schools, you have to be truly extraordinary to stand out (sorry for the pressure!). Being traditionally published as a teen might get you into an Ivy League or top 40 school... but self-publishing just isn't the same. Sorry for that real talk :( But you can still discuss that you're passionate about writing and have completed a novel. Honestly you'll come across as more mature/accomplished if you say you've completed a novel and are revising it so you can query agents.

[@capricioushelen]

I would definitely think very hard and be 100% sure before you do this. First of all, I don't know how impressive the whole self-publishing thing will actually look on a resume. Self-publishing is super accessible, which is awesome! However, it also means that literally anyone can self-publish a novel. You could post a 200-page keyboard smash to KDP if you wanted. Self-publishing still has a lot of negative connotations and many people (wrongly) still see it as an inferior option, especially people who aren't immersed in the publishing world. It probably won't be a huge selling point on a resume to be completely honest. I'd absolutely mention that you wrote a novel because I think that sounds great, it shows you have commitment and a great work ethic to stick with something like that, but I would strongly advise against publishing at this stage, especially in such a short time frame. In the space of a few months, it's highly unlikely you'll have enough time to finish and revise that book to the standard it deserves. I'm 22 and have been writing basically since I could hold a pen, and I know for a fact that if I had published anything I'd written at 16 I would be MORTIFIED. If I published anything I wrote even a YEAR ago, I would still be mortified. I'm still growing, and especially in your teen years your writing will be improving massively all the time. There's a strong possibility that in a few years time, you may think that the stuff you're writing now is super cringey (which I'm sure it isn't, but we all look back and judge our past selves one way or another.) I understand the impulse, I really do, but this is something I think you need to be 100% sure about because like Alexa said, this isn't something you can take back. If you really want to go for it, maybe consider using a pen name! That way, if you do end up regretting it later it isn't tied to you - if anybody googles you a few years down the line, they won't find your old novel that you might not want people to see.

[@abbym4682]

thank u all sm for the advice! definitely things to consider- i just worry that saying i have written a novel doesn’t hold as much weight as one that you can buy online- but i’ll keep on my research

[@AlexaDonne]

@@lemonmania967 Hmmmm this has given me the idea that maybe I should do a live stream Q&A to help my hs-aged viewers with college app prep? It's something I could totally do this summer!

[@personified3500]

I started officially writing by way of fanfic when I was 14. Now I'm 20 and still obsessed with fanfic

[@genevievewillett9633]

I'm 17. I've been writing since kinderharten but really the last two years has been me really developing my prose. I'm in the process of taking my third college English class and it's really helped with my development of prose and learning how to incorporate more thematic elements. Anyways, as of this week I entered into a competition and am now publishing my first novel in 6 months!

[@timezoneyk]

Thank you so much for helping me out. I'm always going to remember that you made me realize that I'm probably ready to take the risk. ❤️❤️❤️

[@Emma-oo5ok]

My first kinda long story is when i was 9 and in 3rd grade when i wrote a book about this kid who could talk to animals and was about 30k ish words (i was really proud of that as a nine year old), and now im 11 and writing my first actual novel.

[@mmvaddict1765]

As a teen writer, I understand what you mean. Even if I look at my drafts (they all weren’t completed) from two years ago, I cannot believe I wrote that. But I still have something that I want to point out : little time can be enough for a lot of changes, especially in writing. If you read many, many, many books (mostly in the genders and categories you are writing in for optimum improvement) watch the KZbin content of writers AND readers (you can learn so much from hearing what they like and don’t like, seriously !) and write as much as you can, YOU WILL SEE THAT YOUR WRITING BECOME WAY BETTER that... well, way. And yeah, editing is amazingly helpful. I recently gained the habit of writing everyday, at least 2000 words/day (because I am a pantser who loves productivity), and it made me achieve two drafts of 100 000 each in three months in a half. The pacing is okay, but the editing is what makes a book... what it is. Never neglect this part, even when you think you did great, because you can learn a lot even from yourself.

[@follozetesting6455]

I'm 17 years old, and I want to take it to the next level, and this video was really helpful! Thank you!

[@daniellepower9532]

Hey! I'm teen writer and this video has helped me so much! I'm hoping to publish something in the future and all your points have rethink everything and calm down. I was, as you said, seeing this as a race and now I know it's OK to take a break before coming back 😄. A quick question though, if I was to look into getting critique partners, are there any websites or the like you would recommend? I'm not sure where to start 😅.

[@AlexaDonne]

I have a video on CPs that might help (search on my channel) which has some resources in the description box, but the trick is the best resources are constantly changing! In fact, I saw a link to a resource recently and now I am completely blanking on where it was... might have been on the latest Novel Tea Show? Sorry, I know that's not helpful! But I did just check and looks like #CPMatch on Twitter is happening April 27! twitter.com/Megan_Lally/status/1117154301346926592

[@daniellepower9532]

Thank you so much!

[@itsrose129]

I think as someone who writes fanfics and is now currently working on writing an original novel is the fact that I hyper fix on how many words I need to have per scene, and per chapter. I am slowly trying to let that fear go and just writing

[@simeongeewah]

I'm actually in #AMM (R5, yay!) and one of my personal goals is scaling back the level of self-insertion I have in the novel haha. Your suggestion on what to do is really helpful! (I would love more advice on how to approach this!)

[@gnarthdarkanen7464]

Great video! About the best advice given to me in teen years regarding ANY career came from my Auto-tech Teacher. He pointed out that as technology progresses, we can expect to live longer and longer, and that accounts (or should account) for our careers of choice. Right now, most of us can expect around 70 or 80 years of reasonable health... That means you choose a career and you can expect it to linger in the "lather-rinse-repeat" stages from 20-ish ALL THE WAY THROUGH. Maybe not exactly repeat, repeat, and REpeat... BUT some tertiary positions will continue to bring you right back to "your roots". Do well, and you can expect even in retirement to be KNOWN for whatever that is. Be careful how early you DIVE right into the slings and arrows of adulthood. Take the time to enjoy your life in the "right now" mode. DO the things you want to do, and GO SEE the things you want to go and see, ALL while you're still young enough and have the energy to enjoy them. The career's going to be there, ready to suck the soul and life right out of you for 40 to 60 f***ing years of it! There's NO HARM nor hassle in taking YOUR OWN sweet lovable time. Worry right now about growing... and remember that once you're "all grown up" there's only growing old, growing miserable, and dying left to do. ;o)

[@bic.550]

Whenever I have to read other's stories in class, I cringe a little, but I read it anyways, and give them constructive criticism, because it's nice to do so and improve my own writing along the way.

[@rachel9349]

Wait?! I finished my first book in April. I'm 17 and I'm ahead of the game!? I thought I should have several books done by this age??

[@Agentmg17]

Have you thought of making a video of books you think would be great for teen writers to read?

[@rewie1085]

Her: as a teen don't self publish Me: Don't worry my Wattpad username isnt my name lol

[@user-oq9uz8ed1q]

Lmao same😂

[@brandongrey9240]

When I first got deeply into writing my first work was a whole damn book lol I even tried publishing it and everything

[@jessicaevans905]

I'm 16 and currently writing a book on Wattpadd.. My goal is to publish the same book in 2-3 years.

[@meghanbraun8709]

This was so helpful, per usual. I love your videos. Thank you for your immensely great advice(every time)!

[@charlotteperry6747]

This was really helpful. As a teen, I admit I was subconsciously acting like it was exactly a race. But it isn't. It just takes time and I'm also far too critical of myself, which I definitely think hurt me artistically.

[@missymalika5games645]

I’m 17 and I always get compliments and good feedback about my writing. They say I’m very descriptive and I have interesting storylines but I know that I can and will do better. I write for fun, publishing would be nice but I’m not in a rush to do so. It’s definitely a dream, I’ve wanted to have a published book since I was seven years old so that is definitely a goal that I’ll move towards as I grow up and learn. I’m excited for critiques so I can grow. Until then I will continue to watch videos like yours which tell me “how it is” and seek out what I believe makes a good writer (ex: wide vocabulary, varying sentence structure, ect). 😁💕 Thank you for your videos!

[@marduchok]

Dang Alexa, you're an amazing speaker, I feel so inspired after watching your videos. Thank you

[@xbinabayax]

Your advice always hits the nail, and I always feel less alone afterwards so thank you yet again, Alexa!

[@tiad2739]

I'm 15 and I wanna start writing bc I've always loved writing! But idk if I'd be able to go through the book writing process! Tbh I'd publish on wattpad

[@rainbowsalt4568]

I spoke clear, full sentences at three years old. The first time I wrote was six. I am now thirteen, and I have always had a knack for grammar and fluent writing. It is my dream to be a published teen author, but I doubt myself. This video was very helpful! Thank you for making it!

[@sitasapra8210]

The issue with me is I get lost in the bookshelve and do not pay attention the creator of the vid😂

[@strawberri2425]

Honestly, she said not to do everything that I am doing right now. But actually, I like writing as my job. I write on Saturdays and have fun.

[@malaika.watches]

I’m a teen writer and I know a lot of writers, which is great because I get amazing advice, but also sucks sometimes because I’m always getting told I should publish immediately. I was put off writing for a while because I didn’t want to get to the point where I could publish and then fail. This video totally helped me, as I’ve just started writing again, thanks so much for the advice and for the reminder that I don’t have to be a published prodigy but rather just have fun

[@sniper.93c14]

I set myself a massive goal for writing and at 11 I started work on my first book set in the sci-do universe I have been creating. Over five years on now I have written 3 20k word books that I decided weren’t good enough the original goal was for them to be 80k word count. I have recently switched to a completely reimagined plot with revamping my characters basically bc I have gotten a lot better at writing since I started my books and am now putting more care into my plots and characters and I’m happy with what is my current project which I have now finally got that 20k word mark and am still happy continuing it I’ll probably finish up at around 100k and then redraft it before I plan to publish it within the next 5-10 years after which if it works out I’ll do my best to continue the series. Writing sci-fi is harder than I had imagined at 11. Your videos have helped me a lot of the last year and a bit when I first found them as well as other content creators on KZbin. School is rather busy now so each year I’m honeslty pushing to write 40k if I am diligent, but this year my habits have improved.

[@zoomzoom103]

As a teen writer that is just now starting to get back into writing this was very helpful. I used to write constant stories and fanfiction when I was 11-15 but now I do catch myself making excuses for not finishing projects that I really like because I want it to be perfect (well, maybe not perfect but at least pretty good), when really I need to stop overthinking and obsessively editing, and instead just write. :)

[@AGawesome8]

This was SO helpful. I have unfortunately grown into being extremely critical of my writing, especially as I finish high school and plan for university. The pressures of assignment writing follow me into the creative space. Committing to daily journaling has helped as I can freely jot down all of my thoughts and ideas without barriers, but it is still a troublesome task getting out of the doubtful loop. Thank you for the reminder that it needs to be FUN!

[@chiaramartelli5145]

When I was in high school, my fantasy trilogy got published (in italian, my native language). The first book came out when I was 14, which means that I later regretted what I'd written. However, it was great practice: I learned and grew so much as a writer and my improvement is visible throughout the series. The best way to learn is really by writing. Now, at 20, I'm going to try my luck with getting my novel published (in english, this time). Thanks for your video, as always, I loved it!

[@yamiletbruno2031]

Academic reading and writing absolutely murdered my will and love for both. I refused to write for YEARS because I was convinced I hated it. Nope I just hated writing essays. I got bored of books and refused to pick one up until I got back into fanfics. I wish I would’ve never stopped reading and writing since my skill levels have stagnated but I’m glad im atleast trying to find love in it again :)

[@imadrawer9721]

THANK YOU, thank you, thank you!!!! I really appreciate this info :D I still wanna publish soon but I’m definitely gonna take all this advice

[@brianna0510]

Hi! I'm around 12-14 and I've been writing since I was about 5, almost all my finished books I felt weren't good enough, but later on, I read over them and I wondered why I disliked them, (Sure when I was 5 I made a few spelling mistakes, but honestly I was more impressive because I could spell better than most adults at that time.) But I never published them because later on, I deleted them. So far I know I've written less than 20 books, 9 being novels. I never wanted to really publish until my family started struggling financially, which was when I started getting more into writing. I'm writing a book I find true interest in writing, doing a ton of research just for it, and when I publish it I'm hoping I can help my family with their financial struggles. I've talked to many people about it, and most of the time they think it's because of my family's struggles, but I've always loved writing, it's just now that I'm working as hard to publish something because of my family. I love my mom very much and she means the world to me, and I'm grateful for every sacrifice she makes. I don't know why I'm writing this, but honestly sharing my experience and struggles makes me feel a lot better, especially because of how people like to pick at me just because of it. Thank you to anyone who reads this, I hope you all have an amazing day/night, wherever you are! ❤

[@espy77]

Thank you so much for this. I feel a lot better now because I was stressing so much about making my writing perfect, but now I realize that I should just have fun with it and write it without trying to make it a perfect work. Thanks again.

[@Johannah_Wren]

As a teen author who is almost done with the zero draft of my second novel, this definitely the encouragement I needed. I've heard Alexa say 'your first novel is gonna suck'. She's not wrong, but the achievement was exactly what I needed to spur myself on. Do you guys have any ideas on how to get beta readers outside of friends and family? Such as platforms? Also, if any of you are working on a novel or just working on the 'foundation', KEEP GOING! IT'S SO WORTH IT IF YOU LOVE IT! I'M SO PROUD OF YOU!

[@_noctivagus_]

I'm 19 and thought I'd have a book by now, but I trashed my original idea because it was underdeveloped from me rushing to be published at 18.

[@leahshaw7236]

I'm only 15 yet writing is my passion! I've always wrote short stories as a kid and slowly I've been working on along book the start to a series I have planned. I've always wrote fanfics yet never posted but I think I will now!

[@mccaidpaul7602]

I’m a Teen Author, but this is still so extremely helpful and eye-opening! I find that I sometimes will try to write for others, without writing for myself. I self-publish, but would love to branch out and traditionally publish one day, once I “work that muscle”. Thanks for the advice!

[@pianoismyeverything]

I promise you I will do better , This is something that I love and I will never abandoned it ...I would put in the work .

[@shooting-the-stars3379]

This is true....writing brings a lot of joy and when I started, I think there was something that woke inside of me, a part of myself that just waited to come out. I'm currently writing a fantasy book that I started when I was 15 and now I'm 18 😅😂. I gave up at one time because I was so overloaded with school. And then one day when I was looking at my old diaries and find my first draft... I said to myself let's try again. This time I'm more confident about it. And I got lot of drafts chapters and small chapters😂😂 And now with all your good advices I'm sure my writing will get better 😊

[@michaylalovitt9152]

I feel really lucky as a young adult, having gotten in to writing as a teen, that I was able to go through the "I am the best writer literally ever!" phase when I was in middle school. But holy crap I remember how garbage it made me feel when the people I looked up to criticized my work like I was supposed to be writing the next New York Times best seller. Knowing how much that hurt me as a teen, I just hope I can use those experiences for my benefit. I think it is the responsibility of authortubers and writing mentors to take in to mind the influence we can have on the young and/or amateur writers we come in to contact with. Because the things we say and do can impact a new or young writer to become disheartened and give up on writing completely. And honestly, I don't think it is 100% about how good you are or successful you are as a writer, if you have influence over any writer, it is important to remember how your well-intended critique can come off and impact the person on the receiving end.