Craziest Inspirations [September 30]

All right. What is the wackiest thing that has ever inspired you to write?

Logo Contest

Starting next week, SEPTEMBER 30th, we will begin the Innovative logo contest. There will be two weeks for you graphic artists to begin your "thang" as well as multiple detailed guidelines so that you don't waste your time. When I say, "Logo", I mean masthead font/color design as well as a graphic to go along with it; probably to be put on blog as well.

There will be a Grand Prize, as well as honorable mentions that will be posted/emailed so that everyone can see.

Mr. Perfect Paolini [Sept 23, 2007]

So... what do you think of him? And his work, of course.

Best School Book Ever! [Issue 9]

All right: what is the best book you've ever read about school? Whether it was an educational manual or a book that mentioned the "thang," what was it?

I'd have to say mine is "Queen Bees and Wannabes," the book that inspired Mean Girls.

Publication Hunter

"There's a word for a writer that never gives up... published."

J.A. Konrath, author of the Jack Daniels mysteries, said that. It's on his profile at jakonrath.blogspot.com. I found his blog through Maria Schneider (writersdigest.com/writersperspective)'s blog, as well as finding Susan Johnston's blog (theurbanmuse.blogspot.com) and through hers finding The Chick Lit Review, which I'm submitting to.

See a pattern here? I used to think there weren't enough magazines for me to write for. Now I realize I wasn't looking (I have that problem a lot.) If you want to get published, read the writing lit. Read Writer's Digest, The Writer, ByLine. Read writing blogs and sites. Look for places that publish you. I'm always on the lookout for a possible article or short story market.

Market books (like Children's Writer and Illustrator Market, organized listing of magazines) are great but never limit yourself to them. They can't contain every zine. They're also organized by genre. I love fiction and I write it a lot. But I also write nonfiction articles, and so I'm looking for markets in both areas.

If this feels really overwhelming, don't let the feeling overwhelm you :). I've worked for three years to get to the point that I read all this stuff. Cold turkey won't cook your Thanksgiving meal, so here are a few suggestions to "ease in" to being a Publication Hunter.

1. Research the Innovative Spotlighted! magazines. These do accept teen writing, which eliminates a step for you. Never submit to them without going on their website at least. I can't publish all the information on submissions in a paragraph.

2. Read www.kidmagwriters.com, and pay attention to two things in particular.
a. The Inside Markets section. Jan Fields lists different magazines every month, with news and guidelines. Normally, there are three to five listings. This is a perfect amount, because out of five probably one of them is applicable to you.
b. The authors' bios. KidMagWriters.com publishes articles by both experienced and newbie writers. Read their bios and note down where they've been published. Then Google the magazines in particular, and see if you could fit in with them. That's how I discovered Fandangle, and my short story is being published with them this month.

Whatever you do, don't give in and don't give up. There's a word for a writer that does that.

What do YOU read? [Issue 8]

So... what do you read?

A note:
I think we have some good WORDs coming up. Some topics to be discussed are:
-- Christopher Paolini and Fantasy WriTeens
--My Library, My Self
--Plagiarism and Opal Mehta

and more. Of course, this doesn't include WORDs from other writers. If you have a good idea you'd like to write, email me!

Welcome to New WriTeens!

We've had a couple people join us this week, and so I wanted to say Welcome! Obviously you're not a "New WriTeen," because you've been writing before, but it's great to have you with us. Our next issue should be released tomorrow, talking about WHY you need to read to be a good writer.

A few good things to know:
-Innovative is delivered to your inbox like a normal email. So no worries about attachments, photos, etc.
-This blog is to foster community. We don't have a lot of comments yet, but please feel free to do so! I'm on here a lot and others are coming. And it's moderated: meaning nothing gets said here that's inappropriate.
-We're small but growing. So, if you tell a friend about Innovative and they email me, you get profiled in an upcoming issue!
-There's extra information and updates posted on the site, like related articles and contest/zine reminders.
-I'm available by email if you have any questions (innovativeteen@gmail.com.)

Welcome to the WriTeen Community.

Article on Queries

I was reading the latest issue of "WOW! Women On Writing" when I came across this http://wow-womenonwriting.com/13-FE-CarolynJohnson.html . Soak up all the query info you can get! And men, don't be shy. READ.

Will You Send in a Query? [Issue 6]

Will you send in a fake/real query to me? Brave the stampeding voices of critique? LOL, you really have nothing to worry about. Please try this! It's easy, fun and will help you as a writer.

KidMagWriters.com

Check out the packed new issue at KidMagWriters.com !