Tag Archives: creative writing

Sites That Make Writing Social

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photo by flickr user thislyrelark

Reading books is one thing, but writing them is a whole other thing. I think one of the biggest problems that would-be writers face is that writing can be a lonely business, and it’s not just the hours spent writing, but also for young writers, the lack of a fan base. While it’s always important to write for yourself, having readers that can give you feedback and keep you going when working on a long project can make a world of difference. Thanks to the Internet, it is easier than ever to start gathering this fan base.  Websites like Wattpad and Figment and even deviantART are all great for young writers who want to get their work out there.

Each of the websites I mentioned have pros and cons, and they can all be extremely useful resources for writing.  While I have experience with all of them, Wattpad and deviantART are the two that I have the most experience with. Wattpad and Figment are dedicated literature sharing sites, while deviantART focuses on art as a whole, not just literature.

wattpad_productshot-02Between Wattpad and Figment, Wattpad is my favorite. Wattpad allows you to post books either as one large piece or divided into chapters. My favorite part of Wattpad, though, is the fact that it has an app. When you want to read stories the app is amazing- you can even download books for reading offline, just like a typical ebook. You can also write your stories on-the-go using the app. Wattpad also features forums which can be great for getting feedback and getting help if something in your writing is stumping you. You can also send and receive comments as well as private messages. Overall, whether you want to write, read, or connect with other writers, Wattpad can let you do that.

figment_screenFigment is similar to Wattpad in that it is a dedicated literature website. Like Wattpad, you can publish books in chapters. One of my favorite features on Figment is that is allows to post chapters in a draft forum that can only be read by people with the specific links, which can be great for getting feedback about the latest addition to your story. Figment also has a great group system for connecting with other writers. Another nice feature of Figment is their frequent contests. Even though the chances of being the one chosen as the winner out of all the submission might not be great, just the process of entering can be helpful for developing writing. Figment doesn’t have an app like Wattpad, but overall it is still a solid choice.

deviantart_screenFinally, there is deviantART (DA for short). deviantART isn’t a literary focused websites, but rather includes all forms of art. There isn’t a way to specifically post “books” but it does accept literary submissions which can be contained in folders and keep together that way. I think deviantART really shines for getting poems viewed because of the way that they are published. The big thing that I really like about deviantART, though, is how social it is. While Wattpad and Figment allow for communication, DA really has a sense of community. There are groups, forums, private messages, comments– the list goes on. It is this social interaction that really makes DA a worthy place for the literary inclined. If you’re looking for someone that will be there for you throughout the long haul of writing, deviantART might be the way to go.

Overall, the face of writing is changing. No longer does one need to get published to be read by others; now anyone can get their work out there for the world to see.

-Angela J., 12th grade

Books that Inspire

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photo by flickr user derya

I figured that this month I wanted to write about something different than a book review. This month, I’m going to write about a book that I’m writing, and about the books which inspired my story ideas.I haven’t come up with a decent title yet, but I just finished the thirteenth chapter a few days ago. I started writing this story when I was in third grade because of a school assignment, but then I got carried away and my story was more than 500 words. Ever since then I wanted to finish the book, so I would work on it whenever I could in between my busy schedule.

Basically, this story has an action-packed, adventurous story line: An evil villain wants to take over the world and only a team of military special ops guys can stop him. They go on epic adventures including fighting ninjas next to a bottomless pit, and escaping a scout’s old military commander in a broken down, deserted city.

After I started writing and got a bunch of ideas out of my head, I realized that in most of the books that I read I always wanted to add something from my own imagination. Books have inspired me to continue writing my own story.

For example, I read a Marvel comic book that talked about invasions of aliens and super human powers. I thought these ideas would be cool to put into my story. When I read a Hardy Boys mystery book, I was inspired to put some mystery into my story. An Indiana Jones book inspired me to put some high-flying action into my book, too. I think that a little bit of everything in a story creates an amazing plot!

To sum it all up, when you mix different types of books with your own imagination, you can make anything come to life on the page. If you have ever been inspired to write because of a book you read, make a post in the comments about that inspiration.

-Kyle H., 7th grade

Creative Writing: Destruction Of Charn

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Editor’s note: The Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S. Lewis, have inspired many writers over the decades– including one of the Mission Viejo Library Teen Voice bloggers, Sarah J. This short story is inspired by events from Lewis’ sixth Narnia book, The Magician’s Nephew.

old_book_by_rtitoun

Photo by rtitoun

Rosemary and her older twin brother, William, ran up to the attic of their grandma’s house. They had finally gotten permission to explore. They scrambled up the rickety ladder that led to the dark, dry attic. Inside of the attic, there were boxes filled with books, old toys, pieces of dilapidated furniture, and many other odd items here and there. Both William and Rosemary started to rummage through all if the boxes, searching for anything that seemed interesting. One particular box caught Rosemary’s eye. The box was not a plain wooden or cardboard box. The box was sealed tightly shut and covered with strange shapes and designs. It was slightly smaller than a microwave oven.  Intrigued by the sight, Rosemary cautiously crept over to the box and tried to open it. First she tried tugging at the top; then, she found a metal latch that kept it shut. Rosemary carefully undid the latch and warily opened the box. She decided to call her brother over before further investigating the box.

“Will, come over here,” she called, “I want to show you something.”

Will hastily scrambled over.

“What is it?” he asked.

“Look at what I found.”

Both of them peered into the box. The contents of the box were rather odd. Inside, there was a beautiful white, silk dress. On top of the dress lay a heavy golden crown that had crimson jewels set into it. William picked up the crown and placed it next to the box while, Rosemary was taking out the dress and folding it next to the box. There was nothing else in the box except for a few pieces of jewelry and a package that was wrapped in some sort of beige colored cloth. William picked up the package and started to unwrap it.  Inside of the package was a worn leather-bound book. On the cover, the title was written in bold lettering. The title was “The Destruction of Charn.”

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