A Brave Writer's Life in Brief

by Finlay Worrallo, Brave Writer student and intern

Over Dinner

Chose something you’ve written and ask your family if you can read it to them over dinner, or at another point in the day when you’re all together. Read clearly and a little slower than feels natural–that will result in a pleasant reading speed. Afterwards, ask your family what they thought of it and listen to their feedback.

With Friends and Extended Family

Pick a handful of people you know well whose opinions you value, but who you don’t see every day–friends, aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc. Then select a piece of writing you’re proud of, and send a copy to each person, either by post or email, along with a quick message asking for some comments on your writing. Be specific–for example, ask them to chose one sentence they liked and one that was difficult to understand. Wait patiently for their replies and read them when they arrive. With any luck, your chosen people will give you some constructive comments on your piece. Remember to say thank you for their time!

On the Internet

Blogging is easy these days and it’s a simple way of getting your writing to an audience. First, set yourself up with one online, with your parent’s permission and help if necessary. Then begin with a post about who you are and what your blog’s going to be about. (This is always a good start, as it helps readers to work out whether they fit into your potential audience. If you’re writing reviews of computer games, your best friend might love to read your blog, but your best friend’s aunt might not.) After that, start blogging articles! People like blogs which are updated regularly, so it’s a good idea to add a new post at least every week, or more often if you’ve got time. Then tell all your friends and family about your new blog and spread the word.

In a Magazine

If you read any newspapers or magazines, why not send a letter to the letters to the editor’s page? The whole point of a letters page is to showcase the opinions of readers, so it’s a window of opportunity that’s always open. And if you get your letter published, your writing will potentially be read by thousands. So think about what sort of topics the letters tend to be about–current events, readers’ own lives, comments on the magazine content–then write a letter in a similar vein and send it off!

Through a Competition

It’s true that entering a writing competition is a way of finding an audience that might involve spending money–but on the bright side, you might actually get some money in return. Look for student writing competitions online and see if you can find a free one or one with a low entry fee (few are more than $10). Read the guidelines and bear them in mind while writing your story, poem or article. Send it in before the deadline and wait and see what happens. If you win, brilliant! If you don’t, remember you can try again as many times as you like. After all, the first Harry Potter book got rejected 12 times!