Gifted students need “real” audiences for their work. They benefit from seeing their words in print and finding others who have
the same interest.
Figment is
a place where young people, ages 13 and up, share their writing, connect with
other people with similar interests, and discover new stories and authors. The
website was started by Dana Goodyear, a staff writer at The New Yorker,
and Jacob Lewis, the former Managing Editor at The New Yorker and Condé
Nast Portfolio. It contains a variety of sections that will be of interest
to young authors, including
- A
place where students can post their writing and get feedback in the form
of comments and reviews.
- Writing
contests.
- Advice
from adults who publish young adult books.
- Recommendations
of recently published books for young adults.
- A
forum where students can connect on a variety of subjects related to their
writing.
- A blog
that, among other things, contains interviews with published authors of
books for young adults.
If your young writer is more independent, suggest that he
submit his writing for publication without the feedback and interaction of a
group. A Young Authors Guide from NewPages.com provides
- Updated lists of publications that accept submissions from young people, some from children as young as eight.
- A long list of writing contests, listed by month.
- Information about writing programs.
- A list of writing conferences.
