Once upon a time and many moons ago (half my life ago, to be exact!), I was a teenage writer drafting my first novel. Now that I’m in my early 30s and have more writing experience and published novels under my belt, I would like to share some advice for teen writers, advice I wish someone had told me when I was sixteen years old writing Can’t Beat the Heart of a Carolina Girl.

Your Writing as a Teen is Rarely Your Best Work, but it Only Goes Up from Here!

When we’re young and new to writing, we may fall so head-over-heels in love with the act of writing our book that we convince ourselves that everyone else on the planet will love our project too, and that once this bad-boy is published, it’ll be an instant bestseller. My friend, I hate to burst your bubble, but that is rarely the case. Because, like with any other skill, our first attempt at writing a book is just that: our first attempt.

At any age, during that first project, we as writers are still developing our craft, discovering our strengths and weaknesses, and figuring out our voice and storytelling style. Due to all these variables, despite any editing that takes place, our first book may not be our best work. It may not resonate with readers as well as we hoped. It may not receive stellar ratings or hit any bestseller lists. The good news is that it’s not only okay, but 100% normal!

What this first book does showcase, however, is that we had the courage to chase our dreams and write a book from start to finish, something tons of people talk about doing but never do. And if you’re a teen and you’ve already checked off this major accomplishment from your bucket list, you’re a rockstar! If you’ve enjoyed this process, keep the momentum going and start your next project. With more practice and perseverance, your writing will improve over time.

Don’t Rush to Publish Your First Work

All that being said, please hear me out when I advise to hold off on publishing your first work until it’s ready. Don’t pursue possible publishing routes as soon as it’s finished. Back when I was in high school, self-publishing wasn’t as accessible as it is now, but as soon as I learned that I could publish my book, for free using CreateSpace (now Kindle Direct Publishing) at 22 years old, I went full-throttle on preparing CBTHOACG for publication so I could release my debut on my 23rd birthday.

Even though I was no longer a teenager at the time I published Can’t Beat the Heart of a Carolina Girl, it’s still a time capsule of my teenage writing. A friend of mine from high school edited it, and I made the cover myself, which I now know are two rookie mistakes that didn’t help my debut succeed. Not that my friend didn’t do a good job editing (I can’t say the same about my cover design, unfortunately 😛 ), but if I hadn’t made those rash decisions so I could publish faster and had instead done more research and saved up for professional editing and cover design, perhaps I wouldn’t cringe as hard as I do now when considering my debut. Just some food for thought. 🙂

And Most Importantly, HAVE FUN!

Right now, you love writing. Please don’t let anything or anyone change that for you.

If anyone in your life makes fun of you for loving to write or picks apart your writing, ignore them. Your future readers will adore your work.

If your family doesn’t support you or friends don’t want to read your work, please know you’re not alone. God will place people in your life who will support you and read everything you’ll ever write.

If you want to write but you’re scared it’s not good enough compared to everyone and their brother who are getting book deals and showcasing them on Instagram and TikTok, unplug from social media and get back to your work-in-progress. No one else’s success is going to take away from yours.

God gave you the love for the written word for a reason. Do what He’s called you to do. Write what you know. Write what you feel. Write about the good and write about the bad. Write about what you want to remember and the things you’d love to forget. And whatever you do, don’t ever stop having fun. Write on.

Talk to Me, Arrowheads!

If you’re like me and haven’t seen your teenage years in many moons, what advice do you have for teen writers? Please share in the comments!

If you’re a teen writer and happen to be a Christian, I have a free eBook available at all U.S. eBook retailers called Writing by Faith that covers 12 aspects of Christian authorship. If you’re interested, please check out the universal book link here!

Aim high, stay strong, and always hit your mark.

-Allyson 😀