By Julia H. Jackson
You keep a notebook in your back pocket. Or maybe you are an obsessive blogger. Every time your teacher offers the option of a creative imitation instead of an academic composition, you leap at the chance to make something your own. You file your stories, poems, doodles, plays, and journals on your computer, but the moment someone walks into the room, you cover the screen. You are a young writer, or maybe a secret writer, and there’s something you should know: the best way to develop your literary skills is to share your work with the world.
Intimidated? Bewildered? Not sure where to start? The publishing world can be daunting, but the important thing to remember is that there is no one way to write, nor is there one magic way to get published. There are as many more publishing companies, literary magazines, writing contests, scholarships, and workshops as there are kinds of writers. We at Eduify aim to simplify this new world with the Young Writers Series. We’ll start today by organizing writing contests by genre and style.
Teen Writing Contests
There are some benefits to adolescence. Teen writing contests usually offer opportunities for junior high and high school students to submit their work to magazines and other publications. Many teen writing organizations, such as Teen Ink, offer print magazines, interactive websites, and even book publishing opportunities for young writers. Because many of the writing contests are limited by age (13-19, usually), the probability of your work being chosen is greater than if you submitted your first short story, to, say, The New Yorker. Additionally, many teen-oriented publications offer opportunities to intern, which is a great opportunity for anyone interested in learning more about the writing world.
Teen Voices; The Claremont Review
Writing Networking Sites
Although writing itself may be a solitary task, the emergence of writing communities worldwide encourages interaction between writers, often leading to collaboration on projects. Not only that, but many sites offer regular writing contests and links to resources for young writers. Sometimes the dialogue that a piece inspires is as valuable as the piece itself. Many sites for writers also have free online newsletters, where subscribers can receive regular updates about upcoming contests and events.
SMITH Mag; The Rumpus; Glimmer Train; Writer’s Digest; WritersCafe.org; The Next Big Writer
Literary Magazines
Just what is a literary magazine? In basic terms, a literary magazine is a publication (print or online) that accepts submissions of literary work in various forms. The definition itself is often left to the publication’s editors; each magazine has its own style, genre preference, and intended audience. There are poetry journals, fiction and nonfiction publications, multi-genre anthologies, and everything in between. Literary magazines are often the most plentiful (check out the alphabetized list at Poets&Writers and you’ll be astounded at how many just begin with the letter “A”), but sometimes the trickiest to submit your work to. It is always a good idea to familiarize yourself with recent issues of any magazines you might consider, because many magazines receive so many submissions that they will only consider work that closely follows their specific guidelines. All the same, literary magazines are a great way to multiply your options.
McSweeney’s Quarterly Concern; Rattle (poetry); New Letters (poetry, fiction, nonfiction, book reviews, interviews); 
Fourteen Hills: The SFSU Review (poetry, fiction)
Flatmancrooked (poetry, fiction, essay, audio, art)
So there you have it: three different avenues to pursue your next move as a not-so-secret writer. Not finding what you’re looking for? This is just the tip of the iceberg. Your next job will be to float your work. And just how do you do that? Stay tuned for our next Young Writers post!
by Julia H. Jackson
Given the number of books published in the United States every year, it can be hard to keep up. This week, we bring you 2009: Book by Book, a literary review with one book for each month. Whether you’re in the mood for memoir, fiction, or graphic novels, we’ve got a little something for everyone.
January: Things I’ve Been Silent About – Memories, by Azar Nafisi
This memoir comes fresh from Azar Nafisi, the author of Reading Lolita in Tehran. Nafisi reveals her journey from Iran to the United States, from writing to educating, from childhood to adulthood. An expert on Western literature, Nafisi recognized that the very act of open expression was dangerous in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. She breaks the literary silence by answering lingering questions from her first book, probing into the nature of her father’s extramarital affairs, and exploring her life as a mother, wife, and teacher.
February: The Women by T.C. Boyle
The life of famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright has been depicted in various ways, but none so creatively as this most recent fictionalized novel by Irish writer T.C. Boyle. The Women reveals another side to Wright’s darker nature by focusing on the important female characters in his life. The featured romances include Wright’s three wives, Olgivanna, Maude Miriam Noel, and Kitty, and his lover Mamah, who was murdered by one of Wright’s servants. Boyle’s creation is the narrator Tadashi Sato, an imagined apprentice to Wright, who undertakes the task of writing his mentor’s biography. Boyle’s mixture of fiction, gossip, and legend provides an original perspective on a talented, if not highly controversial, man.
March: How We Decide, by Jonah Lehrer
Twenty-seven-year-old author Jonah Lehrer examines the human capacity for decision-making in this, his second science book for left-brainers. Lehrer, who is a contributing editor at Wired magazine and a frequent resource on the WYNC program Radio Lab, breaks down neuroscience by punctuating it with manageable, understandable anecdotes. He links the way our brains function to the decisions we make, and the effects that has on, say, the current economic crisis. An excellent introduction to the world of science writing for the left- and right-brained.
April: The Beats: A Graphic History by Harvey Pekar, edited by Paul Buhle, art by Ed Piskor and others
Perhaps Jack Kerouac’s most famous quote is his affinity for “the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved.” American Splendor writer Harvey Pekar and editor Paul Buhle approach the world of Beat writers and artists by delving into the realm of underground comics. The history includes stories of Keroauc, William S. Burroughs, and Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s City Lights Bookstore, as well as unsung heroes such as “hobohemian” Slim Brundage of Chicago’s College of Complexes café. Although some of the stories’ facts are contested, the book itself is a testament to the unruly and revolutionary nature of an artistic generation.
May: Sag Harbor, by Colson Whitehead
Colson Whitehead’s fifth novel follows Benji, an African-American teenager who represents the “black boys with beach houses” by spending his summers at Sag Harbor. The characters challenge what it means to be “post-black” by resisting the urge to give into racial stereotype. Benji and his friends have BB gun wars, lust after hip-hop star Lisa Lisa, and confront the message behind “turning the other cheek.” Whitehead’s story is fiction, but follows the nuance of memoir, and offers a fresh voice not only for African-Americans, but for citizens of the Obama generation.
June: The Heyday of Insensitive Bastards: Stories, by Robert Boswell
Every word in this book packs a punch, as evidenced by the original title. Boswell’s thirteen stories feature the lost, wayward souls whose desires compete with their limited environs: addicts, cleaning ladies, fortune tellers, priests, all teetering on the edge of their own specific “heyday.” Boswell’s work goes beyond the short form; previous books include Century’s Son and What Men Call Treasure: The Search for Gold at Victorio Peak. This latest short story collection is a great glimpse into his Southwestern world.
July: In the Heart of the Canyon, by Elisabeth Hyde
If you’re looking for an adventure, look no further than Hyde’s latest novel, whose diverse cast of characters are forced to examine their neuroses whilst navigating the rapids of the Grand Canyon. Hyde takes on it all: a quarrelsome husband and wife with their two teenage sons, a divorcee and her obese daughter, an elderly couple on their last trip, an arrogant college grad, a middle-aged Harvard professor and, of course, a dog named Blender. The river guides wade through both water and conflict as they attempt their 125th trip down the canyon. This is a warm, well-written summer read that will inspire the adventurer in everyone.
August: Zeitoun, by Dave Eggers
Dave Eggers has done it again: he has combined sleek prose with real characters to prove a point without sounding preachy. Zeitoun follows the odyssey of a Muslim man and his family before, during, and after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005. Our hero chooses to stay behind while his wife and children flee to safety, preferring to navigate the murky waters of the city streets to rescue his fellow citizens. Complications arise when his good intentions are mistaken as something more sinister, a plot choice that mirrors the confusion and chaos of FEMA politics and America post-9/11. Eggers skirts political criticism by couching it in a carefully written, beautifully handled novel.
September: Juliet, Naked ,by Nick Hornby
Hornby welcomes us to the world of fandom with his latest novel, which revolves around a bizarre social triangle: Annie, her distant partner Duncan, and musician Tucker Crowe, Duncan’s hero. The plot thickens when Annie posts a review of Crowe’s latest album, “Juliet, Naked,” before Duncan does, sparking an unexpected correspondence between her and her husband’s idol. Hornby confronts the hidden side to popular icons, exploring the sincerity of fans and their adoration; a concept he himself might have some experience with, after publishing wildly successful High Fidelity and About a Boy.
October: Manhood for Amateurs, by Michael Chabon
Michael Chabon’s memoir gives a modern portrait of manhood from the perspective of a successful author (The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, The Yiddish Policeman’s Union), husband, and, above all, father. His story is told in a series of linked essays that follows his childhood, his parents’ marriage and divorce, and the comedy of errors that is the transition to adulthood.
November: The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver
Kingsolver’s ambitious new novel follows the lives of Mexican artists Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera through the eyes of Harrison Shepherd, who has a Forrest-Gump-like ability to participate in a series of notable historic events. Shepherd works for Lev Trotsky, a lost political revolutionary, and returns to the United States in time for the chaos of World War II. Kingsolver, who brought us Prodigal Summer and The Poisonwood Bible, merges history with fiction to shed light on an exciting era of the twentieth century.
December: Cleaving: A Story of Marriage, Meat and Obsession by Julie Powell
A surprising, humbling diary brought to you by the Julie of Julie & Julia fame, Powell’s latest book follows the grisly details of an extramarital affair that forces to examine her intentions. Her intimacy is not limited only to her lover; Powell is suddenly struck with a desire to learn how to butcher meat, a process that feels familiar as she painstakingly dissects her own love life. A private, yet modestly open meditation on what it means to redefine love, if not for her husband, than for the pursuit of challenge.
Are we missing something? What was your favorite book of 2009? Let us know!
