Tips to Make Students Future Authors

Sometimes, you have to twist a few arms to get students to become writers. They often equate classroom writing with having to do essays on topics that maybe don’t excite them.

They aren’t alone. Some of the world’s best professional authors did not do so well with writing in school. Mark Twain is one of these authors that loved to write but hated school and did not like the process of grades being given on his creativity.

Instead of focusing on essays in the classroom, provide the students a reason to display their writing skills in another way. (And don’t wait until they are in their high school years. The earlier, the better!) Even young students can submit their writing for possible publishing. You need to know where to look.

Local Newspapers
As someone who spent a decade in the newspaper business, I know they always look for unique content from students. They are always looking for student submissions and will usually publish them if it relates to what they are trying to inform their readers about. Of course, this writing will not be fiction but generally more of an opinion piece.

Students could write about changes needed in education, why there is a need for a new park in town, or why extracurriculars in schools should not be eliminated. All of these topics typically are hot issues for local newspapers. Having a student’s perspective is something most newspaper editors will jump at.

Online Websites
Websites are always after exciting content. The more people visit their site, the more traffic comes their way, and the better the website will financially do. Find a website that corresponds with a student’s interest and have them create suitable content in hopes of having it published online. There are almost two billion websites online, so students will have plenty of options whether their writing deals with fitness, education, fiction, or anything in between.

Create Their Own Blog
Everyone has a blog nowadays. A student could make money through advertisers if the blog gains popularity. Plus, with the free website builders available, it is not difficult to do. And the best thing about creating a blog is that the student will have complete control of what they are writing about, and there are no grades to worry about. It is amazing how carefully they will craft their writing when they realize how many people may be reading it.

Write Their Own Novel
How many adults have you encountered still talking about writing their novel someday? They will say they have it all written out in their head but must put it down on paper. The sad thing is that eventually, time will run out, and their novel will never be available for others to read.

No matter their age, students can start writing their novels. With the use of a Chromebook, an inexpensive computer device, and a free version of Google Docs, they can begin their writing. It will automatically be available to them without fear of losing it since it is all contained in the magical and mystical cloud.

Not long ago, 18-year-old Christopher Paolini became a best-selling author with more than 33 million copies sold of his Eragon book. When he wrote his novel Just Jake, Jake Marcionette was only 12 years old. Eventually, his book was rated number seven on the New York Times bestseller list for children’s middle-grade books. S.E. Hinton was only 15 when she started writing the classic The Outsiders. How do you know you don’t have future famous authors in your school at this moment?

Write Scripts
YouTube, TikTok, and other video social media avenues are extremely popular. There is an excellent chance your students are spending time on these sites daily. Please take advantage of it! Ask them to write scripts for videos they would like to place on these sites. Just be sure to tell them to make it age-appropriate!

Let iAchieve Be of Assistance
If you know of students who enjoy writing but perhaps could use a bit of strengthening of their basic mechanics, iAchieve can help. We have tutors, both in person and online, that will assist these students with whatever their writing needs.

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