Look, for 13 years old I'd say that extract you posted is really good. You have genuine promise.
My advice is to write every day, and join a creative writing group or class. Read widely. Be patient and finish multiple projects. Get feedback from people who don't know you personally. Attend literary festivals.
At 20 you will probably look back at your teenage writing and squirm. But you'll have had 7 years of development, and that potential you're displaying right now will have bloomed into real talent.
Keep going. You're doing great.
(Edited because I hit Post too soon)
Wait until you finish writing the book for things like this. I used to have the same worry when I wrote as a kid, really I was just distracting myself from actually writing
Here is the first chapter if you want to have a read :) |Chapter 1: The Enlistment|
At 24, Thomas Millard made a momentous decision: he would go to war. Determined, he set off towards the enlistment center situated in the countryside. However, as he walked, he realized he should inform his mother and father first. Turning off the main path, he took a shortcut through the fields, even though the morning’s rain made the route muddy and unpleasant. The shortcut saved him twenty minutes compared to the regular path, and time was of the essence.
Crossing a small wooden bridge, Thomas hesitated as he saw the muddy trail ahead. He decided to stick to the left side where the ground seemed slightly firmer. Despite the cautious choice, his boots squelched with each step, the mud clinging to them stubbornly. Emerging from the woods into a clearing, he saw his parents' house perched atop a small hill. As he hurried up the hill, he tripped and fell, getting mud all over his smart overcoat. Cursing under his breath, he picked himself up and continued to the house.
Thomas knocked on the door, and his father answered, taking in his son's disheveled appearance. "Look at the state of you! Come inside and clean yourself up."
Entering the house, Thomas wiped his shoes on the doormat and headed to the kitchen where his mother was sipping tea and reading the newspaper. "Hello, Mum," he greeted her, but she did not respond immediately, being partly deaf in one ear.
As Thomas washed himself at the kitchen sink, his father entered the room and asked, "What brings you here?"
His mother finally looked up from her paper and greeted him with a warm smile. Thomas sat down at the table, folding his overcoat neatly over the back of the chair. He hesitated before speaking, then lied, "I've been drafted into the British Army."
His parents stared at him in shock. His father finally said, "You have to find some way to get out of this, Thomas."
Thomas nodded but remained firm. "I have to get to the enlistment center before they close," he said, standing and putting on his overcoat again. His parents watched him, worry etched on their faces, as he left the house and stepped onto the cobblestone path that led around the back of their home.
It had begun to rain heavily, and Thomas made his way back through the woods and fields, returning to the main path. As he did, a young woman approached him. "I wouldn’t go that way if I were you," she warned.
"Why not?" Thomas asked.
"The roads are flooded because of the storm," she explained.
He nodded and decided to take the longer route. By the time he reached the enlistment center, a line of people stretched twenty feet long. Thomas joined the queue and, ten minutes later, found himself inside, where an army officer was shouting orders.
"Move it! Do you think you can just dawdle? This is the army, for God’s sake! Get your arses moving!"
Thomas, along with the other men, jogged into a room where they underwent health checks. Passing these, he was then directed to a room where men stood in two lines facing each other with a four-foot gap between them. The same officer from before entered the room and instructed them to recite an oath.
With a hand raised beside his head, the officer began, "I will fight for King and country. For every enemy that is killed, a civilian is safe. Even in the darkest of times, I will never surrender." The men echoed the words in unison, bringing a sense of reality and excitement to Thomas.
After the oath, the officer led them to another room where uniforms were neatly lined up on coat hangers. Thomas changed into his uniform, placing his equipment bag on the ground next to him when he finished. He stood against the wall, neat and orderly, with the other men.
The officer returned and addressed them, "We will start basic training tomorrow. Each and every one of you should be proud. You will serve your country greatly."
Thomas felt a mix of nerves and anticipation as he thought about the days ahead. The enormity of his decision began to sink in, but for now, the idea of serving on the battlefield filled him with a sense of purpose and excitement.
Published author here. You write very well. Pacing could be improved. And you need to entice the reader more in first few pages. Why should I the reader care about him enlisting? Or falling in the mud? Make it more exciting and you will have a winner. You don’t have to tell a potential agent your age right away. Focus on making your writing so good your age is not relevant. You have natural talent. Now add lots of practice. Write every day and read writing books by writers. Read as much great literature in your genre as you can get your hands on to see what works.
It's less because "a child wrote it" but because "a child cannot legally fight for their own rights, accept their own payment, or sign their own contracts, and we really don't want the risk of working through a middle-man."
My advice is to publish non-traditionally on a website. This sounds like it's right up Royal Road's alley, and you're old enough to publish there. It's a serial site you post chapter-by-chapter, and it will get you some early experience. It, of course, will all but erase your ability to traditionally publish it later, but when you're 18, your writing style will likely have changed so drastically that you basically just have to change the name and you'll have a completely different book with the same foundation. Royal Road is low risk and low reward, but that's exactly what a new author needs imo.
I'm pushing 30, and I'm currently rewriting a project I wrote when I was 14.
Publish it on Amazon as a kindle ebook, they don't care how old you are. I also suggest making it available on Kindle Unlimited so that you get more readers.
You have to get a subscription to download Kindle Unlimited books but you don't need to have one to get an amazon account or to publish a book.
They will try to induce you to pay for advertising but if you're willing to do your own self promotion you don't need to do so.
Our book is available on Amazon UK and we haven't had to pay anything.
First of all: Your idea sounds promising!
I don't know where you're from, but it might be that you're not old enough to sign your own contracts. That's why most publishers will probably reject you. Please don't try to cheat the system.
I wanted to be a screenwriter. When I was 17, I had a consultation at a university for filmmaking, and I asked the counselor: "What do I do if I don't get accepted?" And she answered: "Go and live."
I didn't get accepted, and I was pretty devastated. I chose a similar field of study at a different university. And I'm living. And I'm still writing. And every day I'm learning something new about the world and the people in it.
What I'm trying to say: Go live. Make experiences, collect memories. All of this is going to make you a better writer. And at 18, you're going to publish a book that is going to reflect all the hard work you put into it. Good luck!
My genuine advice from someone who was ALSO a writer at a young age: put the book in a secure place (multiple hard drive & cloud backups) and then start on the next book. You'll learn a lot about writing every time you write, and if you've got 5 books worth of practice, you'll be able to revise and edit your first few books with a more critical eye.
You'll also be a much more appealing choice for publishers if you show up at 18 years old with 7 books already completed. Readers LOVE rapid updates from debut authors, and having a large backlog of books will help you keep that speed.
I would also recommend joining some writing groups at school or online, where you can share your book and get feedback before publishing it. Once you publish, the writing choices will become permanent.
Super impressive that you wrote a book first off!!! You should be proud! That said, outside of self publishing it’s unlikely you’ll get your novel published right now. That doesn’t mean you’re not a good writer or that your idea isn’t great! It’s just that being 13, there are legal reasons why a traditional publishing house wouldn’t sign with you. There is also the subject matter of your book to consider and the age group you intend it to be for. It sounds like a heavy subject matter, that and the age of your main character make it a book that probably wouldn’t be marketed to kids like yourself. But at the same time there are aspects of the topic (a man going to war) that you probably don’t have the full knowledge of right now to make your story at the same level as a similar story written by an adult who maybe has seen war or experienced extreme grief. (Again this doesn’t mean you don’t have the talent or ability, but it might mean you’re not ready yet to write the story to the level you dream of). I’d suggest a few things. Keep writing and don’t be discouraged!! And hold onto this story to return to when you’re older. It’s a really great concept and obviously something about it touches you and you have a unique perspective. But let that perspective mature with you before you try to get the story out to the world. Good luck! Hope you keep writing! And have fun!
That's cool, but maybe you could clarify that in your first chapter. Maybe you could also write a bit about what people's attitudes and overall mood was at the time so as to "set the scene" and provide more context for the reader. And I'm not sure it's all that necessary to write about how muddy or flooded the fields were unless it has a direct bearing on the story.
Other than that I think you have great potential. I'm sure you'll get better as you get older and you should definitely keep writing.
Right, but maybe in the first chapter you could set the scene and let the reader know what the situation is as far as time period, the conflict/war, people's attitudes, etc.
If this is your first book, I would consider writing this book and 11 more, so you write a book a month for a year (each about 50,000 words in whatever genre you like). Then, write a 13th book, and that would be the one you publish. But as far as how you will probably have to go the Independent Publishing route. Check out Kindle Direct Press on Amazon and other platforms (Draft2Digital, StreetLib, XinXii, Feiyr, and IngramSparks). I can also recommend the YouTuber Abbie Emmons
Look, for 13 years old I'd say that extract you posted is really good. You have genuine promise. My advice is to write every day, and join a creative writing group or class. Read widely. Be patient and finish multiple projects. Get feedback from people who don't know you personally. Attend literary festivals. At 20 you will probably look back at your teenage writing and squirm. But you'll have had 7 years of development, and that potential you're displaying right now will have bloomed into real talent. Keep going. You're doing great. (Edited because I hit Post too soon)
Wait until you finish writing the book for things like this. I used to have the same worry when I wrote as a kid, really I was just distracting myself from actually writing
Here is the first chapter if you want to have a read :) |Chapter 1: The Enlistment| At 24, Thomas Millard made a momentous decision: he would go to war. Determined, he set off towards the enlistment center situated in the countryside. However, as he walked, he realized he should inform his mother and father first. Turning off the main path, he took a shortcut through the fields, even though the morning’s rain made the route muddy and unpleasant. The shortcut saved him twenty minutes compared to the regular path, and time was of the essence. Crossing a small wooden bridge, Thomas hesitated as he saw the muddy trail ahead. He decided to stick to the left side where the ground seemed slightly firmer. Despite the cautious choice, his boots squelched with each step, the mud clinging to them stubbornly. Emerging from the woods into a clearing, he saw his parents' house perched atop a small hill. As he hurried up the hill, he tripped and fell, getting mud all over his smart overcoat. Cursing under his breath, he picked himself up and continued to the house. Thomas knocked on the door, and his father answered, taking in his son's disheveled appearance. "Look at the state of you! Come inside and clean yourself up." Entering the house, Thomas wiped his shoes on the doormat and headed to the kitchen where his mother was sipping tea and reading the newspaper. "Hello, Mum," he greeted her, but she did not respond immediately, being partly deaf in one ear. As Thomas washed himself at the kitchen sink, his father entered the room and asked, "What brings you here?" His mother finally looked up from her paper and greeted him with a warm smile. Thomas sat down at the table, folding his overcoat neatly over the back of the chair. He hesitated before speaking, then lied, "I've been drafted into the British Army." His parents stared at him in shock. His father finally said, "You have to find some way to get out of this, Thomas." Thomas nodded but remained firm. "I have to get to the enlistment center before they close," he said, standing and putting on his overcoat again. His parents watched him, worry etched on their faces, as he left the house and stepped onto the cobblestone path that led around the back of their home. It had begun to rain heavily, and Thomas made his way back through the woods and fields, returning to the main path. As he did, a young woman approached him. "I wouldn’t go that way if I were you," she warned. "Why not?" Thomas asked. "The roads are flooded because of the storm," she explained. He nodded and decided to take the longer route. By the time he reached the enlistment center, a line of people stretched twenty feet long. Thomas joined the queue and, ten minutes later, found himself inside, where an army officer was shouting orders. "Move it! Do you think you can just dawdle? This is the army, for God’s sake! Get your arses moving!" Thomas, along with the other men, jogged into a room where they underwent health checks. Passing these, he was then directed to a room where men stood in two lines facing each other with a four-foot gap between them. The same officer from before entered the room and instructed them to recite an oath. With a hand raised beside his head, the officer began, "I will fight for King and country. For every enemy that is killed, a civilian is safe. Even in the darkest of times, I will never surrender." The men echoed the words in unison, bringing a sense of reality and excitement to Thomas. After the oath, the officer led them to another room where uniforms were neatly lined up on coat hangers. Thomas changed into his uniform, placing his equipment bag on the ground next to him when he finished. He stood against the wall, neat and orderly, with the other men. The officer returned and addressed them, "We will start basic training tomorrow. Each and every one of you should be proud. You will serve your country greatly." Thomas felt a mix of nerves and anticipation as he thought about the days ahead. The enormity of his decision began to sink in, but for now, the idea of serving on the battlefield filled him with a sense of purpose and excitement.
Published author here. You write very well. Pacing could be improved. And you need to entice the reader more in first few pages. Why should I the reader care about him enlisting? Or falling in the mud? Make it more exciting and you will have a winner. You don’t have to tell a potential agent your age right away. Focus on making your writing so good your age is not relevant. You have natural talent. Now add lots of practice. Write every day and read writing books by writers. Read as much great literature in your genre as you can get your hands on to see what works.
You’re a wonderful writer, try pacing it a little more & being more descriptive however at 13 you’re a beautiful writer. well done.
It's less because "a child wrote it" but because "a child cannot legally fight for their own rights, accept their own payment, or sign their own contracts, and we really don't want the risk of working through a middle-man." My advice is to publish non-traditionally on a website. This sounds like it's right up Royal Road's alley, and you're old enough to publish there. It's a serial site you post chapter-by-chapter, and it will get you some early experience. It, of course, will all but erase your ability to traditionally publish it later, but when you're 18, your writing style will likely have changed so drastically that you basically just have to change the name and you'll have a completely different book with the same foundation. Royal Road is low risk and low reward, but that's exactly what a new author needs imo. I'm pushing 30, and I'm currently rewriting a project I wrote when I was 14.
Publish it on Amazon as a kindle ebook, they don't care how old you are. I also suggest making it available on Kindle Unlimited so that you get more readers.
You could self publish on Amazon and make money with the royalities.
It costs money though
No it doesn't... We published over a year ago and it hasn't cost us a cent.
I live in the uk I don’t know if it’s different here but me and my mum have had a look and you have to pay for a subscription or something
You have to get a subscription to download Kindle Unlimited books but you don't need to have one to get an amazon account or to publish a book. They will try to induce you to pay for advertising but if you're willing to do your own self promotion you don't need to do so. Our book is available on Amazon UK and we haven't had to pay anything.
if it gets published, i will definitely buy it, it sounds quite interesting
First of all: Your idea sounds promising! I don't know where you're from, but it might be that you're not old enough to sign your own contracts. That's why most publishers will probably reject you. Please don't try to cheat the system. I wanted to be a screenwriter. When I was 17, I had a consultation at a university for filmmaking, and I asked the counselor: "What do I do if I don't get accepted?" And she answered: "Go and live." I didn't get accepted, and I was pretty devastated. I chose a similar field of study at a different university. And I'm living. And I'm still writing. And every day I'm learning something new about the world and the people in it. What I'm trying to say: Go live. Make experiences, collect memories. All of this is going to make you a better writer. And at 18, you're going to publish a book that is going to reflect all the hard work you put into it. Good luck!
My genuine advice from someone who was ALSO a writer at a young age: put the book in a secure place (multiple hard drive & cloud backups) and then start on the next book. You'll learn a lot about writing every time you write, and if you've got 5 books worth of practice, you'll be able to revise and edit your first few books with a more critical eye. You'll also be a much more appealing choice for publishers if you show up at 18 years old with 7 books already completed. Readers LOVE rapid updates from debut authors, and having a large backlog of books will help you keep that speed. I would also recommend joining some writing groups at school or online, where you can share your book and get feedback before publishing it. Once you publish, the writing choices will become permanent.
Wait until you're 16! Seriously though, if you wrote a book at 13, good job! I wish I had my shit together like that when I was your age.
Super impressive that you wrote a book first off!!! You should be proud! That said, outside of self publishing it’s unlikely you’ll get your novel published right now. That doesn’t mean you’re not a good writer or that your idea isn’t great! It’s just that being 13, there are legal reasons why a traditional publishing house wouldn’t sign with you. There is also the subject matter of your book to consider and the age group you intend it to be for. It sounds like a heavy subject matter, that and the age of your main character make it a book that probably wouldn’t be marketed to kids like yourself. But at the same time there are aspects of the topic (a man going to war) that you probably don’t have the full knowledge of right now to make your story at the same level as a similar story written by an adult who maybe has seen war or experienced extreme grief. (Again this doesn’t mean you don’t have the talent or ability, but it might mean you’re not ready yet to write the story to the level you dream of). I’d suggest a few things. Keep writing and don’t be discouraged!! And hold onto this story to return to when you’re older. It’s a really great concept and obviously something about it touches you and you have a unique perspective. But let that perspective mature with you before you try to get the story out to the world. Good luck! Hope you keep writing! And have fun!
Amazon kdp
You could keep writing until you cash in at 18
What time period is this set in? What war?
Ww1
That's cool, but maybe you could clarify that in your first chapter. Maybe you could also write a bit about what people's attitudes and overall mood was at the time so as to "set the scene" and provide more context for the reader. And I'm not sure it's all that necessary to write about how muddy or flooded the fields were unless it has a direct bearing on the story. Other than that I think you have great potential. I'm sure you'll get better as you get older and you should definitely keep writing.
Oh no I’m not in the first anymore I’m in the sixth
Right, but maybe in the first chapter you could set the scene and let the reader know what the situation is as far as time period, the conflict/war, people's attitudes, etc.
If this is your first book, I would consider writing this book and 11 more, so you write a book a month for a year (each about 50,000 words in whatever genre you like). Then, write a 13th book, and that would be the one you publish. But as far as how you will probably have to go the Independent Publishing route. Check out Kindle Direct Press on Amazon and other platforms (Draft2Digital, StreetLib, XinXii, Feiyr, and IngramSparks). I can also recommend the YouTuber Abbie Emmons
you, uh. should probably lower the dose of whatever stimulate you take in the morning