Websites For Young Writers

My daughter wants to be a writer when she grows up. “Oh, how sweet, just like her mom,” you may think. Not quite. She will quickly correct anyone who jumps to that conclusion. “Like J.K. Rowling! Do you know how much money she makes?”

Fortunately, money is not the only thing that motivates this young writer. It is only an issue because she has been told daily for the past 5 years that money is the one thing standing between her and her very own horse. She is fascinated by the Harry Potter series and would like to create a series of her own someday.

She has been writing stories for years now. First, she would dictate her ideas to me and I had to write them word for word. Her first book was The Dinosaur Bone which was followed by her first play, The Princess and The Prince , which tells the story of a princess knight rescuing a rather weak prince, who is unable to save himself from a mean dragon.

She is getting older and writing all on her own now. Out of a desire to encourage her creativity, I began searching for an online writing community just for kids. I know how much I appreciate peer support, and I think she would too.

Here are the best of the sites I explored:

• NaNoWriMo for Young Writers: As a part of the National Novel Writing Month, this site provides young writers with a personal page to track their novel writing progress as well as tips and encouragement in the process and a forum to discuss challenges. It is most active during the month of November.
• Young Writers Online is a forum and community for young writers. They also have a chat feature, so be sure to clarify your rules with your child or teen before allowing them to use this platform.
• KidPub.com: They claim to have the largest collection of kid-authored stories on the web. Kids can post stories, plays and reviews. They can receive and add comments, and enter seasonal contests sponsored by KidPub, for a chance to win prizes such as a $50 Amazon gift certificate. All members are invited to add a paragraph to the collaborative Never-Ending Stories section. KidPub has been online for over ten years and a one-year membership is $12.95.
• Kids-space.org: This free site is designed for kids 13 and under. In the creative activities section kids can submit artwork or photos to the gallery, read or send in their own stories, or create a cooperative picture book with another child.
• Kids.faithwriters.com: A writing community for Christian kids ages 7-14. Kids can submit their writing by age, or category. Some categories include stories, poems, riddles and jokes. There is a weekly topic to write about, and the winner is posted on the front page of the site. Members are also able to browse other submissions, comment and make friends.

Choose a site that seems like a good fit for your child. Participation should be a fun and encouraging experience for them. Children should always be monitored when spending time online and teens should be well informed of the dangers of giving out any personal information in forms or through chatting.