Tips for teen writers

From three bestselling authors who started in their teens

I’ve met a lot of keen teen writers over the years, through school visits, writing workshops, literary festivals and library talks, and I’m always surprised by just how many of them are writing novels.

I say this because I didn’t start writing my first novel until my mid-twenties – mostly because I hadn’t occurred to me that I could write a novel – and then it took another ten years before I was published (in non-fiction!).

Do I wish I’d started sooner? Sometimes. But I still wonder what I would have written about…

But not all writers are like me.

Writers like Isobelle Carmody, Will Kostakis and Lili Wilkinson began their writing and publishing journeys in their teens and are not only still publishing books today, but are bestsellers and award-winners and everything in between.

I asked them to share some of the things they’ve learned about writing and publishing – and for their best tips for young writers.