Kids inspired by new book

Page 19

If you know a kid who likes to write, or if you are one, there's a book you just might want to check out.

So, You Wanna Be A Writer? is part of a series of books aimed at inspiring young readers to reach for the stars. Other books in the series include So, You Wanna Be A Rock Star? and So, You Wanna Be A Comic Book Artist?

While So, You Wanna Be A Writer isn't written by kids, it is definitely written for them, by two people very familiar with both writing and kids.

One of the authors, Vicki Hambleton, is an experienced writer and editor and has a teenaged daughter who is a published writer. The other, Cathleen Greenwood, is a published writer and a teacher who encourages her students to pursue their interests in writing.

The book is filled with tips for young writers on a variety of topics, from where to get ideas to write about, to how to decide what type of writing to do. It advises on how to overcome writers block and how to prepare your finished work for submission to a publisher.

The book is also filled with comments from published authors on how they approach different aspects of writing, covering everything from deciding what to write about, to dealing with publishers.

But what young writers will probably find the most interesting, and most inspiring, about the book are the interviews with young writers.

Ten real kids get the chance to tell their stories in the book. Kids that are no different than any other kids, except that they have chosen to follow their dreams and actively work towards becoming published writers.

Some of the young writers included in the book have already reached that goal and have become published authors, although still barely into their teens. Each of the ten writers shares stories about why they write, how they write, and what tips they have to share with other young writers.

The only drawback to the book is that it is American. While the occasional reference to the president of the United States can be overlooked, the origins of the book makes a large portion of the chapter on resources for writers-including lists of writing contests, book publishers and other possible markets for selling your stuff-pretty much useless for young wannabe writers this side of the border.

But, if what you're looking for is step-by-step guide to getting your ideas on paper and getting them published, then this is a book you should definitely add to your reading list.

So, You Wanna Be a Writer is published by Beyond Words Publishing Inc. and sells for $12.95 Canadian. The book is distributed in Canada by Whitecap Books Ltd. (www.whitecap.ca).