Dear Ben,




I love writing books, but I am too afraid to show them to my friends or put my name on them because I don’t want to be criticized. I want my books to be read, but if they are bad, I don’t want people to mock me for it. What should I do to avoid possible humiliation? How can I get my books read without my name being on it?

Sincerely,

Fiction Tiger



Dear Fiction Tiger,




First of all, if they are your real friends they wouldn’t mock your writing or your passion. But criticism can be a good thing, as long as it’s constructive. Writing is tough, but you should just keep practicing and you will improve over time. If you are writing a piece of fiction with mythical creatures and you want it to stick to traditional legends, you should research by either looking up the classics or watching movies to get a feel of the creatures and their behavior and the style the author uses.




As for anonymous publishing, there is this cool little website called teenink.com. This website posts work from teen authors and allows you to submit your work online. You could either use your real name, keep it anonymous, or you can even make up your own pen name. Now, as the name implies, you do have to be a teen to submit work to the site. I am a member myself and have several pieces of work on the site. I find that it is great way to receive feedback from kids your own age. Also, it’s a good place to meet people you can share ideas with. Plus, the forums on the website also share good ideas from more than one person on how they get over writer’s block and much more.

Also, look out for our new literary magazine on campus. You should contribute your work. Good luck and keep writing.

Sincerely,

Ben