Sprouting Ink: November 2020

Poetry

So... writing communities. If you're feeling a little iffy about the whole idea of joining one of these writing communities, I can assure you that these websites are overall very safe and will provide you with a sense of validation. Personally, I don't have that many friends that are writers, and so some of the wonderful people I found through these writing websites really encouraged me to continue writing even when I thought my writing sucked. Which, at the time, most of it did. It didn't matter though. What mattered is that I kept writing and learned from every piece I wrote. And through these websites, I continue to do so. So, without further ado, here are the writing communities!

Young Writers Project
YWP was my first writing community and I was definitely more than a little wary of being ignored, spurned, etc. Instead, I was welcomed with open arms, and in that first month alone I posted nearly every other day! Although they are based in Vermont (and many of the physical publication opportunities are only for VT'ers), they have a piece published as the Daily Read that's displayed on the front page of the website, the monthly The Voice online magazine, and the yearly anthology. In terms of safety, the site only allows users that are 13-18 years old. If you're younger than 13, you'll have to get your parents' permission to create an account. The community on here is very close knit, and if you do decide to make an account feel free to contact me on there!

NaNoWriMo YWP
NaNoWriMo was the second writing site I discovered, but I didn't enter the forums until much later. The idea behind NaNo is to rough out a whole novel during National Novel Writing Month, which is November. They also have additional camps in April and July. However, the forums are open year round! To be on NaNoWriMo YWP forums you also have to be 13-18, or else your account will be removed by the mods. The users are all very diverse and generally quite welcoming, but be forewarned that there is a large emphasis on being "iconic" and known throughout the site. Due to the large amount of users, lots of people make best friends on the site, and the discussions in the forums are some of the most interesting I've ever had/read. Besides noveling, there is also the Short Story Club, Poetry Thread, & I believe there are also threads for bloggers and playwrights!

Write The World
I'm no longer on Write The World because I felt that the three writing sites made me feel kind of stretched thin, but Write The World definitely has an amazing community of writers from all around the world. If you're looking for peer reviews, this is also a great place to get feedback. The main draw of the site for me are the contests held throughout the year that are quite interesting, and there are prizes! But remember that if you do decide to share on this site to get feedback, you should also pay it back to other users who are looking for feedback!

Now, here are a few others that I haven't personally become a part of (two communities is already a lot to juggle), but that you may want to check out:

Reedsy

This site looks to be a fantastic resource for people who enjoy short story writing or are working on a novel. It's free to make an account, there are a ton of short story prompts, and they run a contest every week. Definitely something to check out, especially if you want to try or enjoy short story writing. Do note though that this site is open to all ages, and isn't exclusively for minors.

Prose
I first found Prose through Write The World, when there was a huge upset over the banning of social posts in WTW. Many of the users at the time transitioned over to Prose, which is a place to post all kinds of writing and has various user created and sponsored challenges, some of which offer monetary prizes and publication to the winner. However, this is also a site open to all ages, meaning there is some sexual content included and there may be some extremely rude people. I personally quit Prose after about a month after an altercation involving one (they have since been deleted after being reported), so if you do decide to get a free account here, do exercise some caution. I do want to say though that there are definitely a ton of kind and brilliant writers on this site, so if you are interested in Prose try not to let my one experience dissuade you from giving it a go :)

Underlined

Run by the book publisher Penguin Random House, Underlined makes the list of a lot of top writing communities. By making an account, users gain the ability to access many articles on books and writing, post their pieces, read other users' work, and enter writing contests offered by the site. I couldn't find anywhere that states an age limit, but the content seems to be curated with teens in mind.

Wattpad

Wattpad, at least for me, is all about gaining recognition for ones' work. I personally have only used Wattpad to read others' work, but the site also claims to give its users 50+ writing resources, the ability to enter writing contests, and the chance to be granted a "Watty" award. This site is also for all ages, but is generally quite safe and has propelled plenty of stories to publication and/or movie adaptations.

Overall, when bonding with others on these online communities, be sure to use good judgement and common sense. As a rule of thumb, do get your parents' permission first, don't share personal details, and be sure to report to the site's moderators if anyone makes you feel remotely uncomfortable. You can find and contact me on the first few as "amaryllis" if you ever feel so inclined or are looking for a familiar name, or drop a comment below if you have any questions. Otherwise, have fun & be safe!

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