At the beginning of my senior year in high school, a teen writers' group, which we named Plot Twisters, was established at my local library. As a lifelong writer, I was very excited. I only got to attend regularly for a year because I graduated, but I do go back when I'm home. During the time I spent going to Plot Twisters, I learned a lot.
1. Don't be afraid to throw ideas around
This goes for any ideas you may have. There's no such thing as a stupid idea. Anything can be developed into a great story. Get your idea out there, see what suggestions others may have for you.
2. Every story deserves to be told
This goes with the previous point. If a story grabs you and won't let go, write it. The only way to get a story out of your head is to tell it. Don't be afraid.
3. Chinese food is the only food appropriate for a celebration
Our end-of-the-year dinner party was held at the library after hours, and we all dressed up and got Chinese food, since that was a bit fancier than pizza but still something that everyone could agree on.
4. Be yourself
Don't change what you want to write just because someone doesn't like the idea or doesn't think that it will work. Write what you want.
5. People are a lot more relatable than you think they are
If you're writing about something that you have personal experience with, there's a good chance that someone else has experienced it as well. And, even if they're not writing something that they have personal experience with, people pour a lot of themselves into their writing. It's just part of writing. As Ernest Hemingway said, "There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit at a typewriter and bleed."
6. It's OK to fail
It's perfectly fine if you write that story that's been nagging at you for ages and it just isn't right. Try editing it, and, if it's still beyond all hope of redemption, you can scrap it. There's nothing holding you to any story, besides yourself. Everyone fails. It's a part of being human.
7. Nothing beats a great support system
Whether in person or online, there's nothing better than knowing that you have a group of people there for you when you hit writer's block, you wrote something and want feedback, or when you just have something that relates to writing in some way and need to share it.
8. Your writing is nowhere near as bad as you think
You only think your writing is bad because you wrote it. You only think it's boring and repetitive because you've read it a million times. Someone who's never read it before doesn't think it's bad or boring or any other criticism you might have.
9. Squids are good for comic relief
All stories are worth telling, but not all are written well. Exhibit A: squid DNA. You don't want to know any more than that.
10. Don't be afraid
Of anything. Failure, not telling the story the way you want, what others may think of it, or any other fears you may have. The only thing to be afraid of is holding your story inside you and never telling it.
