The Teenage Writer

An accessible guide to help teenagers improve all aspects of their writing skills, from preparing a research paper to creating works of fictionWriting well is a worthwhile skill for anyone to master, but it is especially important for teenagers. To be successful, young adults must write for school, college, and employment; and sometimes, young adults write to be creative or to express themselves. Despite this, most teens don't know how to write well, and this can be a source of great frustration and stress. In The Teenage Writer: A Guide to Writing for School and Creativity, Dr. Timothy Horan presents a remedy for this deficiency. He starts from a belief that all teens are writers at heart-whether they are writing for fun or for school-and can develop their skills and writing potential through proper instruction and practice. Written with a light touch, Horan uses experience, compassion, and humor to make all aspects of writing transparent and understandable. In this book, for example, he provides readers with the following advice:The best writing is clear and simpleAlways start with an outlineAnalyze things in terms of threesWrite the way you talkBelieve in yourself and in your ideasFrom writing an outline, to a paragraph, to a research paper, Horan explains all steps of writing in an accessible, enjoyable manner that takes the anxiety out of the process. An invaluable guide for young writers of all levels and abilities, this book will also be useful for parents, teachers, and all who want to understand the art of writing well.

Timothy Horan (BA, MA, MS, MS, DA) has been the editor of an academic journal, supervisor of a university writing center, adjunct professor of literature and writing, and teacher of high school English. He has over twenty years of experience teaching writing, literature, and library science. Horan is the inventor of the School Library Writing Center, and is widely published in the fields of pedagogy and writing. This is his fifth book about teaching young people how to write.

Acknowledgments
Introduction: How to Build a Birdhouse
Chapter One: Teens Talk: What is Difficult About Writing for School?
Chapter Two: Teens Learn:Read Books and Make Outlines
Chapter Three: Teens Talk: How Did You Cope with the Difficulties of Writing?
Chapter Four: Teens Learn:How toWrite Paragraphs and Academic Arguments
Chapter Five: Teens Talk: What Were Your Successes as a Writer?
Chapter Six: Teens Learn:Creative Writing:Personal Essays and Short Stories
Conclusion: How to Be a Good Student
Resources That Will Help You Learn to Write
References
About the Author