Writing for teens: Communicating across multimedia
Do you have teens who love reading and writing, but you’re wondering what career options are available to them? Or perhaps you’re worried that their writing ability might not get them into the college of their choice? Or perhaps they’ve started a blog, and you’ve checked it out, but you weren’t impressed? Maybe you just want your kids to have a productive summer break?
Inquirer Academy is offering a new Writing Summer Camp (one each for high school seniors and college students) to address such concerns. We also thought we’d check with one of our young reporters on what inspired her to become a writer, full-time, and what her advice would be for aspiring young writers.
We talked to Sara Pacia, who is already a Senior Digital Producer in Inquirer.net, and Digital Content Editor in Philippine Daily Inquirer.
Why did you choose a career in writing? What inspired you?
I chose a career in writing because I love to tell stories, and I felt that working in media would be the best way I could share those stories with as wide an audience as possible. I was inspired by the many writers and journalists before me whose stories enlightened me on the world as a kid, and I hope to one day tell stories that enlighten others, too, and inspire them as well.
I believe writing (and communicating, for that matter) is a powerful skill to master. After all, the importance of telling stories is not just limited to the field of journalism. All careers involve writing one way or another, whether it is telling the story of numbers and data, or convincing the public to think one way or another.
What tips on writing can you share with us? The usual advice is to read more, and practice, practice, practice. Would you agree?
I concur with the advice to read more and keep writing. As the author Neil Gaiman says, only 1 percent of stuff you will have written will actually be great, but if you don’t keep writing, you will never write anything great.
But I have one more important advice that I think is extremely needed, especially today: Stay informed. I believe that for stories to change the world, they have to be grounded in the reality of our readers. If readers cannot relate to what we writers are communicating, our mission to enlighten and inspire will fail.
Staying informed does not just mean knowing current events; it also means being in tune with today’s culture and understanding how things work and why people think the way they do (even if you may not agree with it). Staying informed also ensures you will not just be a good writer but also a great communicator overall.
The Inquirer Academy, in partnership with the Philippine Daily Inquirer, is offering a workshop entitled “I-Explore: Writing camp for High School Seniors” on May 3 to 4.
Learn to become an all-around communicator using the many multimedia tools freely available in today’s technology-driven society.
