The White Weewoo's 10 Tips for Emerging Writers

     However, the mascot humbly denies being part of the reason The Neopian Times has been a success for all these years. In fact, he gives all credit to the wonderful community of Neopian writers and readers.

     The petpet’s passion is undeniable! He wants to see the writing community thrive, so he does outreach in his spare time. For years he’s taught free workshops for emerging writers, or Neopians simply looking for a creative outlet who want to try their hand at storytelling.

     In celebration of another 50th edition of The Neopian Times, he’s offered to share 10 writing tips every emerging writer should know in hopes that even more Neopians will be inspired to join the growing number of the paper’s contributors. So, read his tips and start writing!

     Straight from the Weewoo’s beak:

     DON’T BE AFRAID OF REJECTION:

     This is the most important tip of all! You don’t (normally) win the gold trophy the first time you play a game, so why would it be any different with writing? You can’t write good stuff without writing bad stuff first: stay motivated and dedicated to your dreams. Keep sending in submissions and each will be better than the last!

     DON’T LISTEN TO NAYSAYERS:

     I’m going to contradict myself and say this tip might be more important than number 1, if not equal. Don’t listen to those who say chasing your dreams of being a writer is a waste of time. Unfortunately, there are people out there who lack imagination but that’s not your problem. Imagine (pun intended) if I had listened to the petpets who said I’d never be able to work at The Neopian Times - much less be the face of it! - just because "Petpets are supposed to follow Neopets around and that’s it." Do not accept limits others try to place on you!

     Invest in a lot of Happyccinos:

     Coffee and writers go hand in hand. This happy little twist to a classic cappuccino is the perfect way to sit down and start off a writing session.

      Buy yourself a nice quill and notebook:

     You never know when inspiration will strike so it’s a good idea to have tools on hand. I, of course, use a Neopian Times Quill and more often than not, a Cloud Notebook (since my head is always in the clouds!) Though, to be fair, I do fly.

     Visit Neopia's Arts and Literature Centre:

     Sometimes you have to dig deep to find the story you want to tell, so why not go to the Deep Catacombs in Neopia Central? There you’ll find a hub of inspirational artistic activities: visit the art gallery, learn to draw, read poetry and storytelling from Neopia’s greatest writers, grab an aforementioned Happyccino at the Coffee Cave and OF COURSE, visit The Neopian Times headquarters! It’s important to engage with and be inspired by the local art community, which leads me to my next tip…

     Collaborate:

     Though collaborations weren’t officially sanctioned by The Neopian Time’s Editor in Chief until Y16, writers took it upon themselves to organize them long before then. Luckily, it’s now commonplace to find writers seeking out collaborators on the Neopian Writer’s Neoboard. Collaboration is beautiful for many reasons: it fosters a deeper connection to the Neopian community, a sense of belonging, and naturally, more diverse writing! Who knows, you might just meet your new best friend! I find that having a creative partner leads to more accountability when it comes to sticking to a writing schedule, at least in the beginning when you are learning discipline with your craft.

     Write what you want to read:

     Do you wish there were more game guides out there? Maybe you’ve been dying to learn more about a dear old friend of mine; The Kelp's mysterious Maitre D'? In which case, you may be interested in taking a more journalistic approach and writing articles; whether they’re features, interviews, or guides. Maybe it's an adventure you crave - like tales of the pirates of Krawk Island’s olden days - you might just be a storyteller. Maybe you have a story you want to tell, but you’d rather use images than words: you may be a comic writer! Find out who you are: put the pen to paper.

     Read what you want to write:

     On the other side of the coin, most good writers are good readers! It’s a great way to study your craft and find out what it is you consider good (or bad.) You’ll learn more about what it is you yourself want to write. To put it poetically, learning the language will help you find your voice. To start, you should read The Neopian Times…well, I guess you’re already doing that. A+!

     Know your audience:

     If getting published is your end goal, this is a tip you’ll want to follow! Familiarizing yourself with the rules of submission and what kind of writing is accepted is a big one! For example, you don’t want to submit poetry to The Neopian Times, you’ll want to head to The Neopian Poetry Contest headquarters! By following orders, rhyming and good timing (see, I just wrote a poem!) you’ll see trophies and accolades in no time!

      Start writing:

     If there’s anything I really want you to take away from my advice it’s this: If you want to be a writer, just start writing. No waiting for the perfect moment or for the perfect idea - just start writing - and the perfect moment and idea will follow. "What else will follow?" you may be wondering. Great question! Lots and lots of editing and proofreading (which I cover in my level 2 writing workshops!) Well, what are you Weewoo-waiting for? Start writing!