I'm currently at the end of my Sophomore year in high school and I'd like to get a job that somehow involves writing this summer. I've come to the conclusion that about the only place that I could really get into this in town (it's a small town) is to work for the local paper. Are there any other options that I don't know about or haven't considered? Does anyone have past or present experience in writing for a newspaper? I don't really know what to expect.

Thanks,

Corey

I've been a reporter for nearly 10 years. What do you want to know?

Start writing for your High School Paper. Don't have one? Then start one. I'm sure the English department would get behind it.

Write three pages every morning. Doesn't matter what.

Read. Read some more. Read a lot.

Read books on writing. Bradbury's Zen and the art of writing, Anne Le Mottes "Bird by bird" are good places to start. The Writers Journey is my favorite.

Write for a newspaper and send it in.

Collect rejections. Collect a lot.

Write some more.

Write not because you want to... but because you can't "not" write.

Make sure, in your heart of hearts, that you really really REALLY want to be a 'writer'.... and not an 'author'.

Then realize you are one.

I'm currently at the end of my Sophomore year in high school and I'd like to get a job that somehow involves writing this summer. I've come to the conclusion that about the only place that I could really get into this in town (it's a small town) is to work for the local paper. Are there any other options that I don't know about or haven't considered? Does anyone have past or present experience in writing for a newspaper? I don't really know what to expect.

Thanks,

Corey

Adding a note to Richard's comments, Robert Heinlein's advice to writers including submitting the same piece repeatedly until it sold. He had A, B, C, D... etc lists of publishers. He'd produce a story, put his name on it, and submit it to each A list publisher in turn. If none of them picked it up, he'd change to a new pen name and submit it to his B list. If none of them bought it, he'd change the pen name again and submit it to the C list. And he'd keep up the process, working his way down the list, until someone finally bought it.

Call the editor at the local paper and ask him these questions.