Actually, that's one of the things I was thinking about writing a story about me, loosely based or autobiographical. I just don't want to be like some people that are in their twenties and writing autobiographies.
In the early '70s - a very good time for children's books and their authors - editors and publishers were willing to take a chance on a new writer. They were willing and able to invest their time in nurturing writers with promise, encouraging them.
Young artists must pave their way to Art by drawing pictures for magazine stories that young authors write to pave their way to Literature.
My advice to would-be young authors is to read a lot, write a lot, and not worry about creating a finished product. Keeping a journal is not a bad idea either.
There's a lot of young authors out there, and people do seem to forget: in order to write well, you do need to have some experience.
The first time I met Harlan Ellison, we were both unpublished young punks in Cleveland, Ohio.
Seeing your work in print is exciting, especially when you're young. It's that feeling that you have some effect on the world outside of your immediate neighbourhood.
After all, it is a common weakness of young authors to put too much into their papers.
I was 17 when I wrote a collection of short stories and wanted it published but it didn't happen. A lot of publishing houses don't allow young authors to enter into writing segments.
