Junior Authors Short Story Contest Testimonials
Thank you for the thank yous. 
These are real quotes from the young writers who have participated in our International Junior Authors Short Story Contest. Their gratitude is deeply appreciated. If you have something to add, please leave a comment below or email laura@laurathomascommunications.com.
READ: What Laura Thomas Does For Young Writers
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“I’m really thankful that Laura Thomas Communications provides an opportunity for young writers like myself to present their work in a healthy and competitive environment.” - Taya
“Thank you for holding this contest, Laura. Even though I didn’t place this time I appreciate all the hard work you put in for free. I think you will be proud to know I will keep participating until I place, since that’s what a true writer would do. Once again, thank you.” - Sairah
“Thank you very very much for hosting this wonderful and amazing contest. When I tried searching for an international short story competition, your contest was the best one that I could find!” - Alisha
“This competition is what motivated me to keep writing short stories when I lost interest a few months ago. It’s great to see that someone other than my mom thinks I have talent! Thank you for organizing this, and I will certainly be entering every year until I’m 21!” - Francois
“Thanks so much for putting on this contest every year. I know it’s a lot of work but I really appreciate it.” - Amrita
“I’d like to thank you very much for running this contest every year. It must be a huge amount of work to keep going, and I appreciate it very much, as I’m sure do the many other writers who have participated this year and all the years before.” - Gessienne
“Hi Laura! I just wanted to tell you thanks for letting me have such a wonderful experience! Me and Cristina Gandasegui (6th place winner in 2015) worked really hard on our stories…are in a club in our school in which we write and write and write! We do prompts and learn tips from our fantastic teacher! Again, thank you for letting me have such a wonderful experience! Even though I didn’t win I still got to celebrate Cristina’s victory. - Daniel
“Thank you so much for hosting the contest. I appreciate the opportunity and I’m sure others do as well.” - Herminia
“Placing second in this competition has inspired me to continue with my writing and persevere even when I think I’m failing, because it could be worth it. From this competition, I’m now rethinking my degree choice for next year; before I intended to apply for English literature, but now I am going to apply for English literature with creative writing. This is primarily because I now feel so much more confident in my writing, and my inherent passion for it appears to have been reignited. So thank you, Laura. Thank you for taking the time to run this competition and thank you for seeing something good in my writing. It won’t be me alone who has been hugely benefited by this incredible competition.” - Emily
“Thank you so much for creating a contest in which young authors can keep growing. It is such a unique, challenging, and wonderful opportunity. I know it is a lot of work, but I hope you know how much that means to all of us!” – Meredith
“I just want to say thank you. I live in Mexico and as you may know, we don’t read a lot over here and pursuing a career as a writer is very uncommon. We are trying to get back the culture of reading, though; but it is a slow process. I want to say that I understand that it is hard work to read all of those 800-something entries and I appreciate it deeply. Thank you for reading mine. Even though my short story did not win nor pass to the finalists, I want to thank you. I want to thank you for giving me the opportunity to write. I find that writing is the easiest way for me to express my emotions. And I think it is a great idea to involve teenagers in this great art…. I know that you have inspired many and will keep on having an impact on young lives.” - Katia
“This contest that you are hosting annually encourages a lot of young writers to preserve their talent despite the fact that some of us are pursuing careers other than writing. I hope that you will keep on inspiring young writers…. - Aljay
“I want to say a big thank you to you and your wonderful team for all you do for emerging writers around the world year on year. Speaking of Nigeria, I’m proud to have represented my country so well in my category. I hope more of us get to participate in future contests. Once again, thanks a million!” - Peter
“I just wanted to say thank you for having these. Every year, when you hold them, it gives me motivation to write and to pursue my passion of the written word. In so many ways creative writing is discouraged–at school, in the business world, and life in general, that it really makes a difference to be able to participate in your contests. If I hadn’t first entered your contest I would’ve never discovered your site, and I wouldn’t have had the amazing opportunities I have today. It thrills me to get to the finals and motivates me even if that’s the farthest I go. Being able to compare my writing from each past year is invaluable. This was just a thank you from me (and I’m sure many other young authors) for supporting our writing dream and holding these contests. It really does mean the world.” - Sylvia Nica, Winner of the 2013 NaNoWriMo Polly Prize and Author of Echoes of the Past
“I really want to thank you. My daughter was like Polly, always talking about being a writer, and never actually writing beyond school or strong yet lonely scenes. Your contest, and her desire to participate led her for the first time ever to actually come up with a full story, write it and edit it, and edit it and edit it.” - Mom of a participant
“I have been searching the internet for months trying to find a writing competition that was free and allowed international teenagers participate and I am glad I finally stumbled upon this one.” - Lucas
“I especially want to thank you for all the contests you’ve hosted throughout the years of LTC – the ones I entered and the ones I did not. You and your team don’t receive half the thanks you deserve. I can’t even imagine all the work that goes into judging.” - Cindy
“I just wanted to thank you for everything you do for aspiring young authors everywhere. Every year, when you hold the contest, I remember what it felt to be creating a story from scratch and it reminds me of my passion for writing and weaving stories in general. I’ve always wanted to write since I was young, but nobody ever encouraged me to continue on that path as if they wanted me to forget about it and pursue something more ‘useful’ and ‘popular’ in the modern world. But everytime i check your website, every time I enter the contest, I am reminded of my love for writing and for that, I am deeply grateful. So thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the time and hard work you spent on this contest.” - Avery
“I just wanted to thank you so much about what you do for young authors. I appreciate so much about how you have these amazing contests that really give a chance for young writers to shine. This is the second writing contest I have entered, and I am just extremely grateful for you choosing my story as a finalist. Even if I don’t win, or wasn’t a finalist, I will never forget this experience that has made me become a better writer and a better person.” - Brooke
“Thank you for running the short story contest and giving me the opportunity to enter. I would have emailed sooner but I didn’t know that you COULD email in to say thank you.” - Eve
“Thank you for for holding these contests. Every year, when you hold them, it gives me motivation to write and to pursue my passion of the written word. In so many ways creative writing is discouraged– at school, in business, and in life in general, that it really makes a difference to be able to participate in your contests. If I hadn’t first entered your contest I would’ve never discovered your site, or at least I would’ve discovered it much later, and I wouldn’t have had the amazing opportunities I have today. This was just a thank you from me (and I’m sure many other young authors) for supporting our writing dream and holding these contests. Thank you.” – Sylvia
“I just wanted to say thanks for helping me out a lot with my writing! I’ve entered into the Junior Authors Writing Contest twice in the past three years, and in 2013 I attended the first of the writing conferences!! I’ve improved a lot over the past few years, and although I haven’t made the finalists in the contests I always enjoy reading the winner’s work! - Kaia
“Dear Miss Laura. Thank you so much for all you do for this contest! It must take a lot of work and effort to keep it all running. Imagine 838 entries to read and judge! Also, thank you for keeping the contest free this far. I have entered twice before, and I have never become a finalist, but it is still so much fun. I hope you keep it free, but I understand that it is a lot of effort and there might be an entry fee. Again, thank you so much for all you do!” -Adaline
“Thank you for investing your time and resources into encouraging children to write.” - Mel
“Thank you again for this amazing opportunity! There are not that many writing competitions for youth that are international, so I think it’s awesome that you keep it open for everyone around the world.” - Elizabeth
“I entered a story last year, but after reading Polly Wants to Be a Writer, and looking at my short story again, I see that it is just a lump of clay, and I should have edited it so much more! I am hoping that this year my story will have improved considerably. This is an amazing opportunity for young writers, and I hope to participate in it for many more years to come!” - Rebecca
“Impressed by your efficiency and dedication towards this competition.”
“I was searching for story contests online to fuel my passion as a writer when I stumbled upon this amazing contest. I read other stories and loved each one of them. Not only winning this contest make you feel like being on the top of the world but participating in it and discovering so many other young writers like me brings a smile to my face. Thanks to the organizers for such a wonderful contest and giving aspiring writers the opportunity to shine forth.” - Sheetal
“First of all, I would like to express my gratitude to you once again for holding this contest. You should have seen my family when they heard I got 4th! We were all screaming and cheering, and I felt like a rockstar. Being in the top six has boosted my confidence in my writing so much. I can’t wait for next year.” - Victoria
“For me, this contest is more than writing a short story, it is an outlet to allow me to pursue my passion. It can be hard and challenging, wanting to make it as a writer. When you tell people this, they look at you and scoff a little. Those people don’t matter, because for every ten of them there is one person like you and people like your judges who encourage us to follow our hearts and minds and spirits. Knowing that somewhere my voice, and the voices of hundreds of other young writers, are being heard gives me hope. So, thank you, to you and the judges for, not only a contest but hopes for our dreams and for fanning the flame in our bellies to pursue our passion.” - Participant in the 2013 Junior Authors Short Story Contest
“This contest has been really good for me. Though the results have not yet been published, I have thoroughly enjoyed myself. As this is my first writing contest, I have found the entire experience exciting, and I believe many other amateur writers in this competition feel the same. Thank you for this contest and all it has done for me.” - Nicole
“Thank you for everything you do for young writers. Like you, Laura, I feel that younger writers do not have the opportunity to get their writing out there, or feel like it is really good, or even just get some decent feedback. Sure, there are websites that you can post your writing on, but some of them aren’t very good, or are dominated by adults, or aren’t real sites that offer proper advice. Thank you for doing all that you do, and I will most definitely be entering the 2014 competition, after being a finalist in the 2013 one (which also gave me a real confidence boost – so much so, I started putting my writing out there more!). Thank you, once again.” - Hannah
“Thank you very much for the opportunity this competition presented! I will most certainly be entering the 2014 competition ” - Chloe
I’ve never had the chance to thank you for setting up the short story and poetry contest up. They inspire me to write more, even when I don’t think I have an idea that will stand out or anyone will like; it pushes me on. When I entered your short story contest, even though I wasn’t even a finalist, I still felt good because 1 it was an international contest and 2 the winning stories inspire me to write even more. They made me think of things in new ways. I think it’s funny that this whole time I’ve been on the Insider mailing list, I’ve never told you this until now. This was one of the primary reasons I wanted to sign up; so I could say thank you. - Blaze
“Thank you so much for the story contest it surely was a positive experience. Thank you for inspiring me to be a better writer!” - Rylee
“I would just like to thank you on the hard work and effort, you and your team, has put into this business which allows youngsters around the world to express their writing skills, learn more and gain advice from you to produce amazing stories and poems. I appreciate this chance to submit my writing into the competitions as they look really exciting and fun. I don’t think there are much websites that involve writing stories and competitions so, when I saw yours I was over the moon! I really love writing poems and stories however, I am often unsatisfied that they are written to the best of my ability. But I am confident that my writing will improve with the help you and your website. I am sure lots of people would thank you and appreciate the time and effort you and your team take out for it.” - Zabreen
“This contest is like candle burning in a dark room for me. When I came to know about it, it made me feel good. I saw a light – a hope!” - Puja
“Your contest is a splendid opportunity for young authors. All the time and effort you put in is much appreciated.” - Kaitlin
“Thanks for all your hard work in putting this competition together. It is a great way to get young children motivated with their writing.” – Sasha, Mom of Junior Author
“Thank-you so much for this opportunity, it means more than you will ever know to me. As a young writer, I’ve always felt that many people weren’t interested in hearing my voice until I became older, wiser. To have you encouraging young writers, helping them—it’s a beautiful thing. People like you are what all aspiring authors need to grow and learn in this world.” - Mirabelle
“Thanks so much, the comments are really helpful and know I see why my story wasn’t up to standards. I thought that ending it at a cliffhanger might be alright, but now I know that for next year I will wrap it up and try to have a good plot with a strong ending. I can’t wait until next year. And thanks for the opportunities you give young writers.” - Alixa
LTC in the news: Author Expands Support for Young Writers
“Congratulations Laura the recognition is so well deserved, you are making a huge difference in the lives of wanna be writers. Beautiful article for your wonderful work!” - From the proud mom of a 2013 finalist
“Thank you for creating such a wonderful vehicle for children to express themselves and develop great life, learning and of course writing skills.” - Sharon (Parent of Junior Author)
“Just passing the time while I wait anxiously for the contest results! I thought I might just write a nice random email just for you Regardless, I am proud of my writing whether or not I am a winner. In my opinion, you don’t have to be the best, just be happy with the hard work you’ve done. Thanks for creating this great contest.” - Meelahn
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for starting such an amazing contest that clearly puts faith in young writers. I’m excited to see if I did well and I hope you have a great day! Thank you - Michelle
“You are an incredible inspiration and positive force in the world of young writers! As a mom of a 10 year old aspiring writer, I applaud the enthusiasm and the encouragement you demonstrate consistently! Parents are always going to be proud of their children and encourage them in their passions, but it is NOT the same when the encouragement comes from an outside source. These youth are so blessed to have you and I am grateful that outside of the classroom my daughter has a way to start pursuing her dream. Thank you most sincerely. - Joyce (Mother of Junior Author)
“I just wanted to say a big thank you to you and your team for organising this competition so young writers like me can have a go at getting our writing out into the world. Also the fact that you send a confirmation email to say that you have actually got our piece is great because I have entered quite a lot of other competitions and none of them keep you updated or even let you know that they have your piece. So thank you again.” - Danielle
“I just wanted to say thank you so much for this opportunity! I’m proud for what I’ve accomplished and proven myself to be capable of.” - Celina
“With all the insecurities and failures I’ve gone through recently that made me doubt about whether I am fit for writing or not, being one of the finalists really changed all that. I guess I just needed acceptance for my writing because no one I know really gets what it’s like to write so, this is a big thing for me right now, and I hope it doesn’t stop there. Thank you for this contest!” - Darla
“I’d just like to Thank You for the feedback as I found it very helpful and the ‘insider’ opportunities you offer on a regular basis, I find them very useful too.” - Simran
“I just wanted to thank you again for hosting the writing contest! Whether or not I had been a finalist, it was a great encouragement to me. I got back into the rhythm of writing. The realization that I was a finalist simply blew me away! (Here come the longest four weeks of my life!) I am more motivated than ever to work hard at writing. Thank you so much for this incredible opportunity.” - Victoria
“I didn’t make it as a finalist but I wanted to thank you for running this competition anyway. I really enjoyed writing my entry and this gave me enough motivation to complete a story which is something I normally struggle with so thank you very much. I very much appreciate the oppurtunity and all the work you have done.” - Beth
“Thanks Laura for the opportunity. My story didn’t make it and I admit I was pretty disappointed but I guess some things just don’t work the way we want them to sometimes. I appreciate the general feedback you’ve given us all, and I’ll try to work harder on my stories next time! Thanks for everything, and I think you’re really cool. God bless - Calvin
“I’m one of those who submitted a story for your contest. But after some weeks, I lost interest in writing totally. Up until now, I have no idea why or how it happened. But I saw your mail and decided to check new posts and. I got my inspiration back. Thank you so much Laura.” - Amy
“I found your short story contest by pure luck. It was the week before the entries where due and I was bored so naturally the internet seemed the best way to keep me occupied. I had run out of websites to visit and videos to watch so I typed my name into google. After scrolling down for a bit I found your website. It was by pure luck I found it and I’m really thankful that I did. I began writing my story the very next day and submitted it just before the deadline. I might not win the contest but just knowing I entered and tried is enough for me. Thank you for the opportunity.” - Laura
“THIS IS JUST A CASUAL MAIL I’M WRITING TO YOU. I REALLY APPRECIATE FROM THE CORE OF MY HEART ON WHATEVER YOU ARE DOING TO INSPIRE YOUNG TALENTS. VERY FEW PEOPLE TODAY, UNFORTUNATELY GIVE A COLD SHOULDER TO WRITERS WHO ARE NOT VERY FAMOUS OR MAYBE TRYING TO WRITE A BOOK OR WHATSOEVER. BUT YOU ARE DOING SOMETHING REALLY GREAT. KUDOS TO YOU LADY.” - Sudipta
“Thank you for inviting me to be a part of something amazing.” - Muneerah
“To be perfectly honest I’ve never done something like the Junior Authors Short Story Contest ever before and it’s both terrifying and exhilarating. I’m not expecting to win, not by a long shot, but you’ve really made me realise that young people can be writers. You’ve inspired me. I showed my writing to my family and they loved it. It was such a nice feeling because I was afraid it was all in my head. It’s funny how things work out, isn’t it? I’m not looking for first place, because I’ve already won something untouchable; confidence. I may not be quite ready to share my writing with everyone, I don’t want to be judged, but one day I will be ready and on that day I will be proud. So, thank you. You have no idea what you’ve done for me and I’m sure so many others. Well, you probably do, that was the whole point of this. But I want you to know that you reached out to us young authors and we reached back. Happiness is too insignificant of a word to sum up what I feel about what I have succeeded in doing and what I can still do. Words are a beautiful thing to be able to share. Thank you so much for everything you do and everything you don’t know you do, it’s truly amazing.” - H.
“Hi Laura, I just want to say thank you for this amazing opportunity, you are the reason I might be an author when I am older and if I make the finalists I will have more confidence in pursuing my dreams and be more open about my imagination an sharing my ideas. I am in year 7 and I am a junior leader in student voice. I joined it to boost my confidence in letting out my opinion. I have never been the type of person to say what I feel after my rough childhood because I never believed it mattered. Thank you for giving me this opportunity.” - Alyssa
“Hi! I entered your short story writing contest. I just wanted to thank you for hosting this contest! I really like to write and I was so happy when I found out about your contest! Thanks again for hosting it!:D - Julia
“thank you for the update. the judge’s comments you sent us, too were indeed helpful. It’s nice to know where all there might be room for improvement. thanks a lot.” - Priyanka
“I found the judges comments very helpful, some of them applied to me and the way i wrote so I am keeping them in mind when I start my story for the next contest.” - Peter
“I loved the general comments and I found them really helpful as a guide for my future stories.” - Natasha
“When your book is released in October, I will definitely buy it if I can. The title really piques me. To be honest, I have always been looking for something like it but have failed…until now, of course!” - Matthew
“I’m one of those who submitted a story for your contest. But after some weeks, I lost interest in writing totally. Up until now, I have no idea why or how it happened. But I saw your mail and decided to check new posts and. I got my inspiration back. Thank you so much Laura.” - Amy
“To show my gratitude I want to tell you not only what this means to me, but what an amazing thing your doing for writers across the world. This means a lot to me, this means recognition for my writing. I love the fact that this is free, anyone can enter – anyone has a chance…its admirable really.” - Kevin
“this contest is a great opportunity :-)” - Chloe
“Thank you so much for hosting the Junior Authors Contest! What a blessing to discover such an amazing incentive to write. Since composing a short story and entering it, I have discovered that I have a love of the short-story form. Previously, I thought that I could only write novels. Now, I am aware of my ability to squish a good story into a few pages. I know that there is a lot of work to be done as the stories are being scored, and I will be praying for you and the rest of the judges. Drink lots of coffee/tea and get plenty of sleep! By the way, when I get really exhausted, I mix together equal parts whole coffee beans and chocolate chips. It’s perfect when you need an extra burst of energy, or even if you just get the munchies while writing. Try it if short-story-scoring is wearing you out! 
Thank you so much again.” - Victoria
“I would like to show my gratitude for all the efforts that you’ve put in organizing the writing competition for young writers. It is not everyday that we get such a unique opportunity to hone our skills and display our works and all that for free! Thanks a lot for helping us develop! And to speak on a very personal level, it is probably the first time that I’ve been able to compete on such a large scale and am being judged by a professional writer. Your efforts are not only encouraging but also inspiring.” - Sameera
“Thank you so much for the feedback! This is such a wonderful opportunity and the comments are immensely helpful!” - Samantha
“I’d really like to thank you for hosting this amazing worldwide contest. I’ve been searching for writing competitions but I couldn’t find one that was worldwide. When I discovered this contest, I felt really elated. No words can describe my happiness. I’ve always wanted to be an author ever since I was 9. This may be an opportunity to see if my writing skills are good enough to win, or it could even be a practice for me to improve. Just to conclude, I really cannot express my love and gratitude towards Laura and this competition. If I don’t win, I’ll come back next year!” - Sara
“Thank you Laura! This contest is so exciting and fills me with admiration and hope for my future career in the art of language!” - Hannah
“Thank you so much for giving young writers the opportunity to share our work! I love how people from around the world are able to share their stories and thoughts with others and get feedback from seasoned professionals. Not only are the writing contests fun, but they’re also free thanks to all of the people who donate and understand that writing is a way of life.” - Taylor
“This contest is a huge opportunity for me to show that I am good at writing and it gives me an idea of whether or not I should forward my career in writing.” - Alyssa
I am so grateful for this contest! I have been looking everywhere for a free contest that I can submit my stories to and when I found this one, it was just perfect! I would love to thank the volunteers and Laura for all their hard work and effort. This contest is great and valuable to writers, because sometimes you just want to share your work and have someone look at it, besides your friends and teachers telling you its perfect. It’s nice to have an honest opinion. I’ll see if I can get my mom to let me do the $10 feedback. Can’t wait for the results and sorry if this was too long!” - Derity
“I can’t begin to express how grateful I am to the volunteers who have taken time out. I’ve wanted to write books for as long as I can remember and have been looking for a competition for nearly as long. Coming across this competition meant a lot to me and being able to share my work with someone who was willing to share my creativity (as well as other peoples) for free, is something that is very rare. So a huge thank you for making it possible for me to enter and I can’t wait for the upcoming results!” -Vivian
“This contest means so much to me, I absolutely adore writing, my biggest dream is to become a writer, the entry that i submitted was not one of my best stories, and I am slightly disappointed that I didn`t enter a different story, but never mind, I’m still praying that my name will come out`.” - Jordan
“I appreciate greatly the fact that this competition was free, and easily accessible. I am extremely passionate about writing, and feel it the perfect way to express myself. To win this competition would be absolutely amazing and my greatest achievement. Through this experience, I feel I have been nurtured to ensure I am motivated to pursue my writing even further in the future. Additionally, I feel as though I have established my own individual genre and style, along with the route I want to take with my writing. I am very thankful that I was given the opportunity to enter this competition, and remain grateful towards the judges who have taken their time to evaluate my hard work.” - Katie
This was my third time round entering the contest, and even though I wasn’t a finalist, I continue to enjoy and appreciate it. Ever year the quality of each of my entries continues to majorly improve, and it’s nice to look back on them and see how far I’ve come. This year both my younger brother and sister entered, so it’s become something of a family tradition. I appreciate that you’ve continued running it and kept it free to enter. On the behalf of all three of us, thank you Laura.
Hi Laura,
I wanted to say thanks for having this contest! My sister and I normally don’t write short stories, but it was the first time she’d been involved in something professional, and it really opened the way for me to mentor her better in writing. Thanks for giving me that chance; we had fun!
I found this contest easy to apply to and easy to follow for beginner contest entries. I haven’t entered a writing contest since I was a younger kid, and gaining my confidence back as a teen, I enjoyed this contest as a beginning to getting back into the swing of writing
Hi Laura,
This is the first time my two girls enter the competition (category 6: under 10 ). Though it’s a non competitive category, it’s a good start for them to pen down their stories. Really appreciate what you have done for the young writers. You have certainly inspire them to write! Thank you.
Warm Regards,
Esther
Hi Laura. You are a great person because you care and sympathise with the emotions buried within every young writer on the planet and give them this grand opportunity to write their hearty sentiments out in the form of short stories and poems and then even attain international recognition. Your prestigious competitions are invigorating and challenging for every young writer who participates and amalgamates one single passion from every vast and participating country: the passion to write and pursue it as a careeer. Thank you so much for this platform to transcend our calibres and exhert our passions in a great cause.
Hi Laura
Thank you for running this contest! Your whole website has taught me so much about writing, and your contests are a way to put it into practise.
Thanks!
Thank you so much for investing your time in this competition. It’s a great incentive to write and a great opportunity to get your writing out there! I really appreciate you taking time off your summer vacation to do it.
Hopefully this will continue for many years to come!
Thank you for everything you do for young writers. Like you, Laura, I feel that younger writers do not have the opportunity to get their writing out there, or feel like it is really good, or even just get some decent feedback. Sure, there are websites that you can post your writing on, but some of them aren’t very good, or are dominated by adults, or aren’t real sites that offer proper advice. Thank you for doing all that you do, and I will most definitely be entering the 2014 competition, after being a finalist in the 2013 one (which also gave me a real confidence boost – so much so, I started putting my writing out there more!). Thank you, once again.
There were so many fabulous entries this year. You all are winners just for entering the contest. It is the first step to becoming a published author. Be brave enough to enter contests. Not only are the participants in this contest highly creative, they are polite and grateful. I am so impressed!! It was an honour to be a judge.
Hello. Have you thought of having a contest for older writers? For those people who are 21-16 for example???
Hi Charikleia. There are a many good resources and contests for adult writers. It is young writers who are not served well, and that’s where I feel I am most needed.