Talented teenagers turn to the Net to showcase their creativity

A host of sites created exclusively to promote teen writing is giving youngsters a chance to show off their talent to a wider audience. 

"I am not famous yet," jokes 17-year-old George Samuel, from Kochi. Samuel has just debuted as a writer online and is extremely excited: "It is terrific because your work is getting a global release. The best thing is that you get to know how others rate your work and vice versa."

Teenagers with talent and skill have always sought an outlet. And the Web now gives it to them. "The Internet is infinitely quicker than any other easily accessible medium," comments Gulnar Mistry, editor, freshlimesoda.com. "While people may have to wait a considerable period of time before their work is published in, say, a local magazine, the queues are shorter online."

She continues: "And this is, I think, a big reason for the large number of submissions that flow in every single day. There are a number of sites that publish teenage writing, but there is never a dearth of material. Clearly, there is a purpose that is being served."

Gulnar says: "Most often, I am fascinated. Aside from the sheer quantity of writing, I find that there is a very steady movement towards different subjects and styles, either consciously or otherwise. The topics might range from the Beatles to the BBC. I think it's safe to say that when I'm not fascinated, I am almost always pleasantly surprised."

Sudeep Rane, a college-going teenager from Mumbai, loves to chat online. He was not into writing, but explains how the Web has helped him polish his communication skills: "During the initial days of chatting, I used to ignore grammar and spelling guidelines.  I never paid any attention until one of my messenger buddies pointed out the terrible mistakes I was making."

The incident inspired Sudeep to improve: "I made a conscious effort to improve my writing skills by reading and studying how others talk and write." That also encouraged him to get into writing and though his work is yet to be published, Sudeep is happy that he has been able to lift his standards.

As a teenager, Gopinath Menon adored Mark Twain's literary works. He sent his writings to a few publications, only to get rejected. Slowly the passion died. Working as a banking professional in Mumbai now, Menon says: "This is something I couldn't even dream of those days!  I am happy that my son will get an opportunity that I missed."

According to Menon, a feeling of recognition is a must for any budding writer. Helping youngsters publish their works in a medium where interactivity is the key has been the Web's biggest advantage.

"I have seen lot of friends who possess tremendous creative skills. But shyness stops them," says Almira Sahu, a freelance writer from Baroda. "The 'anonymity' factor of the Web helps you to send across anything that comes in your mind and that is a big advantage for these 'blushing' writers. Tailor-made sites for teenagers can understand their work better," she points out.

"There's a certain level of anonymity which is sometimes essential for budding writers," agrees Gulnar.

There are, of course, disadvantages too. "We receive a lot of copy-cat stuff taken from other online articles and simple mail forwards that raises the issue of authenticity," points out Rashmi Bhansal, editor of JAM, a youth magazine published from Mumbai. 

But Rashmi feels that technology has definitely played an effective role. "Earlier they needed to sit down and write on paper and then post it and wait for the results. Now all they do is type their work and email it." 

Smita Koshy from Bangalore points out that the Web is a showcase for all kinds of writing genres: "I am not into writing stories and poems, but I love composing shayaries and shers." And this young lady is happy that 'miscellaneous' writers have finally found a platform to express themselves.

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