Writers have a real responsibility to spread certain values to their readers. This is especially the case if you write for kids and teens. I have taken my responsibility of writing with an important message and moral very seriously. I love writing nonfictional articles and stories for children and teens. I think that teens can learn so much from reading material that offers that kind of guidance. However, when you write for kids and teens, the message cannot be preachy or assertoric otherwise you will loose your readers altogether. Teens and tweens need material that is friendly yet leaves them thinking about how they can do better as human beings as they grow up. But how do we inspire this in our readers? There are several ways that we could do this. 1. We must present a message that appeals to teens and what they can relate to. Teens must know that we care through what we write for them. 2. We must write to the teen as if the teen is our friend and we know what they are going through. Writing down to the teen won’t ever work. Most times, the teen will never read our work again. 3. We must urge our readers to go beyond the ordinary and to strive to be the best that they can be. This need not be through didactic discourse as it is through encouragement. 4. We must write manuscripts that are inpirational to the teen. This will help the teen to believe that she can do whatever she puts her minds to. 5. If we can inspire teens and tweens to do and be their best through our writing, they will want to read our articles and books because they will make them feel so good about themselves and their lives. 6. Through our writing, we should try and inspire kids and teens to excel and to be questioning standards that are portrayed through the media and society so that they could do the best that they could to really make a difference in their lives. 7. Your writing should always make a kid or teen feel better about life and not worse. Kids are usually fundamentally happy by nature, so writing about material that is depressing won’t really appeal to them. So, determine the type of writer you want to be and the type of moral you want to portray through your writing. Once you determine what this is, you will have created your niche for your writing. ~ Irene