The Young Writers Initiative is building a world where no writer goes unheard due to lack of access, privilege, or opportunity. Where connection and collaboration replace the isolation, exclusivity, and competition that is often associated with the field. TYWI is not only an organization providing opportunities, but a space where young creatives uplift each other, build communities, and boldly share stories that shape generations.
More than 6,000 people helped our community
Most opportunities for young writers are gated by exclusivity, high pay walls, or location. The industry often prioritizes rewarding strong writers without nurturing budding ones. TYWI focuses on developing writers when their work is still in progress, and believes that every young writer in this stage should have equal access to opportunities. We reject that writing is only valuable when it’s chosen, acknowledging that every draft is an essential step that needs to be nurtured, guided, and supported through community with fellow writers and readers.
We believe writing is a vital human craft, not to be automated or optimized. Stories connect humanity, open perspectives, and capture our collective history. That value should be fiercely protected.
Writing is often seen as a solitary activity, and the industry is highly competitive. We believe that all stories have value, and that it is not a zero-sum game. Having a strong and safe community can help motivate and encourage young writers to take their gifts seriously and nurture their craft.
The best writing teacher is writing and reading itself, but a close second is getting real, human feedback. TYWI believes feedback is a strong mechanism that helps writers of all ages mature, find their voice, and create stories that resonate with other people.
As an organization that provides services and opportunities to young, impressionable individuals, particularly minors (under the age of 18), ensuring a safe, trusted, and kind space in all of our programming is a core value of ours. We commit to ensuring a safe environment for minors that minimize risk of potential harm, but also ask parents to partner with us to ensure their child’s online safety. In the case of an incident, the relevant parties will be notified, and they will be removed and banned from any TYWI engagement in the future.
