Are you a teenager with a story to tell? NPR and Radio Diaries want to hear it. Write it down, photograph it (and record it if you want) and then submit it to the storytelling site Cowbird.
Beginning in 1996, Radio Diaries gave tape recorders to five teenagers to create audio diaries about their lives. Starting on May 6, All Things Considered will revisit these original diarists, now in their 30s, to document their lives for NPR listeners.
And now the hunt is on for new teen diarists.
We are looking for personal, surprising stories from teenagers today. You can write about anything as long as it's true – like, the first time you fell in love, your most favorite place in the world, the moment you knew you weren't a kid anymore, something compelling about your family.
If you're a teenager who wants a chance to produce a radio diary for NPR, please submit your story to Cowbird through May 31. Two will be picked to produce audio stories with Radio Diaries, and a selection of these stories will be featured on NPR.org next week.
Looking for inspiration before you begin to write? Check out what other teens have submitted so far or listen to the original Teen Diaries. You can also take a look at this Radio Diaries DIY handbook for audio diary help.
Here's how it works:
1) Join Cowbird. It's free!
2) Click "Tell a Story" on the right. Tell your story — but please don't upload material that you don't own, like copyrighted songs, clip art or photographs.
3) Before you publish your story, click the spiral icon that says "Sagas" on the right, then click "Teens."
4) Click "Publish" and you're done! Your story will be considered for posting on NPR.org and Radio Diaries.
If chosen to appear on NPR.org, authors under the age of 18 will be contacted for parental/guardian consent.
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