One of the most exciting opportunities I have found online for young writers, is the chance to have professional authors meet with them online, discuss writing tips and actually read and comment on the students' writing.   In his article, "Poems That Change the World:  Canada's Wired Writers"  Trevor Owen, a Canadian teacher, discusses the success of a program called WIER (Writers in Electronic Residence) which links students with professional writers online.  The students post poems, prose, and responses to others on the internet, and professional writers respond to the (48).  The students benefit from being part of a community that links them with other students, their own teachers and teachers from other schools, and professional writers (50).  They get the opportunity to see their writing taken seriously by adults other than their teachers, and they are able to see that their writing has an audience beyond the walls of the classroom (49).
     I think this is a wonderful idea.  While having teachers, parents and peers comment on their work is helpful, it would be a great boost for a budding writer's confidence to receive praise and encouragement from a professional writer.   At one website, a different professional writer is featured every month.  He or she posts a poem or story prompt to which students are asked to write a response and e-mail the response to the website.  Then, the author reads the e-mails, comments, and gives the students a chance to respond with questions.  This is a source that writing teachers may find especially valuable.  It  is called  Writers Online.