Prep Talk
Encouraging the Art of Writing
Posted January 4th, 2016
Is Your Son a Budding Author?
Teens are getting published pretty regularly these days! In fact, according to the blog, Teens Can Write, Too!, here’s a list of a handful of books that were published by teens in 2015 (these are from well-respected publishers; there are many more that are self-published):
- The Mime Order (by Samantha Shannon). Samantha published her debut novel series, The Bone Season, a 7-book-deal, at the age of 19.
- Rebellion (by Stephanie Diaz). Again, a second book. Stephanie sold her debut trilogy at the age of 19.
- Dove Arising (by Karen Bao) age 19.
- Just Jake: Dog Eat Dog (Jake Marcionette). Jake sold the rights to three of his Just Jake books at the tender age of 13.
- The Almost King (by Lucy Saxon). Lucy sold her debut series at the age of 17. This is her second book.
- Quest for Justice (by Sean Fay Wolfe). Sean sold his first series, The Elementia Chronicals, to Harper Collins when he was 17.
As you can see from this list, many of these prolific writers started publishing much earlier. Is your child a budding author? Are there stories inside him that are burning to get out?
January is National Novel Writing Month, so if your son has even the slightest interest in writing, encourage him! Here is a list of ways parents and teachers can encourage young writers to polish their craft:
- Keep it relevant: Encourage your child to write about what interests them. Their hobbies, favorite topics, sports—whatever captures their imagination. The Chicago Tribune interviewed Jake Marcionette, the author of Just Jake (above), who said he was frustrated by middle school books that weren’t fun to read, so he wrote his own 160-page story about a sixth grader struggling to adjust to a new school and avoid a bully, loosely based on his own experience (he was 13). Write what you know and the words will flow!
- Suggest journaling: Teens are busy individuals with hectic class and social schedules. If they loved writing in junior high, but find their high school schedules preclude writing for fun, encourage them to spend 10 minutes a day on a journal. It doesn’t have to be a diary—they can use it to jot down thoughts, impressions, or even very short stories. Setting aside time for writing a little each day (just for fun) can keep those creative juices flowing.
- Join a writing community: One of the best ways to feed the creative muse is to join a community of like-minded individuals. The website study.com lists 40 of the Best Websites for Young Writers, and it’s pretty comprehensive. Many of these are societies, programs and forums where writers can get together, share resources and submit work for critique. However, it also includes links to valuable guides and resources for writers.
- Read, READ, READ! Stephen King wrote in his book On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, that he is never without reading material, and often carries a paperback with him in his pocket. “If you want to be a writer,” he says in the book, “you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot. There’s no way around these two things that I’m aware of, no shortcut.”
- Check out writer’s conferences: Similar to joining a community, attending a writer’s conference can be another way to inspire excitement about writing. While researching this article, we came across a young writer’s conference founded in 2012 called Chapter One. The 2016 conference will take place in Chicago on August 6th, but there are lots of ways for writers to connect with conference members via Twitter Chats and other social media, so check it out.
As parents and teachers, we always need to encourage our children to express themselves freely with the written word. Even if they don’t have the next great American novel inside them, writing well is a skill that will help them build bridges and stay connected to others throughout their lives. No human can resist a good story, so encourage your child to tell theirs!