Working With Young Writers

Young writers are everywhere. I had the great fortune of having dinner with a number of young writers at the 2023 Maryland Writers Association Conference, and noted that one girl of perhaps ten was pitching her novel to an agent that day! At the 2019 MWA conference, the association offered free registration to young writers, and their energy and commitment to writing added lightness to the conference atmosphere. Working with them is a treat, and something more of us ought to do. Here are my thoughts on working with young writers.

Create an Inclusive Environment for Writing

Young people who enjoy writing may not feel encouraged in school. Whether it’s because they feel too nerdy, or don’t enjoy the essay-focused approach many schools use, they’re often hungry for the chance to write creatively. Therefore, those of us mentoring young writers should make special efforts to create a supportive and inclusive environment for them. This translates into encouraging experimentation, reducing the blockages or rules in front of them. There is a time to focus on grammar, or asking them to consider other points of view in their writing, but one of our responsibilities is to get them writing and to feel supported as they create.

Encourage Them to Stretch Their Boundaries

Even young writers may be tied to specific genres, whether it be fiction, creative nonfiction or poetry. Other specific genres they may flourish in are the obvious: mystery, horror, science  fiction, young adult, etc. But to the extent we can, we should push them to stretch their boundaries. Ask poets to write a short story, or folks working on a novelette to take one chapter and rewrite it as a poem. If we create a supportive environment in which experimentation and learning is the priority, they’ll rise to the challenge.

Emphasize the writing process

Writing isn’t just creating beautiful first drafts. Sure, this feeds the soul, but I see it as the easy, fun part. Just as important—perhaps more so—are other writing tasks such as outlining and editing: lots of editing. As my colleague Jeffery Deaver has said: “all writing is rewriting.” Push your young writers to embrace every element of the writing process, and to develop an appreciation for them. I’ve looked at my first drafts, then my drafts after two or three rounds of revision, and I’m almost embarrassed by my first efforts. That, if nothing else, has inspired me to embrace rewriting. Thanks, Jeffery!

Help Them Set Realistic Goals

It’s one thing for adult writers to berate themselves for not completing the great American novel in two weeks. But it’s another for young writers—with much less context or experience—to rebuke themselves for the same reason. Help young writers set realistic goals—keeping in mind how the complete writing process as mentioned above takes time. Give them permission to relax, and the motivation to keep going, rather than giving up.

Provide Supportive and Thoughtful Criticism

Just as all writing is rewriting, strong writers crave and accept constructive criticism. When we work with young writers, we are responsible for providing them with criticism and feedback that will help them strengthen their writing. And if they haven’t received such criticism well in the past, we can help them by showing them that the criticism isn’t of them as an individual, or even as a writer. Instead, the criticism is solely based on their work being reviewed. Once they understand that, and see the value in the feedback they receive, they’ll be more open to critique, and become better writers as a result.

Help Them Experience the Joy of Writing

Writing should be fun, even with all the challenges and angst we may feel as writers. Young writers should be encouraged to see and experience the fun of the writing enterprise. We can facilitate this by word sprints, silly writing exercises or having them create outrageous pieces outside their comfort zone. I’ve never written a sappy romance, but what if someone pushed me to write a Hallmark-worthy romance story, and I didn’t have to worry about it being my best work? I wonder what I’d come up with? Encouraging young writers to play with their writing helps them preserve the joy of creative writing.

And isn’t that worth it?