Every year, I host an after school club called “Write Your Own Book Club.” It’s open to grades 2-5, and we meet for an hour after school for four weeks. Every year, I go in expecting to teach the kids some things about writing: voice, character, and plot.
Every year, they end up teaching me something.
- This year one young writer brought in a different stuffie every week. Each became the main character in her stories. The other kids LOVED getting to meet each stuffie. Merchandising works!
- These kids never hesitated to write in their own voices!! Don’t try to write like someone else. Write like yourself.
- When you can’t write, draw. These creative kids often told the cutest stories through facial expressions and background details – thunderstorms, or darkness, or sparkles really deepened the tone of each story.
Here’s the thing. I’ve been writing longer than these kids, but that doesn’t mean I’m a better writer. We can all learn something from the people around us. I often think that newer writers are more willing to question the rules of the game. They will write run-on sentences or drop characters in then pull them out, or have main characters do something completely unexpected. The stories may need to be fine-tuned, but they are never dull.
Listening to new writers can make me (and you) a better writer.