You know those old letters and journals of awesome adventures you love reading? Well, the authors were once young kids too. Who do you think encouraged and mentored them, gave them not only a sense of adventure, but the desire to write it down?
April 10th is National Encourage a Young Writer Day. But, I’m giving you a head’s up so that you have time to do something about it this weekend.
The act of writing down your experiences helps you to think about them, figure out how they fit into your life, how you’re going to go forward afterwards with that new experience under your belt. What did you learn? What do you think others might learn or value from your experience?
My parents blessed me by encouraging me to write, even really bad poems in second grade. Yes, I still write poetry, but I like to think it’s gotten a bit better. They provided ample opportunities and support to give me confidence to try new things, egging me on to stretch what I thought I was capable of. They also encouraged me to laugh when I was taking things, like myself, too seriously.
The Bible tells the story of an encourager named Barnabas. Barney made it a habit to mentor and encourage others, in particular a young man who needed a second chance, Timothy. Guess what, Timmy grew up and wrote a book!
Who can you be a “Barney” to today?
We’ve created two fun, colorful workbooks to help you encourage the budding writers in your family. One book is geared to elementary level students and the other for mid high and high school. Use them to inspire great conversations and teach life skills like interviewing, listening, research and creative writing. Looking for a unique gift? Order one today and help your favorite young person celebrate a birthday or special event like Grandma Camp during the summer. I can even create customized gift packages. Who knows what might happen with a little inspiration and encouragement for your youngster!