Hello Loves,
My favorite part of November?
Teaching a youth writing workshop. How marvelous and fun it is to inspire teenagers!
For the first month, I set up a table and chairs and decorated the top with all manner of creative outlets – poster board and magazines and scissors and glue and glitter for vision boards, pencil crayons and journals for decorating and writing in, a bowl of writing prompts, cute cards for pen pal letters, and empty books to create your own comic or zine.
The teens were a bit shy and a bit too cool at first. Then slowly, they joined in at the table and created elaborate vision boards or decorated journals. I came up with a writing idea where I created meaningful prompts that the teens could answer anonymously. That way they were filled with truth. I hope to put them on display somewhere in my local town, so people can see the interior world of a teen.
Then one day a young writer appeared. He had a great book idea, and was trying to figure it all out in his head. It was such an amazing story. And then he invited a friend, who had already written two books! Then another writer showed up and she had written the beginnings of a book and had it all plotted out! These YA writers had INCREDIBLE ideas and storytelling abilities. And they read a lot! From then on, as word spread, more teen writers showed up.
Now we have a solid group who like to write fantasy, or sci-fi, or horror, and we spend two hours sharpening and expanding our writing skills, and offering kindness and support, and of course great book recommendations!
I am so in awe and inspired by these young people.
