As the saying goes, hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard. I think we are all in agreement there. Even if someone does not have a natural aptitude for writing, they can be taught (or teach themselves) most everything they need to know.
But what happens when you encounter a child—or even an adult who is very new to the craft of writing—who exhibits raw talent?
It’s exciting to find an undiscovered diamond in the rough. We might be driven to divulge all of our best writing-related secrets right then and there, or to begin a deluge of advice. But you don’t want to overwhelm the young writer—nor do you want to underwhelm them.
Speaking as a grown-up talented child (other people’s words, not mine, trust me), I have compiled a list of dos and don’ts to help you navigate this tricky situation and help your young writer flourish.
Do: Facilitate improving their craft.
No matter where you live, there are classes available to help a writer learn the ins and outs of writing whatever it is that’s their jam—from fantasy to non-fiction to thriller to memoir. Here in Orlando, our public library system emails us monthly with new, free classes aimed to help writers learn storytelling techniques. No doubt your library system has something similar, or could point you in the right direction.
(And, of course, there are always online resources from Writer’s Atelier to peruse across our website!)
If you are the parent, relative, roommate, or close friend of this new writer, one of the best things you could do is offer to drive them to their writing events, or to make sure they have a quiet, distraction-free space when they have an online session.
If classes and workshops are not available or wouldn’t suit your writer, podcasts are another excellent source of information for all things authoring. A blog post is coming soon on podcasts we recommend!
If you have the means, you could ask the writer if they have their eye on any books on craft, and offer to chip in a few dollars to help them purchase it themselves, or buy it as a gift. Our founder Racquel Henry has great recommendations for craft books!
Do: Introduce them to new and fun stretches for their writing muscles.
I’m asking you to think beyond the typical journals and prompt books. (Though those will always make excellent holiday gifts!)
If this writer in your life is so inclined, they may enjoy video games that are narrative-driven, or tabletop role-playing games, where you lead a character of your own design through a world and make choices based on your character’s traits. There are also smartphone apps like Choices: Stories You Play, Chapters, and Dorian, which are interactive stories you play through.
All of these entertainment methods put your writer in something close to the author’s seat. I know I got some of my best ideas while engaging in stories written by other people that I got some semblance of control over. The restrictions really challenge a young writer’s creativity.
Do: Read whatever they put in front of you and offer a compliment sandwich.
Not every young or new writer wants to share what they’ve written, especially if it is not polished to their liking. So if a new writer asks you to read something, feel honored and recognize that you have a golden opportunity to encourage your writer.
Regardless of how great the piece you’re given to read is, do not shower them with praise without advice they can chew on, and do not tell them what they’ve done without telling them what they’ve done right. I always recommend delivering your honest, thoughtful, constructive critiques via compliment sandwich.
- Begin with compliments about the work—what emotions it evoked in you, how engaged you were in what was happening, or anything else you can think of.
- Gently acknowledge the room for improvement. If possible and if you believe your writer would be open to it, consider a suggestion about where to find out more about a particular area they are struggling with. Beyond Writer’s Atelier, I’ve always loved K.M. Weiland’s Helping Writers Become Authors for troubleshooting—it’s a very search-friendly blog that’s been around forever, and has covered every writing topic under the sun.
- End with another compliment and a few kind words to make sure your writer feels supported.
Don’t: Wonder aloud why they don’t just self-publish on Amazon.
Talk about pressure! There could be dozens of reasons why a writer would choose not to publish a piece yet beyond insecurity. Deciding whether to choose an indie or traditionally published path is a highly personal choice, and one your writer may not feel informed enough to make just yet.
Instead, if your author is interested in the publishing world, encourage submissions to literary magazines like Black Fox, which is run by WA’s owner and founder Racquel Henry, or search for other opportunities tailored to the piece’s length, genre, etc.
Don’t: Tell them to leave their notebook and pen (or laptop) at home.
Oh, the childhood trauma of being told you can’t take all seven of your very important notebooks into Target with you!
You may laugh, but for some writers and particularly younger and introverted writers, carrying around a way to document their thoughts and ideas is a security blanket. Maybe allowing seven notebooks is a bit too much, but if it’s your smartphone-less child who is the young writer in your life, suggest they bring a smaller, pocket-sized notebook and pen around with the last line of what they were working on written down in advance. That way, if the urge to write becomes overpowering (and it often does), they can pick up where they left off and transfer everything over to “the real draft” later.
Don’t: Ask to read their material if they aren’t the type to share.
Certainly, you should telegraph that you would be open to reading anything they write, but know that they will share when they are ready.
There are some exceptions to this rule. Some writers are prone to stockpiling manuscripts until their hard drives beg for mercy without showing a soul, and that is perfectly fine and wonderful and okay if your writer has no aspirations of turning writing into a career. Writing can just be a hobby, and we shouldn’t feel pressured to monetize every otherwise fun minute of our lives.
But if they are planning on turning writing into a career, but don’t want to turn to the people they know and love for critique, that’s valid, too. Instead, introduce them to the (free to join!) Writer’s Atelier Online Community or a local writing group (which you can find through sites like MeetUp, or through your local library). Hearing these perspectives on one’s work helps a writer grow to meet their full potential. Just be prepared with kind words and a treat in case the feedback is overwhelming.
Don’t: Advise them on their career choices.
I had so many well-intentioned people in my life tell me I should teach. It wasn’t a bad or even a random suggestion—I was good at public speaking, I loved to help people, and I knew how to succinctly explain complex concepts. Many, many authors are teachers, they told me. I would have the summers off to write, they told me. It would be the stable income that writing full-time could not provide, they told me.
The gentle nudges from many different people—loved ones and strangers alike—added up in my subconscious to be a forceful push towards education. I went down the elementary education path, and it was the wrong one for me.
What might have been better? A degree in marketing. Or an MBA.
Maybe I would have found my way into a marketing program without so many nudges, or maybe not. But the point is, you should let your writer decide for themselves how to pursue their love of writing.
