10 Ways to Inspire, Motivate, and Encourage a Young Writer

April 10 Is Encourage a Young Writer Day!

From poems to short stories to autobiographies to much more, young writers are getting a burst of writing inspiration today!

So why not include articles into the mix? Encourage young writers to offer their insights to the world through article writing!

Yes, even kids are specialists - in their own way. Many kids, with just an ounce of encouragement, will talk your ear off about their hobbies or interests. They know how to perform complicated tasks that even adults have a difficult time handling. And they are often more aware of the latest trends than adults!

Help them channel all of that youthful knowledge and passion by encouraging them to write. Here's how!

10 Ways to Encourage Young Writers

You can help kids overcome writing anxieties and motivate them to write. Here are 10 ways you can write or discuss writing to encourage young writers:

1. Reading helps promote writing! Write an article that prescribes a reading list for parents. Include a paragraph about each book that quickly summarizes the plot and how the book will benefit young readers.
2. Write a book review about your favorite children's or young adult book and then encourage young writers to write a book review of their own.
3. Write an article giving advice to a young writer - you can even write it as if you're addressing your younger self! Remember your audience: they're young! Be interesting, descriptive, and compelling as well as avoid confusing jargon.
4. Address writer's block by writing an article that helps young writers overcome writing anxiety. Give them the preventive tools to ward it off!
5. Talk about writing with kids. Provide meaningful comments about their writing without being overly critical. Build their confidence so they know writing is not a scary thing and it can be fun as well as rewarding!
6. Encourage young writers to write every day in a journal. Not only does it have the benefit of unloading their thoughts and expressing their worries, writing every day helps them look at the world differently.
7. Create a chain story, which is a fun, collaborative-writing strategy. Write the beginning of a story. Pass it on with the instruction that the next person writes a sentence or two that moves the story forward and then pass it back.
8. Encourage them to practice the art of letter writing! Whether they write to a family member, friend, or pen pal, letter writing is a great old-fashioned way to promote communication, understand their audience, and improve writing skills.
9. Instruct a young writer to keep a travel journal - this can be based on trips or daily observations of the physical and social environment around them.
10. Encourage young writers to provide a how-to article on something they know. Use the How-To Article Template as your guide!

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