What to do with an enthusiastic writer?
If you have a kid who loves writing—who fills notebooks with poems, writes fanfiction nonstop, or corners you in the kitchen to explain their book plot that inexplicably includes the number 67 in every chapter—you already know: enthusiastic writers are a joy to raise. But they also need a little intentional support to turn that spark into a glow!
Here are a few simple ways to cheer them on without accidentally piling on pressure or “fixing” what isn’t broken:
Encourage them to read widely—and let them see you doing the same.
Kids notice what we read. If you’re trying a graphic novel, a romance, or a sci-fi novella for the first time, talk about it! Show them that readers of all ages explore genres out of curiosity, not obligation.
Avoid calling writing “good” or “bad.”
I absolutely understand the urge to tell your kid their writing is good! Truly! The thing is, while you mean “I enjoy this writing and like it for a variety of reasons,” what kids sometimes hear is “This time my writing is good; therefore, my writing can also be bad.”
Writing is not a morality test! There’s not really any such thing as good or bad writing—there’s only whether the writing is effective, whether it achieved what the author intended.
With that in mind, I won’t answer my students' “Was my story good?” questions, and I’d recommend you don’t either. Instead, try:
“The pacing here feels really intentional—you built tension so well.”
“This moment landed beautifully. I felt exactly what the character was feeling.”
“Your dialogue feels so natural. I can tell you put thought into how each character speaks.”
“I can see the mood you were going for in this scene, and it really comes through.”
“Your descriptions are doing a lot of work here; I can picture everything clearly.”
This helps young writers see their writing as a series of choices that create specific effects—not a fixed score where they pass or fail.
Let them be weird—deeply, gloriously weird.
If your kid wants to write a 12-page manifesto from the perspective of a ferret who thinks he’s a disgraced Victorian detective? Amazing. A romance between sentient sandwiches? Beautiful. A dystopian prophecy told entirely through limericks? Iconic.
You don’t have to get it; you just have to let them explore it. Weird writing is often where kids discover voice, play, and confidence.
If you ever want help guiding your enthusiastic writer—or you have questions about how to keep their love of writing alive—you know where to find us over at WordPlay!
