Encouraging Young Writers

Originally posted Friday, March 4, 2016

Encouraging Young Writers

Any man who keeps working is not a failure. He may not be a great writer, but if he applies the old-fashioned virtues of hard, constant labor, he’ll eventually make some kind of career for himself as writer.

– Ray Bradbury

The beauty of writers is that we often are connected to each other: a network of kindred spirits. Writers, like most artists, tend to move in packs. We like to talk about our craft and ask for information on how to improve it from people we know and trust, while simultaneously gathering inspiration from their work. Manzanita Writers Press strives to provide a personal and hands-on experience for writers looking to publish. There is an understanding between editors, staff, and creator that one of the most important things about a book is the fact that an author is behind it. Someone has taken the spark of a small idea and harnessed it into a flame. It is the responsibility of the press to set the blaze free. 

Young writers at every level of expertise and knowledge about the field are in dire need of encouragement. Without encouragement, they will not have the complete formula for what it takes to make a writer grow. Yes, some young writers prefer not to share their work until it is done. And some may even shudder at the thought of an older writer speaking to them about their work, thinking they won't understand or that they will judge it. But efforts must be made, and attention must be paid. There are Hemingways and Brontes all around us, just waiting to be discovered and brought out. 

Apart from the way it benefits amateur writers themselves, older writers will take away a lot from working with those green scribes. Fresh input creates fresh output, and the cycle continues. Writers should constantly be renewing and expanding their scope of inspiration and influence so as not to become stagnant. What makes a writer stagnant? If a poem seems to have gone fuzzy around the edges from the wear and tear of the language's reuse, it may be stagnant. If a story is an echo of what you have already written down in your notebook every time you feel the need to get something out of your head, it may be stagnant. This does not mean that old ideas are not good. Nor does it mean that nothing can be done for a refurbished story or poem. What it means to have a stagnant piece is that you have the opportunity to reach beyond the branches you have been picking from, and pluck from a higher limb. It means that maybe it's time to work with fledgling writers. 

As a college intern at MWP, I am excited at the prospect of working with young adult writers, ranging from ages 16 to 25. We'll be having a YA writers Round Table event with a guest speaker on Friday, April 8th from 5:30 to 7:30 at Manzanita Arts Emporium. Young writers are highly encouraged to come, and anyone with a passion for young adult fiction is welcome to our FREE event. This will be a time for brainstorming and encouragement.

This blog may be my destination for brainstorming about projects at MWP, or it may be where I blast my concrete ideas for the Emporium and try to get the word out to readers. I love having this space to talk about all things writing related, and I encourage feedback in the comments section below.

Until we meet again,

Hayley Perry

MWP intern

P.s. National Encourage a Young Writer Day is April 10th...supporting this event will make you very patriotic!