It's fall, and it feels weird
I haven’t been in since summer, and here it is school already.
It feels weird, not working with student writers for the 2nd year in a row. While I’m glad to have the time for my own writing, I miss the chance to hear young teens thoughts, and to see the magic as they get into writing for the first time.
As silly as it may sound, it is magic to see creation in process. The moment when the writer picks the right word, when he or she senses the power of words. It’s especially strong when the writer is young, because young people feel so much like they have no power. Finding out that their words have strength, that they can actually influence other people is pretty heady stuff for most teens.
Now that I think about it, I saw it even in the least interested of my young writers. Sometimes the only things they’d agree to write about were the trends that they were into. For the guys, I think it was when they realized they could affect which video game another kid bought. Similarly, for the girls, I think it was when they learned that what they said in their fashion column was cool, was cool. Suddenly, these kids for whom being on the newspaper was just a way to get out of a regular class wanted to get their columns in every issue, to make sure their voices were heard.
So, if you’re a young writer, I’d like to hear what you are doing, what you’re writing, what you think. Just to keep up with things.
revetisse
I haven’t been in since summer, and here it is school already.
It feels weird, not working with student writers for the 2nd year in a row. While I’m glad to have the time for my own writing, I miss the chance to hear young teens thoughts, and to see the magic as they get into writing for the first time.
As silly as it may sound, it is magic to see creation in process. The moment when the writer picks the right word, when he or she senses the power of words. It’s especially strong when the writer is young, because young people feel so much like they have no power. Finding out that their words have strength, that they can actually influence other people is pretty heady stuff for most teens.
Now that I think about it, I saw it even in the least interested of my young writers. Sometimes the only things they’d agree to write about were the trends that they were into. For the guys, I think it was when they realized they could affect which video game another kid bought. Similarly, for the girls, I think it was when they learned that what they said in their fashion column was cool, was cool. Suddenly, these kids for whom being on the newspaper was just a way to get out of a regular class wanted to get their columns in every issue, to make sure their voices were heard.
So, if you’re a young writer, I’d like to hear what you are doing, what you’re writing, what you think. Just to keep up with things.
revetisse
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