Looking to encourage a young writer? Try some of these ideas:
1) Encourage young writers to journal. Journaling helps to get ideas on the page without worrying about style, spelling or grammar.
2) As you read together or watch TV shows or movies, talk about plot and characters. Help them notice what the author or screen writer did and why.
3) Introduce them to excerpts from famous speeches. Talk about the power of words.
4) When they find something they're passionate about, encourage young people to write about it. Suggest they write to lawmakers, write a newspaper article, or a social media post.
5) When they want to share their writing with you, read it. And unless they ask for feedback, don't critique, just encourage.
6) Suggest they enter writing contests for their age group. Whether or not they win, they will know that you believe in them.
7) Take a favorite piece of fiction and write an additional scene or chapter.