On this site we get to talk a lot about the books that we’re reading and celebrate the authors we love. But what about all the aspiring young authors out there? What are they reading? What are they writing? What inspires them? This was definitely something worth finding out, so when a member of the Clarkston Area Optimist Club approached me about starting a Middle School Writing Group, I was immediately intrigued. What better way to not only find out what teens are reading but also discover their own hidden talents as young authors as well.
Having started in September 2015, the writers group has expanded to include more than just middle schoolers. We have junior high students as well as high schoolers who pop in to help out (currently, six different schools are represented – how is awesome is that?!). In terms of the group itself we do a number of different things. We play writing games, provide writing and oral storytelling prompts, and sometimes we pass the hour just talking about our favorite books and what inspires them as young authors. We’ve also had guest speakers come in and discuss their own experiences as writers. Wendi Reardon from the Clarkston News popped in to talk about NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), m’Arch McCarty of the Children’s Theater of Michigan came in to discuss writing and acting for the theater, Independence Television producer, Lauren Culver, came in to talk about screenwriting and television production prompting a screenwriting project of our own! (The group is currently still in the planning stages of their screenplay). Also, just recently, the Writers Group celebrated National Poetry Month with published author Carolyn Walker, as she helped guide them in finding stories in watercolors and writing their own Pantoum poems.
While I absolutely love all of the things the group has done and is working on, I think my favorite part about this group though is their ability to not only feel comfortable sharing their work aloud but also discuss their own methods and process with one another. It’s amazing to see young authors inspiring other young authors and this group is definitely doing that, in spades. It is a room filled not only with creativity but with support and A LOT of laughs. Frequently when we compile Reader’s Advisory lists, we think of the stories that we enjoy hearing or the stories we would want to tell if we were writers. The individuals in this group are actually doing that, and I can’t wait for the day when I can put one of their stories in the hands of an excited reader.
*The Middle School Writers Group meets twice a month on Tuesdays from 6-7 PM. Can’t make it to our last two meetings? We’ll be meeting every Tuesday throughout July and most of August as well! For more questions, feel free to contact me anytime by clicking the link in my profile on the right side of the page.
- Miss Erin H.
Having started in September 2015, the writers group has expanded to include more than just middle schoolers. We have junior high students as well as high schoolers who pop in to help out (currently, six different schools are represented – how is awesome is that?!). In terms of the group itself we do a number of different things. We play writing games, provide writing and oral storytelling prompts, and sometimes we pass the hour just talking about our favorite books and what inspires them as young authors. We’ve also had guest speakers come in and discuss their own experiences as writers. Wendi Reardon from the Clarkston News popped in to talk about NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), m’Arch McCarty of the Children’s Theater of Michigan came in to discuss writing and acting for the theater, Independence Television producer, Lauren Culver, came in to talk about screenwriting and television production prompting a screenwriting project of our own! (The group is currently still in the planning stages of their screenplay). Also, just recently, the Writers Group celebrated National Poetry Month with published author Carolyn Walker, as she helped guide them in finding stories in watercolors and writing their own Pantoum poems.
While I absolutely love all of the things the group has done and is working on, I think my favorite part about this group though is their ability to not only feel comfortable sharing their work aloud but also discuss their own methods and process with one another. It’s amazing to see young authors inspiring other young authors and this group is definitely doing that, in spades. It is a room filled not only with creativity but with support and A LOT of laughs. Frequently when we compile Reader’s Advisory lists, we think of the stories that we enjoy hearing or the stories we would want to tell if we were writers. The individuals in this group are actually doing that, and I can’t wait for the day when I can put one of their stories in the hands of an excited reader.
*The Middle School Writers Group meets twice a month on Tuesdays from 6-7 PM. Can’t make it to our last two meetings? We’ll be meeting every Tuesday throughout July and most of August as well! For more questions, feel free to contact me anytime by clicking the link in my profile on the right side of the page.
- Miss Erin H.
*Writers welcomed published author Carolyn Walker and experimented with storytelling through watercolors.
Reader’s Advisory from the Middle School Writing Group:
Writing Resources:
Get Published!:
- Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld
- Every Day by David Levithan
- Another Day by David Levithan
- The Warriors Series by Erin Hunter
- Paper Towns by John Green
- Divergent by Veronica Roth
Writing Resources:
- NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) Young Writers Program (http://ywp.nanowrimo.org/)
- Young Writer’s Society (https://www.youngwriterssociety.com/)
- Young Writers Online (http://www.youngwritersonline.net/)
Get Published!:
- Wattpad (https://www.wattpad.com/)
- Kids Standard (http://www.kidsstandard.org/)
- Teen Ink (http://www.teenink.com/)