Most writers report trying novels in their nine to twelve year old time frame. Neither shock or surprise me, having both been a child writer and also having done a research project on child writers.

Simply put, if the child is the father of the man, wrote Ben Johnston, then why wouldn’t a writer start as a child?

The question is whether or not your child is developing the writing bug. Some people learn to write and be good writers but then there is this group of child writers that we fail to recognize as prodigies. If it was music or art, then right away tongues would be wagging around town about this special child. With writers though, it appears to be recognized as a curse, nothing special and sometimes special but with reservation.

The reasons for this are two fold. Much like a parent who can’t control what music their child is listening to on their IPOD, then the same fear is prevalent in the child-parent relationship. We want to make all kinds of decisions for our children, shouldn’t we make the same about their writing? Shouldn’t we be in charge of this? So in the first instance, we look at it as a loss of control when our child turns into a writer. And that is true. Much like a child that beats to a different drummer, we can’t hear the drummer at all alongside our child.

The second reason is that writers when they grow up and pursue publication, they spend years on the invisible sideline, sending off mail to strangers. Nobody comes up to them on a street corner like they would with an artist and buy one of their masterpieces. If you’re published, you’re in the writing club. If you’re not, well then, let’s just not talk about you until you earn your stripes. In essence, writing doesn’t seem to have any entry level job before publication. How can writing be a good job? The same fear a parent has for an unemployable child comes into play.

So let’s start with the fear. You should be proud of your child for listening to what makes them different. Absolutely. No question. Much like a birthmark, this child has a mark. It is out of your control. Let it go.

As for the second instance, the most successful writers don’t usually give up their day jobs until they are established writers. So don’t worry about them starving. Your job as a parent is to give them a dose of reality that they need a job or career choice in the future. Let them know they can write on the side or adopt a job that has writing.

As for the mistrust with their ‘powers’ as a writer, imagine it like this. Surgeons and doctors look at people and can just see all kinds of things about them with a trained eye for observation. The writer is the same. They are going to see the same thing as you but with a different interpretation.

Once you let go of the fear about your child being a writer, you will be happier and so will your child. Most child writers will go underground if you are not open and honest. For example, if you make it a big deal that they write, chances are they are going to find a place where you aren’t and write there. If you seek to control it, they will go underground away from you and possibly show their stories to teachers and other people, not you. If you push them, they won’t want to be pushed and will push back.

Here are some of the advantages to having a child writer:

a. a fresh perspective, a sharp pair of eyes watching and listening to everybody

My youngest son started talking when he was three months old. He was talking to me often, saying a few words for about a month. Well, my husband made me out to be a lunatic of course. But the eldest son, the one that is a child writer, he heard as well because his eyes and ears are always open. Were it not for him, I think I would have thought I was wacky, in need of a straight jacket. A fresh set of eyes and ears never hurts anyone.

b. great recounting of events of interest

Think of the hours of entertainment as your child writer stretches out a boring, dull recount of a day.

c. amazing works of art freely given

Imagine getting a piece of work nobody else will get to see. Treasure it. In and of itself, it is a masterpiece.

d. intrinsic motivation

This means the child writer doesn’t perform for marks but for the reason of wanting to create. This skill can be taught but is already inherent in the child writer.

e. laughter

There will always be odd remarks and laughter from a child writer. They are just simply out of step with boundaries that other people have naturally.

One of my parents favorite moments with me is the story that makes them throw back their heads and laugh even today. I was two and decided that smoking was disgusting. I took all my grandma’s cigarettes and broke each one evenly before throwing them into the toilet. When they asked me about it after getting screamed at of course by grandma, I told them that grandma needed to stop. That’s it. Just stop. Nothing more.

f. they get there faster

Because of the odd fish out of water routine, child writers develop a maturity in their work and in their life that peer pressure can’t even shake.

g. a real bubble of imaginary world cushions them

In all my years at school, I must have show about five or six people my work. Years later, I met a man who had been in my elementary class every year. My mouth fell open when he asked me how my writing was going. “You knew I wrote?” I asked. “Of course,” he said. “You always wrote.”
The world doesn’t seem so harsh with an imagination and a piece of paper.

So if your child has the writing bug, here are some things to do.

1. Take them shopping for notebooks just because you think they might need one or two.
All writers need notebooks and paper. Remember the more colorful and interesting the cover, the more inspired the child writer can be.

2. Give them a box to put all their notebooks in.
Let them know that this is their box and not yours. Tell other children that reading anything in their is punishable by a week of grounding. Don’t hesitate to buy more boxes as needed. This prevents children from going through their work to lighten their load.

3. Only read when asked. Never read over their shoulders.
There is nothing worse than someone taking snatches of your writing out of context. For that reason, stay away until invited. An invitation to read a budding writer’s work is worth a million snatches of words.

4. Take them to author events and buy them books from these real life authors.
The key here is to buy the books. If the child just goes to see the author, it won’t last as an inspiration. Get the writer to sign something special.

5. Never push your child away with thoughtless comments or critiques of their work. Just don’t do it and also don’t correct grammar and punctuation. They expect that from their teachers, not from their parents.

6. Buy writing books for children and leave them on the bookshelf.
The key here is to be shy about your support of your writer. It’s not broadcast news. It’s hidden parental pride and children can feel that.

Much is made about the first six years of a child’s life. I’ve looked into this in detail. Most people can’t remember their first six years of life in particular but if you ask a happy child about their early life, they smile and laugh. The sliver of memory they hold is emotional and that’s why it is important. So they will feel parental pride, not to worry.

7. Read to child writers. Always give them more to aspire to so they keep going.

8. Share your observations about people with your child writer.
My dad did this with me. He told me once that a man walks on the outside of a woman like the old days if she’s taken. He pointed out one couple after another like this and those that wouldn’t last. I know it seems silly that such a thing is a memory for me but honestly, it pointed me in the right direction to watch human interaction.

9. Watch old movies together.
This encourages your child writer to give up his or her work and spend some time with you. Do the same thing. Point out observations as you go through.

10. Respect your child writer.
There is nothing better than respect. Here’s how it works. Say you are an Rocket Scientist. You have your thing and your child has his or her thing. Yours involves rockets. His or hers involves words. You cannot compare. To do so is to act without respect. So keep that in mind and negotiate the potential land mines by simply ignoring them. He does this and I do that. It’s a match.

11. Realize that your child writer needs you just as much as your child that isn’t a child writer. Closeness builds self-esteem.

If you’ve taken the time to read this article in full, you’re probably a great parent anyway. Don’t forget to use that same sensibility with your child writer.

Robyn Whyte is the CEO of Stargazer Press. Check out Kate Rizor’s new novel ‘The Governor’s Wife’ at http://www.stargazerpress.com See V.B. Rosendahls juvenile mystery ‘Bitter Tastes’. Free gift wrapping on all novels by request.

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The opportunity is fantastic, and so is the writer’s life that you could enjoy. But where can you find the jobs you need to establish a full-time writing career?

One way to start is through working the Internet job boards. Here aAlso included and listed separately are resources for business and technical writers, editors, journalists, and translators.

Writers’ Resources–General

Absolute Write – freelance writing, screenwriting, playwriting, writing novels, nonfiction, comic book writing, greeting cards, poetry, songwriting. One stop shop

Emily’s Writing for the Web Emily A. Vander Veer gives professional writers the tools needed to promote, publish, and sell work to the largest and fastest-growing market in the world: the Web.

e-Writer’s Place For writing inspirations, motivations and prescriptions.

Freelance Writers is a searchable database of writers from all around the world.

Freelance Writing This is the ultimate job board for freelance writers.

Freelance Writing Organization – Int’l This site hosts one of the largest free writing resource links databases in the world! It offers education, daily news, a writer’s store, creativity advice and forums, to name a few of the resources. Over 2,000 free writing resources in 40+ categories of writing

FundsForWriters – A plethora of sources where freelance writers can find paying jobs

Momwriters A community of professional and new writers … who face the unique challenges of writing with children underfoot.

National Writer’s Union ‘The only U.S. trade union for freelance and contract writers.’ We offer contract advice, grievance resolution, health & dental plans, member education, Job Hotline, and networking. See also: Writers Union Job Hotline

Published! Articles and resources…from Marcia Yudkin, author of eleven books and hundreds of magazine articles, syndicated columnist, public radio commentator, writing coach

Published – The Directory of Independent Writers & Artists. searchable directory of independent Writers & Artists

SharpWriter Grammar. Complete writing resources. Lot of good stuff here but not geared expressly for freelancers

Suite101 This is an online community for writers. Not only is this a great site for work-at-home resources. You can apply to become an editor for them and get paid for your work.

Sunoasis Jobs for Writers, Editors, and Copywriters Employment opportunities for writers, journalists, new-media types on-line off-line in reporting feature writing reviewing editing free-lancing editorial content providing etc. … Recently submitted job offers: Copywriter, Freelance. Monarch Design, a design and advertising agency,

The Burry Man Writers Center freelance job links, resources for fiction and nonfiction writers, working professionals and beginners

with particular support for writing about Scotland

The New Writer – the monthly magazine with the best in fact, fiction and poetry. aimed at all writers: the short story writer, the novelist, the poet, feature writer, anyone with a serious intent to develop their writing to meet the expectations of today’s editors.

The Writers Home A Web Site For Writers, Editors And Lovers Of The Written Word.

TrAce Online Writing Community trAce connects writers and readers around the world … with the focus on creativity, collaboration and training. New media writing, web development

Worldwide Freelance Writer How to sell your writing overseas. Find out where to sell your freelance work. Detailed guidelines for paying writing markets all over the world.

WriteCraft Writers Resource Center Companion to the WriteCraft Critique Group – where writers learn the trade.

writejobs Job Title. Company. Location. Proofreader/editor. Bioedit Ltd. Freelance. Digital Photography Writers …

Writers Unbound Writing resources, Internet resources related to writing, writers, publishing, epublishing, authors and more. Articles and resources related to creative writing.

Writer’s Software SuperCenter Writer’s Software SuperCenter has software for writing books, articles, novels, and screenplays, including Writer’s Blocks software, StyleWriter editing software, StoryCraft, and more!

Writing World – Moira Allen provides writing tips, markets, news, contests and more.

The Writer’s Gazette Writing resource site for writers on freelance and publishing, including articles, job board, contests . Nice, comprehensive list of writers’ job boards.

Business and Technical

Copywriter world Freelance writers bid for writing projects such as resume writing, documents in APA style or MLA style writing, poems, sonnets, research papers, business plans, your biography, free e-books, your business proposal, essays, marketing plans, web content, ghost writing, ad copy, catalogs… virtually any form of writing.

Freelance Online – a professional online service for freelancers in the publishing and advertising fields. Free for employers; freelancers pay $15.00/year for membership.

Freelance Success Freelance Success is a community of professional, nonfiction writers who subscribe to a newsletter that guides them toward well-paying markets and editors. There is not a job board located on this site.

Techwriters Employs technical writers on and off site. The pay is excellent, but you must have a lot of experience with the topics

writingassist.com Provides local freelance technical writers for projects such as manuals, policies, software documentation, and work flow integration.

Children’s Literature

Institute of Children’s Literature offered the premiere writing course, books, and a newsletter to adults interested in learning how to write and be published for children and teens.

Editing

Manuscript Editing Fiction and Non-fiction; Serving writers, literary agents, and publishers since 1976.

Fiction

Fiction Factor – The Online Magazine for Fiction Writers. NEW!

International markets

Australian Writer’s Marketplace The essential resource for getting published in Australia and New Zealand.

Author Network – resources for writers including links, articles, monthly columns and ePublishing services.

Canadian Writer’s Journal Canada’s Independent Writer’s Magazine.

Freelance Spain – the online Spanish resource for editors and journalists.

FreelanceJournalist.co.uk Helping journalists build a presence on the web. The web directory for UK freelance journalists.

Freelancers.co.uk offers you the complete guide to freelancing for publishers as a copyeditor or proofreader.

New Zealand Writers Website Writing Resources for New Zealand writers

writelinkpro.co.uk WritelinkPRO is the content provider for top UK monthly newsletter and website. We pay on acceptance for writing articles, fiction, poetry, reviews. We offer free e-book workshops, free e-book on travel writing, exclusive Members Area.

Journalism

International Federation of Journalists – The world’s largest organization of journalists, representing around 450,000 members in more than 100 countries.

News Jobs Network Journalisms resources and News jobs in US, Canada and Utah.

UK Links 4 Journalists the most useful sites on the web. This is the journalist’s section.

Translation

ProZ: Freelance translators, translation services, agencies, jobs and directory …

Writers’ Federation of Nova Scotia Fostering creative writing and the profession of writing in Nova Scotia.

Writerfind New Zealand Linking New Zealand writers with local and global markets.

Playwriters

writernetwork. We provide dramatic writers with the tools they need to build better careers and redefine the

About The Author

Janet K. Ilacqua is a freelance writer based in Tracy, California. She specializes in academic writing and ghostwriting of books and manuals for individuals and small businesses. For more information about her services, check her website at [http://www.writeupondemand.com].

jilacqua@aol.com

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