In this blog you’ll discover my best (& easiest!) strategies to encourage creative writing in young children and students:

• Encourage Reading
• Invite Local Authors into the Classroom
• Provide the Necessary Resources
• Be a Cheerleader
• Write Alongside Them
• Invest in the Dream

Who I Am & Why Writing Matters to Me

I first started writing on a plane over 10 years ago. I had three children, a newborn baby, and a wonderful husband waiting for me at home. But I wouldn’t return from my trip the same person I was when I left.

After my family suffered a tragedy — the loss of my niece to suicide — mental health was fresh on my mind.

I ended up attending a self-development seminar. While I was there, I kept thinking of ways I could bring these self-help strategies home to my own children. It was on the flight home from that trip when I wrote my first manuscript.

I was not a writer.

I had no English degrees. No prior writing experience. No passion for books, even.

But I did have a message and a strong desire to see young children grow in their self-confidence.

Little did I know, that message would turn into a trilogy of bestselling and award-winning children’s books, a Guinness World Record™ and a hybrid publishing company founded in the midst of a pandemic.

Now … Why does this matter?

It matters because it took me decades of living on this planet to discover my passion for empowering others through words. If I could turn back time, I’d love to start this mission earlier. Discover my passions earlier.

Which is why I think it’s so important for us as parents, educators and librarians to encourage children to dream big. To find their passion and stick with it. To write their stories.

If the young ones in your life are thinking about reading, writing, and maybe one day seeing their name printed on the front cover of a published book, I encourage you to encourage them with these strategies.

6 Easy Strategies to Encourage Creative Writing in Young Children & Students

Encourage Reading.

Not all readers want to be writers, but all writers must be avid readers. If you want to encourage creative writing in children, help children/students fall in love with reading.

You might try…

• Reading books aloud to your class
• Letting children and students pick which books they want to read
• Bringing your children to the library regularly

Invite local authors into the classroom.

When I did author visits at schools, part of my presentation included showing how a book was put together, from designing the illustrations to editing the story to perfection.

Connecting children with other authors will give them a peek behind the curtain, which just may be the catalyst for a love of reading and writing.

Provide the Necessary Resources.

Whether it be weekly trips to the library to give your child access to stories, or a new notebook for them to jot down ideas. When you show that you care about their dream, it gives them the permission to do the same.

You can even provide them with THIS writing guide I use for all of my children’s books: the Children’s Book Blueprint. It’s great for outlining a story that is engaging and entertaining for children.

Be a Cheerleader.

When your child or student wants to read you something they wrote, always say YES. If you’re eager to read their stories, odds are they’ll want to write all the more.

Write Alongside Them

Children love it when the adults in their lives take up similar interests. If a child or student in your life has decided to become a writer, you can encourage them by taking up the same hobby.

You never know, maybe you’ll discover that a little writer has been living inside you all these years.

Maybe you're just one page away from uncovering your lifelong passion.

Invest in the Dream

If your children or students want to write, invest in them and their dreams. Put in the time, effort and resources to spur them on. Even if it’s in small ways, those contributions will compound, making a lasting impact on their lives.

And if you’ve already thought about writing your own children’s book?

Put the time and effort into your desire to write for children, too. You might not have an English degree or a professional writing background behind you, but take it from me…

All you need is the drive to see your dream come true. The rest will follow.

It’s never too late to start writing. Download my free Children’s Book Blueprint, start your first draft, and watch yourself transform into the writer you’ve always wanted to be.

I believe in you,

Miriam