Writerly Report from the Trenches

Each month nearly a dozen teens join me around a library table to talk about books, hone their craft, and share their work. Each month, I'm blown away by their honesty, creativity, willingness to share, and eagerness to play. This month was made even more awesome when group regular, J, arrived with her guitar over her shoulder and announced she wanted to play for us. We moved the meeting outside, and sat beneath the oaks along the canal path, where J treated us to a public concert. And held us spellbound. Writers often begin their stories with a character, snippet of dialogue, or setting, and then must discover the rest of the story. When writing a song, J said she often begins with a whisper of music. Then she seeks the story that belongs to it. Fascinating how the creative process works. Thanks for sharing, J! You're an amazing singer and songwriter!