Here are some ways you can encourage your teen to become a better writer:

• Buy a journal. Teens have lots of ideas they need to sort through. Buying a journal to hold those thoughts will give your teen a healthy way to work them out. Journal writing is also a great way to build your teen’s powers of observation. Many fiction writers find that keeping a journal is important to their writing.

• Encourage letter writing. Teens seem to live with a telephone growing out of their ears. If your teen has friends in different schools or towns, encourage them to exchange letters. They’ll enjoy getting personal mail.

• Teens are always trying to right some wrong. Perhaps they’re unhappy with the food in the school cafeteria. Whatever your teen’s complaint, encourage him to put his thoughts in writing. If he can express his concerns appropriately, and suggest an alternate course of action, encourage him to send the letter to an elected official, other person in authority, or a newspaper.

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