“What to do if you suspect your child wants to be a writer” – Advice for Parents*

*Inspired by the Government leaflet “Gangs and your Child: Advice for Parents”

Know the facts:
What is a writer?
A writer is an outsider who retreats into a world of their own making, often playing out fantasies of global domination or more sordid scenarios. It’s important to remember that being a writer isn’t illegal and only offences committed by the writer are socially unacceptable.

Why do young people write?
Young people write:
· to be creative and to flex their imagination
· to withdraw into a world of their own creation rather than someone else’s (writing is a sign of social alienation)
· for the delusion of recognition

Most addicts live in seclusion, only interacting socially with other writers (while this is acceptable behaviour in adults, this should be discouraged in children). Writing addiction can lead to obsessive behaviour especially later on in life. Some published writers go on to other obsessive behaviours such as Googling their own names, and checking Amazon rankings.

Being a writer – the fantasy and reality
Because of icons such as JK Rowling and Philip Pullman, young people see writers as role-models. They see that being a writer is an acceptable alternative to getting a real job i.e. having to work in an office or a factory. This view is quite distorted due to the influence of the Media.
The reality is that writing addiction can ruin lives and families. Writers are not often successful and very few become respectable such as JK Rowling. Others can become embittered by their experiences and some writers might sink low enough later on in life to become ghost writers for celebrities. An addiction can force someone to spend most of their waking life writing something that no one else wants to read, which can influence mood-swings, obsessive behaviour with mailed correspondence, and in worse cases sporadic vandalism at book stores.

Know the signs:
Behaviour:
Here are some examples of changes in behaviour to watch out for:
· Excessive use of paper and pens
· Requesting a copy of Microsoft Word for Christmas
· Bookishness – (though not always; sometimes children just want to read. Parents shouldn’t assume that reading is the first step to an addiction with writing. Parents should treat this sign sensitively and not cause the child any undue embarrassment by forcing the child to watch TV instead, play video-games, or send them outside to play).
· Early onset of eccentricity
· Buying the Writers and Artists Handbook
· A gradual disinterest in anything lowbrow
· Quoting prose or poetry at inappropriate times and the use of good English in the home
· A sudden disinterest in Sports at school

Visual Signs:
· Pale skin from lack of sunlight
· Calluses on fingers due to constant typing
· Bohemian fashion sense
· Atrophy of legs due to sitting for prolonged periods

Other things you should know:
One in five people addicted to writing will at some point attempt to contact a literary agent for advice. Please note that literary agents will not always discourage your child from writing, and some will actively encourage them, making them believe they can make a living from their addiction. This will only exasperate the problem. Should you suspect your child is trying to contact an agent or a publisher, you should speak to them calmly and warn them that it might end in disappointment or further obsessiveness. The last course of action will be to confiscate all postage stamps and speak to your local post office should your child attempt to post their manuscript again to another agent.

What you can do:
There are many options open to a parent if they suspect their child wants to be a writer. The right teacher can discourage a child from writing anything interesting, and might even crush their egos enough by advising them that they will never get anything published. Another ploy is to use reverse psychology. Tell the child that you are thinking of writing a book also and this may discourage them into thinking that writing ‘really isn’t cool’.
Other options you may wish to consider is banning the use of computers for anything other than surfing the internet or playing games. Enforcing a strict policy of “if it’s sunny you’re playing outside” might have a positive effect during the few days of sunshine in the summer. Forcing your child into a sporting activity may also divert energies and attention from writing into something more productive and more sociable.
As a final option, try taking your child to a local bookshop or library and show them what happens to addicted writers who reform. The sight of so many jaded faces looking morosely at the aisles of books from authors who have made it, might discourage them from that wayward path.

Disclaimer: The content above does in no way reflect the beliefs of the blog owner, the blogger's publisher, the blogger's mum, not all the blogger's friends, and certainly not me.

*(Note: don’t you just love Government Leaflets? Looks like we’re back to the glory days of the 50’s)