The Power of Writing that First Word

THE POWER OF WRITING THAT FIRST WORD

Ten hours ago - spread over three Saturdays - a group of youngsters started with a blank piece of paper.

Seeds if imagination being planted. (Photo courtesy R Chandran)

By the end of the ten weeks they had their first published Story Books in hand.

Young Authors with their First Story Books and Proud Parents. "Writing My First Story Book" - Writers' Lab for the Young initiative by ACT 3 Theatrics. November 2012 at Lasalle College of the Arts. (Photo courtesy of R Chandran)

In-between, they were set writing exercises and offered individual guidance. Finding the Joy in writing was the key to the sessions.

Young Authors at work and their stories being read aloud. (Photos courtesy of R Chandran)

What inspired me to undertake this project was hearing people, especially adults remark - "How do you write?" "I don't know what to write about." "I have no ideas."

It was like a chore. Anna Belle Francis, a mother of two, shared the fact that her eight year-old son Abbra hated writing. His clever retort was: "I don't like writing. The pencil is too heavy." Today, if Abbra is asked to write five sentences, he asks for ten.

Our 'Writers' Lab for the Young' initiative sets out to inspire the joy in writing, then to hone individual skills through pleasurable practice.

Write that first word on a blank piece of paper and let that lead you on. 

Finding inspiration indoors as well as outdoors. (Photo courtesy of R Chandran).