: Re: My kid's first story So, my 11-year son has just written his first literature work yesterday: A short fantasy story about werewolves in a forest chased by a group of courageous men. Half-full

@Martha805

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I would imagine his reactions have more to do with being 11 than with any long-term issues. I would focus on giving praise and encouraging more writing; mastery will come with practice, and if he becomes discouraged by negative feedback, he may very well give up. Considering that you are his parent, unless he asks for constructive critique, I would not offer it. Odds are good that he isn't looking for that sort of feedback, but for the usually sort of parental feedback of "Oh, this is great, I especially loved XYZ, I'm so proud of you for finishing this!"

Unrequested critiques can be annoying to anyone, but especially for a child, I would be extremely careful. Does his story need help? Almost certainly. Everything I wrote at that age was a pile of tropey, unenjoyable garbage. But unless he asks for a critique, I would err on the side of assuming that he is just looking for encouragement and support.

The best way to ensure that your son gets better at writing fiction is to ensure he keeps writing. The best way to do that is to make sure he doesn't get discouraged.

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