Not officially G&T, but does your child love writing? Guide me please...

[earwig1]

My 10 DD loves writing, she always has but lately she seems to spend hours writing stories and now she prefers to use a laptop rather than writing by hand. Her teachers have always commented that she has a real talent for writing, but mainly is her love of it and obvious enjoyment she gets that drives her. She's very lively, not the quiet type at all, and she's a bit too chatty at school but when she writes she really concentrates. I'd like some advice on how best to encourage her, do you recommend entering competitions? A creative writing course for kids? or just letting her get on with it? Any advice, especially from parents of very creative kids would be appreciated.

I think competitions can be good...and letting her get on with it! I am a writer and as a child I was just like your DD. I had lots of encouragement...she could begin a blog too...that might be useful but obviously you'd have to police it.

I would also ensure that she has access to the best available children's literature both modern and classical.

Let her get on with it. Writing is a craft that needs practice. My 11-year-old DS is on his fourth novel now. He has actually done a couple of competitions, but only when they've flown into his ken (and the prize was worth winning).

It's her think- let her get on with it. Nothing more off putting than an adult getting too interested!

I'm with seeker at 10 they are preteens & NOTHING will put her off more than too much interest from us parents - it suddenly makes is all very uncool - mine is 10 & also very much her own person & boy do I know this to be fact

Agree with Seeker. This is her 'thing' and you need to be really careful not to stunt her creativity. The Chris Evans writing competition might be worth a look if she does want to go down that road.
DD is 10 and halfway through her first novel - she writes in bursts and then doesn't look at it for weeks on end. She's always writing poems and short stories in between and I stick those in a scrapbook for her (She's disorganised and untidy to the point of driving me crazy! I do buy her loads of funky notebooks and books (As does her teacher ) and I always make sure that I'm available to give her 100% attention if she wants to share her latest story or chapters.
Enjoy - am secretly hoping that DD will be the next JK Rowling, although her teacher pitches her as the next Roald Dahl

There is a really nice magezine my niece (11yo) gets called wordsmith. All completly to do with writing. all kinds of competitions-poems, short stories, story starts aswell as writing workshop pages from authors (where they give you ideas and tips, etc.) Really nice prizes aswell and lots of examples of other children's writing. Some children have a piece on every page where there is examples... The kids that write in range from about 10-14 although the ages vary. I strongly reccomend it if your child is enjoys writing as much as me and my niece do. (I subscribe for her as a christmas present every year)