I’d like you to open your ears this weekend. You’d be amazed at what people say around you – and how inspirational it can be. So, have a listen to what people are talking about. Notice if someone says something extraordinary or weird or funny or strange or delightful or scary or fantastic over the next couple of days.
Listen to the people who are talking to you, but also to the people who are talking around you. There are words filling the air and your job as a writer is to get a hold of those words and wrestle them onto the page. Once you’ve heard something great, get it down on paper. It might be a sentence or maybe two. Once I heard a guy say to his friend in the park, “Have you any idea what it was like to be in jail for eighteen years? It was great.” Really, honestly, that’s what he said.
When you’ve got your sentence down, see where it leads. Is there a story there? A poem? A prose poem?
Get listening.
Writing Tips for Teens 
I love the concept of your blog. I wonder if you might be interested in a photo/writing inspiration blog…Stories Without Words ā http://storieswithoutwords.wordpress.com.
Writers visit the site, find an image and write anything from a short caption, poem, essay or story. Our images are from some amazing photographers and artists from all over the world. We launched 2 months ago and have quite a following now. It would be wonderful if you visited our site and posted it for your readers/writers – they they might feel inspired to write about what they see, posting it in the comment section for the specific image. A new image will be posted daily.
Thanks for your time. I hope you enjoy the site.
Be well, Roka Walsh
Hi Roka,
Thanks so much for letting me know about your site. I will definitely post about it tomorrow and link up to it for my readers – I’d like to write a full post about it rather than just link it up without an explanation because I think your site is so cool. I sometimes put up a photo prompt for the teen readers of my blog and they love it so I am really inspired to see what you guys have done. Great site!
Thanks again,
Ali
Thanks so much. I hope your readers enjoy it as well.
Take care, Roka
Do you think you could link your readers to me too – your teen readers might like some of the prompts I have to keep them writing. I really do love your site. The image of the man and the church makes me want to do some writing. Thanks.
A
It’s a done deal! Have a great day!
– also… you might consider becoming a fan on facebook –
facebook.com/storieswithoutwords
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