![]() Ohio’s Original Interscholastic Creative Writing Program for Middle Schools |
Lindsay Puckett, Author
Power of the Pen taught me so many lessons I’ve carried with me to this day—the importance of finishing projects, working under a deadline, how to gracefully deal with feedback on my writing, and even how to handle rejection.
But mostly, Power of the Pen lit a fire under me that screamed “This! This is what you love to do! Keep doing this!”
I didn’t know how much I would come to love writing, or that I would continue past the competitions. I didn’t know that during hard times, I would learn to rely on that blissful calm that took over when keys were under my fingers and a story was pouring from my heart.
I didn’t know all those years ago when I stayed late after school one day to try out for a writing team, I would get a whole shiny new future.
Power of the Pen undoubtedly shaped my life as a writer. To start, it was one of the first experiences in my life where grown-ups actually referred to me as a writer – I’d always thought of myself as a writer, but this kind of adult validation was exhilarating.
But more importantly, Power of the Pen taught me that writing is all about practice. The more hours you put into your craft, the more you will get out of it. It also gave me the opportunity to explore lots of different styles of writing, playing with genre and perspective, and this helped open up my own writing in numerous ways. The trick of writing is simple, but deceptively hard: in order to be a writer, you have to write. It’s Power of the Pen that really drilled that lesson into my brain. So, I guess, Power of the Pen first taught me to call myself a writer, and then later, helped me to actually earn that title.
Watch Jasmine describe how Power of the Pen shaped her journey as a writer.
|
Jason Reynolds, AuthorPower of the Pen was honestly unlike anything I'd ever experienced. To be in a space with hundreds of young people brimming with imagination and the desire to tell stories, was nothing short of inspiring. I've never seen something so cool! |
|
|
Power of the Pen |