Theresa Milstein: Lessons from Lenny Lee

From: Theresa’s Tales of Teaching Tribulations and Typing Teen Texts
http://theresamilstein.blogspot.com/2012/10/lessons-from-lenny-lee.html
October 20, 2012 at 07:16AM

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“It is less painful to learn in youth
than to be ignorant in age”

–
Proverb

As a children’s writer, I believe youth have more to
teach me than I could ever hope to teach them. While I pull from past
experiences and feelings in my writing, my everyday life is consumed by adult
worries, joys, and obligations.

Most of my on-line writer friends are adults.  Lenny Lee was the first child to follow
my blog.  I’ve learned much from
the few years I’ve known him.

Lessons from Lenny Lee

1.    Don’t let age stop you.

I think back to my youth. It never would’ve occurred to me
to contact an author I admired, let alone start collaborations with other
writers.  And since the Internet
didn’t exist when I was his age (man, I’m old), writers weren’t as accessible
as we are now.  Lenny Lee not only
writes, but critiques other writers’ manuscripts. He’s part of the writing
community! 

2.    If you want to do it well, learn it.

While I breathed books and liked to write, when I was his
age, it also never occurred to me I could be a writer.  I thought people were just brilliant at
it. If not, then I had no right to pursue it.  Didn’t know there was a whole craft to learn for everyone.  See, he’s smarter than me.  He actually finds out how this whole
writing thing works. And does it!

3.    Use your knowledge to give advice to other
writers.

Clearly, I didn’t have a blog when I was his age (since the
Internet hadn’t even been invented). When I started a blog 3 years ago, I
didn’t think I had much writing advice to offer the world. Lenny not only
learns about the craft of writing, but also shares his wisdom with others. He
has written excellent posts on writing. I’ve learned from reading his
blog. 

4.    Be positive.

I don’t want to admit how often I feel sorry for myself.
Actually, read the archives, and you can find out.  I’m sure Lenny Lee has down days too, but his blog is all
advice and encouragement. 

5.    Have your own unique voice.

It took me YEARS to figure out how to find my voice as a
writer.  Read Lenny Lee’s blog and
it’s all VOICE.  His personality
shines on his blog.  I bet it’s the
same for his fiction.

I can no longer call Lenny Lee a child.  

He’s turning 13 TODAY!  

Please visit this teen’s  BLOG

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 and wish
him a very  HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

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Happy Birthday, Lenny Lee!

May you have many, many more.

It’s great seeing you grow.

xo

Love,

Miss Theresa

“Through our great good fortune, in our youth our hearts
were touched with fire.  It was
given to us to learn at the outset that life is a profound and passionate
thing.”

– Oliver Wendell Holmes