Lesley M.M. Blume's blog
March 04, 2010  |  permalink
Watch out, world: A new talent on the horizon

Every day, I love opening my mailbox to see letters from my young readers nestled inside.  Their notes come in from all over the country and world - and in case their authors are wondering, I do read all of them and try to respond to each one in a timely manner.  Nothing beats a handwritten note; email will never replace the art of handwriting.  Personality shines through differently on paper than it does on a computer screen.  So, keep those letters coming.

Many of my readers are aspiring writers, and they usually ask for advice on going pro.  Sometimes they include samples of their work: short stories, poems, and so on; one eleven-year-old sent me a bound, illustrated manuscript over 100 pages long!  It was very impressive.

imageA few weeks ago, a ten-year-old named Annabella Nootebos of British Columbia sent me a letter and included a graphical short story in the envelope.  It delighted me so much that I asked her permission to reprint it here.  “Diary of a Sapling” tells the tale of a young tree’s early experiences in the world.  Click on this link to see the full story:

Diary_of_a_Sapling.pdf

It is a very bold and sophisticated work for such a young writer: told in the first person with humor, quirkiness, and confidence; such a definitive voice!  I also loved how the design was mocked up to resemble a book.  There’s also quite a bit of gallows humor there; Miss Nootebos is my kind of girl.

I hope you enjoy her story.  In the meantime, I will offer to other young aspiring authors the advice I gave to Miss Nootebos: a writer’s job is to notice things about the world that no one else sees, and then describe those things beautifully and effectively.  Observing the details is your job

And above all: practice, practice, practice—and then practice some more.

- lmmb


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About Lesley M.M. Blume

Lesley M.M. Blume is an author, journalist, columnist, cultural observer, and bon vivant based in New York City, where she was born. Learn more about her after the leap.

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