Writer shares tips with youth at library this summer

Leslie Goodwin says you will not find a place more comfortable than a library.

It has long been a favorite spot for the 19-year-old University of Kansas sophomore, who spent years as a volunteer for the Johnson County Library system.

"The library kind of eats you," Goodwin said. "Once they grab a hold of you they offer you so many opportunities - why turn it down? It's wonderful. You grow to know the librarians and it becomes a sort of family. They kind of swallow you up and take you in as their own."

This summer Goodwin joins the library family as a teen writer in residence. Goodwin will lead two workshops, holding eight sessions in total, to help local teens hone their writing skills.

Goodwin developed her own skills at the library before entering KU last year as an English major with an emphasis in creative writing. She hopes to create a "safe place" for students to gain tips and ideas for their own works, she said.

"I want them to walk away knowing their words matter," Goodwin said. "Every boy and every girl when they are younger, even when they are older, they have these extravagant ideas in their heads. Everyone has a story they want to tell and I want them to know they can put it on paper and someone is going to read it and love it."

Goodwin has been putting her stories on paper since elementary school, when her teachers would tell her, "come back when you are a famous writer," she said. Her parents have written professionally and for enjoyment and helped her improve as a writer, she said. Attending workshops through the library while in high school helped her grow even more, she said.

"When you read someone else's writing you think of ‘How could I write this? What would I do?' You listen to the critiques," Goodwin said. "Just because it is for somebody else you take it in yourself... And when someone says, ‘This is wonderful,' it gives you a sense of empowerment. You become even more excited to share it with people."

Goodwin has won the first place prize in the Johnson County Library Foundation's Rare Writing Contest. As a senior at Shawnee Mission South, she was selected to read some of her work during commencement.

During the school year she leads "Creative Commons," a creative writing workshop for area students through the Johnson County Library.

 This year, along with another student, she committed to writing a novel. She wrote a book that involved teenagers, vampires and romance loosely inspired by the "Twilight" novels by Stephenie Meyer, she said. 

"I've always been very fascinated with twisting mythological things with reality," Goodwin said.

The workshops will be a place to discuss grammar, sentence structure and punctuation, she said. Most importantly, she will help students with word use, she said.

"I focus on how you can bring the story to life, how you can show, not tell. There's a big difference. When you show it, it comes to life."

Through it all, students will be encouraged to provide positive criticism for other student works.

"It's very laid back. Kids get nervous. Teens get nervous. Even my regulars will say, ‘I don't want to read,'" Goodwin said. "Our critiquing is not harsh or brutal because we want kids to keep coming back."

The teen writer in residence is an addition to the teen artist in residence program that began at the library last year. It seemed like a natural option to offer, Dennis Ross, youth services specialist, said.

"There are a lot of young people who like to write and I don't think many people know it outside their own personal friends or maybe their teachers," Ross said.

"We hope that young writers would receive some tips and encouragement ...We've found there are a lot of people who love to write and it makes sense to encourage that as much as possible."

Goodwin will host two workshops called "Express, Believe, Inspire: Creative Writing Workshops." There will be four classes per workshop.

One will be held from 2 to 3:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, July 1-22, at the Shawnee Library, 13811 Johnson Drive, Shawnee. To register, call 962-3807.

 Another workshop will take place from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Fridays, July 10 and 24, at the Oak Park Library, 9500 Bluejacket, Overland Park. To register, call 752-8700.

An "Expression Reception" will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. July 18 at the Central Resource Library, 9875 W. 87^th St., Overland Park. Students will have opportunity to share and display their works from the workshops.

Trackback(0)

TrackBack URI for this entry

Comments (0)

Write comment