331: Turning Pain into Prose | Young Author Project

Students Write The Art of Giving a Crap

In this episode of Authors Who Lead, I delve into the inspiring journey of eight young authors and their dedicated teacher, Natalie Wilkinson. Together, they crafted a powerful novel titled The Art of Giving a Crap, which encapsulates the essence of untold stories and the beauty of collaborative effort. Let’s unpack their journey, from the project’s inception to seeing their work in print.

The Genesis of a Powerful Journey

The project began in a high school English Language Arts classroom, where Natalie Wilkinson gave her students an assignment to write memoirs. The responses were unexpected and deeply impactful. Many students revealed heart-wrenching stories of abuse, neglect, and trauma.

These revelations sparked the idea for a collective narrative—a novel that would fictionalize these true, poignant experiences while retaining their emotional truth. As Natalie explained, “It just made me realize that there are so many things that people could be going through right next to you that you have no idea.”

Building a Fictional World from True Stories

To transform these personal stories into a cohesive fictional narrative, the students began by meticulously crafting their characters. Angel, a student, recalls the early days when they, “created our characters, their characteristics, what they looked like, their names, basically who they were, their interests, and such.” This task was divided into two teams: Team Asher and Team Lucy, named after the two main characters. Both teams worked diligently to flesh out the characters’ traits, backstories, and arcs, laying a strong foundation for the story.

Plotting the storyline was the next crucial step. The team gathered in an atrium to outline major plot points on whiteboards, integrating the well-rounded characters into these narrative structures. Olivia recounts how they would, “literally go to the whiteboard and draw a timeline and just try to fill in points of the major things we wanted to happen.” This iterative process involved frequent discussions, refinements, and a lot of creative collaboration.

Writing and Collaboration: The Heart of the Process

Moving from handwritten notes to digital platforms like Google Docs and Readsy, the team navigated logistical challenges to facilitate seamless collaboration. “We all started from pen and paper but eventually transitioned into computers and electronics,” Kenshin Lee recalls. This shift allowed them to collectively draft, edit, and refine their work, despite the obstacles.

Natalie played a pivotal role in editing. She describes her role as the polisher of raw diamonds: “I took all the great stuff they had and just made it a little more uniform.” Her guidance helped ensure that multiple voices blended into a single, cohesive narrative voice, essential for a compelling reading experience.

The Fruits of Their Labor: Publication and Beyond

When the book was finally published, the sense of accomplishment among the students was palpable. Angel recalls being “struggling to comprehend that we wrote a book.” The reactions were varied yet uniformly filled with awe and pride. Anais particularly enjoyed seeing reviews on Goodreads and being recognized as an author on a platform she frequently uses.

Remarkably, this isn’t the end of their journey. The team has already begun outlining and drafting three more books. Natalie Wilkinson proudly states, “These people already have three more books they wanna do,” highlighting the momentum and ambition propelling this young team forward.

Reflection and Future Inspiration

I put their achievement into a broader context, noting that completing and publishing a book places them in a fraction of 1% of people who ever accomplish such a feat. The Young Authors’ journey serves as an inspiration not only to their peers but also to anyone with a story to tell.

Each participant shared a single word to encapsulate their feelings about the project. Words like “inspired,” “shocked,” “amazed,” and “ecstatic” echoed the sentiment of their incredible journey. As what I pointed out, these students and their teachers exemplify that anyone, regardless of age, can achieve great things with dedication and a shared vision.

The Young Authors Project spearheaded by Natalie Wilkinson and her former students is a testament to the power of storytelling and collaboration. Their novel, The Art of Giving a Crap, is not just a book; it’s a beacon of hope and inspiration for aspiring writers everywhere. Their journey reminds us that we can all bring our dreams to life with perseverance, a supportive team, and a willingness to delve into the deepest parts of our experiences.

Join us again next week for more captivating insights from influential authors and publishing experts. Remember to subscribe to Authors Who Lead and visit our website for more show notes and past interviews.

That’s all for this week. If you have a message inside of you that needs to be written, today is the day to start. Don’t delay—take action.