I have a colleague, or associate I will call her, who gives presentations at library conferences on the elusive non-card holder.

I’d like to add to her portfolio. The elusive teen writer.

I know they are out there. I was one of them; and in doing the informal research for this project of creating a teen writers guild at the Zion Library, I learned a few things.

1. Zion had one in position all along but little or no participation;
2. From the websites of neighboring libraries in the county, I couldn’t find any other groups like that; and…
3. I wish had a support group like that when I that age.

In fact, post graduation, I had the opportunity gifted to me by one of my former English teachers. And even though I was honored at the time, I kick myself for not taking those sessions with her and her writers group more seriously.

I was eighteen, working full time and having fun. So in retrospect, I wasn’t much more different than these teens are today.

But I never underestimate the power of peer pressure. If a small nucleus of writing adolescents were to gather once or twice a month and share critiques, ideas and techniques, they might not drop the craft so completely like myself. There’s nothing worse than picking it up again thirty years later when you’re faced with an empty nest and more time on your hands.

But the advantage of writing at this time of my life is that I have opportunities to write outside fiction that I never thought would present themselves before in my lifetime. And with each of these challenges, I’m finding the wheels are turning; my critics are there to help me stretch and grow when the piece is not quite there yet.

I guess I just don’t want these chances for kids to pass them by, for elusive teen to come in from the cold and find a writing home here.

Contact Elise Martinez at the Zion Library (check the website).