
[Podcast #273] Announcing Julie’s New Book!

Writing is often framed as an external obligation in schools, but we believe it’s much more than that.
Writing is an act of self-expression—a way to explore:
- ideas,
- emotions,
- and creativity.
In this Brave Writer podcast episode, we discuss how parents can help children reclaim the joy of writing, emphasizing its value as a personal journey rather than just a task to complete. We also touch on the role of AI, the importance of fostering self-expression, and how writing connects us to the world and each other.
Listen to the full episode for insights on how to nurture confident, passionate writers in your family.
Also, learn about preorder bonuses for Julie’s upcoming NEW book, Help! My Kid Hates Writing, on Tuesday, February 11, 2025.
Show Notes
Reclaiming the joy of writing
One of the key ideas we aim to champion is that writing begins with the writer. When children (or adults) discover that their words matter—that writing is a means of exploring their ideas, emotions, and creativity—something shifts. The resistance we see in reluctant writers often stems from this disconnection. They’ve been taught that writing is about rules, not about them. Our goal is to help families reframe writing as a joyful act of discovery.
The role of parents in fostering self-expression
Parents have a unique opportunity to cultivate an environment where writing is seen as a tool for personal expression. This can start small. Invite your child to freewrite for ten minutes, with no agenda beyond getting their thoughts onto the page. Encourage them to share their writing if they wish but avoid critiquing it. Instead, celebrate the ideas they bring to life.
In our Brave Writer programs, we’ve seen the transformative power of this approach. Children often go from avoiding writing altogether to eagerly crafting stories, reflections, and essays. When they realize their thoughts and words have value, their confidence and enthusiasm soar.
Why writing matters now more than ever
In an age dominated by technology and shortcuts like AI-generated text, it’s tempting to let tools do the writing for us. But why would we? Writing is more than just producing words; it’s a way of understanding ourselves and the world. By writing, we develop our critical thinking, articulate our values, and preserve the unique stories that make us who we are.
We encourage parents to emphasize this point with their children. Writing is not a race to a polished essay. It’s a journey into the mind and heart, one that rewards curiosity and effort. It’s this sense of discovery and ownership that makes writing worth doing.
Carrying the torch forward
Ultimately, our mission is to ignite a passion for writing that will stay with families for generations. Writing connects us to each other and to our shared humanity. Whether it’s through a Substack essay, a poem in a eulogy, or a handwritten letter, our words carry meaning and power.
As we celebrate 25 years of Brave Writer, we remain deeply committed to this vision. Writing isn’t just about meeting standards or completing assignments. It’s about finding your voice and learning to trust it. That’s what we hope to inspire in every family we serve.
Resources
- Austin Kleon on why he saves New Year’s resolutions for February
- Anne Helen Petersen, “The Social Media Sea Change”
- Find Wintering by Katherine May in the Brave Writer Book Shop
- Subscribe to Julie’s Substack newsletters: Brave Learning with Julie Bogart and Julie Off Topic
- Julie’s new book, Help! My Kid Hates Writing: How to Turn Struggling Students into Brave Writers
- Try out our Brave Writer Practice Pages
- Learn more about the Brave Writer Literature & Mechanics programs
- Read all Brave Writer class descriptions
- Start a free trial of CTCmath.com to try the math program that’s sure to grab and keep your child’s attention
- Sign up for our Text Message Pod Ring to get podcast updates and more!
- Send us podcast topic ideas by texting us: +1 (833) 947-3684
Connect with Julie
- Instagram: @juliebravewriter
- Threads: @juliebravewriter
- Facebook: facebook.com/bravewriter
Connect with Melissa
- Website: melissawiley.com
- Substack: melissawiley.substack.com
- Instagram: @melissawileybooks
Produced by NOVA
On Substack: The Re-Upping Moment, 4 Ways to Ruin Your Homeschool, and more!

Recently on Brave Learning…
The “Re-Upping” Moment in Homeschool [Public]
Remember when you decided to homeschool? Think back to what you felt about “school” as a concept, as a notion. [More]
4 Ways to Ruin Your Homeschool [Public]
I’ll share practices to make your homeschool hum with joy. But we can’t get there if you’re ruining your homeschool! [More]
The Homeschool Hand Grenade
You’ve got homeschool humming. Pencils flying, kids laughing, babies napping. Then: a jarring event dashes the momentary peace. [More]
Friday Freewrite: Needle in a Haystack [Public]
Write from the point of view of a needle (lost in a haystack!) while a child searches for it. [More]
Belief vs. Fact

Have you noticed that some people think they’re expressing facts when really they’re telling you a story about a fact?
Facts matter, but it’s what we say about them that determines how we think. Sometimes the stories we tell become so powerful, we adopt beliefs that undermine the fact itself. I’ve watched people use the same fact to prove entirely opposing ideas or beliefs.
Self-Awareness
That’s why I like to remind everyone that critical thinking starts with self-awareness. We can notice the way our own desire to be right or to fit into our communities or to know more than someone else undermines our ability to learn or have our assumptions challenged. We might even reject a fact just because it conflicts with what our community expects us to believe.
My workbook BECOMING A CRITICAL THINKER teaches your 12-18 year olds how to hold a bias while examining uncomfortable views. It gives them direct experience with examining their assumptions and exploring the ideas and beliefs of people who see the world differently. They will have tools that help them identify scams and charlatans.
Let’s raise a generation of kids who don’t get sucked into black-and-white, antagonistic thinking! Teach them to think for themselves and to think well!
Friday Freewrite Is Moving!

Freewriting prompts will now be shared each Friday on our Brave Learning Substack!
But no worries! Past prompts will still be housed here on the blog. There are hundreds of them to choose from.
New to freewriting?
Check out our free online guide.
[Podcast #272] Playing Big with Tara Mohr (Part 2)

Welcome back for Part 2 of our conversation with Tara Mohr, homeschooling mom and expert on women’s leadership. Here’s Part 1 if you missed it.
On today’s podcast, we discuss teaching kids to notice and name their inner critic, the terms “pachad” and “yirah,” and what Tara means when she uses the term “calling.”
You can pick up a copy of Tara’s book, Playing Big: Practical Wisdom for Women Who Want to Speak Up, Create, and Lead, in the Brave Writer book shop!
Show Notes
Naming the Inner Critic
Girls develop a strong inner critic voice at a very young age. Often, when they express it, well-meaning adults respond by trying to argue with that inner critic. For example, when a girl says “I’m ugly,” the typical adult response is “No, you’re beautiful.”
Rather than trying to argue with the inner critic, we can teach our daughters a much more effective way of dealing with it: notice and name it. When a girl says “I’m ugly,” you can say “That sounds like your inner critic” and then help them develop ways to separate that inner critic from their true selves.
Pachad and Yirah
Tara helps us understand the sensations of fear by breaking it down into two Old Testament words: “pachad” and “yirah.”
“Pachad” is the “fight or flight” kind of fear where we are on high alert for danger and imagine worse case scenarios.
“Yirah” is different. Yirah is more like trembling in awe. It’s the feeling when we step into a larger space than we are used to. We are uncomfortable, but we can breathe through it and allow ourselves to absorb the power of the moment.
When we start to perceive fear in ourselves, we can ask ourselves, “is this Pachad or Yirah?”
What “Calling” Means
Often the term “calling” is used by religious leaders to suggest there is a Higher Authority who has a plan for your life that you must follow. That’s not how Tara uses the term.
Tara describes “calling” as a lifelong process of being in touch with your true self and listening to what pulls you at a point and time. For Tara, the question to ask yourself is not “what’s my calling?” but “what’s calling me now?”
Tara Mohr is a fountain of knowledge and wisdom about raising our kids, especially our girls, to be confident, fulfilled adults.
Resources
- Start a free trial of CTCmath.com to try the math program that’s sure to grab and keep your child’s attention
- Tara Mohr’s website.
- Find Playing Big by Tara Mohr in the Brave Writer Book Shop
- Follow Tara on Instagram: @tarasophiamohr
- Check out the Brave Writer Practice Pages
- Learn more about the Brave Writer Literature & Mechanics programs
- Read all Brave Writer class descriptions
- Sign up for our Text Message Pod Ring to get podcast updates and more!
- Send us podcast topic ideas by texting us: +1 (833) 947-3684
Connect with Julie
- Instagram: @juliebravewriter
- Substack: juliebogart.substack.com
- Threads: @juliebravewriter
- Facebook: facebook.com/bravewriter
Connect with Melissa
- Website: melissawiley.com
- Substack: melissawiley.substack.com
- Instagram: @melissawileybooks
- Twitter: @melissawiley
Produced by NOVA