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[Podcast #320] An Important Message from Julie about Brave Writer

Brave Writer Podcast

What happens when you realize the mission can grow even as your energy changes?

This week on the podcast, we share a heartfelt update about Brave Writer’s next chapter—

  • why protecting the “sacred trust” matters,
  • how strong culture makes change possible,
  • and what it looks like to move from doing it all to mentoring new leadership.

Along the way, we revisit a long-held Florence dream (Santa Croce + A Room with a View), talk about training replacements, and offer a “January gift” idea: online writing classes kids experience as a treat.

Come listen—then join us at bravewriter.com/online-classes.

Show Notes

There’s a moment many parents and creators eventually face when the work still matters deeply, but the way it’s been carried no longer fits. Today’s episode centers on one of those moments for Brave Writer. Brave Writer is in the midst of a leadership transition, one that allows the work to continue with strength and clarity while honoring a new season for the founder and for the company as a whole.

Brave Writer is not closing. It isn’t being sold or dismantled. Instead, day-to-day operations are moving into the capable hands of longtime team members, Dawn Smith (as President) and Kirsten Merryman (as VP of Operations). They are well trained in the pedagogy, culture, and mission of Brave Writer from the inside and they are fierce protectors of the legacy of our work. This shift protects what families have trusted for years while opening space for new energy and vision at the operational level.

Why This Change Makes Sense

In homeschooling, we’re familiar with seasons. Early years require constant involvement. Later years invite us to step back, moving from hands-on instruction to mentoring and encouragement. The goal is always growth, not control. The same pattern appears in meaningful work. When a company like Brave Writer has been carefully built by the founder, there comes a time when the creator of the company is ready to ask who is equipped to carry the movement forward.

This transition in leadership didn’t arise from dissatisfaction or decline. It came through honest reflection paired with the realization that Julie’s original vision for Brave Writer has been fulfilled and even surpassed. Brave Writer remains intact. What’s changing is how that mission is stewarded day to day.

Training Replacements Is Part of the Mission

One of the most overlooked forms of leadership is training others to do your job well. Brave Writer has always operated on this principle. Teachers, editors, writers, course designers, and administrative leaders have been trained over years, not dropped into roles overnight. That kind of preparation makes a transition like this possible without disruption.

Families already understand this concept. We teach writing as a process so children don’t depend on constant correction. Drafting, revising, and reflecting are skills meant to be internalized. When people are trained deeply, the work becomes bigger than any one person.

Process Thinking and Healthy Culture

A strong culture makes change feel like evolution rather than loss. Brave Writer’s culture has always emphasized process over perfection. In writing, revision isn’t a failure. It’s how clarity emerges. That same mindset allows an organization to adjust without panic or defensiveness.

Because the values have been practiced consistently, new leadership doesn’t mean a new identity. It means the same pedagogy, the same respect for children, and the same trust in process, now carried by a broader team.

What This Means for You

For listeners and families, this transition means continuity. Classes, resources, and support remain rooted in the approach you know and love. It also means longevity. Brave Writer is positioned to grow without losing its soul.

It also offers a model worth considering in our own lives. Parenting, teaching, and creative work all ask us to notice when a season is shifting. Stepping into a mentoring role, making room for others, and caring for ourselves are not acts of retreat. They are acts of wisdom.

This moment at Brave Writer isn’t an ending. It’s a revision. And like all good revisions, it keeps what matters most while making space for what comes next.

Resources

Connect with Julie

Connect with Melissa

Produced by NOVA

Brave Writer Podcast

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[Podcast #319] How to Grow Writing Skills as an Adult

Brave Writer Podcast

Have you ever wished you could grow as a writer—not just help your kids write, but find your own voice on the page?

In this Brave Writer podcast episode, we explore practical, gentle ways to build an adult writing life from scratch. We talk about:

  • tiny daily practices,
  • “write or do nothing” sessions,
  • using poems and memories as prompts,
  • and reading as the best antidote to writer’s block.

We also share favorite craft books, quirky revision tricks, and how community can transform your confidence.

Join us as we map out five concrete steps to start (or restart) your writing practice this year.

Show Notes

The turn of the year has a way of stirring up creative longings. Somewhere between decluttering closets and planning next semester’s homeschool, many of us quietly add another resolution to the list: write more. Not just recordkeeping or lesson planning, but genuine, soul-stirring writing of our own.

We’ve met so many parents who want that. They’re helping kids draft essays and stories, while their own ideas sit in the back of a closet like an unfinished quilt. The good news? You don’t need a cabin in the woods or a six-week retreat to grow as a writer. You need a few simple practices, done consistently, with kindness.

Reading as Fuel, Not a Distraction

The first place we turn, always, is reading. When we immerse ourselves in a genre—a memoir, a mystery, a lively essay collection—we’re not just being entertained. We’re tuning our ears to the rhythms of that kind of writing. It’s normal to sound a bit like the authors we’re reading, especially at the beginning. Their cadences become training wheels as we wobble into our own voice.

Rather than fearing “copying,” we can think of reading the way we approach recipes. We start with someone else’s version, learn what works, and gradually add our own seasonings. Over time, the dish tastes unmistakably like us.

A Tiny, Sacred Window

The second piece is time—but not as much as you might think. We love the idea of a 10-minute daily window. Choose a moment that’s reasonably protected—right after your morning tea, during a child’s quiet time, or in the car before you walk into a practice.

For those ten minutes, the only rule is: write or do nothing. You can stare at the wall or write, “I don’t know what to write, I’m stuck,” fifty times. You just can’t scroll or fold laundry. Strangely, the mind doesn’t tolerate “nothing” for long; eventually, words begin to spill.

Prompts from Ordinary Life

When the page feels extra blank, prompts help. A poem can offer a doorway: copy a phrase that tugs at you and write from it. A memory can, too—school lunches, cars you rode in as a child, the first house you lived in as a couple. Make a quick list, pick one, and jot everything you remember, focusing on concrete details: the smell of the cafeteria fish fillet, the sting of cold metal on your hands, the way someone’s cigarette dangled over a mixing bowl.

This is what some writers call “carnal writing”—language that lands in the body. You don’t need a plot. You just need presence.

Let Your Ears Be the Editor

When you’re ready to revisit what you’ve written, read it aloud. Not to judge yourself, but to listen. Where do you get bored? Where do you stumble? Those spots are invitations to trim, rearrange, or choose a punchier word.

We like to keep a “magpie notebook” of favorite phrases and word pairings we spot in other people’s writing. When our own sentences feel tired, flipping through that little hoard of language often nudges us toward fresher choices.

Write Together

Finally, remember that writing doesn’t have to be solitary. Pair up with a friend, join an online circle, or host a simple freewriting group with tea and a timer. Share what you’re comfortable sharing. Celebrate each small attempt.

Our kids deserve to see us as learners too—as people who pick up a pen, fumble, laugh, and keep going. In tending our own writing lives, we’re not only nurturing ourselves; we’re modeling the very bravery we hope to see in them.

Resources

Connect with Julie

Connect with Melissa

Produced by NOVA

Brave Writer Podcast

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[Podcast #318] For the Kids: Meet the Lighthouse Family

Brave Writer Podcast

What happens when we slow down and really listen to the language of a story?

In this special Brave Writer podcast episode for kids and parents, we cozy up with Cynthia Rylant’s Lighthouse Family series and unpack a delicious opening passage from The Storm. We notice how sound, mood, adjectives, and even compound words work together to paint Pandora the lighthouse cat’s lonely world—and we share simple ways to turn those discoveries into:

  • copywork,
  • scavenger hunts,
  • and rich family discussion.

Join us as we read, notice, and play with language—then keep the magic going in your own read-aloud time.

Show Notes

One of our favorite things to do as home educators is to read aloud with our kids. But there’s a subtle shift that can turn a simple storytime into a rich apprenticeship in writing: reading like writers.

  • Why this word and not that one?
  • Why start the story here?
  • Why does a single sentence feel so sad or so thrilling?

Those questions aren’t just academic; they’re invitations into craft.

The Power of a Single Sentence

Take a sentence like “She found herself sighing long, deep, lonely sighs.” We meet a character who is isolated, but instead of being told “She was very lonely,” we feel it in our bodies. The repetition, the commas, the triple stack of adjectives—it all creates a slow, weighted rhythm.

When we read like this with our kids, we can pause and ask: What makes this sentence so powerful? How would it feel if we changed one of those adjectives? What if we took the commas out? We’re not administering a quiz; we’re inviting curiosity. Our children learn, almost by osmosis, that word choice and punctuation carry emotion.

Playing with Sound

Sound devices like alliteration, assonance, and consonance can seem like abstract literary terms until you hear them working in a story. “In a lonely lighthouse, far from city and town, far from the comfort of friends…” rolls off the tongue like a gentle wave.

Instead of handing our kids a definition, we can point to the line and say, “Do you hear all those L sounds? How does that make it feel?” From there, we can play: try writing our own description of a place using repeated sounds, or go on a “sound scavenger hunt” in today’s read-aloud. Learning becomes a game instead of a worksheet.

Seeing the Story Beneath the Story

We also love to notice how authors handle time. A flashback, for example, doesn’t just fill in backstory; it reveals what matters most to a character. When a writer drops us into a memory of a storm at sea and a ship saved by a lighthouse, we see why tending a light later becomes a vocation of the heart.

These are beautiful conversations to have with our kids: What is this character afraid of? What do they love? How does the past explain who they are now? Suddenly, reading isn’t only about plot; it’s about empathy.

Turning Noticing into Practice

All this noticing naturally spills into our children’s own writing. Once they’ve hunted for compound words in a chapter book, they start inventing their own. Once they’ve collected homophones, they delight in spotting them in the wild. Once they’ve experienced how a powerful verb like “howled” or “crashed” changes a scene, “said” and “went” start to feel boring.

We don’t have to lecture about any of this. We simply:

  • keep reading aloud, pausing now and then to marvel together,
  • ask big, juicy questions,
  • and treat literary devices like a spice cabinet we can open and smell.

Over time, our kids internalize what good writing feels like. And when they sit down to write—even if it’s just a sentence or two at first—they have a rich store of rhythms, images, and structures to draw from.

That’s the quiet magic of reading like writers: we aren’t just passing the time or checking off a language arts box. We’re building a shared language of craft and a lifelong love of stories, together.

Resources

Connect with Julie

Connect with Melissa

Produced by NOVA

Brave Writer Podcast

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[Podcast #317] Hygge Homeschool for the Holidays

Brave Writer Podcast

As the leaves turn and the days shorten, there’s a distinct shift in the air – it’s the cozy season, a time for warmth, reflection, and connection. This season, we’re revisiting one of our favorite conversations about embracing the Danish concept of hygge (pronounced “hoo-ga”) in our homeschooling journey. Hygge is all about creating a warm atmosphere and enjoying the good things in life with good people. It’s the warmth of morning light streaming through the window, the comfort of a hot cup of cocoa, the joy of a shared story.

In this replayed Brave Writer podcast episode, we delve into how hygge can transform the homeschooling experience. As the season changes, so does the rhythm of our homes and our approach to education. It’s a time to slow down, to savor, and to connect more deeply with our children through learning and play.

Go here for the complete Show Notes.

Resources

Connect with Julie

Connect with Melissa

Produced by NOVA

Brave Writer Podcast

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[Podcast #316] When Your Middlers Lack Interest

Brave Writer Podcast

What do we do when our tweens and teens don’t seem “into” anything?

In this Brave Writer podcast episode, we explore how to revive interest, curiosity, and motivation in the middle school years—without forcing artificial enthusiasm.

We talk about:

  • why middlers may seem disengaged,
  • how risk and adventure replace the “magic” of early childhood learning,
  • and how deep dives, conversation, boredom, and flexibility can open doors to authentic passion.

We also share practical scripts, examples from our own families, and tools for nurturing critical thinking and connection.

Show Notes

Middle school can feel like unfamiliar territory for many homeschoolers. The cozy magic that carried us through the elementary years suddenly seems mismatched to our tweens, who often appear restless, bored, or unsure about what interests them. As academic expectations rise, we may feel pressure to keep everything moving forward, even when our kids seem to stall. But the middle years are ripe with possibility if we’re willing to rethink how learning works.

Risk and Adventure Replace Early-Education Magic

One thing we’ve noticed is that the enchantment of the early years often comes from surprise and mystery: the twinkle lights, the themed read-alouds, the cozy writing moments. But tweens and teens are wired for something different. They’re ready for risk and adventure. Not necessarily cliff jumping or grand excursions—though sometimes that too—but the intellectual and emotional risks that come with forming opinions, exploring new worlds, and stepping outside familiar perspectives.

Rather than expecting them to declare a clear passion, we make space for them to discover one. For many kids, interest begins quietly. It emerges through consumption—books, films, fandoms, video games, music—long before it shows up as creative output. We sometimes forget that mastering a subject begins with taking in mountains of input. College students and graduate-level scholars spend years consuming before producing original work. When our middlers are devouring books or revisiting a favorite hobby, they are building vocabulary, context, and insight that later become the foundation of mature thinking.

Conversation as a Catalyst for Understanding

We also find that conversation fuels understanding. When we listen, truly listen, to our kids talk about what they love, they refine their ideas in real time. Some families build this into group activities like movie nights or book clubs; others find it easier to talk through a WhatsApp thread or emails with grandparents. However it happens, the back-and-forth deepens thinking and strengthens connection.

But sometimes, before interest emerges, there’s boredom. In a world full of instant entertainment, boredom can feel like a problem. But it’s actually the fertile soil of creativity. When we carve out device-free space and keep enticing materials accessible—binoculars, art supplies, maps, kitchen tools—we give our kids the freedom to wander mentally and physically. That meandering often leads to unexpected discoveries. The child who seems apathetic one week may suddenly be whittling wood, researching constellations, or organizing a geocaching route the next.

Inviting Kids Into the Process

The secret is transparency. Instead of changing course quietly, we invite our kids into the process: “I’ve noticed we’re all feeling a little stuck. I’d love to experiment with giving ourselves some free space every day to explore ideas or interests. It might feel boring at first, but I think something good could come out of it.” When we model curiosity and honesty, our kids feel respected and more willing to take their own risks.

The Power of the Middle School Transition

Middle school isn’t a dead zone of interest. It’s a transition zone. A place where kids shed childhood patterns and begin shaping who they are. When we provide spaciousness, conversation, and gentle encouragement, we help them step into the adventurous, risk-taking thinkers they’re becoming. And along the way, we rediscover a little of our own curiosity, too.

Resources

Connect with Julie

Connect with Melissa

Produced by NOVA

Brave Writer Podcast

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