The Junior Writers Programme is a writing programme for youngsters aged 11-15. It was founded in 2018 by journalist-author-editor-trainer Brigitte Rozario to teach junior writers how to write fiction.
Brigitte joined The Star, Malaysia’s leading English newspaper, in 1989. She was there for 23 years, moving up the ranks from reporter to sub-editor to portal head and deputy editor. Since leaving The Star, she has been freelancing as a writer and editor. Her clients include PETRONAS, MPH Group Publishing and Synergio Global. She has successfully completed a number of book ghostwriting projects. She has conducted professional training for companies such as KPMG, Iclif Leadership and Governance Centre, Lumos Hill+Knowlton Strategies, iOli Communications and SEGi Universities and Colleges. She has also written a children’s picture book series titled The Adventures of Beebo & Friends! Her vast experience in writing and editing and her passion for reading are the foundation upon which the Junior Writers Programme is built.
The Junior Writers Programme focuses on the elements in story-writing:
- descriptions
- introduction
- action/drama
- character development
- dialogue
- conclusion
- plotting
- plot holes
- editing
It culminates in a published book, featuring stories written by the young scribes. In publishing the book, the young writers are taught about collaboration and how to work with an editor. They learn about research, which is a very important aspect of writing. They find out about the publishing process as well.