Succeeding Young

When I was a teenager, the career I wanted was to be an author. I dreamed of seeing my name on the cover of a novel at the library. I imagined myself on tour, signing autographs and being interviewed for The Mike Douglas Show. I wrote stories and poems, adding essays to the creative mix for my teachers. My grades proved I knew what I was doing, but my ever-practical mother encouraged me to have a second career in mind, fearing I would never earn enough as a writer to survive.

Today, I have a son who wants to be an actor, movie producer and director. He’s only fourteen, but I find myself encouraging his dreams. Already he’s been the lead in a class play and an extra in a couple of TV shows. He has been directing and producing movies for class projects and just for fun since he was in elementary school, and this past summer he started to write film scripts. He has a wealth of ideas just bursting to get down on paper and into film.

Our world provides so many more opportunities for children to express themselves through publishing, film, and other performances areas than it did when I was his age. Just this past few years we’ve seen Christopher Paolini hit the New York Times Bestseller lists with both Eragon and Eldest, the first two books in a planned trilogy. He was only 19 when Knopf published the first book, and this year Eragon also hit the movie screens.

Also nineteen, actor Zac Efron has been called “the biggest teen star in America.” His starring role in Disney’s High School Musical has brought him a slew of offers that insure his film future.

Former American Idol finalist Lisa Tucker was sixteen when she entered the competition on the number one show in the country, and even though she only claimed the number 10 spot, she hasn’t been silent since. Fans likely caught her appearances on The O.C., Zoey 101, and the Tounament of Roses parade.

Reality television shows like The Lot will allowed young filmmakers of my son’s age to compete among their older peers just like Idol does for singers. Broadway opened its arms to Diana DeGarmo, another A.I. finalist, for lead roles in both Hairspray and Brooklyn: The Musical. Publishing houses are also offering contracts to young authors.

Success in the world of entertainment is a golden opportunity for kids of today, if they are willing to work hard and give their best performance, no matter what their chosen field might be.