My Four-Year-Old Wants to Be a Writer Like Daddy. Here’s Why She’ll Be Great.

About a week ago, my four-year-old daughter, Caitlin, ran up to me and said, “Daddy, you know what I want to be when I grow up?”

My first thought was an artist. Caitlin draws and colors constantly. She’s very meticulous and creative.

She once took letters and numbers that she had written at school and turned them into a group of people by connecting the letters and numbers, adding human features, and coloring in the spaces. While the other kids take naps, she draws and colors.

If not an artist, I thought she might want to be a dancer. She’s taking two dance classes every Saturday, at least until the winter recital in a couple weeks. I’m looking forward to seeing her dance to “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?” from Frozen.

After my first two guesses were wrong, Caitlin said, “Daddy, I want to be a writer.”

Then she showed me her first book. It’s a Thanksgiving picture book that she’s holding in the photo above. She flips through the pages and tells the story based on the pictures. Her teacher even stapled the pages together.

I have to admit that I got a little choked up.

I was a little surprised, too. Even though she knows all of her letters and numbers, Caitlin is four years old, and the only word she knows how to write without help is her first name.

But the more I thought about it, the more it made sense.

Caitlin wants to be a writer, and will be a great writer, because she’s a great storyteller.

I write mostly blogs, website content, newsletter articles, brochures, press releases and stuff like that. Caitlin wants to write books.

But one thing all successful writers have in common is that they know how to spin a story.

Either my wife or I read stories to Caitlin every night at bedtime. This has been the routine almost since she was born.

A couple years ago, when we would finish stories, Caitlin started saying, “Daddy, can we talk?”

Not a serious talk. Just a conversation about what she did today, what she was going to do tomorrow, a movie, a birthday party, a trip to the boardwalk or whatever else popped into her head.

More recently, “can we talk” evolved into “let’s tell stories.” She would tell me a short story that she made up on the fly. Then it would be my turn.

A cynic might say Caitlin is coming up with an excuse to stay up later. I’d be lying if I said the thought never crossed my mind.

But Caitlin really wants to tell and hear stories. She’s showing me that she has the three key characteristics of a great writer and storyteller:

She’s a great listener and observer.

Caitlin doesn’t always do what she’s told, but she’s always listening. And she remembers everything (sometimes regrettably). I can’t wait until she’s able to make notes of the things she sees, hears and experiences. Writers are also avid readers, which Caitlin will be someday.

She involves her audience.

Anyone can sit there like the drunk guy at the corner of the bar who rambles on about himself and his friends. Caitlin wants to hear what’s on your mind, and she somehow gets those thoughts into her stories.

She makes an emotional connection.

Caitlin typically tells a story until she gets a laugh or a “wow.” By waiting for that reaction, that moment of truth, I can tell she’s trying to make a connection. That’s how great writers and storytellers make their stories matter.

Maybe I’m just a proud papa, but the kid’s got the goods.

I’m also not naive. I know Caitlin will change her mind about what she wants to be when she grows up a few dozen times before she’s 10.

Or maybe she won’t.

If Caitlin does stay on this path to being a writer, I know she has the built-in tools to be great. And I’ll save this signed first edition of the Thankgiving Book to remind her of how it all started.