Originally Posted by ro-monster

I guess it depends. Why did he stop writing it? From the little you've said, it seems as though he may have stopped in order to avoid looking directly at what he has lost, to avoid grieving for the loss of potential, the realization that there are dreams he cannot achieve in this life. If this is the case, perhaps encouraging him to continue will appear heartless and unsympathetic from his point of view.

On the other hand, it's been my experience that meeting pain directly and examining it objectively, and without attempting to shield one's being from it, is a transformative experience. In the act of embracing pain and fear soberly and lucidly, in going through it and under it to its roots, in seeing it simply as what it is, comes a moment when pain and fear lose their power, when you forgive yourself and let them go. And in that moment you become free to truly live, just as you are. Writing is one of the best ways to make such a journey.

So I think you have to consider your brother's temperament and see if you can uncover his reasons for writing, and for stopping -- he might be only partially aware of them himself. If you understand those, you may have your answer.