Creative Writing Club is a place for students of all skill levels to find peers who can help them improve their work and join a community of creative individuals with a love for writing.
For many people, writing can often feel like a daunting task. People who love writing, but tend to get stuck, can become frustrated. If someone absolutely hates writing, it can feel impossible. No matter which end a person is on, the Creative Writing Club can help.
Club vice president Clare Ashcraft wants to create a space for writers of any kind. “It doesn’t matter whether or not you consider yourself a writer. We’re in college, we’re all writers,” she said.
Ashcraft remembers joining the Creative Writing Club her first year at Capital. “I was really interested in just meeting a community of writers, people that could give me feedback. So yeah, I’m happy to help create that community for others,” she said.
Community is what helps writers of any sort hone their skills, whether the task at hand is a poem or an academic essay.
“You have to build relationships with people and get connected to a writing community,” said Professor Angela Buck during her lecture at the recent “Rockin’ with the Writers” seminar hosted by the Creative Writing Club.
The Creative Writing Club seeks to be that connection for students to work on their writing with a group of peers who can truly help them, no matter their experience or skill level.
The goal of the club is to create a space for anyone to come to develop a short story, receive constructive criticism on a poem or simply work on their homework. Ashcraft welcomes anyone to join. “We’re all learning here,” she said.
Homework help is not the only focus of the club. As the name suggests, it is a space for writers to flex their creative muscles. No matter a person’s skill level or interest, writing poetry, prose, fiction, cultural criticism and more can help develop writing skills in other areas.
As students, there are writing assignments around every corner. Some students might feel reluctant to join the Creative Writing Club if they are unsure whether they want to write in their free time.
A benefit of writing during free time is that writing is “the cheapest way to express yourself,” said writer and English professor Liam O’Loughlin. “Creative writing is a practice, like meditation. It helps you process the world. The act of writing is therapeutic.”
Creative Writing Club also has resources available for more experienced writers. Having a group of experienced writers to turn to is useful when needing guidance.
“Publishing is shrouded in mystery,” Ashcraft said. The club can assist any aspiring writers who wish to be published. There is help available to edit their work, as well as to send it out to places at the university, like Recap, or independent publishers looking for new work.
Whatever someone’s goals are, however comfortable or experienced a person is with writing, it is a fundamental skill. Creative Writing Club offers a place of community for any and all aspiring, or reluctant, writers.
In his book “Human, All Too Human,” Friedrich Nietzsche said, “a good writer possesses not only his own spirit but also the spirit of his friends.” Club members have the opportunity to meet new people, make new connections, and discover a love for something they may have never thought to try.
Be on the lookout for the Creative Writing Club’s future meeting times through their Instagram: @capcreativewritingclub, or through Engage.
