While students typically spend hours composing essays for class, now they have the opportunity to use their writing skills in an imaginative way through Hillsdale’s new Creative Writing Club.
The club, advised by Assistant Professor of English Kelly Franklin, aims to unite and enlighten a community interested in creative expression through the written language.
“We want to get people together who would never otherwise meet, breaking down the cliques,” Vice President senior Alex Tacoma said. “There are the ‘We’re the literary’ clique and the ‘I want to write for money’ clique. We’re going to be able to network.”
About eight students started a small writing group last year to discuss topics and review each other’s work. This year, the officials are using that experience to develop this now all-campus club, Tacoma said.
He said that although the club was approved by the Student Federation later in the semester than the officials had hoped, the club will officially begin its weekly meetings next semester.
Meetings will be two to three hours long, broken into parts with a flexible, come-and-go-as-you-please policy, and will consist of workshop, free-writing, and lecture time.
Approximately two pieces will be reviewed at each meeting with authors rotated every time during workshop, Tacoma said. The works will be emailed to members prior to the workshop time so fellow students can read them beforehand.
“The goal is to actually get this to your peers, have them reading and [you] getting feedback,” Tacoma said.
A quiet time when students can simply write will also be available.
Having a writing group that meets consistently helps to make it a habit for writers in their busy schedules, freshman Social Media Editor Chandler Ryd said.
One of the six club officials will also do a lecture on a topic pertinent to writing, such as plot development or tips on how to start writing at each meeting. The lectures will be discussion-based and club participants’ interests will influence which topics are covered.
“We found last year it was nice having someone look up interesting stuff online about in-depth world building or how to make your characters interesting,” sophomore Treasurer Devon Izmirian said. “That’s what we want to give to the club since there aren’t many creative writing classes at Hillsdale.”
Franklin hopes to teach a creative writing course in poetry in the next couple of years.
“The fact we don’t have much of an opportunity for that here at Hillsdale is a little bit dampening,” Izmirian said. “Stories are worth telling, and Hillsdale has unique ways to look at the world. We want this to be an open place to get the words actually out or have some feedback. We want to provide opportunities for you to fail faster and then be better.”
The club also plans to host reading nights in A.J.’s Café to allow students to share their pieces aloud to the campus community. It encourages students to submit at least one piece for publication per semester reinforced by signed commitment goal sheets.
“It would encourage writers to be willing to share their work,” Ryd said. “Telling stories is one of the most human things we do.”
