Week #2 

Welcome back, writers! We are so glad to see you all again. 

Now last week, we said that this year there are going to be some goals. One of our biggest goals is to have everyone complete a finished piece they are proud of. Whether it be a compilation of poems or short stories or even a rough draft of a novel, we are all going to complete something together. None of us will be alone in our effort!

Writing comes in many different forms, and you may have no idea where to start. Try a variety of writing techniques to find what suits you! 

If you have a sense of what you enjoy writing, fill out the Google Form below to help us determine how we should plan future meetings. 

Some of you have a plan and know exactly what you want to write about and what you like doing. Perhaps you already have a project started. For those of you who are debating on ideas or not sure where to go yet, you are not alone. There are are so many ways to write creatively and it is hard to discover your own unique style!  

There is never a wrong way to start writing. Whether you want to jump into planning a novel or you prefer the elegance of short stories and poems, you do what you feel is write. Here is a great introductory video for approaching writing (12 minutes). Although it focuses mainly of short stories, there is great writing advice that she gives along the way. 

As previously mentioned, this video mainly focusing on short stories, but there are good points made that follow any form of writing. 

1. You don't have to be a reader  to write. There is no prerequisite here! Some writers thrive off reading and using other pieces of literature for inspiration, but that doesn't motivate everybody. 

2. Nothing is wrong with preferring short stories over novels, or vise versa. Don't assume that novels are "too hard" or "too complex" to write and you need experience before you write one. Similarly, don't discount your writing abilities because you prefer smaller, more focused, pieces of text like short stories or poems. 

3. Stories don't have to have bold and earth-shattering plots. They can be about anything you want to be. 

Of course, we can't finish off our second meeting without some writing to get our brains turning! For those of you who already have a project you are working on, go ahead and continue it. If you want to try something new and discover where your writing preferences are, check out some amazing writing prompts here! Reedsy is a great resource to use if you need inspiration for a poem or short story. Even if you're a novelist, you can try this writing exercise out too. Consider the writing tips above and keep those in mind as you write.

Next week, prepare for some brainstorming! We are going to dive into story planning, drafting tips, and more fun activities!

This website is currently under construction, so keep a lookout during the next couple of weeks for updates and improvements!